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?

wrote in message
oups.com...
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?


Dude,

You fear law too seriously. Remember, law is written to protect you, not
make you fear.

Dan

Two days ago some friends and I caught several Reds. Some were outside the
slot and had to be released. At least in Alabama we are allowed three Reds
per day one of which may be oversized. But the point I want to make is that
some of the fish we were required to release were deeply hooked to the point
that it would probably have killed them to get them off the hook. Our
solution was to cut the leader at the fish's mouth in hopes that it would
survive.

Hooks and leader are cheap. Catching Reds is priceless.

Butch
wrote in message
oups.com...
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?

I was not fishing for reds, normally we just catch yellowtails from the
dock. As far as posted fishing regulations, I had to drive 10 miles to
buy bait and it never occured to me that she would catch Redfish. This
place has some civilization but no stores or other places where the
regs are posted.
I was using a very light casting reel made for very small fish and have
no idea how to rig anything other than a simple hook and split shot
sinkers.
She got excited cuz on New Yrs eve, we were at a party at the dock and
she was trying to fish with Hors Doevres (ham) when she saw all the
mullet jumping. I told her that mullet were vegetarians and wouldnt
take any meat so she wanted to fish with a cucumber. She finally
caught a catfish using ham but it got away.

On Mon, 02 Jan 2006 00:21:44 GMT, "Butch Davis" wrote:

Two days ago some friends and I caught several Reds. Some were outside the
slot and had to be released. At least in Alabama we are allowed three Reds
per day one of which may be oversized. But the point I want to make is that
some of the fish we were required to release were deeply hooked to the point
that it would probably have killed them to get them off the hook. Our
solution was to cut the leader at the fish's mouth in hopes that it would
survive.

Hooks and leader are cheap. Catching Reds is priceless.

Butch
wrote in message
roups.com...
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 use circle hooks? We have the same problem up here with rockfish (striped
bass) which love to swallow the bait. With a circle hook, the bait will pull out of
the stomach and the hook will catch in the corner of the mouth when the fish tries to
turn away from the line.

Circle hooks take some patience, but they're very effective at leaving the fish alive
upon release. Gut hooked fish have a low survival rate, whether or not the hook and
leader are left in.

--
John H.

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

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.

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?

"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.

"Bill McKee" wrote in message
ink.net...

"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.

Correct. Age 16. But I got the feeling that dbohara was fishing too.

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.