When does a method become unsporting?

[Alan Taylor]

Norrie:

 

Seen the same thing in Holland, 3 tripple hooks about 10inches apart with a pirk and tripple at the bottom. The guilty parties were Turks so I kept my mouth shut and walked away. I must admit that the people were hunting for food and not fishing as we know it. :mad:

I have used squid jigs for catching bait as well as a hurdy gurdy with 60 hooks for mackerel commercially.

I was attached to a Royal Navy anti submarine ship off the coast of Biara, the skipper did an exercise with the "squid missiles" set at a fairly shallow depth promptly followed by a man overboard exercise. The boats picked up a lot of much needed fresh fish

 

Fair or foul methods :confused: I don't know as most of my pleasure is in the fight and landing the fish against the odds.

 

Alan(nl)

[Grant]

Since the initial retort was aimed at me, I did draft a response, but my connection died, perhaps prompting me for the better not to post my original response!!

 

To be honest, I was pretty disappointed by the reply, which did seem to be along the lines of the split cane rod approach!

 

I am interested in any type of lures that increase your sporting chance. At the end of the day, I dont really believe an 'electric' lure is going to gaurantee you fish, as was implied.

 

Bass do have smaller brains, but they appear to outwit us most of the time!!

 

The one thing that did strike me in this thread was a number of examples of barbaric fishing methods used by various members of the public, which I wouldnt imagine would be tried by 'real' sport anglers.

 

I would also imagine that the attitude towards fishing of the people trying these methods, would also leave a lot to be desired by your average sport angler.

 

I am likely to try this new lure, on a similar basis to trying many different types of lure.

 

Having said that, I think I am likely to end up sticking to my favourite!! (and a catch and release policy as a BASS member, unless I am hungry!)

[corydoras]

spasor:

NEWT??

   I`ll bet that included a pack of dead rats with trebles hanging all off the place?

    You Yanks are sicccccccccckkkkkkkkk!!!

Well it takes a dead something with loads of dollars hanging off to get you friends?

    Or maybe that is the post-war Irag forum?

       Jessie Owen. Turn in your grave!!

'Pinkies' the frozen baby mice that those who keep snakes and lizards for pets feed to thier wards are an excellent bait for brown trout and sea trout. I am not sure of their legal status, and have never used them myself but have been told by those in the know that they are deadly.

 

PS Live rats much better than dead.

[corydoras]

When I was in the Merchant Navy (something the UK used to have, but that is another post for another day) any time a ship broke down in the middle of the Pacific or wherever we were, those of us that fished (I always took a boat road and a 9000C with me) used to take the opportunity to have a dangle.

 

We had a technique for catching small and sometimes not so small squid for bait. A long thin rope with something heavy on the end. Attach strips if white towelling to the rope. Squid grab the towelling and can't let go because of the little hooks on their suckers. Any largish squid promptly given to the Chinese crew members and just as promptly stir-fried. Yum-yum.

[Salar]

Grant:

Since the initial retort was aimed at me,  

Hi Grant, Dont worry, there's plenty of us around that would try anything new! As far as I'm concerned anything that does not guarantee results is sporting. Than includes netting for bait, which is great fun and often results in blanks so by my definition is still sporting. I though using a Canadian flasher would be deadly and unsporting, and I tried it out secretly in the UK. I caught 12 bass first time I used it, and only one since, proving nothing is proven! Let me know how the electronic lure works, if it does....

[spasor]

Grant, hello to you.

Yes, I`m one of the old split cane brigade that you refer to. But I won`t hold that against you. It`s just that I`m old enough to have used one as `standard kit`.

I`m known for the odd rant. What realy tees me off? Adverts for some `guaranteed to catch` thingumybob.

We`ve been subjected to all types of rods, reels and lines being `improved` every year? The same thing has happened with bait additives for coarse angling. ( Since when did you go fishing with a strawberry flavoured dog biscuit?)

It just seems to me that sea-angling should remain a tad more basic. Get to know your area, what tides, wind directions, natural baits etc? Then if you couldn`t catch, you had to improve your technique. Not throw the odd grenade over the side.

When I saw the original `eddystone eel`, I nearly split my sides. Wot, 6ins of rubber tubing with a 6/0 shoved up the back end. But it started a revolution in sea-angling.

Call me old fashioned ( you`re probably right), but I think that stunning a fish into biting on to a hook, is a tad over the top? Their initial response to the impulses might be curiosity, but their fatal mistake will always be to grab that free meal left there?

That`s not what angling is about as far as I`m concerned. But if it makes you feel good about yourself. Go ahead. I`ll not think any the less of you. But should you ever try to claim any fish record? Now thats something else.

Paul.

[H Jampton]

corydoras:

We had a technique for catching small and sometimes not so small squid for bait. A long thin rope with something heavy on the end. Attach strips if white towelling to the rope. Squid grab the towelling and can't let go because of the little hooks on their suckers.

A Ena Sharples type hair-net full of fish bait is supposed to work in a similar way.

[Grant]

Paul,

 

Dont think the lure stuns fish, it just attracts them by sending out a magnetic pulse in a similar type of manner to a rattle- the catching is still done with trebles!

 

I would agree with you about zapping fish being unsporting- thats nearly commercial!

 

I do agree about keeping things relatively straightforward in terms of equipment, as otherwise it turns into an equipment festival, and not a chilled out fishing trip.

 

I think the one really positive point that came out of this discussion thread is that despite individual views on what is acceptable technique differing at the margins, all contributors seemed to recognise that our fishing is a sport, and that there was general condemnation for barbaric methods.

 

You may also be interested to know that all attempts at fishing at the weekend, using both traditional bait and plugging was entirely unsuccesful!!

[RUDD]

ANGLING

 

To catch fish with a rod (or pole) and line for sport.

 

FISHING

 

To catch fish with the intention to eat them.

 

I think that any method invented for ANGLING is worth a go if you enjoy it and catch fish.

 

Most commercial FISHING methods should be banned but try telling that to a starving human being.