Gotta love fishing the river

[PinchPoint]

Ain't nothing like catching big smallmouth!

 

[Setterman]

Nicely done, except you just openly admitted to poaching and provided pictures as proof. Nowhere could you keep those sized smallmouth in this side of the state.

Don't even attempt to claim they were released either, and don't claim you weren't in East TN. I know exactly where that is on the river.

This is from the fishing regulations.


"13�17 inch protected length range for smallmouth bass, with a creel limit of 5 black bass, allowing only one smallmouth bass in creel to be greater than 17 inches."

 

[Sea-ark]

There are lots of places you can keep them that size.
Nice haul.

 

[Setterman]

There are lots of places you can keep them that size.
Nice haul.

Nowhere in East TN can you keep that size in a river, nowhere. Also, I know exactly where that is, and it is 1000000% illegal to have those fish in possession.

I just hope one of the officers that frequent this site see this and do the right thing.

The blatant disregard for the regs on our smallmout rivers here is stunning.

 

[PinchPoint]

So keeping them for a picture and turning them loose is illegal? I have no reason to keep smallmouth

 

[PinchPoint]

And thanks for telling me that I didn't release those fish? Because I have never kept a smallmouth, or even a largemouth for that matter. Nice accusation on your part though, ask anyone who has ever fished with me.

 

[Setterman]

Yes you broke the law, period. You cannot possess those fish. Also by running your fingers up into their gills their chances of survival are almost zero.

You earned a nice fine and need to learn to handle fish better if you are the catch and release angler you claim to be

Looks like my accusation was a fact, correct?

 

[scn]

So keeping them for a picture and turning them loose is illegal? I have no reason to keep smallmouth

Yes, keeping them for a picture is 100% illegal. Fish in the protected length ranges must be IMMEDIATELY released unharmed.

 

[PinchPoint]

My hands were holding them by their lips, not their gills. I didn't know I couldn't keep a few smallmouth for a picture, to be turned loose right after....My mistake. A simple statement informing me that this wasn't legal would have been great, but thanks for being a total prick about it

 

[diamond hunter]

Take one picture at a time man of one fish.Gotta be gentle with those protected fish.

 

[PinchPoint]

Take one picture at a time man of one fish.Gotta be gentle with those protected fish.

Will do from now on, obviously didn't know or I wouldn't have openly put it on here.

 

[diamond hunter]

good deal.

 

[scn]

My hands were holding them by their lips, not their gills. I didn't know I couldn't keep a few smallmouth for a picture, to be turned loose right after....My mistake. A simple statement informing me that this wasn't legal would have been great, but thanks for being a total prick about it

You may want to go ahead and self-report to Region IV. If the officers have to investigate and document the locations, I'm guessing any leniency is out the window.