Litter Bugs!!

[Capt. BassinLou]

Since I bank fish in a metropolitan area, I see people's discarded  fishing trash all the time. Very disheartening to see, how people do not take care of their resources.
Just today alone, fishing the bank, I feel something around my feet, look down and I have some morons fishing line wrapped around my foot.

I went ahead and rolled it up, but as you can see, that's quite a bit of line. Luckily there wasn't a hook attached. Anyhow my rant is over for now.

[LgMouthGambler]

Too bad that person didnt get it wrapped around their neck.

[Lipripper]

Rant away Lou and I'm glad you found it before it found it's way into the water or around some bird.

[Princeton_Man]

A good friend up in Spotsylvania killed a nice buck. This was on one hoof.

He probably got his hoof caught in a discarded plastic container when he was young and carried it for life.

[Lipripper]

Another sad reminder of how much some people don't care and are to lazy to pick up their trash.

[Oldfart9999]

People just don't give a damn any more. Too bad you can't pick up their crap and dump it in their living room.
Rodney

[Smallie_Stalker]

For a long time I have had a policy of leaving a fishing area cleaner than I found it, and I have instilled that same ethic in my son. We always have a few trash bags and some disposable gloves with us. Sometimes we spend the first 20 minutes or so cleaning up before we even start to fish.

I get amazed sometimes that while we are doing this we get looked at like there is something wrong with us from people who have been there a while and did nothing about the mess. Lots of times we end up cleaning up after those very people when they leave. SMH.

[ccr425]

Drives me crazy to see all the crap that people leave behind! It really makes me feel bad when I see stuff in the water. Last week I saw most of a styrofoam cooler floating around in the middle of a lake in a national wildlife refuge. It's always the bucket brigade in this area. I've watched them litter and walked behind them picking it up before. They saw me and looked away real quick when we made eye contact. Those people could care less!

[flowerjohn]

Man we are lucky up my way. We never see anything. No one dares drop anything behind. When I was in Gville I saw bottles and stuff in the water. That was weird to see. If we seen one dropping that in the water we would have a few choice words and maybe sink em !!


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[cojab]

I don't call them litter bugs, I call them azzholes.
John, we should do the same here. I have very little tolerance for that crap. Ask my neighbor's kids. They learned.

[Mike Cork]

As hard as we try we can't change these people. Sometimes they can be shamed into cleaning up after themselves but it won't change their way of doing things, when no one is watching they will continue doing what they do. Laziness is exactly right...

We have several organizations in our area that battle it. This has been going strong for several years and the amount of trash they pick up annually is amazing.

http://www.redrivercleanup.com/

[Mike Cork]

I wanted to add that it only takes 4 or 5 people to get a project going. It will grow. As many lazy folks that are out there, there is a person willing to help. You just have to give them a day and time to show up.

[cortman]

I applaud all of you who work to leave a place cleaner than when you started. I should start doing that more myself. Bring a bag along. When I'm bank fishing I make sure I don't drop any line or used soft plastics, tempting as it can be to just drop a used plastic.

[Oldfart9999]

Man we are lucky up my way. We never see anything. No one dares drop anything behind. When I was in Gville I saw bottles and stuff in the water. That was weird to see. If we seen one dropping that in the water we would have a few choice words and maybe sink em !!


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This also the country where if you're doing 85 down the QE2 and some really bright person steps off the curb you better find a way not to hit them, you're better off causing a 20 car pile up then hitting them. The country where drivers on the back roads can out run a moonshiner. Don't ask me how I know.
We have several popular areas here and some folks walk through cleaning up after them and make money with bottle returns. I clean up around the ramps I use. My wife and I always left the campsites cleaner than when we got there, even had some nasty places in the ADK, buttheads are everywhere.
Rodney

[rchiuz]

For a long time I have had a policy of leaving a fishing area cleaner than I found it, and I have instilled that same ethic in my son. We always have a few trash bags and some disposable gloves with us. Sometimes we spend the first 20 minutes or so cleaning up before we even start to fish.

I get amazed sometimes that while we are doing this we get looked at like there is something wrong with us from people who have been there a while and did nothing about the mess. Lots of times we end up cleaning up after those very people when they leave. SMH.

Nice! I do the same thing. Every bit helps!


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[analfisherman]

Normally I take great pride in being from WI.
Not when it comes to the PIGS that fish the banks around the city I live in now.
There is a pier that I take the old timmers too to fish and I've found dirty diapers, pizza boxes, dozens of bait containers........AND THERE ARE TRASH CANS IN FRONT OF THE PIER AND NUMEROUS WHERE YOU PARK YOUR VEHICLE.    

The Bad

Line
there are urban areas that I honestly can't ever remember fishing that I didn't find discarded line on shore.
I have actually at times picked up literally 100 ft. of discarded line.....single line.
I have rescued twice, Robins that had line wrapped around their foot and the other end caught in a tree branch and they were trying to fly away only to get a few feet and wam....get snagged again and again.
These birds were not the most thankful when trying to remove the line either. 
One I had to actually climb the tree to reach the bird.

What moroons don't realize is that in the spring birds will pick up line on the ground to build nests with.
Obviously they pick it up and fly away to nest and in flight and wind the longer the line the more likely it is to get wrapped around a wing or leg or a branch in a tree.

Cigarette Butts
WOW....the shores are LOADED with them. 
And five to twelve years to decompose...in a popular spot....think about it
** note....I'm not anti-smoking....in fact smoke (trying to quit) myself
solution.....carry these cup shaped ash trays that have covers.....cheap, and I actually have a half dozen in my car that I hand out to folks that are fishing a spot and heavily smoking....always gotten a sincere thankful response
Worse case scenario....take an empty pack along and put your butts in it and discard in trash latter

Food containers and Pop cans
Cans often get harvested by others due to monetary value but trash is trash!!!!!!!
Containers.......you know you brought it to eat it so if you can think ahead enough to know you'll be hungry.....YOU CERTAINLY CAN THINK AHEAD ENOUGH OF HOW YOU WILL DISPOSE OF IT.....right?

Discarded lure containers...........
FREAKING GET A SOFT SIDED TACKLE PACK........THEY COME IN ALL SIZES
Toss it in and throw it in the trash when you get home!

Live Bait containers
You don't leave your minnow bucket behind so why do you feel it's OK to leave that phluking worm container?

People that go to the park to clean out their cares

Come on.........you can't clean the car in YOUR OWN DRIVEWAY?

LAST BUT NO HOW THE LEAST...........IDIOTS WHO DUMP THEIR TRASH NEXT TO THE TRASH CAN
Come on.....you can carry your trash to the can but someone else SHOULD PUT IT IN?

MY ACTIONS

We all get bombarded with those little plastic bags at the store........they have handles, fold up small to stuff in a pocket......so I carry a couple ALWAYS....every tackle pack I carry (and I have many due to different packs for different waters) I have plastic bags stuffed in a pocket.

I as was mentioned, also fill one up with 'others' trash before leaving.

A group of us take our Kayaks and Flats out to a couple of small ponds a couple of times a year and leave the rods in the cars and just carry trash bags and collect.....BONUS....we also collect the snagged in trees lures (wish I lived closer to Rick.... ).

I contacted the local jail and suggested that they allow the inmates out once a month to collect trash in the parks........and they now do it.  what locked up inmate wouldn't enjoy a walk in the park?
Stop by your local jail and suggest the same....you maybe surprised.

JUST SOME FACTS TO SHARE WITH YOU


Waste Product Decomposition Time

Item Breakdown time
Banana Skin 3 - 4 weeks
Paper Bag 1 month
Cardboard 2 months
Apple core 1 - 2 months
Aluminium Cans > 1 million years
Orange Peel Up to 2 years
Cigarette Butts Up to 12 years
Plastic Bags * Up to 20 years
Plastic Bottle * 450 years
Glass 1-2 million years
* Petrochemical products never truly breakdown and remain in the environment forever.

Time it takes for garbage to decompose in the environment:
Glass Bottle.......................... 1 million years
Monofilament Fishing Line... 600 years Braid may never decompose?
Plastic Beverage Bottles...... 450 years
Disposable Diapers............ 450 years
Aluminum Can..................... 80-200 years
Foamed Plastic Buoy......... 80 years
Foamed Plastic Cups......... 50 years
Rubber-Boot Sole............... 50-80 years
Tin Cans......................... 50 years
Leather................................. 50 years
Nylon Fabric........................ 30-40 years
Plastic Film Container........ 20-30 years
Plastic Bag.......................... 10-20 years
Cigarette Butt...................... 1-5 years
Wool Sock............................ 1-5 years
Plywood.......................... 1-3 years
Waxed Milk Carton............ 3 months
Apple Core...................... 2 months
Newspaper....................... 6 weeks
Orange or Banana Peel...... 2-5 weeks
Paper Towel.................... 2-4 weeks
Information Source: U.S. National Park Service; Mote Marine Lab, Sarasota, FL.

now these studies vary in length of time and that's why I posted both.
I'm sure other studies will vary but bottom line....it's a long arse time

Reason for first list was although we may feel tossing an apple core out the car window is ok because it will decompose......but think of wildlife trying to harvest it in the 'dangerous road way' or next to the road and crossing the road to eat it

BOTTOM LINE...........IF YOU CAN CARRY IT IN...YOU CAN CARRY IT OUT!!!!!!!!!

[SFL BassHunter]

Found this big ol bundle of line right near the bank. Picked it up. Put it in my fanny pack even though I didn't have much space. Stuffed it in there and kept fishing. It really made me angry!



Not only do I have to carry around my junk, I gotta carry around someone else's crap as well.


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[Lipripper]

Found this big ol bundle of line right near the bank. Picked it up. Put it in my fanny pack even though I didn't have much space. Stuffed it in there and kept fishing. It really made me angry!



Not only do I have to carry around my junk, I gotta carry around someone else's crap as well.


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Thank you for picking that up before it found it's way around some critter out there.

[Smallie_Stalker]

Found this big ol bundle of line right near the bank. Picked it up. Put it in my fanny pack even though I didn't have much space. Stuffed it in there and kept fishing. It really made me angry!



Not only do I have to carry around my junk, I gotta carry around someone else's crap as well.


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Thanks for being a responsible angler Rick. 

This stuff really hits a nerve with me.  it also gives the antis out there ammunition. We've got to take care of our fisheries even if others won't or we won't have fisheries very long.

[ranger1882]

Thanks for being a responsible angler Rick. 

This stuff really hits a nerve with me.  it also gives the antis out there ammunition. We've got to take care of our fisheries even if others won't or we won't have fisheries very long.
[/quote/]   we're not going to have much of a planet very long if the mentality of these slobs keeps spreading - mcD's bags in the road where people finish eating and toss there junk out the window... same kind of people

[flowerjohn]

Found this big ol bundle of line right near the bank. Picked it up. Put it in my fanny pack even though I didn't have much space. Stuffed it in there and kept fishing. It really made me angry!



Not only do I have to carry around my junk, I gotta carry around someone else's crap as well.


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You found that on a bank? Who does thIs? I never seen anything like that. That is really shitty for someone to do. Crazy!


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[SFL BassHunter]

You found that on a bank? Who does thIs? I never seen anything like that. That is really shitty for someone to do. Crazy!


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Yes sir. On the bank. Only thing holding it from flying around was a clump of grass. That's Miami for you John. Unfortunately we have some real idiots down here.


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[flowerjohn]

Yes sir. On the bank. Only thing holding it from flying around was a clump of grass. That's Miami for you John. Unfortunately we have some real idiots down here.


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I would like to get my hands on that s"1th3e$. I'd wrap it around his neck myself. There's a code that protects our grounds.


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[SFL BassHunter]

I would like to get my hands on that s"1th3e$. I'd wrap it around his neck myself. There's a code that protects our grounds.


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After all the holidays the entire park was trashed. Bags and garbage everywhere.


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[flowerjohn]

After all the holidays the entire park was trashed. Bags and garbage everywhere.


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There's something wrong with those people. You gotta protect those places where you go and enjoy your time. It's like pissin in your living room.


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