Carrying a firearm while fishing

I'm curious as to how many NCKA members exercise their right to carry a firearm while fishing? For the members that do, what do you carry and what type of ammo do you use? Does anyone carry "bang sticks?" Is cavitation and super cavitation ammunition available to the public yet? Can your arsenal of safety equipment ever be too much or excessive?

Here was an interesting video I found:


And here is some good info I found on the legalities of carrying without a CCW.
http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/archive/index.php/t-1047737.html

 

Bullets do not travel that far under the water. The movies suck on this reality. Check out myth busters they did  a test as well.

When duck is in season and I'm fishing the delta I carry a 12ga with 3 1/2  2 shot. 

When kayaking in bear country, I always carry bear spray and usually carry a firearm.  In the U.S., usually a 10mm Glock with P+ hardcast ammo.  In Canada, where you aren't going to get a permit to bring a handgun, I used to carry a 444 Marlin lever action with an 18" barrel, which was small enough to carry in my kayak in a waterproof case.  But that was for bear protection. Kayakers rarely get attacked by fish in fresh water, although I did recently get whacked by a leaping 17" kokanee.

It ain't the bears we carry for in Cali.... Don't fish near stockton without one...            

9mm small frame, ziplock baggie, in life vest pocket... Talon type hollow points. 3 or 4 filled clips...

Bang sticks are illegal in CA.

Having had, and been a tactical instructor, I can say this about handguns. 95% of people, even LEO and special forces, miss at point blank in a crisis. People wanting to use a handgun for protection against bears is a natural thing, and better than nothing, but bear spray is best.
Most people, at a range, under ideal conditions can hit a target at 25 yards. How about 50? 100? Most people are lucky to get six in the paper with a wheel gun at 50. 1 or 2 is more realistic. Beyond that, most people spit dust.
A charging bear, most people wills tart shooting way too soon. Miss. Then when the bear is in the effective range of your gun, you are empty. Even with an autoloader and hig cap mag, you dump the mag before the bear is close enough, and reloading cannot be done fast enough to engage the bear before he is on you.
Even if you wait until the bear breaks the 20 yard barrier, unless you are focused on the front sight, any hit is luck. People in a crisis that do hit their target, (a person) usually hit them in the knees or foot. The reason is that they are back pedalling, and focused on the attacker. It is a subconcious thing that you have to overcome through repetition and training. Another tid bit of info, in a gun fight, it is documented that 25% of combatants never fire their weapon.
So, when I take people into bear country, if they want to carry a sidearm,  that is great. But we are going to talk about that stuff well in advance so that they might be aware of it if it ever comes to light.
Bear spray is your best line of defense. You can spray a cloud in front of a charging animal and it will take out their sight and burn their olfactory senses. It also gives them a deterent towards people without lethal consequences. You will also likely be taken out of the fight too. Depending on wind, that cloud can blow right back at you, so be prepared.
Also remember this, if you shoot a bear, or anything in "self defense" the burden of proof is on you. There will be an investigation, and if it is determined that you were not in imminent danger, and killed the animal, you can and probably will be cited for it.

It ain't the bears we carry for in Cali.... Don't fish near stockton without one...            

9mm small frame, ziplock baggie, in life vest pocket... Talon type hollow points. 3 or 4 filled magazines...

Fixed it for ya.     

Unless you're talking about stripper clips or halfmoon clips, but figured you aren't carrying a 9mm revolver 

dont blow a hole in your boat, or foot, or partner


also, from my few days spent in bear country -that was a great lil write up Rich, perfect.

Not just while fishing. Always. Too many dumbshit tough guys in ca. Gotta make it home to the family and more so if your out with the family. Animal encounters too of course. My philosophy has always been if your in a situation where you need to pull a .45 that's situation you dont want to be the loser of. Rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it, I reckon.

Alligator pair
Crocagator pair
das why dey so mean

Bang sticks are illegal in CA.

Having had, and been a tactical instructor, I can say this about handguns. 95% of people, even LEO and special forces, miss at point blank in a crisis. People wanting to use a handgun for protection against bears is a natural thing, and better than nothing, but bear spray is best.
Most people, at a range, under ideal conditions can hit a target at 25 yards. How about 50? 100? Most people are lucky to get six in the paper with a wheel gun at 50. 1 or 2 is more realistic. Beyond that, most people spit dust.
A charging bear, most people wills tart shooting way too soon. Miss. Then when the bear is in the effective range of your gun, you are empty. Even with an autoloader and hig cap mag, you dump the mag before the bear is close enough, and reloading cannot be done fast enough to engage the bear before he is on you.
Even if you wait until the bear breaks the 20 yard barrier, unless you are focused on the front sight, any hit is luck. People in a crisis that do hit their target, (a person) usually hit them in the knees or foot. The reason is that they are back pedalling, and focused on the attacker. It is a subconcious thing that you have to overcome through repetition and training. Another tid bit of info, in a gun fight, it is documented that 25% of combatants never fire their weapon.
So, when I take people into bear country, if they want to carry a sidearm,  that is great. But we are going to talk about that stuff well in advance so that they might be aware of it if it ever comes to light.
Bear spray is your best line of defense. You can spray a cloud in front of a charging animal and it will take out their sight and burn their olfactory senses. It also gives them a deterent towards people without lethal consequences. You will also likely be taken out of the fight too. Depending on wind, that cloud can blow right back at you, so be prepared.
Also remember this, if you shoot a bear, or anything in "self defense" the burden of proof is on you. There will be an investigation, and if it is determined that you were not in imminent danger, and killed the animal, you can and probably will be cited for it.

MontanaN8V is absolutely correct on all points.  I live in Western Montana, and recreate in areas which are regularly used by Grizzly bears.  I agree that bear spray is a much better way to avoid getting chomped by a bear than a handgun or a long gun.  When I see a bear, the first thing I grab for is my bear spray.  I regard my handgun as a backup, in case things really go bad.  I know that a 10mm is pretty light for a bear gun, even with P+ hardcast bullets, but I shoot a semiauto better than a revolver, and I like having a lot more than five or six shots readily available.  I agree that most people generally are not good shots with a handgun, particularly in an emergency situation against a charging bear, but I'm an experienced hunter and I do a moderate amount of practical pistol shooting, so I'd probably do better than average if I was forced to use a handgun on a bear.

Here's a story:  A friend took his girlfriend and his Lab on a backpacking trip on the Montana-Idaho border near Lolo Pass.  That night after dark, a mountain lion came in to fifteen feet from them, probably attracted by the tasty looking dog.  He shot it in the head and killed it with a lightweight 44 revolver, which was pretty dang lucky.  If you've ever practiced shooting in low-light or dark conditions, it's tricky, and that revolver has a short sight radius and kicks like a mule on meth.  The next day, a pack of wolves circled them about 100 yards away, probably also attracted by the tasty looking dog, but they didn't get aggressive.  The Idaho Department of Fish and Wildlife decided that the mountain lion shooting was justified.

Gonna stir up the liberals talkin about shooting a mountain lion! 
The head guy for dfg here, was publicly shamed and driven out of his job because he went to idaho on a cat hunt. The pic of him with the lion went viral and they ckamped down on the guy like it was Cecil.

Nice vid fishingaddict! There are a multitude of reasons for carrying while fishing, which is why I think the exemptions exist. A 12ga seems like a bit much to carry in terms of weight with the 18" barrel restrictions. I was thinking a .357 revolver for its simplicity and reliability with an extra speed loader but I like the idea of having the power of the shotgun. I've got a side by side 20ga black powder pistol that isn't bound by the 18" regs but I'm not sure black powder is very reliable on the water unless stored in a dry sack. Also, I was having a discussion with a fellow angler and he suggested you can't shoot a GWS under any circumstance, even if it is attacking you. Is that accurate? Thx for your input gentlemen