The Fishing Thread

[O Really]

I'm actually surprised they didn't routinely slice up the winning fish all along. I'm pretty sure the cheating method would have been known. I don't know anything about fishing, but it would seem people who fish all the time would be able to judge pretty close what a fish should weigh. Anyway, take away their ill-won toys and turn them loose in a crowd of their fishing competitors.

[Vrede too]

I'm actually surprised they didn't routinely slice up the winning fish all along. I'm pretty sure the cheating method would have been known. I don't know anything about fishing, but it would seem people who fish all the time would be able to judge pretty close what a fish should weigh. Anyway, take away their ill-won toys and turn them loose in a crowd of their fishing competitors.

I THINK that portable fluoroscopes are pretty cheap. They would show the sinkers and maybe even the excess filets. Or, just cut open the "winners".

Not Just a Big Fish, but Perhaps the Biggest Bony Fish Ever

... Weighing just over 6,000 pounds, which is around the weight of a Chevrolet Suburban, and stretching more than 10 feet in length, the scientists say the supersize southern sunfish, a species of mola, was the heaviest bony fish ever recorded....

[Vrede too]

Study suggests US freshwater fish highly contaminated with ‘forever chemicals’

Eating just one serving of freshwater fish each year could have the same effect as drinking water heavily polluted with “forever chemicals” for an entire month, a new study finds.

The equivalent monthlong amount of water would be contaminated at levels 2,400 times greater than what’s recommended by the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) drinking water health advisories, according to the study, published Tuesday in Environmental Research.

The research added that locally caught freshwater fish are far more polluted than commercial (seafood) catches with per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS) — so-called forever chemicals that are notorious for their persistence in the body and the environment.

PFAS are key ingredients in jet fuel firefighting foam, industrial discharge and many household products, including certain types of food packaging. For decades, they have leached into drinking water supplies while also contaminating irrigated crops and fish that inhabit local waterways....

Of the 349 samples analyzed in the National Rivers and Streams Assessment, only one sample contained no detectable PFAS, the authors determined.

All 152 fish samples tested in the Great Lakes study had detectable PFAS — and had “overall higher levels of PFOS” in comparison to those in the national assessment....

So much for ever taking up fishing again.

Many who say, "But you drink the water the fish live in, so what?" are missing the point that eating the fish is like eating the water filter.

[GoCubsGo]

Study suggests US freshwater fish highly contaminated with ‘forever chemicals’

Eating just one serving of freshwater fish each year could have the same effect as drinking water heavily polluted with “forever chemicals” for an entire month, a new study finds.

The equivalent monthlong amount of water would be contaminated at levels 2,400 times greater than what’s recommended by the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) drinking water health advisories, according to the study, published Tuesday in Environmental Research.

The research added that locally caught freshwater fish are far more polluted than commercial (seafood) catches with per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS) — so-called forever chemicals that are notorious for their persistence in the body and the environment.

PFAS are key ingredients in jet fuel firefighting foam, industrial discharge and many household products, including certain types of food packaging. For decades, they have leached into drinking water supplies while also contaminating irrigated crops and fish that inhabit local waterways....

Of the 349 samples analyzed in the National Rivers and Streams Assessment, only one sample contained no detectable PFAS, the authors determined.

All 152 fish samples tested in the Great Lakes study had detectable PFAS — and had “overall higher levels of PFOS” in comparison to those in the national assessment....

So much for ever taking up fishing again.

Many who say, "But you drink the water the fish live in, so what?" are missing the point that eating the fish is like eating the water filter.

[Whack9]

Study suggests US freshwater fish highly contaminated with ‘forever chemicals’

Eating just one serving of freshwater fish each year could have the same effect as drinking water heavily polluted with “forever chemicals” for an entire month, a new study finds.

The equivalent monthlong amount of water would be contaminated at levels 2,400 times greater than what’s recommended by the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) drinking water health advisories, according to the study, published Tuesday in Environmental Research.

The research added that locally caught freshwater fish are far more polluted than commercial (seafood) catches with per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS) — so-called forever chemicals that are notorious for their persistence in the body and the environment.

PFAS are key ingredients in jet fuel firefighting foam, industrial discharge and many household products, including certain types of food packaging. For decades, they have leached into drinking water supplies while also contaminating irrigated crops and fish that inhabit local waterways....

Of the 349 samples analyzed in the National Rivers and Streams Assessment, only one sample contained no detectable PFAS, the authors determined.

All 152 fish samples tested in the Great Lakes study had detectable PFAS — and had “overall higher levels of PFOS” in comparison to those in the national assessment....

So much for ever taking up fishing again.

Many who say, "But you drink the water the fish live in, so what?" are missing the point that eating the fish is like eating the water filter.

The long term affects of things like microplastics and chemicals like PFAS/PFOS are scary. I watched a documentary last night discussing how IQ levels are falling. They can't pinpoint an exact cause obviously, but there is a correlation with the growing use of chemicals in everyday life. I'm assuming they meant the ones listed above, since these forever chemicals stay in the environment forever.

[Vrede too]

The long term affects of things like microplastics and chemicals like PFAS/PFOS are scary. I watched a documentary last night discussing how IQ levels are falling. They can't pinpoint an exact cause obviously, but there is a correlation with the growing use of chemicals in everyday life. I'm assuming they meant the ones listed above, since these forever chemicals stay in the environment forever.

Industry has sown the seeds of our demise in so many ways. Sad. It's good to be old, I don't foresee the bright future that our grandparents or parents did.

We can theoretically fix politics, economies, war making, healthcare, etc, but don't fuck with Mother Nature.

[Whack9]

The long term affects of things like microplastics and chemicals like PFAS/PFOS are scary. I watched a documentary last night discussing how IQ levels are falling. They can't pinpoint an exact cause obviously, but there is a correlation with the growing use of chemicals in everyday life. I'm assuming they meant the ones listed above, since these forever chemicals stay in the environment forever.

Industry has sown the seeds of our demise in so many ways. Sad. It's good to be old, I don't foresee the bright future that our grandparents or parents did.

We can theoretically fix politics, economies, war making, healthcare, etc, but don't fuck with Mother Nature.

Theres a huge disconnect between our "man made world" and the natural world. I think we oftentimes forget that our day to day modern lives are incredibly disconnected from reality.

Can't live without mother nature.

[GoCubsGo]

The long term affects of things like microplastics and chemicals like PFAS/PFOS are scary. I watched a documentary last night discussing how IQ levels are falling. They can't pinpoint an exact cause obviously, but there is a correlation with the growing use of chemicals in everyday life. I'm assuming they meant the ones listed above, since these forever chemicals stay in the environment forever.

There must be a correlation between the microplastics and rural wingnuts.

[O Really]

What seemed to be missing from the story (or maybe I missed it) is how much of the pollution does it take to either kill you or have a measurable effect on your health. I don't doubt their numbers, but I don't see a bunch of fresh-water fish dying, nor a bunch of people dying from eating them. Common sense would indicate that ingesting "forever chemicals" is not healthy, but some quantification would be helpful. In our case, we eat almost exclusively ocean fish, but I'm pretty sure if I had the opportunity to have some fresh trout I wouldn't refuse.

[Vrede too]

What seemed to be missing from the story (or maybe I missed it) is how much of the pollution does it take to either kill you or have a measurable effect on your health. I don't doubt their numbers, but I don't see a bunch of fresh-water fish dying, nor a bunch of people dying from eating them. Common sense would indicate that ingesting "forever chemicals" is not healthy, but some quantification would be helpful. In our case, we eat almost exclusively ocean fish, but I'm pretty sure if I had the opportunity to have some fresh trout I wouldn't refuse.

I noticed that, too. Maybe the reporter is lazy, maybe the article was cut for space, or maybe the issue is so complex the reporter left it up to us to look into it further . PFASes and PFOSes have low acute toxicity and research on their effects just began this century. It's thought that they affect many human and animal systems negatively. Who knows, maybe they'll find that they impact plants including crops, too.

If the chemicals just slow fish function down - like with Whack9's "IQ levels are falling" and GoCubsGo's "rural wingnuts" - then we wouldn't see mass fish kills. Rather, they'd just get eaten by other fish, animals and the occasional O Really , and their populations would slowly shrink.

[Vrede too]

We'll see what defense these guys come up with:

Fishermen accused of cheating indicted on felony charges

After Jacob Runyan, 42, of Ashtabula, Ohio, and Chase Cominsky, 35, of Hermitage, Pennsylvania, were accused of cheating during a fishing tournament on Lake Erie, a Cleveland grand jury indicted them on fifth-degree felony charges of cheating, attempted grand theft and possessing criminal tools. In addition, the two have been served with the first-degree misdemeanor charge of unlawful ownership of wild animals.

Runyan and Cominsky were accused of stuffing the walleye they brought as their tournament catch with lead sinkers and fillets, discovered when a tournament organizer weighed the fish and saw them come in at far more than an expected weight. A close inspection of the fish, followed by an on-the-spot dissection, proved that the fish were indeed illegally stuffed.

"I take all crime very seriously," Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O’Malley said in a statement, "and I believe what these two individuals attempted to do was not only dishonorable but also criminal."

Earlier this week, Pennsylvania authorities also seized a boat and trailer owned by Cominsky.

The duo had been on a remarkable — and, to many other anglers, highly suspicious — winning streak for several months, winning multiple tournaments on Lake Erie and along the way amassing hundreds of thousands of dollars in prize money and awards. When the pair's fish were cut open to reveal the weights and fillets, other anglers erupted in rage that was caught on cellphone video and spread across the internet. Their rage arose from the fact that in tournament fishing, winners claim prizes that could, and should, have ended up with anglers that didn't cut corners in order to finish the tournament....

Opps. Sell the boat, trailer and other criminal tools, then lock them up and only feed them rancid fish.

I'm actually surprised they didn't routinely slice up the winning fish all along. I'm pretty sure the cheating method would have been known. I don't know anything about fishing, but it would seem people who fish all the time would be able to judge pretty close what a fish should weigh. Anyway, take away their ill-won toys and turn them loose in a crowd of their fishing competitors.

2 fishermen caught cheating at Ohio tournament sentenced to 10-day jail terms, forfeit of $100k boat
As part of a plea deal, Runyan and Cominsky pleaded guilty in March to cheating and unlawful ownership of wild animals.

... As part of a plea deal, Runyan and Cominsky pleaded guilty in March to cheating and unlawful ownership of wild animals — and agreed to three-year suspensions of their fishing licenses. Cominsky also agreed to give up his bass boat worth $100,000.

Once the pair complete their county jail terms, they will serve a year and a half on probation and must each pay a $2,500 fine — though half the fine will be waived if they each make a $1,250 donation to a nonprofit organization that promotes fishing with children. If they violate their probation, they could face an additional 30-day county jail sentence....

They would have received a little over $28,000 in prizes for winning the tournament....

[O Really]

I dunno, even with the probation time, 10 days in county jail doesn't seem like much of a hit. Losing the boat, sure, but is it really any value to put somebody in jail for a little over a week, and maybe less for "good behaviour"? I'm thinking maybe it has to do with the record, or maybe having had an active jail sentence, no matter how short, is more severe?

[Vrede too]

I dunno, even with the probation time, 10 days in county jail doesn't seem like much of a hit. Losing the boat, sure, but is it really any value to put somebody in jail for a little over a week, and maybe less for "good behaviour"? I'm thinking maybe it has to do with the record, or maybe having had an active jail sentence, no matter how short, is more severe?

I wondered about the 10 days, too.
The original article says they were charged with felonies, but the current article doesn't say whether they now have felony records or if they plead down to misdemeanors. I think that's the record that matters more than whether there is any jail time. Maybe it's the shame factor:
Bubba: What are you in for?
Cheaters: Fishing.
Bubba: Bwahahaha!
The $100K boat is huge, I assume because it was used in the crime. Note to self: Use cheap boat when cheating.
The year and a half on probation may be more hassle than the jail sentence.
There's also the $2,500 fine each.
The three-year suspensions of their fishing licenses can only be in Ohio, right?

[Vrede too]

Piranhas swarm 8 tourists at Brazilian resort, leaving them with bloody legs and feet

I've swum near Manaus.

[Vrede too]

Bizarre peacock flounder is the ocean's master of disguise (video)

Who needs a disguise, man.

https://www.fieldandstream.com/fishing/ ... ecord-koi/

New bammer record

... “If I had to guess, I’d say it flooded out of someone’s pond,” Melvin says. “With all the bass that are in that river, I don’t think a baby fish that color would survive long enough to get that big.” ...

Interesting, would not have occurred to me.

Record fish sometimes bother me, but I'm fine with harvesting exotics.

Asshole angler bros in your hood, possibly criminals:

Catch of massive tarpon off Florida sparks controversy

[billy.pilgrim]

Bizarre peacock flounder is the ocean's master of disguise (video)

Who needs a disguise, man.

https://www.fieldandstream.com/fishing/ ... ecord-koi/

New bammer record

... “If I had to guess, I’d say it flooded out of someone’s pond,” Melvin says. “With all the bass that are in that river, I don’t think a baby fish that color would survive long enough to get that big.” ...

Interesting, would not have occurred to me.

Record fish sometimes bother me, but I'm fine with harvesting exotics.

Asshole angler bros in your hood, possibly criminals:

Catch of massive tarpon off Florida sparks controversy

Wouldn't a good journalist at least get a statement from Fish and Wildlife about their plans?

[Vrede too]

Wouldn't a good journalist at least get a statement from Fish and Wildlife about their plans?

... The image was supplied to WEAR (ABC 3 News) by a reader named Mary Enfinger, but catch details were sparse....

There's no indication from the article or nsabook post that the asshole angler bros have been IDed yet. So, I doubt that Fish and Wildlife has any plans, yet. Also, this article was posted to USAToday Sat midday. Fish and Wildlife may be unavailable until Mon. Please let us know if you see/hear any updates.

Lock them up!

Marryin' Finger?

[Vrede too]

The Lodge at Otter Cove
August 30 at 10:24 PM · Homer, AK ·

Went out fishing today and caught a rock greenling. The flesh is blue. It turns white when you cook it. Mother nature is incredible.

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