Few fish but plenty of trash

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crusher
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Few fish but plenty of trash

Post by crusher »

I've been to three launches in the past couple months, two in the Freeport general area and one in the Jones Bay area and all had one unfortunate thing in common - trash all over.
I'd like to think it's passer-by people, bank fishermen, or other unsavory folks leaving everything from Miller, Corona, Jarritos, Dr Pepper, BudLight and water bottles/cans, to foam plates and spoils of fishing line and old ice cube and c-store bags, rather than us fine kayak fishermen. In any case, I mostly filled a big Hefty bag at each of the three launches in about 5 minutes each once I got back from fishing and loaded the truck. Tucked the trash bag in the tankwell under bungees, and threw the 1/2 filled hefty away at home.

My request is simple; throw a box of Hefty (or other heavy duty trash bags) behind the seat or in the trunk and spend 5 minutes every once in a while to pick up some of the obvious crap the other people leave behind. It can be a bit nasty, so a good clorox wipe or hand sanitizer might be a good idea, too. We've lost a couple kayak launches the last few years and I'd hate to see more disappear due to trash and general nuisance reasons.
Thanks.
My only point is I think it is in our own best interest to pitch in here and there and keep our launches acceptable even if it means we clean up after other folks.

Sorry I don't have pictures of the junk or before and after pics. That might be weird. A post without a pic is no fun though, so here's a baby croaker that loudly pleaded for freedom in his best croaky-drum voice and a barely legal spec from the Drum Bay area recently. Bad rotation on them so just tilt your head a little. Thanks again.
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Tombo
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Re: Few fish but plenty of trash

Post by Tombo »

Thank you for reminding me.
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TexasJim
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Re: Few fish but plenty of trash

Post by TexasJim »

Sometimes I do a two-mile walk up and down Rockport Beach. I always carry a couple of plastic grocery bags, and pick up trash. On Mondays, it's unbelievable what's left on the beach, from the weekend! People comment and thank me, and I tell them "I'm cleaning up after the two-legged pigs!"

Virtually every kayak/wade spot I go to has an unbelievable amount of trash. What's wrong with people that they need to throw their trash on the ground at a "nature" spot? I launched at the Fish Habitat(better known as Porno Flats) once on the 35 Causeway, and there was a couch and a washing machine dumped there! ???????? TexasJim
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Re: Few fish but plenty of trash

Post by Mrcarcrazy »

My wife and I go down to our local launch (I don’t have a kayak yet) for the sole purpose of picking up the trash. It’s disgusting how lazy people are. When I see the remains of lure boxes and the bags soft plastics come in I get extra irritated. Fishermen should be the cleanest people out (in my head at least). We have so much to lose. The worst part is there are trash barrels at this launch, which are cleared out regularly. Zero excuse.

End rant.




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karstopo
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Re: Few fish but plenty of trash

Post by karstopo »

It’s pretty disheartening how people treat public spaces and especially natural settings. People that do this trash dumping are really saying a giant “f... you” to everyone else by the way they dump their trash wherever they happen to be.

I’ve been reluctant to pick up trash at launches because I hate cleaning up after the irresponsible. I have to clean up after those same filthy folks as part of my work responsibilities, dirty diapers dumped in parking lots, human feces in parking lots, cups with tobacco spit juice, beer cans, candy wrappers. I carry nitrile gloves, disinfectant wipes, and big trash bags to handle this garbage. I wish people would just be responsible and handle their own trash in appropriate ways, but the trend isn’t encouraging.

Good on you for picking up launch site garbage. I may have to change my feelings and suck it up. I hate all the trash at launches and it’s not going away on its own.
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Chubs
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Re: Few fish but plenty of trash

Post by Chubs »

Hey I like your idea. I think I'll make an effort to do that as well.

I'll note i even save my mangled up plastics and throw them away back at the launch, rather than just tossing them overboard. It's not much but every little bit helps. I hated when I went to a sandy beach (Rockport) and uncovering a half chewed up down south lure ;)
Trbrmc
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Re: Few fish but plenty of trash

Post by Trbrmc »

Great and inspiring post. There’s a local bank fishing spot that is within 2 minutes from my house that is constantly littered with trash from people that are either bank fishing or crabbing. Besides the general trash that’s left behind, another seriously annoying thing that people do is leave their crabbing lines behind.

Thanks for posting and reminding all of us to bring a trash bag or five with us to clean up after these pigs.
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weekendyakker
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Re: Few fish but plenty of trash

Post by weekendyakker »

As if the wind & tides needed any help depositing trash where it doesn't belong.
We always have a couple trash bags for ourselves/wet clothes/whatever. When we leave wherever we are, that immediate area is much cleaner than before. I can't walk up and down the shorline cleaning but I damn sure fill up a bag or 2 in minutes right where I'm at.
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tito82x
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Re: Few fish but plenty of trash

Post by tito82x »

Went out this Saturday morning to find this? People have no shame or respectImage

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Re: Few fish but plenty of trash

Post by Trbrmc »

Dude... is that a pack’n’play?!?
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Cuervo Jones
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Re: Few fish but plenty of trash

Post by Cuervo Jones »

I pick up trash every time I go out. It’s a never ending endeavor. Texas beaches and lakes are some of the most trashed I’ve seen anywhere. It gets me down.


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crusher
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Re: Few fish but plenty of trash

Post by crusher »

Thanks everyone. I figured there are a fair number of us that help clean up after others.

Littering really gets me down. Thinking back a year or more, there is some sort of geographic mindset across the whole population that Cuervo once pointed out - there's not trash laying around even at the most populated trout spots in the Rockies. We need a full mindset change for a lot of people around here. Tight lines and thanks for tolerating my frustrated original post.
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crusher
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Re: Few fish but plenty of trash

Post by crusher »

Image

Bud Light - a favorite among littering types!
Tombo
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Re: Few fish but plenty of trash

Post by Tombo »

I hate to admit this but any dead end road around here has trash. Not unusual to see old beds, fridge and furniture dumped.
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Chubs
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Re: Few fish but plenty of trash

Post by Chubs »

tito82x wrote:Image
Man, those toddlers have no shame...
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Re: RE: Re: Few fish but plenty of trash

Post by tito82x »

Chubs wrote:
tito82x wrote:Image
Man, those toddlers have no shame...
I'm telling you! They start younger and younger these days Image

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Re: Few fish but plenty of trash

Post by TroutSupport.com »

I'm not saying they can't do a better job of making sure the trash packed together and weighted down into a trash can, but I've watched it blow of trash cans myself numerous times. I actually don't think most do it on purpose (Im sure there are a few).. If you evaluate it,... it's always within a 60 degree cone from the trash can and downwind from the prevailing wind (Both SE and N, but sometimes the wind is howling SW and NE). 20-30 mph winds can make a mess of a trash can. I'm not saying they can't do a better job of making sure the trash packed together and weighted down, but I've watched it blow out myself numerous times. Good on you and everyone else for picking it up. What we need more of is calmly educating people of things like don't put a single grocery plastic back in a container without weighting it down with crushed bud light cans and tying the top. ect etc. Wind also plays havoc to even the best of us.. open a car door and immediately that wind takes your Academy bag that was empty, across the parking lot or up in the air. I try to go out of my way to pick up at least one piece of plastic while on the water... sometimes I have to park the boat or even circle back around. If everyone picked up just one piece that wasn't theirs it would make a huge difference. The beds and fridges are obviously something else... that's illegal dumping because someone didn't want to pay the landfill.
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TexasJim
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Re: Few fish but plenty of trash

Post by TexasJim »

Yeah, that infink was sitting on some cash! They're paying $.45 per pound for cans in Corpus. TexasJim
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Ultrastealth
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Re: Few fish but plenty of trash

Post by Ultrastealth »

The ability to clean up after yourself has a lot to do with your citizenship or lack there of from what I've seen. Go check out any public soccer field on Sunday afternoon if you don't believe that. The last time I went to San Luis Pass on a weekend, I wanted to throw up. Even animals don't shit in their own bed.
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Re: Few fish but plenty of trash

Post by Kayak Kid »

What happened? I fished the big shell area extensively in the early 70's. Sure, there was some flotsam that washed ashore, but the area above the tide line was generally devoid of human generated trash.

After an absence of many years, I went on a PACK adventure to a Yarborough pass campout. That was in 2006, as I recall. The human generated trash both above and within the tide line was beyond disgusting. The display of indulgence and thoughtlessness brought tears to my eyes. I will never go back.
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Re: Few fish but plenty of trash

Post by Trbrmc »

Ultrastealth wrote:The ability to clean up after yourself has a lot to do with your citizenship or lack there of from what I've seen. Go check out any public soccer field on Sunday afternoon if you don't believe that. The last time I went to San Luis Pass on a weekend, I wanted to throw up. Even animals don't shit in their own bed.

Ummm...??? This is a fishing forum, not a bigotry forum. Should probably take your thoughts elsewhere.
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Cuervo Jones
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Re: Few fish but plenty of trash

Post by Cuervo Jones »

Buddy of mine used to say “white trash has no color.”
Then we’d drink.
And properly dispose of the bottles.


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Re: Few fish but plenty of trash

Post by Ultrastealth »

Trbrmc wrote:
Ultrastealth wrote:The ability to clean up after yourself has a lot to do with your citizenship or lack there of from what I've seen. Go check out any public soccer field on Sunday afternoon if you don't believe that. The last time I went to San Luis Pass on a weekend, I wanted to throw up. Even animals don't shit in their own bed.

Ummm...??? This is a fishing forum, not a bigotry forum. Should probably take your thoughts elsewhere.
Have you been to Mexico? It looks a whole lot like many of the bank fishing spots around here. I'm not calling out hispanics, just illegals, because that seems to be where the issue lies. If you don't like that, I really don't care, and you can take your thoughts elsewhere.
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Re: Few fish but plenty of trash

Post by Trbrmc »

Racism’n Fishin! Yee haw.
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Re: Few fish but plenty of trash

Post by Ultrastealth »

Trbrmc wrote:Racism’n Fishin! Yee haw.
no, you're making it into what you want it to be to suit your agenda.
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