wrote in message
oups.com...

What did my daughter learn from this experience with authority?

To become better informed about the rules and regulations of the sport in
which she is participating.

Does my daughter really have to carry a book of outdoor regs just to
fish from a dock?

Yes. They're free in any tackle shop...or available to print out off the
internet.


Is there a way to write or enforce wildlife laws that does not turn 9
yr olds into anarchists?


A dad sneaking out an undersized fish is the kind of stuff that turns 9 year
olds into anarchists. The regulations don't do it.

" JimH" wrote in message
. ..

"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...
wrote:
It was too foggy all day so I allowed my 9 year old daughter to fish
from the dock. I am no fisherman and normally have no tackle but I had
found a reel in the coastal cleanup a couple monthsa ago. I cannot
identify fish and have no idea what is legal or not. I do know that we
do not need a license to fish from a dock in salt water. However, I
bought some hooks, sinkers and shrimp for bait and she fished ALL day
with no luck. She was seriously determined and finally around 4:00 pm,
suddenly she caught a largish fish with a spot on its tail. Another
sailor identified it as a Redfish and I happen to know there is a size
limit on them but nobody present anywhere nearby knew what it was. I
had to try to explain to my tearful daughter that we could get in
trouble for keeping it (I later learned the minimum size is 18" and
this looked larger) as I have heard horror stories of encounters with
the marine patrol over Redfish. I told her to try for something else
(I was hoping for something like a yellowtail that I know is legal) but
she caught another Redfish which I threw back with her crying and
asking why. Damn, then she caught another, threw it back with her
crying in frustration. CRAP, she catches another pestilential Redfish
but this one had swallowed the hook. I could not get the hook out even
with needle nose pliers without serious damage to the fish that would
kill it. Fortunately, we were out of bait but what to do wiht the
dying Redfish? It was smaller than the first three and my personal
ethic says dont kill it unless you will eat it so I hid it under my
coat and put it in the car.
What did my daughter learn from this experience with authority?
Does my daughter really have to carry a book of outdoor regs just to
fish from a dock?
Is there a way to write or enforce wildlife laws that does not turn 9
yr olds into anarchists?



Oh, puh-lease. The redfish slot limits in Florida are available on
measuring sticks available free from almost any bait shop. There's no
excuse to be ignorant if you are going fishing.

Also, if you are fishing for reds, you should be using small leadheads
tipped with shrimp or circle hooks that catch in the corner of the fish's
mouth so you can easily release it.

Don't fish from your boat without a license.




I guess you missed this part of his post: "I am no fisherman".

Why the negative reply to a nice story Harry?

The minute he and his daughter stepped on the pier with fishing poles, they
were "fisherman".

Fishing is a regulated sport. Learn the rules before you participate.

" JimH" wrote in message
...

"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...
JimH wrote:
"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...
wrote:
It was too foggy all day so I allowed my 9 year old daughter to fish
from the dock. I am no fisherman and normally have no tackle but I had
found a reel in the coastal cleanup a couple monthsa ago. I cannot
identify fish and have no idea what is legal or not. I do know that
we
do not need a license to fish from a dock in salt water. However, I
bought some hooks, sinkers and shrimp for bait and she fished ALL day
with no luck. She was seriously determined and finally around 4:00 pm,
suddenly she caught a largish fish with a spot on its tail. Another
sailor identified it as a Redfish and I happen to know there is a size
limit on them but nobody present anywhere nearby knew what it was. I
had to try to explain to my tearful daughter that we could get in
trouble for keeping it (I later learned the minimum size is 18" and
this looked larger) as I have heard horror stories of encounters with
the marine patrol over Redfish. I told her to try for something else
(I was hoping for something like a yellowtail that I know is legal)
but
she caught another Redfish which I threw back with her crying and
asking why. Damn, then she caught another, threw it back with her
crying in frustration. CRAP, she catches another pestilential Redfish
but this one had swallowed the hook. I could not get the hook out
even
with needle nose pliers without serious damage to the fish that would
kill it. Fortunately, we were out of bait but what to do wiht the
dying Redfish? It was smaller than the first three and my personal
ethic says dont kill it unless you will eat it so I hid it under my
coat and put it in the car.
What did my daughter learn from this experience with authority?
Does my daughter really have to carry a book of outdoor regs just to
fish from a dock?
Is there a way to write or enforce wildlife laws that does not turn 9
yr olds into anarchists?


Oh, puh-lease. The redfish slot limits in Florida are available on
measuring sticks available free from almost any bait shop. There's no
excuse to be ignorant if you are going fishing.

Also, if you are fishing for reds, you should be using small leadheads
tipped with shrimp or circle hooks that catch in the corner of the
fish's mouth so you can easily release it.

Don't fish from your boat without a license.




I guess you missed this part of his post: "I am no fisherman".

Why the negative reply to a nice story Harry?

BTW: I would have thrown the fish back if I had no plans to eat it. It
would be food for the gulls.

Ignorance of the law is no excuse, especially in Florida, where the rules
and regs regarding redfish are in the news all the time, and the
information is available just about everywhere.

Where did he break the rules Harry?

He didn't know the slot size limit for redfish, and had no way to measure
it. He may or may not have broken the law when he sneaked that fish off the
dock under his coat. Regardless, sneaking a fish under your coat on the way
to the car sets a poor example to the daughter. He presumed guilt...or else
why "hide" it?

wrote in message
oups.com...
I do know that we
do not need a license to fish from a dock in salt water.

That's only true if you're a resident of Florida...or if the pier that
you're fishing from has a blanket license that covers everybody fishing from
it. Non-residents need a license anytime they're fishing.

Are you a Florida resident?

wrote:
It was too foggy all day so I allowed my 9 year old daughter to fish
from the dock. I am no fisherman and normally have no tackle but I had
found a reel in the coastal cleanup a couple monthsa ago. I cannot
identify fish and have no idea what is legal or not. I do know that we
do not need a license to fish from a dock in salt water. However, I
bought some hooks, sinkers and shrimp for bait and she fished ALL day
with no luck. She was seriously determined and finally around 4:00 pm,
suddenly she caught a largish fish with a spot on its tail. Another
sailor identified it as a Redfish and I happen to know there is a size
limit on them but nobody present anywhere nearby knew what it was. I
had to try to explain to my tearful daughter that we could get in
trouble for keeping it (I later learned the minimum size is 18" and
this looked larger) as I have heard horror stories of encounters with
the marine patrol over Redfish. I told her to try for something else
(I was hoping for something like a yellowtail that I know is legal) but
she caught another Redfish which I threw back with her crying and
asking why. Damn, then she caught another, threw it back with her
crying in frustration. CRAP, she catches another pestilential Redfish
but this one had swallowed the hook. I could not get the hook out even
with needle nose pliers without serious damage to the fish that would
kill it. Fortunately, we were out of bait but what to do wiht the
dying Redfish? It was smaller than the first three and my personal
ethic says dont kill it unless you will eat it so I hid it under my
coat and put it in the car.
What did my daughter learn from this experience with authority?
Does my daughter really have to carry a book of outdoor regs just to
fish from a dock?
Is there a way to write or enforce wildlife laws that does not turn 9
yr olds into anarchists?


Why not explain to your daughter about the joys of catch and release
fishing?
Why would she have to be in tears because you couldn't (or didn't) kill
the fish?
A lot of sportsmen release everything they catch.

Your daughter should be proud that she caught three fish, (IMO), not
disappointed that at least two of them will live bit longer.

"NOYB" wrote in message
nk.net...

wrote in message
oups.com...
I do know that we
do not need a license to fish from a dock in salt water.

That's only true if you're a resident of Florida...or if the pier that
you're fishing from has a blanket license that covers everybody fishing
from it. Non-residents need a license anytime they're fishing.

Are you a Florida resident?



There is probably an age requirement. 9 years old most likely does not
require a license, resident or not.

NOYB strikes me as being the kind of blathering moron that gives
authority such a bad reputation. I did the right thing and neither you
or any other brownosing self appointed expert can tell me or her
anything different. Fishing rules were made to keep the fish from
being overfished, if you think they should be enforced just to make a
point of harassing a 9 yr old then you are a sicko. The fish was gonna
die, we ate it, tough **** asshole.

On 1 Jan 2006 21:01:12 -0800, "
wrote:

NOYB strikes me as being the kind of blathering moron that gives
authority such a bad reputation. I did the right thing and neither you
or any other brownosing self appointed expert can tell me or her
anything different. Fishing rules were made to keep the fish from
being overfished, if you think they should be enforced just to make a
point of harassing a 9 yr old then you are a sicko. The fish was gonna
die, we ate it, tough **** asshole.

Sometimes it's hard, but we are *really* trying to keep the name-calling out of here.
NOYB is one who lives and fishes in Florida, and is concerned with the rules and
regulations in his home state. I get *really* ****ed when I see someone breaking the
rules for rockfish in the Chesapeake Bay.

A couple years ago I had a kid visiting from Belarus. He was 10. We went fishing. We
must have caught ten or so rockfish, all within two inches of being legal (18"). He
was totally ****ed seeing every fish he caught thrown back, when only one of them
would have fed his whole family!

If the fish was going to die, then the crabs would have fed.

--
John H.

"Divide each difficulty into as many parts as is feasible and necessary to resolve it."
Rene Descartes

"NOYB" wrote in message
nk.net...

wrote in message
oups.com...
I do know that we
do not need a license to fish from a dock in salt water.

That's only true if you're a resident of Florida...or if the pier that
you're fishing from has a blanket license that covers everybody fishing
from it. Non-residents need a license anytime they're fishing.

Are you a Florida resident?

At Point Lookout, MD you need a license to fish off of the Potomac River
side of the pier but, on the Chesapeake Bay side of the pier you don't need
a fishing license. But, if your hook drifts to the river side you are going
to need a fishing license.

wrote in message
oups.com...
NOYB strikes me as being the kind of blathering moron that gives
authority such a bad reputation. I did the right thing and neither you
or any other brownosing self appointed expert can tell me or her
anything different. Fishing rules were made to keep the fish from
being overfished, if you think they should be enforced just to make a
point of harassing a 9 yr old then you are a sicko. The fish was gonna
die, we ate it, tough **** asshole.

Rules and laws are in place to enable a level playing field. Your lack of
understanding of palying fair and by the rules in fishing might warp your
daughter's sense of fairness for the rest of her life. Going 1 MPH over the
speed limit is illegal whether you get caught or not.