Actualy it takes as much or MORE skill to place trot or limb lines in productive areas then hopping from spot to spot and tossing out a couple of baits on rods. Rods are more mobile and more 'luck' then placeing a trot or limb line in one area to produce for several days running.
Ethical= Anything legal, within the law.
"It bugs me to see shaking limbs for hours w/no body checking on them. I am likely to release your fish and remove your line for you."
As long as the limbs are labeled with their name and adress it's no buisness of yours.
Releaseing fish from trot, jug or limb lines not yours is illegal. You will get a nice hefty ticket if caught!
If your unlucky, in some areas you'll get the motor blowed off the back of your boat or holes punched in it. Some people take real exception to people running their lines.
Lines with belly up cats bother me to but in all my years i can remember two. Hooks at least are supposed to be removed from the lines if their not being used.
As to lines i know a lot of guys that remove the hooks but leave the lines because they will be back about every weekend. The rivers theirs as much as yours. Though i do agree if their NOT comeing back they should remove the whole thing.
I hate abanodoned trotlines as well. But most of those are the cheap ones put out by 'temporary' or 'sometimes' catters that figure out it's real work running one. Their either to lazy to take em back up, which i hate because it leave the hooks on them. And sometimes folks just flat forget where they put em.
The Osage river below truman is rife with them. It's a wonder anyone gets to snag a spoonie for all the 0ld lines left in. Serious catters 'Rarely' leave their lines in and go off and leave them. Their usualy high quality hand made lines worth some bucks. Not your wal-mart cheapies.
Again, tampering in anyway with anothers trotline will get you a ticket. Get caught messing with it and it's unlabled you'll get charged for running an unlabled trotline even though it's not yours.
People get real testy about folks messing with their trotlines just like their limb lines. It's not yours then leave it alone as it's illegal to tamper with. Only legal option is take an agent to deal with it.
Tampering with a jug, paticularly a labeled one is illegal as hell, just like trots or limb lines. Their not yours so leave em the hell alone! Your either going to get a ticket or run into the wrong [email]d@mn">d@mn</a> person!
Discarded jugs are fair game, especialy with no names on them. Good way to get some nice hooks. Just make sure their discarded. If their labeled and anchored the owner does NOT have to be in their immediate presance.
Jugging, trotlineing or limblineing is legal ethical and sporting. People have just as much right to fish that way as you do with a rod.
From the sound of it your advocateing 'ILLEGAL' activity just because you don't like some others 'LEGAL' activities.
All a person has to do is get your boat number or call the agent if they see you tampering with their lines/jugs and your going to get some nice tickets.
And i kid you not, i know some old boys that would'nt think twice about blowing the motor off the back of your boat for running their lines. Especialy some of the real river rats. Ive known of one or two that have done it in years past.
Best thing to do is continue your favorite legal activities and leave other folks legal activities alone before you end up in Jail or buying a new boat/motor or worse.
One more thing, this is a friendly contest among friends. The rules have been discussed, agreed upon and set.
You have two choices, join the contest and compete within in the rules or ignore the contest and fish any <a href="mailto:d@mn[/email] way YOU want to.
Untill an agent catches you tampering with someone elses lines and you lose your fishing priviliges for about 4 years plus a chunk of money.
DR
