This burns me up

[Randync]

Took the kids fishing at Lookout Shoals last night. First thing we saw were 2 catfish on a stringer laying on the bank dead. One of them was at least 5 pounds the other about half that. I know people make mistakes but leaving fish on a stringer to die is such a waste. Maybe they just forgot the fish and somebody else pulled them out of the water. My guess is that they were either too drunk or too lazy to take em home and clean em. I keep fish but they are eaten, though if I ever catch a big one Ill let him go. To me and my pitiful catfishing skills, anything over 5 pounds is big. I don't eat fish but my Girlfriend does and if I bring fish home, she don't yap as much about how much time I spend fishing. Until I met her I let everything go I caught.
Those fish on those stringer died a bad death for no reason, and will never be caught by anybody else, or make new catfish for us to catch down the road.

[laidbck111]

waste not want not. The people that did that are wrong and I agree that waste is bad CPR the big one's and eat what you can't revive.

[teaysvalleyguy]

Definatly an abuse of the outdoors brother. I hate to see anything that can be eaten or released go to waste. Some people just do not have the same morals brother.

[Gibbzilla]

What a shame....

I was walking along the bank one day and saw an old black man tossing small channels, not big enough to be harvested legally behind him into the dry weeds. After he left later that night I cleared out some weeds and found nearly 20 5-12 inch channels dead, and covered in ants. Burned me up worse than any fishing experience I'd ever had.

Some people are too lazy, too drunk, or just too flatout stupid to CPR/clean and eat the fish.

[flathunter]

that would make me mad also, thing like that are getting more comon.

[Randync]

Down there where I fish alot, there are alot of drunks on the weekends, and punk kids. My kids are going to have a nice bit of cash at the end of summer from picking up beer cans we find down there. Keeps the lake area cleaner and puts some walking around money in their pockets. You have to walk a half mile to fish below the dam there now because Duke Power blocked the road because of people dumping trash down there.
The other night we were there and some teenagers were throwing M80's in the water right next to some people fishing. I thought they were in for a butt kicking when one of the fishermen walked over towards them, but they took off.
Wasn't the first time we found dead fish on a stringer down there either. We have found several dead carp with the eyes put out.

[IL Hunter]

That is sad. I eat quite a bit of catfish, but I only eat small ones. The good sized ones always swim to live another day. If know it's too big it gets sent right back. I don't really like stringers for catch and release I think they do a lot of damage. I wish I could catch people doing that stupid stuff sometimes.

[tncatfishing]

Makes no sense to me either, you either keep the fish and eat them or let them go. When I go fishing if I have only one or two keepers when I am ready to leave I let them go. And when they are on the stringer I make sure they are in as deep of water as I can get them in. Why kill such a good sporting fish if your not going to eat it. Irresponsible people are all over the place.

[dcaruthers]

May have been my stringer lol, my nephew forgot to secure ours the other night and it swam away. Talk about heartbroke.

[Randync]

I keep mine in a bucket and change the water every once in a while. I also release them if I don't have at least 3 of eating size. Except the other night I only had one but I injured him removing the hook so I kept him. Ive been using mostly Dip Worms recently, on trebble hooks. Also liver on trebbles. Im not in love with them but they seem to work best with the liver. Been wanting to use more bream for bait, but they seem to be hiding out whenever I go fishing.

[HRCats]

Man thats too bad.:sad2: I don't usually put anything on a stringer unless i know for sure i'm gonna keep em.

[SubnetZero]

Doesnt make much sense... Im betting they were forgotten about...

[Fatkat]

Doesnt make much sense... Im betting they were forgotten about...
I would have to agree, its a shame but since the stringer was there I would say they forgot them.

[bigblaze]

Man just another reason we need some laws in NC to protect the catfish....although if we had the laws don't mean they would ever be enforced but we got to start somewhere!!!!!

[field989]

Definatly an abuse of the outdoors brother. I hate to see anything that can be eaten or released go to waste. Some people just do not have the same morals brother.

VERY WELL SAID and agreed

[Ahquabi_Master]

thats pretty messed up that somone would do that. these people don't care about what all of us appreciate. karma'll get em one day.

[catrod]

I think all stupid people should just explode!!!! I have no use for lazy, careless people like that. I throw almost every thing I catch back even when I catch 75-100 crappie, cause I have no one to eat fish with.

[john barber]

i know where you are coming from i to see people do that sort of stuff i really hate to see people keep a big fish only for the pupose to show it off to others i have i new son 11 moths old and really want to help the future of fishing so he and others can enjoy the sport i love so much

[crayzeecade]

This sure does get my blood boiling. If we could enforce laws like all the others I know we all could sleep a bit better at night, but it sure is a shame when there are people who don't take responsibility for all their gear. As an avid fisherman I would always kick myself in the rear for forgetting any piece of tackle back at the fishing hole.

[Pastor E]

Sad some folk don`t care but i have lost my stringer before sad

[chattycatty]

I'd like to think that maybe someone in a boat was going downstream and forgot to pull their stringer of fish in the boat, then it got washed ashore. Like you said mistakes happen. We've been known to go across the lake and not pull in the anchor. Perhaps the same thing happened here. I sure hope so.

[Fishing Fred]

Have been going to add to this thread but keep getting sidetracked. I have lost a stringer wade fishing because of my carelessness and hope this is what happened here. Reminded me of another kind of waste I used to see. I had an old fellow that used to fish with me some. Notice the words "used to" ! Anytime he caught anything small if we were bank fishing he threw it out into the woods. In the boat it went into his bucket regardless of size. When I asked him why he did it his reasoning was they wouldn't bite again if he threw them out or kept them to feed his cats. Told him if everyone used his system we sure wouldn't have to worry about any bites after a while. He is no longer is invited to go fishing with me . I spent too much of my time looking for and returning his " by-catch " to the water. It might surprise some of you to know how many people I have seen that had this mindset.

[crricha13]

just camp out there and wait til they come back to fish and see if it happens again haha

[truckin4x4]

yeah man i would like to run into those guys or girls i sure would give them a mouthful

[WylieCat]

It is up to EACH OF US to educate those around us about respect for wildlife. Actions like this are learned, so that is a good sign that they can also learn to do things right.

Start with the kids. If you make that impression early and with good explanation it will last a lifetime. Educate yourself, and then educate others.

I use to shy away from discussions like this at the local hunting and fishing store, but now I just right in explain in detail why some things people have been taught are wrong. Of course I get the usually uneducated comments, but like someone else said, they dont have to worry about ever fishing with me.

[bigcatmaniac]

I found a BIG flathead on the bank of a local fishing hole one time, made me mad because i had never caught one that big and some idiot just tossed it up onto the bank and left it. needless to say nobody can fish this little spot any more.