Cleaning UP

So I went fishing the other day in some freezing cold weather.  After losing feeling in my fingers and then gaining it back I caught some fish but I lost some lures.  Granted we buy tackle knowing there is that possibility, but my problem is when we lose them on things left in the water.  If I get a crankbait hooked on timber and snap it off, ok but if I lose a lure on fishing pole or bungee cord there’s a problem.  I’m not perfect, stuff falls out of my boat and into the water even though I am usually cautious to not let it happen.  I can tell you there is a fishing pole sitting in a river that my wife threw in while making a cast, or the one I broke over my knee and tossed in (not proud of it).  

Fishermen across America were allowed to keep fishing with lead tackle, but it seems to me that lead is  not the biggest problem our water is facing.  How many times have you been on the water and seen trash floating in the water, or pulled something out of the depths with a lure?  In the last two months I have brought up, bungee cords, poles, caulk guns, etc.  I’m not an environmentalist or anything but I love fishing and I want our waterways clean so my kids can enjoy fishing and their kids can enjoy fishing.

Now I’m going to get a little preachy for a minute.  When man sinned for the first time, he was not the only thing that fell in original sin.  The animals via the serpent were cursed and so was the world (land).  If you don’t believe me read Genesis 3 carefully and you will see what I mean.  But as God’s creation we are also charged with caring for all he has created, which includes the world.  We, as anglers, need to care for the water we love so much.

When you reel in trash, put it in your pretty boat, get the carpet dirty and when you get back to the boat ramp put it in the trash.  I don’t know how many times a year I do this.  Also I want to rant for a moment about fishing line.  If you cut fishing line off, don’t just throw it into the water, keep it in your boat and throw it away.  I hate snagging on fishing line in the water.