A while back I was going back in a remote creek (one where there are few if ever any boats) in the Whaler, and came across two guys who were in the creek and had a setup with several wooden stakes spanning the creek. They seemed a little nervous when I came by, and I am wondering what they were doing?
I’m guessing they had some kind of net or something under the water? I couldn’t see what was under the water. What were they fishing for? Was what they were doing legal?
someone posted the regs on seine netting, i think it’s in the shrimmping section. it said that you cant do it from a powered vessel, it’s too close to commercial trawling, and the entire channel can’t be blocked off, there was more to it but, yes most likely they were poaching something… thats unfortunate!
Hmm. Interesting. Now, technically, the channel wasn’t completely blocked off, as I was able to get around by about my boat’s width at the very edge of the creek. While on the subject, are you pretty sure it was seine netting? I have heard of trot-lines, but don’t know what they are. Could they have been doing that?
Trot lines are when you tie a long string to a tree, bunch of baited hooks, tied to another tree…we did it for catfish growing up…those guys were likly seining…
were they walking in the water or stationary? there are a lot of regs on siening around here(mesh size,net length,amount of weight) in fact there is a whole page on it in every SC Rules and Regulations publication. Maybe they were legit-but if they looked sketchy to you they probably were up to no good.
if not a trot-line maybe a long line? isn’t that kind of the same except no tree, a bouy or float on one end? also next time you see something odd, ask. tell em your always interested in new methods to catch fish, maybe i’m wrong and they weren’t paoching ( I hope i was wrong) and if so they could have shared a new experience with, also you can get a better description of them and their gear for the DNR officer if they are in fact commiting a crime. people who poach, should be poached!
spanish - good point. I’m not really motivated by awards, but rather stopping poaching. This happened in June/July timeframe so its been a while. I’m gonna keep an eye out, and if I see it again I will definitely report it.
It was either stakes holding up a gill net, or it was steaks holding up trot lines, which is just a long main line with a baited hook every foot or so.
Seine nets only work in shallow water when they are being PULLED by somebody/something. They have a very fine mesh, and don’t catch anything while stationary.
Last time I checked, there are some certain restrictions on trot lines. Also, gill nets were legal (this is probably 5,6 years ago), but CAN’t keep any “sportfish”–redfish, trout. Can only keep whiting, spots, croaker, etc.
