Here's a small request...

[Fishaholic]

All you people walking the shoreline in search of fish, I have one small request...

Join my "Clean Up America" campaign.

It's really simple, here's how it works:
Every time you go fishing, if you see any trash on the ground, whether it's your or not...pick it up and dispose of it properly; in fact, if you would simply pick up and dispose of properly 1 item of litter on the ground every day, AND recruit 2 new people to do the same, then in now time at all there will be very little litter that needs picking up.

It's like a pyramid, except this is a pyramid scheme to Clean Up America!

Think of it...you do it today, and tomorrow, you recruit 2 more people to do the same - now there's 3 people doing the cleanup...and, if those 2 recruits do their part and each recruits 2 more people to do the cleanup, then on the 3rd day, there's 7 people, and on the fourth day there could be 15...in no time at all, there'd be an army of concerned citizens picking up just one piece of litter every day and disposing of it properly...think how fast this scheme works. And the beauty really is that once you get into the groove of picking up litter, one piece isn't enough...in fact, some of my recruits spend one day a month to go to their favorite stream or lake and fill a garbage bag with whatever they can find.

Just the thought of it and the end result should be enough to motivate you to join the cause...stand up and be counted as a concerned citizen to Clean Up America!

[Kal-Kevin]

I can say that I try to pick up one extra item at each launch when launching or recovering my boat. It may not be the same but it will help to keep our waters clean!

[Fishaholic]

Right on Kevin

I fish one area that used to police their grounds once a week, and after they saw me picking up trash every time I went, started picking up after the slobs who don't care about the environment every day of the week and even put a few well place receptacles out there for people to start using...it's just amazing how clean the place has become...the more they realized that there were others who wanted to keep it clean too, the more they felt compelled to police the grounds every single day instead of once a week.

[Fish On]

Me and another member(fishing nut) are big on cleaning line up off the shoreline.   I have seen to many birds with line around there feet.

[Fishaholic]

WTG Fish On...you get a round of applause and a GOLD star for your efforts 

[Fish On]

About a week ago I was able to save a bird by taking it off there feet.  Not to much garbage  if garbage  it is usually is those love worm boxes(the green ones)

[Fish On]

There was a show that I love it has it online to it is called Lunkerville.  They did a clean up of a lake. 

[Fish On]

Another thing please don't fish birds.  It attrates rats and hurts the birds.   It also makes water nasty! 

[silversalmon]

Yep Fish, me be doing that too. It never fails, the tide comes in and you see folks soda cans, beer cans, wrappers, packages, so everything that floats by me I grab with my net

[dimockcarp]

When i shore fish i always bring a five gallon bucket and during the wait i pickup cans and garbage to bad the bucket wasnt bigger, because in my area i would fill a thirty gallon bucket. Beer cans must be the number one threat everywhere, and those stupid six-pac plastic holders. Have seen more than fish effected by this. Last year as i proceeded to duck hunt i saw a few nice ducks killed by those plastic six pac holders.

[Pferox]

Recently, we have been fishin county parks mostly.
I must admit they keep em pretty clean, I pick up a few things once in a while, and snag some stuff in the weeds when I can get em, but all in all Polk County keeps their parks up pretty well, they even keep the bathrooms clean and operational, which is an undertaking when you think about the number of people and then Jerks who visit em.

[Fishaholic]

side note for those of you who smoke....

Speaking for extensive research and experience, if you smoke non-filtered cigarettes this doesn't apply to you.

The filters from cigarettes take approximately 20 years to break down in the soil, so if you smoke, learn to field strip your butts; i.e., when you're done with the cigarette, don't throw it in the water as being inconsequential, don't drop it on the ground and rub it out with your foot...roll the but between your thumb and forefinger until the ash hits the ground or water (preferably ground), disperse the ashes with your foot and put the filter in your pocket to be disposed of properly when you return home, or at least in a proper receptacle on the way home.

[Creel Limit Zero]

Can't agree more with the cigarette butts

As for taking stuff out, I do try to take out whatever I find.  There's always some beer cans, empty bait containers, and other types of trash.  I try to remember to always bring an empty shopping bag with me that I can roll up in my pocket.  Good to pick up that trash you find.  Lately, I've been snagging alot of line in the water too, so I try to my best to get that line out of the water.  Sometimes, there's even a nice lure on the other end of the line too.   

[left_turn56]

If I am in my boat I pick up what I can at the ramp, or on the water. Shore fishing I carry as much as will fit in the back pocket of my fishing vest. I can cram a fair amount of stuff in there!

[Fishaholic]

You guys are doing a Great Job!! 

Now, It's time to recruit others to the cause!

[silversalmon]

Here is another pointer of smokin folks, if you smoke and then touch bait, ie:herring, the nictoene smell takes away from that stink of the natural bait and the fish hesitate to hit it. The smokers that were puffin away down by the shore were not catching half as many fish and wondering why, I then told them, go wash your hands, rub your fingers in the bait for a little bit, and sure enough, they started catchin them at a good rate

[Lipripper]

I always try and pick up anything I see when out fishing and put it in the trash can. i carry a food bag in my tackle bag for just such reasons. 

[silversalmon]

All the leftover bags that I have are always filled with the trash I make, along with the others whom leave it behind also LIP

[Pferox]

I agree, seems like I always carry out more than I carry in, even if I don't catch any keepers. 

[Kal-Kevin]

as for the butts from smokers I'm always yelling at my other half to stop dropping her butts. now she carries a small lipstick box, that use to hold two tubes, to put her butts in.

[silversalmon]

I mean if you smoke, put your butts in your pockets, we don't want to see them floatin around