Field & Stream 3/2008

[Travis]

Anglers are about the worst when it comes to issues like this. Everyone is out to get them when in reality it generally is the angler that is shooting themselves in the foot.

I can attest that during examination of largemouth stomach contents I examined over the years several that contained swollen soft plastics (salt impregnated usually the worst). Many of these fish would not have been able to pass the massive wads of plastic through. These fish were usually in the process of starvation. Take a couple worms and put them in a ziploc of water and see what you get over time (don't forget the effects of stomach acids and agitation). But there are other sources that contribute to higher mortality rates and overall this isn't much of a problem in most waters.

[Fish_N_Fool]

I do not doubt fish eat plastics as I have seen it for myself. But I do not believe they have any problem with that because I caught a 3 pound bass last year with a senko hanging out of its rearend. It was about 3/4 the way out and with a little tug in came out completly. I know the fish would have passed it all by its self with a little more time and we must remember the fishes diet. They eat many hard shelled animals and pass those with no problem. That said I would never throw used baits in the water as I remelt mine and make more baits for me so fish with. But I dont throw anything in the water and jump all over anyone I see doing so. Hate litter bugs

Edited April 21, 2008 by Fish_N_Fool

[Travis]

Natural food sources are dissolved and broken down during the digestive process and can't be used as a basis of digestion and processing on non natural sources. The chemical and physical reactions associated with something like the plastic used in baits bears no similiarity.

Your neighbor gets shot and suffers no ill effects. Therefore we can conlude from this one collected piece of data that anyone shot suffers no ill effects?

The issue that really needs to be focussed on his how abundant is the mortality rates associated with the consumption of plastics and the frequency of plastics being consumed. If these rates are above a certain limit, with detremental effects on the fishery, the banning of currently used soft plastic formulas for use would be justified. Lakes or waters with poor recruitment, management of trophy lakes, etc... would likely be the first to go this route.

Edited April 21, 2008 by Travis

[One Sock]

Seems to me, there would be a bunch of things to consider and considerable amounts of money to be spent trying to find out the effects that plastics have on fish in a lake ,river or stream.

If it was banned, would anglers just fight back stating that live bait would actually hurt more fish as they are more likely to swallow the bait and get gut hooked?

Spinnerbaits could break break apart or get snagged and the line breaks..no more spinnerbaits.. How about hooks themselves, wouldn't they pollute the water eventually? Crankbaits? Fishing Line? Hell eventually you won't be able to fish when it's hot because the sweat off your head might get into the water and pollute it.The bottom line is I do not think that they could ever prove it, the witness's all get eaten by the turtles:)

[Travis]

Many studies have shown that some artificials are actually worse than live bait. For example put many anglers on a carolina rig and mortality rates are high. I believe it is Texas that has done a lot of research into artificial versus live baits. I agree that much of the ban talks are sort of ridiculous and most always not necessary but responsibe anglers will always look into these claims inorder to protect our resources for future use. Who do we have to protect our resources from enviromental nuts and unfortunatly often anglers. Problem is too many guys that fish that truely just don't care.

[King Bait Co.]

The odds of plastics and most tackle getting banned is slim. As for fishing getting banned its not going to happen. To many goverment people like to fish. Bush fishes and hunts as do most of the Demys and Reps in places of higher power. Look at it this way the fishing buisness in a whole. Big company's, small company's, even us basement makers, Bass Pro type store's, Bass Master tournaments big and small. Only equal one thing to the federal, state and city goverments is a big fat cash flow in sales taxes and us blowing every extra penny we have to fish and hunt year after year. Just like the smoking crap you can buy them but you can bearly smok'em anywere. They just keep on collecting the taxes hand over fist. To sum it up if you can smoke and kill yourself you can sure as hell fish tell the lake is multi colored to the top with soft plastics and every fish is dead. The state and cities will just dig it back up and redo it, stock it to keep the federal money roll'in in. All to keep us spending every dollar we make to have some fun.

[Travis]

I don't think it is likely to be banned either. As mentioned a lot of money is made off of fishing and associated revenue generated (150 to 180 billion dollars approximately). However I imagine you could talk to some Pacific Northwest Residents and California residents and get a different response rather quickly about possible bans. Look a their trout and salmon fisheries and fights for water for drinking and irrigation purposes.

Now if overall fishing declines on a lake guess what happens, anglers go elsewhere and take their money. If it were as easy as digging it up and redo it. We aren't talking about some little pond we can drain.

[King Bait Co.]

Sorry I forgot some areas listed below have such problems. I was basing it off my area and one's like it. Where most of the lakes are used for fishing and boating not drinking water and rivers that are over fished with a highly sought fish in them like salmon. Not being from that type of areas aren't the rivers main problems from damming and lack of water not fishing or is it poor managment of the waters by the people and state govs from over use and lack of proper expanson to keep up the rising population. This is the way I have understood it from tv and the papers. I can't say first hand as the problems here are due to farming irragitoin and the state battling over water rights with the border states of Nebraska. Fishing seems to be an easy target as in blame someone else and not face the true problems at hand because it will cost alot of money to fix what has been done. Sorry its like an outsider looking in opinon. Could it be globalwarming and were taking the wrap for it LOL.