Too many dern rules. I'll just stick to dynamite.

Wow, I didn't know that you label trot lines! MY BAD!

let me rephrase my statement:
if im fishing an i find a trotline that has brown junk growing on it
or hang a line that looks new and the fish that are on it are chewed up from other fish and turtles
sure im going to pull it in and i actually put it in a bag an throw it away in a dumpster.
and if its not name a addressed then it goes to the dumpster
if its got a name a address and phone number and the fish are hung and tangles in it and chewed off then i will turn their name in to the warden as well.

and please folks dont set out your trotlines in front of the boat ramps where everyone loads and unloads the boats then you have to go around the floats.

i just like to fish and last thing i want to see is someones trotline
and the most disrespectful thing i can imagine is folks who smoke and flip their butt in the water.
i dont want to look down and see your butt
stick it in your pocket
you wont see me spit in your drink or flip a butt in your glass of tea
just extend the respect is all i ask

I know you pee in the water! I don't pee in your tea!

I once asked TP&W who could remove abandoned trotlines and the reply was only a game warden. They said trotlines were personal property and the owner could file thieft charges against anyone other than a game warden for removing them.
Some people put trotlines where they shouldn't, but it is still against the law to remove them yourself.
I personally think a person should have to buy a tag for each trotline so there would be a reason for them to take the line out instead of just abandoning them. And make that tag expensive.

There we go trying to overprice fishing just like hunting...Is the $64.00 for a Supercombo not enough where now people think there should be an expensive tag for trotlines? It does stink when people put out a trotline and never use or check it. I've called the Warden in times past when I've see that. I've also had 4 trotlines stolen this year. I know one time it was a jetskier because he got the line sucked up in his impeller and was being towed away as I was approaching my set. How small are the lakes getting these days where it's too big a hassle to move 50-75 feet to avoid a trotline. I treat others trotlines just like they where there in their boat so I stay away as best as possible. Yes, boat ramps are the one place where you should'nt trotline but other than that take it easy.

"Never" take another man's trot line!!! Just plain thievery! Same as stealing his fishing pole outa his boat. Ya just don't do that!

Now, I did a few week's back snag a trotline. It was illegal. A coke bottle tied to a brick, bottle set just out of visability beneath the surface. Thought that was just a fluke, when I snagged a second one, same set up. Made a visual line between them and dragged a treble hook along that line. Found 12 all set up in a row between some obvious shore landmark's. All were fresh baited. Watched a couple folk's on shore pointing and showing some obvious agitation. Pulled back up to the dock, cut up the line's and bottles and threw them in a trash barrel. They watched me but did not approach. I don't care much for poacher's.

Well I hate trotlines but I�m not going to tell people what I thank they should do with them. But last Saturday I took my dad , brother and nephew out to grapevine. Some A-hole put a trout line on the mane lake in-between Twin Coves and Medowmere most of the time I get on the water before light, luckly this time we got there by 7 so I could see. So this guy put this trotline out not thanking about anyone ells. I was going to cut the dam thing but my Dad talked me out of it. I would like to ask the guy that did this what was he thinking.

What made them illegal? Did they not have a tag?

How would you propose stopping the "weekender" that buys a cheap trotline from Wally World, sets it out, then goes back to the city and leaves it for you to hang up in?
It is illegal for you to remove it. If you remove it it is nothing more than common thieft.

True! But do you think the person who doesn't care that his line isn't tagged and doesn't care that he's leaving it in the water illegally is going to worry about buying the tag? All your plan would accomplish is punishing those who actually abide by the laws.

Sooner, correct. No tag's. I don't think this would normally bother me. I just get tired of going through all the expense and standing in lines to make sure I do everything legally. I look at it that "we" pay for all the ones who don't. One way or another. The burr under my saddle is I've had three car's wrecked the last two year's by people without insurance, or even a liscence. They don't pay, so I have to. I'll destroy every illegal trot line I find!

Hey, I hear ya'. Everytime we turn around we're paying for someone who won't pay for themselves. I understand your frustration with the illegal lines, especially when I go through the trouble to do it legally. I'd love to rip them all out myself it's just not worth the risk. Aside from what some nut might do to you over his line, if the GW were to stop me I'd hate to get ticketed for a boat full of illegal lines. I don't think he'd buy it if I told him the weren't mine.

My problem is with the folks who think it's okay to cut a LEGAL line just because it's set somewhere that they don't like.

if i ever had a chance to vote on it... i would vote to make trot lines illegal. just like in many other states, it is considered poaching.
canyon lake now, closer to the river area...with the water level down somewhere around 8 feet..... EVERY SINGLE tree, stump, brush, you name it.. has old abandoned ropes, hooks hanging.. i mean everywhere! it looks sooooo bad.

ya it�s not so bad when the water is up but when it�s low those things are all over the place. I posted when I first got on this forum I was going to keep all the old and illegal trotlines and ropes i see. You should see the bin of hooks, rope, and stuff I�ve got over this summer.