Has anyone caught a fish and found plastic in its guts? (Page 2): Apparently we can't control what people do in this country either.

bapabear Loc: Blaine, Washington

OJdidit wrote:

The problem is not with the materials, but with the people that throw it in the water. Those same people throw bottles and cans in the water, but we don’t hear much about those as they sink and are out of sight. We try to educate, show commercials, even fine some of them. It is not enough. People are lazy and selfish. It is a Global problem. Unfortunately, we can’t control what is done in other Countries. I will leave it at that...
Hmmm...perhaps too much coffee today?

Apparently we can't control what people do in this country either.

BJMintz Loc: Los Angeles

Since I seldom kill fish, I've never found anything in a stomach. But I once caught a 16- or 17-inch brown trout in Pennsylvania that had an orange plastic ring from a drink bottle around its gills. The fish looked like a snake; the plastic ring was grown into its body. I carefully nipped it away while holding the fish in the stream. Since then, I always cut up those plastic 6-pack holders so there are no places where a fish could wedge its head inside.

StlhdSlayer Loc: Portland, Oregon

FS Digest wrote:

I am a student working on a way to prevent loose bottle caps from getting into the ocean and into the guts of a fish and I have an idea but I need to get a better grasp on how bad the issue really is to know if this is a good path to follow. Thanks :)

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by BRAISEDBEEF21

Found this in a steelhead’s stomach I caught a couple summers ago. Skinniest 35” steelie I ever caught! It was the only thing in it’s belly. Poor thing must have been starving. And a picture of the fish too.

bapabear Loc: Blaine, Washington

BJMintz wrote:

Since I seldom kill fish, I've never found anything in a stomach. But I once caught a 16- or 17-inch brown trout in Pennsylvania that had an orange plastic ring from a drink bottle around its gills. The fish looked like a snake; the plastic ring was grown into its body. I carefully nipped it away while holding the fish in the stream. Since then, I always cut up those plastic 6-pack holders so there are no places where a fish could wedge its head inside.

Good idea. The bottle/ holders are also deadly to birds.

Chuck56 Loc: Texas

There is a group called 4 ocean or 4ocean that you can contact that might be able to give you better insight into this. But in my younger years when I would sometimes catch and keep a few bass, I did recall 1 time I found pieces of a plastic worm in its stomach....My 2cents

WaltAnd Loc: Florida

OJdidit wrote:

The problem is not with the materials, but with the people that throw it in the water. Those same people throw bottles and cans in the water, but we don’t hear much about those as they sink and are out of sight. We try to educate, show commercials, even fine some of them. It is not enough. People are lazy and selfish. It is a Global problem. Unfortunately, we can’t control what is done in other Countries. I will leave it at that...
Hmmm...perhaps too much coffee today?

A BIG Roger That

FishermanLeeSonoma

Deposits don't work, they just recycle it. They should actually give you back the full deposit when you return it instead of pennies. That would get people to recycle. I recycle as much as possible and always pack out (unfortunately) bags of garbage when I bank fish. It is disturbing how many cigarette butts I find besides all the fast food packaging...

Slant Loc: Grove, OK

I haven’t found plastic in fish but I rarely keep what I catch. I always take a couple plastic bags with me when fishing and pickup trash left by others. I bring home at least one full 13 gallon bag on most trips, sometimes two. It’s sad what people leave behind when it is so easy to take your trash with you. One of the worst things to leave behind is fishing line. Waterfowl and other animals can get entangled and die or be seriously injured.

Ricky Loc: Columbia City, Oregon

Plain and simple. Some people are PIGS. It is going to be an ongoing problem. Stiffer fines , loose their license maybe? I have always pack it in pack it out. I taught our kids that rule. I think you would be on a good track trying to solve it. But I also agree you need to register So everyone knows who we are talking, too. Bad subject with me. I see it on the beach. Rivers. I hunt and camp by a creek I also fish in. 30 miles into the woods. I am always picking up garbage and beer, pop cans.

dalonzo Loc: Witt. IL

FS Digest wrote:

I am a student working on a way to prevent loose bottle caps from getting into the ocean and into the guts of a fish and I have an idea but I need to get a better grasp on how bad the issue really is to know if this is a good path to follow. Thanks :)

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by BRAISEDBEEF21

I remember when in boy scouts they would not let us swim with cut off jeans due to small threads coming off and small bass eating them thinking they were prey and then dying on them!

Justoldjim Loc: JUNCTION CITY, OR.

Ben Bragg wrote:

Yes. I have found plastic debris in freshwater fish. I’m sure if I was looking for it I would find more. Not caps necessarily but sheet/ film type plastics. Cellophane and particulate
I sincerely hope you and others like you can solve this problem for our future before it’s too late.

We all can help just keep junk out of the water

walkinkatfish Loc: San Francisco ,East Bay California U.S.A.

dalonzo wrote:

I remember when in boy scouts they would not let us swim with cut off jeans due to small threads coming off and small bass eating them thinking they were prey and then dying on them!

I remember in boyscouts they would not let us swim in the local pond,because we were the prey for cottonmouths,snapping turtles and gators!

OregonBob Loc: Oregon

I'm always amazed at the amount of plastics when I walk along the Oregon coast; just a steady line of it all the way along the beaches; all colors, shapes, and sizes. No wonder the fish think it something to eat. But humans seem to let environmental problems get really bad before they try to reverse the situations.

Big bass Ed Loc: Ca

Mr Ed

Yes! Probably 10-12 years ago i was cleaning a bass caught out of Diamond Valley Res. The fish had a ball considerably larger than a softball of mostly 5” Senko’s. Mostly bleached white. I was amazed. I figure there r crazy people so why not crazy fish! And why just Senkos?
Call me suspicious, but we didn't eat that fish!!!

BJMintz Loc: Los Angeles

Mexico is the worst. Except for the beaches in front of posh hotels which are pristine, almost everything else is a garbage pit. Beaches are awash with 2-cycle engine oil cans from Valvoline, Pennzoil, Yamaha and others along with plastic bags and bbq'd chicken bones.