50", 49", 47", 43", 42", 42"... ALL WERE KEPT....The gentleman working started telling me how the one guy ( who had 3 of the fish) gutted the 43" out and it had 5 bluegills in it.. And how those big fish eat anything they want, perch walleye bluegill and crappie.. I tried to explain to him that yes they will eat those fish but it's not their first choice, carp, suckers, would be their choice if they had it, which they do in this lake..
Then he started telling me how the guy who had caught 3 of the fish was fishing, he cathces small bluegill throws them on a hook with a bobber and leaves them sit out...This guy keeps every musky he catches doing this and he fishes EVERY SINGLE DAY like this...he supposedly even keeps the undersize fish, but no one has actually seen him do it, just talk about it..
then the guy in the shop starts telling me about a tournament this September that is being held on the lake and that they catch and keep all of these fish because the lake is overrun with them.. they need thinned out.. I told him I thought the tournament was a catch and release event and he told me no it's a catch and kill, they weigh them in at the park.
At that point, being totally pi$$ed off, I introduced myself to him as the tournament director of the MMA, the guy who was putting on the tournament we was telling me about. He turned kinda red-faced and said oh, umm, then you probably know whats going on with the muskie tournament.... After that point he did a 180 and started trying to tell me where he see's musky when he is bass fishing, and where other guys see them..... and how good a musky is for the ecosystem of the lake.....
Needless to say I left there very disgusted and ready to puke!!!!!!!!! I will not be visiting this store again thats for sure.....
Now back the the bobber fisherman... In talking with Scott while fishing last night a few members of our club has seen this bobber fisherman
with more than 2 lines out, have called the RAP line on him with him only reeling in the extra rods when he see's other boats approaching. he's even called the RAP line on a couple members of the MMA for supposedly harassing him while fishing......
How do you stop someone from doing this? yes they are all legal size fish, and by law he has the right to keep them.. Sanford is a tough enough lake to fish as it is with out a major part of the "bigger fish" population being taken out by "joe local" who likes to eat them.
It was a restless night for me, i didn't get much sleep from being so sick and pi$$ed off.......
The MMA does alot of good things but obviously we aren't doing enough...
If its happening here I'm sure it's happening on other lakes as well....
Okay, I am kidding!!!!! But on a serious note, you have to have a camera with you, so before calling the rap line get some pics of his multiple lines since this is his only infraction . 