Trout fishing hoarding and killing in Maryville

[FLTENNHUNTER1]

View attachment 212877

Did you weigh that one by chance?

 

[Carlos]

If it's not being reported, nothing should be said about it.

 

[DayDay]

generally people are hogs no matter the fish species and then scream that asian carp are eating all the fish. there are daily limits and possession limits and i bet 98% of folks dont dollow them.

anyhoo, trout taste like dog turds and youll never see me fish for em or eat em.

I've never tasted a dog turd but I'll take your word for it.

 

[Biggun4214]

Trout, crappie, and white bass seem to the main fish of hoarding in my area. I guess they are usually easier to catch than most species. Walleye and sauger are somewhat, because they are another preferred eating fish.
As far as catching hoarders, an officer can check someone in the morning and unless they have their limit and are leaving, the odds of checking them again the same day is slim.
We worked some Hispanics below Cherokee several years ago. The day I worked them they would pull into the parking lot and stand at the top of the ramp. The trout was hitting good. I was catching them in a float and fly. They never fished. Next time trout were stocked another officer fished and hadn't been there 30 minutes and one of the Hispanics had a limit and took it to the truck and came back to fish. Before he finished his second limit another Hispanic pulled in and started to get the first limit. I pulled in before he could them in his cooler so we caught 2 for one. There were no more complaints on them after that.
Just because you don't see anyone getting caught that doesn't mean that officers aren't working on the problem. Catching violators isn't as quick and easy as you might think.
I caught 2 Virginia fishermen with over 150 white bass. I actually impounded their pontoon boat by chaining it to the dock. They were supposed to have a mandatory appearance in court. They went in before court and the judge allowed them to only pay a $10 fine and court cost.

 

[Crow Terminator]

Of course, there's two sides to every coin. Just from my view point of things...I know EVERY case isn't like this but...the tip line calls...I don't see how it could be any easier to catch somebody than when you have people calling and reporting the WHEN, WHERE, HOW, WHO, etc. And nearly all of us have video/picture evidence we could show. I've called the hot line, left messages, and waited a long time for a return call and to stick around to see if I needed to be there as a witness...and never see or hear from an officer.

 

[Lt.Dan]

Did you weigh that one by chance?

Yes 6.5lbs

 

[TheLBLman]

AMEN. I said this the first time I visited Louisiana. The liberal limits drive tourism dollars and collapse the fishery at the same time.

Fortunately some are starting to wake up but most are still fighting it.

AND, similar was exactly what was happening in TN with our turkey season & limits, until someone last year finally said "Enough".

 

[DeerCamp]

I've been a long time trout fisherman. I've seen just about every type of fishing "jerk" on the rivers or lakes in East Tennessee. I don't think there's anything worse than a trout hoarder, and they are becoming more and more common.

I live in Maryville and during the winter months the local downtown river arr stocked with trout. I really wish TWRA wouldn't release the dates of stocking, and just randomly drop trout, as it causes more problems than it's worth. The day of, and the several days after stocking, is just a mess. I'm guessing the same thing happens up at the Halls duck pond or any of the winter stocking locations. People just hoard and kill off fish, with ZERO care for conservation, other fisherman, or TWRA.
Hoarding, to me, is catching more fish than is permitted. In Maryville it's five fish a day. That doesn't stop these guys from fishing, catching five, leaving for an hour, and coming back and fishing for five more. I've seen this play out with certain guys numerous times throughout the day. I've spent entire days just watching people fish, and I've seen certain guys do this routine 4-5 times. That's up to 25 fish they take a day! I even wonder if they even cared to buy a license? Do you want anyone else to take a trout home for dinner?!

The next jerk is the one who has no intention to take a fish home and cook it, but just loves to catch and throw back. This is actually worse than taking more fish home than allowed. I met a guy last week who just kept bragging how he caught 40-50 trout on this day, and how fun it was. He threw every fish back. He was fishing with bowerbait and a sinker. No tension on the line and almost every fish he brought in had swallowed the hook. He'd just yank out the hook and throw the trout back, sealing the trouts fate. I offered a little advice on proper release to help increase the trouts survival, but I might as well have talked to a rock. Watching bleeding fish thrown back in the river made me sick.

Trout are sensitive fish. They die fairly easy if not handled properly. For instance: if squeezed tightly while removing a hook you will crush their organs. If you use a cloth to hold them you remove all their protective coating. They definitely die if you yank out a swallowed hook in the gut. Just read online about trout (not other fish) survival rates, as there are so many article online about it.

I love trout fishing. I enjoy eating trout. I only fish for species I will eat, as I don't like to kill an animal just to kill it. I've never understood killing to kill. I fish, and if I catch my limit, I then go home. If I see a kid or someone who doesn't know how to fish, I'll offer advice. If I catch a trout and it's hooked properly and I know I can release it, I will do so, but if it's questionable, it goes home with me. I club its head and put it out of it misery asap.

I guess my problem is how people just brag about being terrible fishermen. No care cause no one has ever held them accountable. I buy a license and stamp every year, but in the 40 plus years I've fished I've never been approached by a TWRA officer to check to see if I'm legal to fish. I know it happens, just never seen it. I imagine these guys and girls work hard but I've just never seen one. You would think they would at least monitor areas that they've just stocked trout in over the next few days after to make sure people (like the one I just mentioned) don't steal or kill every fish???

This was not meant to put blame on TWRA, but it would be nice to see an officer or two in Maryville around stocking dates.

It does not surprise me to read this, but I haven't seen the same issues here on the West side.

In fact, many of the folks I see fishing are not all that great at catching trout since they don't usually fish for trout.

Inevitably, we will have several people stop by to ask how we are catching so many. So much so that I have premade fluorocarbon rigs to give people to try and help them.

 

[DeerCamp]

I'm an avid fly fisherman and fish for trout a lot obviously. I can't agree more with this statement. Stocker trout are disgusting to eat, and quite frankly disgusting to Look at with their worn off fins and terrible coloration. These winter stocking locations are essentially an enormous waste of money.

The people who line the banks would be just as happy grabbing them out of a bucket. It's a pretty pitiful thing Twra does, and it blows my mind people eat those nasty things. I'd rather eat Vienna sausages than a stocker

I can tell you as someone who lives in the western part of the state, my kids look forward to the trout stocking every year. They download the calendars and remind me when it's time to go fishing. They each have their own trout specific poles.

We don't have any other trout opportunities nearby, and my kids love to eat them.

Just to provide another perspective. We introduce new kids to fishing every year with this program.

 

[Setterman]

I can tell you as someone who lives in the western part of the state, my kids look forward to the trout stocking every year. They download the calendars and remind me when it's time to go fishing. They each have their own trout specific poles.

We don't have any other trout opportunities nearby, and my kids love to eat them.

Just to provide another perspective. We introduce new kids to fishing every year with this program.

I get that, my perspective comes from being spoiled on the east side

 

[DeerCamp]

I get that, my perspective comes from being spoiled on the east side

Well feel free to send those extra stocked trout over this way

 

[RoyalPrudent]

i cant stand the taste of it or any other salmanoid.

it all tastes like this to me, my nasty step momma used to make "salmon" patties at least once per week.

View attachment 212688

i guess im spoiled to sauger, bluegill and shellcracker.

your mom made salmon patties out of Jack mack? pretty good chum for white bait.

 

[Pilchard]

your mom made salmon patties out of Jack mack? pretty good chum for white bait.

Where you from @RoyalPrudent? Haven't heard white bait since I left Ft. Myers.

 

[RoyalPrudent]

Were you from @RoyalPrudent? Haven't heard white bait since I left Ft. Myers.

I lived down there for quite a few years. Fished a lot and hunted the everglades some before the feds tightened up access. I've done all sorts of south fl silliness. stone crabs, dive for lobster w tickle sticks. Caught summertime snook in the passes. killed turkeys in orange groves. sight fished tailers on a low tide. even killed quite a few snipe. caught some huge bass along the alley. caught peacocks over in the ft lauderdale canals. I thought everybody called it white bait until just now.

 

[RoyalPrudent]

Where you from @RoyalPrudent? Haven't heard white bait since I left Ft. Myers.

and I almost failed to mention tarpon... hate to be negligent to your profile pic. I caught some pretty good permit over the years too down in the keys.

 

[WTM]

your mom made salmon patties out of Jack mack? pretty good chum for white bait.

yeah and it tasted like yugo. could t use enough mustard to kill the taste.

 

[RoyalPrudent]

yeah and it tasted like ****. could t use enough mustard to kill the taste.

that's harsh right there. I feel genuinely sympathetic. I can't imagine. I like fresh mackerel and pickled mackerel, and I've tried jack mack because of that. Absolutely brutal.

 

[Wooden Arrow]

Caught summertime snook

and I almost failed to mention tarpon

snook are my weak spot. love catching them ornery things! only hooked one tarpon (while snook fishing of course) and i thought the drag on my big spinning reel was gonna die before it jumped and threw my plug. i wondered why nobody else was out on the end of the pier in Tampa trying for the snook i could see crashing on top... there was an old boy sitting out there nursing a beer, and i asked him why no one else was fishing. he grinned and said "tahpin" (no R in there, lol) it was exciting while it lasted....