Spear Fishing

[Sheepdog8404]

From a common sense point of view, a spear gun is a GUN no different than a crossbow or other weapon that is construed as threatening. It has no place in waterways/parkways considered in a urban/sub-urban area, especially populated areas where people/families-children leisurely recreate. This is just stooopid to even debate. It's just plain common sense in today's times.

... BTW, I can get cited for discharging a .177 pellet gun in that same urban parkway or worse, be ID as a mass-gunman and get taken out by LEOs.

That's a pretty soft argument you make... Discharging a firearm, pellet gun or loosing an arrow/bolt in the parkway would be, in my eyes, unsafe. This is coming from an extensive hunting background too. But to claim that firing a tethered spear underwater, or "shooting" a pole spear underwater is just as unsafe as the aforementioned examples is a bit of a stretch.

The river is state property and the land around it is the parkway. Different laws apply to each.

I looked up the regs for spearfishing on the American.
Gary

Can you post a link to this information?


For everyone else who is against it, the bottom line is that it is legal whether we agree with it or not. If you want the law changed, write your congressman instead of taking the same amount of time to bitch about it on here and get nowhere. I'd be real curious to see how many of the folks crying on the forums would take the time to write a letter to someone who has the power to make a difference.

[mogaru]

The "water lords" use many tricks to get rid of the fish and subsequently have no obstacles to collet as much water as they want. Allowing spearfishing is one of their strategies, because the bigger fish, the ones that reproduce, are mostly the target......... I don't know of any country (civilized) that allows spearfishing in rivers.

[JasonB]

For everyone else who is against it, the bottom line is that it is legal whether we agree with it or not. If you want the law changed, write your congressman instead of taking the same amount of time to bitch about it on here and get nowhere. I'd be real curious to see how many of the folks crying on the forums would take the time to write a letter to someone who has the power to make a difference.

I agree with you about the importance of communication with our representatives in government, letters, emails, phone calls, petitions, etc. I’m also pretty certain Oceansunfish does all of that, as we all should. All that said, don’t hold your breath expecting an honest considered response. Nearly every single attempt at communication I have had with McClintock has been a joke, as far as the responses he has offered, same for many other elected officials too for that matter! I still do it, and encourage anyone who hasn’t to do the same; if nothing else it does give a lot better sense about who they serve than the campaign slogans and promises.

Aside from all that I’m totally in favor of eliminating spear fishing from inland freshwater lakes and streams personally.
JB

[OceanSunfish]

I agree with you about the importance of communication with our representatives in government, letters, emails, phone calls, petitions, etc. I’m also pretty certain Oceansunfish does all of that, as we all should. All that said, don’t hold your breath expecting an honest considered response. Nearly every single attempt at communication I have had with McClintock has been a joke, as far as the responses he has offered, same for many other elected officials too for that matter! I still do it, and encourage anyone who hasn’t to do the same; if nothing else it does give a lot better sense about who they serve than the campaign slogans and promises.

Aside from all that I’m totally in favor of eliminating spear fishing from inland freshwater lakes and streams personally.
JB

Thank you JasonB. You are correct. I've personally attended Town Hall Meetings held by my loathsome District 4 representative..... McClintock. I've taken careful notes throughout and in doing so, literally had his aides looking over my shoulder trying to get a view of what I had written...... It was awkward. Made me suddenly realize what my elders described from years ago as well as what it must have been like in 1930's Germany, etc.

When asked about water policies, CVPIA, and alike....... "well, it's complicated....." next question!

Finally, what is worse than seeing fishing vanish as a culture in California is this back-and-forth bickering on this and other sites among fisherman. And, don't even get the Native Fish Society folks going...... ugh.

There should be one front........ CVPIA. If not, see you all in Oregon in a few years!

[leicafish]

Can you post a link to this information?


For everyone else who is against it, the bottom line is that it is legal whether we agree with it or not. If you want the law changed, write your congressman instead of taking the same amount of time to bitch about it on here and get nowhere. I'd be real curious to see how many of the folks crying on the forums would take the time to write a letter to someone who has the power to make a difference.

OK here are the references for the regs:

From p. 13 of 2018-19 CA Freshwater Regulations

2.30. Spearfishing.
Spearfishing is permitted only in:
(a) The Colorado River District for carp, tilapia,
goldfish and mullet, all year.
(b) The Valley District and Black Butte Lake
(Tehama County) for carp, tilapia, goldfish,
striped bass, western sucker, Sacramento
blackfish, hardhead, Sacramento pikeminnow
and lamprey, from May 1 through September
15, except that no spearfishing is permitted in:
(1) Shasta County (see Section 2.12).
(2) Tehama County except Black Butte Lake.
(3) Butte Creek (Butte Co.).
(4) Feather River below Oroville Dam
(Butte Co.).
(5) Designated salmon spawning areas (See
Fish and Game Code Section 1505).
…..

California Code, Fish and Game Code - FGC § 1505
(a) The department may manage, control, and protect the portions of the following spawning areas that occupy state-owned lands, to the extent necessary to protect fishlife in these areas:
(1) The Sacramento River between Keswick and Squaw Hill Bridge, near Vina.
(2) The Feather River between Oroville and the mouth of Honcut Creek.
(3) The Yuba River between Englebright Dam and a point approximately four miles east of Marysville.
(4) The American River between Nimbus Dam and a point one mile downstream from Arden Way.
……

Some of the regs edited out for clarity. All available online.

Changing the law does not require writing your congressman. It requires getting a proposal into the Fish and Game Commission and then generating support for it. It's doable but requires a bit of effort. How do I know this? I started Putah Creek Trout in 2007 with Greg Bonovich, cyama and some other guys. I went before the FGC in 2009 to propose changing Putah to zero-limit. It got changed in 2010. With the work of PCT in cooperation with DFW, Putah is now both a Heritage Wild and Trophy Trout water. Proof the law can be changed....

[Sheepdog8404]

Thanks for posting that! I wonder ho many folks would be complaining if they were down there shooting huge Suckers and Squawfish...

[winxp_man]

Thanks for posting that! I wonder ho many folks would be complaining if they were down there shooting huge Suckers and Squawfish...

I would! Because I know the assholes will not be eating them! And that they do it for fun. What do some have such small balls that they have a need to kill on a constant to prove something? I guess to some eating a fish that are 17-25 years old, and full of the worse crap that now fill our water ways; is a thing. I know of some that took big ones and did not eat them. So why kill them if they will not eat them. I dont want to hear the well they gave them to someone else..... Then I have to question the reason behind spearing such big hens!!!

Having had a long talk with Steelie (memeber here) he knows I know the dark side of taking fish. And it’s a scary one!! if I where to discuss it here most would lose their minds!!!! The poaching that goes on is not even funny! Yet some on here want to blame stripers with no FACTS!!! Stop with your damn opinions, and post studies of facts! I sure as hell can post links, but don’t know if it’s worth the time because some will still not see it for what it is. Stripers are the scape goat for why the salmon decline is happening! Yet no mention of damns, and the pollutions that pours directly in rivers from our streets!! Recently saw loads of crap come down some pipes at howe ave area.... 0_o

[Bryan Morgan]

Well said Aaron!

[JCam]

If I am not mistaken, the native Americans have a right to spear fish on their ancestral land. I fully support indigenous people keeping cultural practices alive.

Personally I am not into banning things on public property. I am sure there are people that think the AR and other waters should be closed to all fishing because they feel fishing is needlessly cruel or wading messes up what little spawning beds are left.

We all spend money on better stuff to help us catch more fish. If you play with ban fire, you are going to get burnt.
Just something to consider.

[Darian]

jcam,.... After reading your post, I'm wondering what your statement:

"If you play with ban fire, you are going to get burnt."

Has to do with the discussion in this thread. Please provide an explanation....