If I were standing I’d’ve stumbled backward. But I was sitting, my hands comfortably intertwined and resting on the kitchen table. Still, her accusation seemed unwarranted, unprovoked ... un ... unAmerican. The conversation started something like this:
—You’re breaking the law.
—Huh? What? I had just shown her my catch of the day; one sheephead, one catfish, and one pike. I always snapped a few pics for proof then tossed the fish back into the water. It’s not like I demanded she clean the slimy bastards. I only wanted her to praise my skills as a fisherman.
—I checked the DNR site. It’s illegal. She was referring to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources’ website regarding a species of fish called the Goby. She needn’t say more, but she did —You are in possession …
—No I am not!
—If they’re on your hook, then you possess them.
I believe she was referring to page four of Michigan’s Fishing Guide. —It doesn’t make sense to catch a Goby then throw it back in the water, especially if it’s a highly invasive species.
—Do you keep them in your minnow bucket?
Now I felt like I was on trial. —Yes. Yes, I do.
—Are they swimming in your minnow bucket?
I’d had enough of this interrogation. I had refused to answer.
—Possession. You are in possession. Possession is illegal.
I knew not to argue. It wasn’t until later, after I had done my own research, that I had discovered my intentions were honest and I was indeed within the guidelines of the law. —I cut the Goby into two pieces and bait my hooks. They are no longer alive at this point; therefore, I am not in possession of them. It is perfectly legal to use a Goby for bait.
—But don’t you still have live Gobies in your minnow bucket?
True, I was ignoring this point; I could’ve been some crazed “save-the-Goby” lover. I decided to compromise. —From now on when I catch a Goby I will immediately cut him in half before placing him into the minnow bucket.
—Make sure your bait doesn’t have eggs on it.
I never knew fishing could be so damned complicated, so damned controversial. I refuse to let anyone take the fun out of it for me. How else can I relax after a hard day of working with convicted felons?
10 comments:
Ahhh. I feel bad for you. Here you felt so good about your catch and then she took the wind out of your sails.
But then again, I feel really bad for the Goby - cut him in half - Yech!
My brother-in-law swears fish don't have feelings (he's an avid fisherman too). I wonder what makes him so sure.
The Goby. Isn't that a desert in China? Were you in China illegally? Or are you a spy for the capatilists? Have you ever knowingly taken a Goby across state lines? And if so, for what immoral purposes?
*LOL* And you don't even get to get off! If you're going to be guilty of something, go BIG! *L*
The Goby The goby is a bottom-dwelling fish that has great potential for causing impacts on Great Lakes fisheries. Originally the round goby and the tubenose goby were introduced into the St. Claire River in 1990, probably via contaminated ballast water of transoceanic ships.
Round goby are thriving in the Great Lakes Basin because they are aggressive, voracious feeders which can forage in total darkness. The round goby takes over prime spawning sites traditionally used by native species, competing with native fish for habitat and changing the balance of the ecosystem. The round goby is already causing problems for other bottom-dwelling Great Lakes native fish like mottled sculpin, logperch and darters. Goby can also survive in degraded water conditions, and spawn more often and over a longer period than native fish. Unfortunately, they have shown a rapid range of expansion through the Great Lakes.
http://www.great-lakes.net
What is the state protecting here? Using bait that has the egg sac attached?
My son knows all the ins and outs (what's legal, what's not) of fishing in our lake. He's a catch and release kind of guy but does not feel at all guilty if he happens to (accidentally) kill one of the "bad" ones.
Hope she doesn't turn you in...
Good God, this reminds me of William S. Burroughs -- so crazy, yet so true. "Go look at his fucking parot," he says in Naked Lunch, if memory serves. Pardon my French ;->
I saw a picture of a 10 lb sheephead in the Observer in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. It won the contest for the fisherman as the biggest fish caught that day. I say feed them Goby's back to the fish of the waters they have infested. This way balance can begin being restored, and the Goby's can think about finding the St. Lawrence seaway and get the hell out of the great lakes. It ain't safe for them with JR the fisherman. MW
Egads. Maybe you need a lawyer when you go fishing.
Gobies are from the east and they are terrorist fish.
We got them in Lake Ontario and they are marauders.
They have the head of a frog and the body of a fish. You caught a chimaera!
i didn't know fishing entails so much. sheesh! all i can say is, "i'm glad i'm not a fish, especially a goby.!"
Post a Comment