BTW, I had a long talk with two conservation officers this weekend, and both men I spoke with have absolutely no problem with bottom bouncing 
Of course not, bottom bouncing is legit. Did you explain which bottom bouncing method you were talking about because there are two, to snag fish or to get a fish to bite.
Steelhawk, like it was mentioned, I call it snagging because it's snagging. It doesnt matter what DFO says, especially considering they're limited on what they can do and say at the moment. I dont mean to insult guys, but I want to point out what I think is an obivious fact. If someone doesnt want to be called a snagger, they can either quit doing it or just laugh it off if it's really such a stupid thought.
all the anti BB gang jumped on the fact that the BB were endangering salmon stocks...
They're doing their share and sport anglers have to be responsible for their part regardless of what other users are doing. Now that guys are snagging chinook, they're getting way more fish over previous years. Before the snagging was popular, it was a challenge to get a chinook in June. Multiple fish in a day on one bar was unheard of. Now that snagging's rampant you can expect to see more impacts. Maybe sport anglers wont be able to enjoy fishing the river all or most of the season if their success rate continues to rise. Guys are pretty pleased with the fact they're not hooking sockeye, but bragging at their beaching lots of chinook.
and why would the fact that anti BB think it is unethical cause DFO to close the river
I dont shed a tear at the commented on closures coming from the fact DFO shouldnt have any patience with snagging and it's non selective manner. In principle, it's the right thing to do. Because they cant say this is snagging, (thanks to their limiting regulations) maybe they're going after it with what they can, which includes conservation concerns. I understand guys being choked when the nets are still in the river, but we as anglers must take responsibility. Someone else doing it worse or more doesnt give us the right to do as we please. Take the conservation issue where it belongs; in a seperate discussion. But dont worry, I think that one's going to come back and roost on bb snagging soon enough if trends continue.
all the people I know on this site and others that BB are all good fishermen !! it's not all about meat, it is about having an amazing fish on the end of the line !! and at every other time of the year they are good fishermen that treat the rivers with respect !!
I know, most guys on here who do it are for starts, decent people and partake in the snaggery like I did with respect to the fish and others. But we're not talking about them!! These are the minority and we would be better off to realize that and see what this snaggery has created. It has brought out the worst in angling. Instead of having just a few bad apples holding fishing rods before the snagging was rampant, we now have TONS of them. This should not come as a surprise. The bad apples were the snaggers of old with triple hooks, barbed hooks and so forth. Now that a snagging method is 'legal' they're out in droves and dont have to be blatent with barbs, triple hooks and so forth. But the mentality remains (garbage, kicking fish, over limits and what have you) We watched Peg Leg in a morning when sockeye were closed but people were looking for pinks and chinook. Sockeye were dragged over the rocks, kicked and even retained.
Alot of you keep harping on the fact that this type of fishery all starts with BB on the Fraser, well I call Bull $hit on that !!! you have no proof, no studies, no charts !!
I know and respect that you feel this way, but I think you're in denial. Have you made any effort to find out? I did and the results were predictable. Every guy I talked to snagging in the Vedder Canal one morning was introduced to fishing sockeye on the Fraser. Here, make a chart. I talked to 5 guys and 5 guys were from the Fraser. Sure, just a small sample, but 100% response is interesting. This doesnt include Look at their gear for crying out loud! How many bouncing betties and long leaders do you see. TONS! And just because they use a float doesnt mean anything beyond they've adapted to fishing slower and smaller water with the same intention. I dont think we need someone with a PhD to study this when the proof is pretty obvious.
you think that sitting in a lawnchair waiting for your bell to ring is the end all be all !
No, I think that what ever fishing method an anglers chooses, the fish must bite. That's all.
Now I would like you to explain to me what is sporting about sneaking up on an animal and shooting it with a high powered rifle or shotgun ??
Hunting is different than fishing and carries no merit on this discussion. You're welcome to your feelings on it though. Hunting carries its own ethics baggage. They have similar debates too.
If the Fraser does get shutdown it won't be because of the BB .... it will be because of your constant battering of other fishermen that don't share you love of sleeping in a chair by the side of the river
No, it will be because the ones who wouldnt comply with DFO's requests.
I believe that you have lost site of what is important, I believe that you have built up a hatred of another type of fishing that you just don't get
No, I get it just fine. This is snagging and snagging is wrong. I lose no sleep over trying to bring snagging under control because if we let it go, we're going to lose a lot more.
when you have proof of what you say, when you can show the world how Fraser fishing breeds snaggers then maybe people will listen !! but I will tell you now finding proof of something that doesn't exist is going to be a tough challenge
Ill take you up on that one!
Thrasher, it is exactly about fishing stated by one who loves it dearly and whom many can thank for the opportunities they enjoy on our rivers, EVEN the sockeye opening.
Firstlight, that's exactly how it progressed. I wonder when we'll see the first guy, using the same arguments, justifying snagging under the KWB.
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Topic: 2007 Fraser River selective fishing method request 3 - Sport angling behaviour (Read 33927 times)