1. The hypothetical fish in this instance was not subject to the jurisdiction of the TWRA. So while they may have been a source of wisdom and counsel, it's none of their damned business. 2. In Kentucky, where aforementioned hypothetical fish was found, each jug is required to be permanently labeled with the fisherman's customer identification number as provided on a valid fishing license (301 KAR 1:410; KRS 150.010.) This number was not present, replaced only by an obscured and most likely fake phone number, making identification of the fisherman difficult even for the wise and experienced officers of KDFW. 3. Nobody was looking.
An excellent philosophical and gastronomical point. I think now we are at 5 or 6 who eat the fish. Rockyhill has adopted the philosophy of Schrodinger's catfish, and he now eats it and doesn't eat it.
1. Then the Kentucky equivalent. Un help you split the hairy whiskers on this cat? 2. While it’s true that we neither know if the rig was legal nor who the jug and fish belonged to, we can be certain who is rightfully intended to ascertain such things, and who owned that fish - and neither of them are you, scofflaw. 3. This is your best point, and you should have just lead with this. No need to church it up.
That it wasn’t yours to take is as irrefutable as it is unavoidable. Everything else is immaterial. Here I stand, I can do no other.
I don't find it to be an ethical question, but more of a "luck" question. Every one of those I've encountered, the thing just jumped in the boat, and the line snapped clean. Very lucky.
not sure how it works with jugs, but in salt water a pot or trap without identification is a ghost pot and is to be collected, photographed, and either retrieved or disposed of. at least in Virginia. ghost pots and traps kill a lot of critters and nean less for everyone. if you don't mark your gear, it is simply littering at best.
Caught him around 2000 feet deep, about 20 miles out, a little further north than we usually go. Picture was on the way in. I'm waiting for a buddy to send me a good one out where I caught it.
Tenny would hit the shock button and the boat would lose power without a single fish coming to the surface.