walleye express
08-14-2006, 05:28 PM
According to a published report by Darcy Egan, the outdoor reporter for the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Thursday, August 10, 2006 titled "Commercial buyout gains political ally"
Sport fishing Charter Captains Robert H. Collins, President of the Lake Erie Charter Boat Association and Pete Scheid 2005 Lake Erie Charter Boat Association Captain of the Year used a fishing net to gather yellow perch discarded by commercial trap net fishing boat off Kelleys Island..
THE INTENTION WAS TO TAKE PICTURES SHOWING THE WASTE FROM COMMERCIAL FISHING NETERS.
A commercial fisherman Joseph Smith of Sandusky, who was cited and fined $70,000 for illegal Perch Fishing demanded the pair be charged with illegal sport fishing for not using hook and line to catch the fish.
After an investigation, Collins and Scheid were cited with fourth-degree misdemeanors and pleaded not guilty last Friday in Sandusky Municipal Court.
Now my question is, should they lose their privileges to operate charters, face jail time and/or stiff fines? I would like to see a little more than a slap on the wrist for these two Captains.
The charter industry should be shining examples of proper sportsmanship for other anglers to admire and try to emulate, not run around like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
IMHO: The method used by these two charter Captains to show the waste of commercial netters may not have been the smartest thing to do, but pales in the face of blantantly breaking laws or wasting thousands of perch or walleyes. In part and in this particular case, it comes down again to timely/inforceable (check and retrieve) laws for commercial fishermen using trap nets.
Sport fishing Charter Captains Robert H. Collins, President of the Lake Erie Charter Boat Association and Pete Scheid 2005 Lake Erie Charter Boat Association Captain of the Year used a fishing net to gather yellow perch discarded by commercial trap net fishing boat off Kelleys Island..
THE INTENTION WAS TO TAKE PICTURES SHOWING THE WASTE FROM COMMERCIAL FISHING NETERS.
A commercial fisherman Joseph Smith of Sandusky, who was cited and fined $70,000 for illegal Perch Fishing demanded the pair be charged with illegal sport fishing for not using hook and line to catch the fish.
After an investigation, Collins and Scheid were cited with fourth-degree misdemeanors and pleaded not guilty last Friday in Sandusky Municipal Court.
Now my question is, should they lose their privileges to operate charters, face jail time and/or stiff fines? I would like to see a little more than a slap on the wrist for these two Captains.
The charter industry should be shining examples of proper sportsmanship for other anglers to admire and try to emulate, not run around like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
IMHO: The method used by these two charter Captains to show the waste of commercial netters may not have been the smartest thing to do, but pales in the face of blantantly breaking laws or wasting thousands of perch or walleyes. In part and in this particular case, it comes down again to timely/inforceable (check and retrieve) laws for commercial fishermen using trap nets.