Re: Selective Fisheries, Poaching, and Rattlesnake Lake

[Sean Grier]

I may get flamed here, but I say:  Tell em they're breaking the law!  As you noted, the signage at Rattlesnake (and several other selective fisheries) is not adequate, and few bait fisherman read regs.  They figure after 4/30 it's all open season, and anything goes!  No need to get in a fight about it, but I would let someone whom I see illegally baitfishing know that they're breaking the law, and to read the regs.  Often you'll get a surly reply, but usually the activity stops (most baitfisherman, contrary to popular belief held by flyfishermen, aren't a@@holes, just a little slow on the uptake).  If it doesn't stop, you can report it on the following url: http://www.wa.gov/wdfw/enf/poaching.htm or by calling 1-800-477-6224.   You can do either without the poachers knowing you've done it.  Helps if you know the rig they came from so you can put down a license number. First and foremost, we - as some of the last stewards of our fragile sport - should be informing the less knowledgeable (God knows, WDFW doesn't seem to be willing or able to), and not stew in quiet agony.  Without coming to fisticuffs, we should be protecting our dwindling resource and speak up!  Yes, Rattlesnake IS a put and take lake, but poaching is poaching and by letting it slide we are, in essence, condoning it.  Let's walk the walk, here!  My wife and I are going to Rattlesnake tomorrow afternoon, so we'll keep an eye out!! <Rant off> Sean rderedfield wrote: Who do you call on a Sunday?  And, what law enforcement officers, realistically, will really go up there on a Sunday? ----- Original Message ----- From: Jim Speaker To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Sunday, June 02, 2002 2:47 PM Subject: RE: Selective Fisheries, Poaching, and Rattlesnake Lake  Get the enforcement officers up there!  The bait-chucking bastards might think twice after they pay the price...-Jim Speaker -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of rderedfield Sent: Sunday, June 02, 2002 2:40 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Selective Fisheries, Poaching, and Rattlesnake Lake   I spent a few hours today on Rattlesnake Lake today, only a few as I had to get back home and get some yard work completed (one of the many joys of home ownership).  Amazingly, this was my first time to Rattlesnake Lake.  What a pretty little lake! Something that ruined my fishing day, though, was the quantity of bait fishermen on the shore.  When I started fishing at about 8:30, there was a group of 3 men and 2 boys that were using bait, and absolutely yarding in the fish.  When I left at 1 pm, they were still bait fishing, still catching the occasional trout or two.  I don't know how many they caught, but I counted 8 (caught and kept) caught in about 20 minutes first thing in the morning, before I headed to other end of the lake. When I left at 1 pm, there were a couple of other smaller groups of bait fishin' folks, too.  As I was walking out, I deterred two groups of ariiving bait fisherman by letting them know what the regs were (well, one group left, the other may have stayed). I was absolutely stunned at how many folks were bait fishing from shore ; it was the rule, not the exception.  The boat fishermen seemed to be trolling, and not using bait. What can be done about this blatant disregard for the rules?  Is better and more signage needed at key access points, maybe signage like what Idaho uses, the word "Bait" with the red circle and diagonal line through it?  There was a little wee sign at the launch, indicating the lake is a Selective Fishery, but a person had to go out of their way to read it, and the rules were in small print (albeit bolded), lost in the middle of some other material.  Or maybe have the enforcement folks hit it hard for two or three sequential weekends (I bet the word would get out!)? I know this type of conduct will always be around, but there has to be some reasonable way to curb or abate it (somewhat). Richard