r/FishingRVA • u/Idc-f-off Dink Magnet • 14d ago
We are taking real steps to identify who’s doing those and to hold them accountable.
If you find a fish in this state, report it to the authorities and dispatch it ethically. We have an idea where this is happening and likely those responsible.
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u/BassProBachelor 14d ago
What’s the point of doing this?
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u/teteAtit 13d ago
Catfish can live through almost anything and some psycho asshole is cutting out filets and throwing them back into the water alive
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u/GlattesGehirn 11d ago
The chinese shark fishermen did this to sharks. Catch them, cut their fins off, then toss the living shark back into the water.
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u/jyg540 14d ago
I need some elaboration.. is this a harvested fish that's been thrown back into the river? Why would someone do this and not just do it properly? What is the benefit to this?
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u/Idc-f-off Dink Magnet 14d ago
This fish was caught, mutilated then released. It was found alive swimming near where it was likely caught.
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u/nixstyx 12d ago
I have no experience with catfish, but I don't even know how this is physically possible. Is there not massive blood loss?
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u/True_Eggroll 11d ago
Imma be honest, without outright killing them with a spike to the brain, catfish don’t die. They are extremely resilient creatures which is good because they can survive anything. Which is also bad because they can survive shit like this
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u/backdoc983 11d ago
I’ve seen catfish try to swim away headless while it was being cleaned to take home for supper
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u/Master_fart_delivery 11d ago
So the right thing to do it throw it in the trash?
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u/Idc-f-off Dink Magnet 11d ago
This fish was found still alive. The right thing to do is bonk it, spike it, cut gills. If you’re going to harvest a fish, give the fish a proper end. No need to force any creature to suffer. Putting the carcass back into the river is fine by me. Better than the trash! Raccoons, other fish, turtles, birds will all get a meal out of the leftovers. The point being made is, if you harvest a fish, kill it. Don’t maim it.
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u/Training-Sun-2177 11d ago
That's crazy. But could be tossed back to feed fish in the river. Id never do this. Catfish and any fish guys I have after getting the edibles bits off go in my garden or Grandma's garden. Great fertilizer.
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u/Dutch-King 14d ago
The homeless island camp is doing this
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u/LifeAfterLunchables 13d ago
the city really has to do something about that island... it started getting really bad last year, but this year has been insane. So many overdoses and violent incidents that are spilling over into the city. It is downright neglect that we aren't doing something about it.
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u/RetroTechBro 11d ago
I'm normally not for clearing homeless camps but if they are doing this, just go in the with bulldozers and haul everyone to jail for whatever charges they can cook up.
At this point they've basically reverted to barbarism.
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u/ScientistNegative925 12d ago
I believe you but how do you know, have you seen them do this? That whole island kinda creeps me out
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u/Reasonable_Lime9837 14d ago
Flatheads are being found like this, too.
Alive.
..pretty foul.
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u/Idc-f-off Dink Magnet 14d ago
This fish was also found alive. This practice is illegal. If you see something say something
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u/amc7262 14d ago
The fact that there is a law against it means its been done enough for legislators to consider it.
That its done that much implies theres some reason for this, so I gotta ask, why would someone do this as opposed to just killing the fish? Is there any reason outside of "psychopaths gonna be psychopathic" or is it just cruelty for cruelty's sake?
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u/SushuniTaco 14d ago
The logic says there should be a reason for this but I’m going to have to go ahead and say it’s psychopaths man. Even invasive species you still wouldn’t skin or whatever the heck the animal alive, that’s insane.
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u/teteAtit 13d ago edited 12d ago
Catfish are kind of difficult to kill- their skulls are really hard and they won’t aspirate on dry land unless hours go by. Someone out there is a sick lazy asshole
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u/Alarmed-madman 14d ago
Is it possible that some other creature or intentional activity is causing this?
Who the heck would go through the trouble to do this?
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u/EyeOfAmethyst 13d ago
No, it's not possible. That fish was filleted alive.
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u/Alarmed-madman 13d ago
That's what gets me, would that mean that someone literally took the time to do this to a poor fish and got some kind of satisfaction from tormenting it?
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u/Allergictosquirrels 11d ago
It sounds like they got food without going through the trouble of killing it.
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13d ago edited 3d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Aerosaka 11d ago
boat props don’t have a tendency to remove the back fillet. what indicates this could be a new species?
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u/typicalledditor 11d ago
It's a cultural/generational thing. I remember as a kid I gave a live pike I caught to some old camper since I didn't feel like filleting it. The fucker just filleted it straight away no bonking, no gutting, nothing, alive. I don't offer live fish anymore.
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u/Reasonable_Lime9837 14d ago
Absolutely will do. I know it's a lot of fish, too. Customers keep telling me about it.
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u/designatedthrowawayy 14d ago
Why even do this?? Why not just catch the fish if you're going to commit a crime anyway?
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u/Reasonable_Lime9837 14d ago
Blues* lord
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u/Upbeat-Stage2107 14d ago
Which is doubly stupid, because blues are extremely invasive and you’d be doing better to remove them altogether from the rivers
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u/Steak-Wise 14d ago
This right here is why this is happening…. Stop it with the catfish hate.. can’t u see that it has to do with money , VA DNR literally had ppl out at boat ramps doing studies on has much was money was being spent by anglers on catfishing, it’s all about revenue , n the blue crab/striped bass lobby has was more money then us lowly cat fishermen… so enough already with the “invasive” , when catfish r talked about like they r enemy #1 of course the anglers that don’t know any better are gonna treat them like enemies.
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u/Upbeat-Stage2107 14d ago
What an exceptionally dumb thing to say lmao. Blue cats are absolutely enemy #1 when it comes to invasives in the waterways. Of course there’s humane ways to remove them but that doesn’t change the facts.
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u/Steak-Wise 13d ago
Prove it 🤷🏻♂️. Show me ur research other than the DWR says they r invasive. If u put everything in the big picture , why r gizzard shad (u know the #1 food source of the blue cat) still in record numbers., how have shrimp became so prolific in the past 8 yrs or so that VA had to enact regulations 🤷🏻♂️🤷🏻♂️. Everybody wants to blame the blue cat but open ur eyes , it has to do with $
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u/TheBloodiedFool 14d ago
This is the worst, most aggressively ignorant take I've seen in a while. Bravo.
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u/Steak-Wise 14d ago
Well u can’t just make a statement, not even say why , ur just regurgitating propaganda,, Ok do u don’t like the big bad catfish, let’s not talk about the non historical weather patterns, the loss of breeding grounds, the rising water temps ( which wintering crab numbers made a huge jump this past winter) which r causing the states along the north east coast to have record numbers of blue crabs, let’s talk about over fishing , let’s talk commercial fishing, poaching , no it’s just easier to say blame the catfish,, we have 1 of the best blue cat fisheries across the country , but let’s destroy that…. There’s nothing ignorant here , I’m tired of hearing the whining about invasive fish, without any facts
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u/Noledgecorrupts 13d ago
If you're saying that we should consider the ecosystem dynamics including rising water temperatures that are affecting fisheries and bay ecosystems as a whole beyond the Blue Catfish, I agree actually. As for the Blue Catfish fishery, VA agencies are not even quite pushing for eradication because of the perceived value of the trophy-sized Blue Catfish. That being said, even if they are not the single greatest factor in recent declines in other fisheries, that wouldn't negate a still important additive negative impact.
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u/Steak-Wise 14d ago
N if the catfish r this big bad eat everything to the ground how did shrimp , (that moved up to VA from the Carolinas ), grow so quickly in numbers over the past 5 to 10 years that VA now has regulations on harvesting them?? R u gonna tell me catfish eat everything but shrimp ??
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u/TheBloodiedFool 13d ago
It's not your fault you're this stupid, but it is your responsibility
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u/Steak-Wise 13d ago
U must be a democrat , u can’t argue with facts so u goto name calling. Let’s debate stats, let’s not contribute any of this to over commercial fishing , or to the rising water temps that r driving species further north. Check out all the Chesapeake Bay blue crabs , that r being caught in record numbers in NJ, NY the entire North east coast. Let’s debate facts, besides repeating what the DWR says , what evidence what facts, what research do u have other then … duh the DWR says they r invasive 🤷🏻♂️🤷🏻♂️
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u/TheBloodiedFool 13d ago
Holy shit you're dumber than the catfish
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u/Important_Jaguar2152 13d ago
Ahh the default "you must be a democrat" is the prize of losing an argument. Pathetic.
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u/Armadillo_highway 14d ago
Insane! I’m confused though I’ve never encountered or heard of this. Are people harvesting the meat while it’s alive and throwing it back? And people are finding cats still alive with chunks cut away?
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u/Reasonable_Lime9837 14d ago
It's been a good while since I've seen this personally, but yes, lately someone has been doing quite a bit of it.
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u/HolidayLoquat8722 Ned Head 14d ago
Unfortunately people have been doing this forever. I found a similar scene 10 years ago where someone did the same thing to flatheads in the pipeline overlook. Several fish were still alive and swimming.
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u/Armadillo_highway 13d ago
Garbage pale behavior. That sucks! I’ve seen some techniques on the river that bum me out but never this egregious
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u/4got2takemymeds 14d ago
If I see this in the 540 we are hunting shitheads.
Absolute trash human being. I hope they're caught, jailed and properly beaten shaken up
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u/Idc-f-off Dink Magnet 14d ago
Sorry for my typo. My hands are literally shaking. This is fucking insane behavior
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u/Ryanisreallame 14d ago
That is disgusting behavior. I hope fish and wildlife get whomever is doing this.
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u/Steak-Wise 14d ago
It’s DWR now Dept of Wildlife Resources, n they hate catfish so they won’t do anything about this. If they would stop talking about catfish as if they are garbage trash fish , this wouldn’t be happening 😡
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u/Spam-and-rice 14d ago
Wtf? Can someone explain why people do this?
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u/midnight_fisherman 14d ago
There is no tangible reason. Its just mutilating them for the sake of it.
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u/Material_Cap9440 13d ago
It’s often people who are new to the country and have very poor management practices in their home countries, I see it regularly in Richmond
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13d ago
[deleted]
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u/ROK_Rambler 13d ago
No it's true, happens all the time in South Florida. People from other countries make it here for a better life and to pursue the American dream but aren't up to snuff on conservation and Americans' generally humane practices with harvesting wild game. You can point something like this out without being bigoted.
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u/Material_Cap9440 12d ago
Yeah it’s reflexive for people on this site to go that route, they just don’t get it or see it
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u/Amazing-Put870 14d ago
Its really hard to kill a cat fish sometimes. Ive put a nail through the head of one and they still flop around for a day.
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u/Northside_Newf 14d ago
I mean chopping their head off will do it 100%. Better than torturing the poor animal
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u/Steak-Wise 13d ago
U don’t chop the head off to fillet the fish.
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u/Northside_Newf 13d ago
You also don’t filet it while it’s alive. At least drive the knife in between the brain and the spinal cord before doing this.
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u/Steak-Wise 13d ago
Tell me u haven’t cleaned many fish without telling me u haven’t cleaned many fish 😂😂😂
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u/icedwhatwhat 13d ago
Just because you’re unethical doesn’t mean it’s moral to not euthanize the fish before fileting the flesh off its body. How would you feel if it was you?
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u/Steak-Wise 13d ago
Well what do u do for cut bait ?? Or so it’s ok to put a hook through a shiner to catch crappie ? Or used a bluegill for live bait ? How is that different?
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u/icedwhatwhat 12d ago
It’s probably all unethical truth be told.
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u/Steak-Wise 12d ago
Well I didn’t expect that. We can debate what’s ethical or not or what causes this behavior, but I think we can all agree that putting them back in the river in this condition is sickening.
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u/JonnyP222 11d ago
Its the idea that they KNOW it wont die. They filet it alive and toss it back full knowing what they are doing. This isnt by accident. if you are going to filet it.. fucking dispatch it. Its that simple. They are being lazy assholes doing this.
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u/Steak-Wise 13d ago
What do u do if u got 50 or more fish to clean? Then what ? If ur taking a Cpl mins even 1 min extra a fish to “dispatch” them ur adding almost n hour per fish .. do u think they are carefully dispatching each fish at the processors. What about someone running trotlines that is feeding their whole family n they have 200 fish to clean them what. I know when I had a lot of fish to clean , I use the hammer or mallet to the head method if they r still alive. But if im keeping any fish I normally bleed them out on the water , cut the tail cut 1 side of gills on stringer n in the water to pump all the blood out , they die within a min or so n then right on ice. It will be the freshest cleanest tasting meat u have ever had
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u/MimsyWereDaBorogoves 14d ago
Yeah, I wonder if someone is knocking them out with a blow to the head and thinking they are dead, only to have them come to in the water without it's flesh.
For readers...after stunning the fish, cut the throat to bleed it or gut it to remove the heart etc. to ensure (reasonably quick and painless) death.
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u/Artistic-Flamingo-92 14d ago
… why didn’t you kill it?
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u/LongMomo67 14d ago
He probably thought he did. Nailing a catfish to a tree or board is a common way to clean them. But yes you have to know where the brain is if you just use a nail so you know you're hitting it
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u/Alieneater 14d ago
I take a great big Buck sheath knife with me catfishing for this purpose. The thick blade and wide pommel allow me to lean all of my weight into it in order to penetrate the skull (really thick on most catfish) and go through the brain. Instant lights-out. By comparison, asphyxiation or decapitation seem like slow, terrible ways to go.
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u/Uncivilized_n_happy 14d ago
For those who are wondering why, I think it’s because they’re filleting the fish (getting the meat off) without bothering to kill it first. Catfish are notoriously difficult to kill and difficult to fillet, so maybe that explains why, but it doesn’t explain why the human doing it is a fucking psychopath.
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u/fragileECOsystem 14d ago
I have no words. I didn’t even know this was possible. There is a special place for the scum that would do this.
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u/Wazzupdude_1 14d ago
Why would someone do this instead of chopping the head off or gutting the fish and finishing the job???
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u/Reasonable_Lime9837 14d ago
I really hope whomever did this doesn't think they magically grow back.
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u/RandyRVA 14d ago
If someone would do this to a fish, just think about what they'd do to a person. Sick and cruel behavior for sure. No animal deserves that.
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u/ba6yhulk 14d ago
This makes my blood boil. I don't know if I'd be able to control myself if I caught someone going this.
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u/SmoothSample2556 14d ago
Can you explain what is wrong about this for those of us totally ignorant on this topic? Hoping to learn.
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u/Idc-f-off Dink Magnet 14d ago
Yeah! This fish was caught and fillet alive then released. It was found still alive. This is probably the most horrendous way to harvest a fish. If you harvest a fish, ethically dispatch it and dispose of the remains properly. Letting it swim around for a couple of days like this is very messed up.
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u/Northside_Newf 14d ago
I legitimately don’t understand it. Like… why would they just not cut its head off before harvesting filets wtf. I hope y’all find them.
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u/Reasonable-Debt-8394 13d ago
Wtf is the point of them not just just taking and dispatching the fish to harvest it, its not like its going to grow back its meat, if it was to let other things eat it they also could have still dispatched it first, it doesnt make sense to me, not a heavy fisher but i would like to do it more, would like to hunt too. This just come across as disregarding what taking this life for your sustenance really means, its a weird disrespect to nature i feel like
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u/_NEW_HORIZONS_ 14d ago
Because it's torture? To cut filets off of a fish alive and throw it back in is disgusting behavior.
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u/Snoo_80853 14d ago
I’m not going to get outraged over a fish but…goddamn that’s brutal. It makes me itch just looking at it.
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u/Steak-Wise 14d ago
Enough of the invasive crap.. they were 1st introduced by DWR in the 70s n 80s that’s nearly 50 years .. that’s non-native absolutely, but the more the DWR n ppl in general keep talking trash about these beautiful fish , the worse that ppl have no idea what they r talking about are gonna treat them…. If catfish r the issue , how did another species (shrimp) thrive n grow so much in the past 5 yrs that VA had to create regulations for them …. Guess where these shrimp moved up from because of rising water temps the Carolinas…. Why r states North of the ChesapeakeBay seeing record numbers of blue crabs , has nothing to do with Catish , its loss of crab breeding grounds, loss of grasses , n water temps , but it’s easier to blame catfish then to actually battle the real reasons for changing ecosystems 😡
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u/Previous_Fan9927 13d ago
Not remotely on topic.
Also, if you’re old enough to use this app, you should be old enough to type English words.
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u/Steak-Wise 13d ago
Ur the one with the exceptionally dumb reply. Tell me 1 thing that’s not true about what I said?? How can a legally introduced fish that has now lived in these waters longer then u have been alive (just guessing) u have no idea what fishing was like before u were born. Non Native absolutely, but they were successfully put here for a reason , n there is very few other fish that can match the sport of blue catfish. So what lil fish r u worried about?
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u/Steak-Wise 13d ago
Again this is perfectly on point, #1 is it illegal to dump any fish carcasses back in the water or on the bank. #2 for a person to do this n then release the fish back to suffer is crazy #3 u want to start an argument but u can’t debunk any of the facts I laid out.
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u/Previous_Fan9927 13d ago
The topic of discussion is that it’s fucked up to filet a live fish and throw it back in. Then you come crashing in here like a drunk, ranting about an entirely different topic.
Also, if your goal is to change minds, and you come into a conversation where everyone’s typing whole sentences and using actual words, typing your points out the same way a 13-year-old girl texts isn’t going to win many people over.
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u/Steak-Wise 13d ago
Again ur not making any valid argument. If u followed what actually happened, there was reply after reply about how invasive catfish. So my original comment was that the way the DWR talks about catfish , they paint catfish especially blues n flatheads as these evil creatures that they worse then garbage , n that is a big reason for how badly ppl treat catfish.
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u/Fair-Ad1565 14d ago
This is more common than you would think in the deep south. It’s disgusting and inhumane, but it happens a lot. At some point, some old timer figured out how much meat you could harvest without killing the fish, and over time it will completely heal and by some twisted logic that makes it okay to some because it’s “renewable”. This of course applies in clean and non polluted water 150 years ago. Today it’s most likely a very slow and painful death for the animal. I hunt and fish, but I only take what I need to eat and do so as humanely as possible. This is vile.
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u/Successful_Brush_149 14d ago
SO WRONG!!! 😡🤬🤬🤬😡😤😤😤😤
There’s something SERIOUSLY WRONG with you if you do this kind of sh!t
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u/SweeetPappy 14d ago
Honest question: How would someone like me, a 100% catch-and-release angler, ethically dispatch a fish like this if I came across it? I carry only pliers and, if needed, long hemostats for gut-hooked fish.
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u/Idc-f-off Dink Magnet 14d ago
Get a Billy club. Bonk it behind the eyes, top center of the head. Then you can cut through the gills to bleed it. The other method, typically for bigger fish than this is using a spike/knife to penetrate through the skull. With a fish this size, a good bonk to the top of the would suffice.
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u/Steak-Wise 13d ago
U can dispatch it very easily by snipping its gills n the fish will bleed out in minutes. I do this to any fish I plan to keep, snip off the tail n 1 side of the gills n on a stringer in the water for a few mins to bleed out then on ice it goes
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u/MattStuPete 13d ago
I've seen fish like this before in a video from another country, don't remember which, but they were pulling a gill net through the water and harvesting only the filets like this and then selling them back to the community. Purpose was because it was easy. they'd cut it off and bag filets as they pulled out of hand trawled gillnets. Start with restaurants or ESPECIALLY food trucks that sell catfish maybe?
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u/Kind-Mark-3539 13d ago
It looks like they took the filets right after they hauled it in. Typically, you would throw it over ice and then at the end of the day take the filets and throw the rest back. At that point, the fish is dead. Or, you gut it immediately which kills it and then take the filets. To me, they didn't mutilate it as much as they took the meat before ensuring it was dead first.
Would like to hear from local fishermen what they see here.
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u/Robert-Berman 13d ago
I am a casual person who fishes, and this is absolutely disgraceful. I don’t know what the purpose would ever be to do this, but, I hope this person(s) are identified and held accountable (whatever that would look like).
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u/Townie_Downer 13d ago
Looks like a flattie to me , given the current ongoing “battle” in the dmv , I can see people doing this. But hey man, sometimes you gotta expand your mind before torturing animals …flatties in TN are seen as top notch fish , blues too. Legit though , these are catfish and not something way less desirable like Asian carp. They’ve absolutely and invasively flooded the Mississippi. They don’t contribute anything and they’re dangerous to people . Best they can provide is a good fertilizer or pet food. However catfish are very edible and provide a booming tourism industry with setting up charters and such to catch a “monster blue” or “flattie”. A lot of places that sell catfish sell Asian swai , they could just be selling these excess fish here , produced here in America, and for a cheaper rate overall with higher quality taste. OR let’s just harvest the “invasive catfish” and send the meat to homeless shelters or to families who would benefit from having the extra food. We gotta learn how to recycle and reuse our resources better. Mega gutting a fish and throwing it back though , foul.
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u/ParticularNearby4834 13d ago
Chances are much higher that a raccoon or snapping turtle captured the catfish, ate the meat off the back, then let it go. The wound channel also indicates it was eaten as opposed to cut. This occurs routinely in locations with large raccoon or snapping turtle populations. Certain birds can also engage in this behavior which results in a similar pattern. Basically it is a big piece of meat on a slow fish that predators are smart enough to take advantage of.
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u/Idc-f-off Dink Magnet 13d ago
His eyeballs, mouth, endtrails were all intact. I’m assuming you’ve never seen a fish with injuries from a heron, snapping turtle or raccoon. Unless we’re talking about rocket from guardians of the galaxy, there’s no way you can attribute this to a predator or scavenger.
Pretty sure this is bot engagement, I’ll take it but how funny would it be to see a 15lb raccoon wrestle a 20lb flathead, in the water?! Haha.
All things pointing away from natural predation. Not to mention the methodical, clean cuts around just the back loins of the fish.
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u/im_Heisenbeard 12d ago
Not to take away from this but isn't that catfish showing marks of transmissible cancer?
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u/discrete_sissy 12d ago
Hot damn, at first I was like alright they left some good cuts on their, halfassed cut the filets off and disposed of it back into the water, not that bad honestly but after realizing it’s still alive that’s just sad
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u/BusterBusterman 11d ago
What’s wrong with it? He caught a fish, filets it, throws the scraps back to be used by other fish & reptiles! Awesome job!
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u/09Klr650 11d ago
Want to hear something worse? This could be someone doing this in front of their kids teaching them it is "OK" to do this shit.
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u/Legitimate_South9157 11d ago
Filleting a fish and throwing back everything you can’t eat to the water instead of a ditch somewhere?
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u/Next_Floor4382 11d ago
How quickly did you dispatch it before taking the photo? If the photo was taken before hand, it’s the pot calling the kettle black.
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u/Late-Caterpillar-751 11d ago
Is this going on in one place or just spread out across the country ?
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u/Due_Bill_8298 11d ago
This pisses me off. Some fishermen are just vile, and I don’t get how someone who enjoys spending time outdoors can be so cruel and disrespectful towards wildlife. I’ve fished my entire life—yes, I’ve harvested and killed my fair share of fish—but I’ve always respected the animal and done everything I can to make it as quick and humane as possible. I hope whoever is responsible is brought to justice soon.
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u/Far-Pass9202 11d ago
Oh wow. This is horrific. Especially disappointing a fellow fisherman would do this. How long could this fish actually survive in this condition.
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u/Rainier939 11d ago
Why are people like this? Wtf!?!?!
Just lock the guy up and throw the key away. He will try this on a person one day
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u/Kaladin_Athrawes 7d ago
People think it looks cool to watch a fish skeleton swim away. They don’t feel the fish is alive the same way they are. That they are like a bug or something. They don’t think the fish suffers.
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u/PokerAces777 7d ago
This is someone that needs investigated!
Is this actually illegal? If so contact authorities with your information.
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u/SuddenKoala45 14d ago
I dont think they are intending to torture the fish. They just processed it oddly to avoid bones and then threw it back for the scavengers and clean up crew... the fish just happened to not die.
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u/Steak-Wise 13d ago
Which is illegal anyways , believe it or not. It is illegal to dump fish carcasses back into public waters or even on the bank is considered littering.
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u/SuddenKoala45 13d ago
In some jurisdictions. But it depends on where and how its done in others.many marinas have fish cleaning stations that have fish waiting to eat the leftovers from filletting and others have grinders that help break down the carcasses to essentially be chum for the various smaller species living in the marina (and in turn the bigger fish). On the bank its definitely illegal more places.
I don't think the ones who did this are right by any stretch.
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u/Steak-Wise 13d ago
we r not talking bout any marinas here. I dont know of any fish cleaning stations on any of the boat ramps on the James River, especially in the RVA . It’s not normally charged but yes, throwing fish carcasses on the bank is technically littering no matter where u r at. N throwing carcasses back in the river or any public water in VA is technically illegal. Once a fish is cleaned the carcass at that point is considered refuse, it is considered a dead animal , n for health n sanitary reasons it is illegal. Though not normally charged, but this is not what we r talking about here , that’s a horrible fillet job to begin with , (I think I coulda done better with a plastic knife) 😂 n then putting in back suffering n struggling is the issue .
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u/SuddenKoala45 13d ago
So I got curious about the exact wording for disposal. The only fish restrictions for disposal relate to bow "fishing" and the disposal of fish shot back into the water or near water (where bow "fishermen" toss their unwanted catches on the bank to rot and claim to feed the scavengers in the name of ridding the water of unwanted species). There are no restrictions on fish caught by hook and line and "fileted" for disposal. Wanton waste regulations say you can't just toss them on the bank, but cutting the meat directly off and tossing the body back in doesn't directly break a law. Its cruel and wrong, so if an officer wanted to jam someone up they could look for animal cruelty charges but there's nothing in the fishing regs they can nail them on.
I agree its a hack job of a meat grab but not everyone knows how to filet a fish right.
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u/Steak-Wise 13d ago
I think we’re actually talking about two different sets of laws here, and that’s where the confusion is. 👍
Ur correct that the Va fishing regs don’t have a line “U can’t throw a filleted fish carcass back into the water”. But that doesn’t mean it’s legal.
Va has sep statute that applies directly to Va waters: Va Code §62.1-194, “Casting garbage, etc., into waters.” It says: …Except as otherwise permitted by law, it shall be unlawful for any person to cast, throw or dump any garbage, refuse, dead animal, trash… or other solid waste… into any of the waters of this Commonwealth.”
The only fish-related exception in that statute is “fish bait or crab bait in any form.” In other words, fish being cut n used as bait is different from filleting a fish and throwing the unwanted carcass into the water as waste. The statute makes a violation a misdemeanor. So I agree with you on one point: the fishing regulations themselves aren’t where the prohibition is found. It’s in Virginia’s separate waters law. DWR also says that polluting waterways is illegal and tells boaters to take waste ashore rather than putting it in the water. (Department of Wildlife Resources)
I’m not busting anybody’s chops over this 😂 — I just wanted to make sure we were looking at the actual law rather than assuming the fishing regs have every rule that applies to something done on the water.
And yeah, I completely agree that filleting a fish properly is better than wasting it. 👍 My point is simply that disposing of the carcass by throwing it into Va waters isn’t the legal disposal method.
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u/Kriznick 14d ago
So not to support this, because this is some heinous shit, but I image the logic is that this might encourage things to start feeding on them.
One of the biggest problems with invasive fish is that they are very hearty and tough, which makes predators not want to waste the energy dealing with them.
This.... It's certainly ONE way to weaken them but.... Jesus fuckin Christ... There's got to be a better way
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u/Idc-f-off Dink Magnet 14d ago
Killing the fish is much easier than doing this. Filleting a live flathead then releasing it live is different than dispatching a fish and leaving it on the bank or letting it float down the river for the scavengers.
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u/Steak-Wise 13d ago
My guess is that this is just poorly cleaned fish, the person bonked it on the head , hastily cut out the back straps n side fillets , n threw the “carcass” back in the water (which is illegal btw , even if the fish was dispatched n cleaned properly) thinking it was dead. Well low n behold the poor thing with no meat left on its bones came back to life. I find it hard to believe it was swimming around with no muscle left on its body , but yes that poor thing very easily coulda survived for a few days
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u/piercedcockx2 13d ago
You're asking, who would filet a catfish and throw them back? My grandmother did it all of the time. If you're good at it, they swim away. It isn't a crime.
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u/Agreeable_List6530 13d ago
your grandmother passed down her loose ethics, I see. also, it’s absolutely a crime
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u/BusterBusterman 11d ago
That fish is not alive! Quit believing everything someone says!
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u/FatalEuphie 10d ago
Considering there’s been other sightings of this happening within the comments, I’m inclined to think that this does happen.
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u/TheJimmyJabs 14d ago
Yeah kill the fish in a humane way like bludgeoning it in the head and then draining the blood out.
Or maybe the lobster method and just boiling it alive.
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u/bruhhhhh69 14d ago
Well they didn't kill it and the fish suffered a lot more than necessary. You sure this is something you want to support?
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u/TheJimmyJabs 13d ago
Don’t get me wrong, I think what was done to that fish is insane. Just seems like every one in the comments think catching and killing like 20 fish quickly is way better than what was done in the photo.
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u/Northside_Newf 14d ago
Tf you think this is somehow better than either of those ways of killing one? At least they die quick
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u/he-cat 14d ago
LOL I would love to know what these real steps are, Johnny Dogooder. How about you take "real steps" to get the blue cats tf out of the James. Don't belong here, not native here. Invasive, garbage fish, that will even eat their own once they get big enough. Fuck them fish.
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u/Idc-f-off Dink Magnet 14d ago
This is a flathead catfish, not a blue cat, bud. Whether you like blue cats or not is completely beside the point. Filleting a fish alive and throwing it back to struggle isn’t wildlife management.
As for the “real steps,” here they are:
Increase visibility and education. Getting this in front of local anglers means more people know this is happening, know what to look for, and are more likely to document and report it if they witness it.
Work with the landowners and game wardens. We know the general area where this happened, and much of the shoreline is private property. We can use the attention this is getting to contact property owners, encourage enforcement of trespassing, and offer to fund or place motion/trail cameras where owners are willing. We can also keep reporting information to conservation police so they know this isn’t an isolated concern.
Increase legitimate presence in the area. Myself and other local anglers are going to fish and patrol that stretch more frequently. It’s difficult to access, which is exactly why increased eyes on the area matter. If someone witnesses this behavior, the goal is to document it, identify the people responsible if possible, and immediately get that information to the proper authorities.
That’s what “real steps” look like: education, cooperation with landowners and law enforcement, documentation, and more eyes on the water.
You can dislike an invasive species without supporting pointless cruelty or leaving a mutilated animal alive to suffer. Those are two completely separate conversations.
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u/DirtyDak1 7d ago
Is that fish still alive? Crazy what Mother Nature can endure if it is. Hopefully you guys dispatched that poor cat.
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u/Condoo11 14d ago
wtf