Over the last couple of years, almost every fishing hole I’ve been to I’ve noticed an increase in trash and dead fish at the shore. This comes from a lack of respect for rules that were put in place to protect the spots we fish. I walk the bank line and see spools of line wrapped in trees and weeds. I’ve seen line caught on birds and fish more times than I can count. I’ve seen fish wrapped so badly they die or get trapped and confined to a small body of water unable to eat. This is happening purely on ignorance. At 90 percent of these spots, there are line recycling bins that nobody uses.
Another problem is the lack of people buying licenses. License cost goes directly back into stocking efforts and lake/reservoir conservation. I’ve seen an influx of people without licenses; back when I first started, it would be a rarity to run into someone without a license, and it was very frowned upon. Now it’s no surprise to pull up to a fishing spot and have more unlicensed people than licensed. It’s often the same people who don’t have a license who show utter lack of respect. People don’t understand the proper ways to handle fish. I go to stocker ponds and find fish with oversized hooks stuck in them or entire rigs caught in their guts. The more and more fishing is being popularized, the more I see these problems stack. It’s sad.
Lastly, probably one of the worst issues is people keeping over their limit. Lakes, reservoirs, and even rivers have limits on the amount of one species you can keep. Oftentimes, people disregard this and don’t research where they are fishing. They keep way over their limit. These limits are put in place to maintain a steady flow of fish and an overall balanced ecosystem; one of the biggest examples of this is Utah Lake. Utah Lake is a filth-covered cesspool, and the majority of that is due to human fault. It’s covered in trash and green film that’s deadly to dogs and birds, and slowly I’m starting to see all of my favorite childhood spots turn this same way.
The Hoot 
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