Checked By Wildlife Officer

Thornback · 12-13-14, 05:27 PM

Anyone got a story about being checked by a wildlife officer or how many times and the place you have been checked? I was checked once on Half Moon Lake and once on the Withlacoochee River. Both times the officer was professional and courteous. On Half Moon he tied up to us and asked if we had had any luck. We told him we had one in the live well. He asked to see our fishing license. Then he asked to see if the bass was the legal 14". I told him the bass was 14.5" and showed him my homemade measuring board. He took the board and measured it. Then he asked to see my horn, fire extinguisher, and throwable flotation device. Then he took off and said to have a good day as he headed for another boat. We laughed that he measures the board and not the bass. When the officer tied up to us on the Withlacoochee he asked if we had any bass in the live well. We told him we had two so he asked to see the smallest. We handed him the smallest and he checked it to be over 14". I asked if I could take a photo of the officer with my buddy and he agreed.

mikechell · 12-13-14, 05:56 PM

I've been stopped three times on the St. Johns River. Never been stopped anywhere else.

The first stop was just as you experienced. I had everything they asked for and had a good 4 or 5 minute chat about them seeing anyone else catching fish and my fish ... I hadn't kept any, so no measuring.
The second stop started out just fine, until they looked at my license. I have ALWAYS had a license ... and I thought I still had a month on that one. Turns out, I was a month past expiration. Cost me $63.00.
The third stop was the weirdest. I had everything, again ... and the chat was pleasant. But they'd actually paid attention to the numbers on my boat. I'd had those numbers on there since I got the boat, about ten years. When I got the boat, it stayed on top of my van (upside down), unless it was in the water. I'd painted the numbers on when it was on the van. Until that day, I'd never noticed (nor had the first two stops) the the middle two numbers were reversed. Example ... instead of 1234 ... I had 1324.
It's been fixed for several years now, and I haven't been stopped since.

Thornback · 12-14-14, 02:33 PM

On the Half Moon Lake check me and my buddy handed the officer our fishing license. He looked at mine and then at my buddy's. The officer said to my buddy, "You ain't Mary Ann." My buddy had mistakenly handed over his wife's fishing license

nofearengineer · 12-24-14, 09:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thornback

On the Half Moon Lake check me and my buddy handed the officer our fishing license. He looked at mine and then at my buddy's. The officer said to my buddy, "You ain't Mary Ann." My buddy had mistakenly handed over his wife's fishing license

These days, you never know.

I went through a month at Patoka Lake a few years back that still ticks me off. I got stopped by them 4 saturdays in a row, same guys...and one of those was twice in the same day. Ridiculous.

mikechell · 12-25-14, 08:42 AM

Expecting them to remember you is like expecting a check out clerk at Walmart to remember you. If they're doing their job, they see so many people everyday to remember who they have and haven't checked. Twice in one days is a bit bothersome, though.
On the other hand, I don't mind getting stopped. I'd rather get stopped, than see people I KNOW aren't legal taking fish out of the water. To keep the poachers off the water, I'll show my license as many times as they want.

Just consider me pro-law enforcement ... in all ways.

Thornback · 12-25-14, 08:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nofearengineer

I went through a month at Patoka Lake a few years back that still ticks me off. I got stopped by them 4 saturdays in a row, same guys...and one of those was twice in the same day. Ridiculous.

An officer with a short term memory problem

nofearengineer · 12-26-14, 11:49 AM

Mike...if you knew me, you would understand. I am not "everyman". I'm a freakishly huge guy with a unique boat. They damned well recognized me.

bassboogieman · 12-26-14, 02:22 PM

It's that damned red shirt, attracts attention...

nofearengineer · 12-29-14, 02:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassboogieman

It's that damned red shirt, attracts attention...

I'm sure that's part of it haha.

woody · 12-29-14, 11:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nofearengineer

I'm sure that's part of it haha.

I'm sure that young officer just "had it out for you" Bryce. You know, after getting deceived while checking for your 'Launch Permit Sticker'.

Thornback · 12-29-14, 04:25 PM

Here's the photo of my fishing buddy with the wildlife officer on the Withlacoochee River. After checking our smallest bass he graciously agreed to let me take a photo of him with my fishing buddy. He asked me not to post him on the internet in a bad light. I told him I didn't do things like that at my age. So to protect his identity I'm whitening-out his face.

nofearengineer · 12-31-14, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by woody

I'm sure that young officer just "had it out for you" Bryce. You know, after getting deceived while checking for your 'Launch Permit Sticker'.

That's the funny thing. It was the second guy who caught that. What does that say about the smarts of the first guy?

woody · 12-31-14, 08:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nofearengineer

That's the funny thing. It was the second guy who caught that. What does that say about the smarts of the first guy?

I'm sure the Second Officer had quite a few things to say about the smarts of the First one.

Rebbasser · 03-02-15, 08:17 PM

Been checked several times. The first time was the craziest. It was the 4th of July on an electrics only lake. I was fishing with Flyrod-the older guys know him. He passed away a couple years back-when about 7 AM a guy in a kayak came paddling up to us. We were the only ones on the lake and thought it strange this lone kayaker coming straight at us. As he got closer Flyrod recognized him as a game warden. He checked everything out and we then spent the next half hour just shooting the bull. Now when he sees me he just waves or comes over just to visit

lilmule · 03-04-15, 12:02 AM

Stop on the ohio river by a bridge and anchor wont be ten min they are all over you.Not looking for fish etc -ie explosives etc. Catfish terrorists.

bassinbob · 03-09-15, 07:47 PM

Never checked but went fishing up at Erie for salmon years ago. They had a gate across the road at one of the creeks we were going to fish. If I remember the gate opened at 6am and we were first in line. Going through my stuff I realized I didn't have my license with me. So as the warden was opening up the gate I told him my predicament and he told me to go ahead and fish but stay close by. Didn't catch any but it was better than driving 120 miles back home.

Thornback · 03-10-15, 08:39 AM

Once during a draw-down at an impoundment I drove up to look at the place. There were boats all over the old river which was now exposed and of course all the fish were gathered in much less water. People were hoping to "get a big bass" to take a photo. During the drawdown it was catch and release for bass. Parked at the entrance to the temporary boat ramp was a game warden. I stopped to talk to him and he said he was checking every boat that left. He said he had caught several people trying to sneak bass out.

senkosam · 03-20-15, 10:49 PM

Unfortunately NYS doesn't use our license fees for fishery protection from angler violators very much. Their thing are polluters, permits, land use violations and boater safety on larger waters. Our local DEC doesn't even have experienced boaters and the few times I've seen them on small waters, I've had to rescue them

lug not in the transom or battery not charged properly - went dead - no oars in the boat, etc.

One time when they did venture on the ice, they didn't carry a ruler and I doubt counted crappie (25 limit) or yellow perch (50) but only because they didn't know. They did bust one guy for no registration on his quad and for the bass in the guys bucket caught through the ice. (Season ended in Nov. long before the ice was thick enough.)

Guess it's better than having to deal with the harassment anglers have to put up with in PA. by overzealous officers. Good thing I had my out-of-state 3 day permit!

12-13-14, 05:27 PM	#1
Thornback BassFishin.Com Active Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Ocala, Florida Posts: 156	Checked By Wildlife Officer Anyone got a story about being checked by a wildlife officer or how many times and the place you have been checked? I was checked once on Half Moon Lake and once on the Withlacoochee River. Both times the officer was professional and courteous. On Half Moon he tied up to us and asked if we had had any luck. We told him we had one in the live well. He asked to see our fishing license. Then he asked to see if the bass was the legal 14". I told him the bass was 14.5" and showed him my homemade measuring board. He took the board and measured it. Then he asked to see my horn, fire extinguisher, and throwable flotation device. Then he took off and said to have a good day as he headed for another boat. We laughed that he measures the board and not the bass. When the officer tied up to us on the Withlacoochee he asked if we had any bass in the live well. We told him we had two so he asked to see the smallest. We handed him the smallest and he checked it to be over 14". I asked if I could take a photo of the officer with my buddy and he agreed.

12-26-14, 11:49 AM	#7
nofearengineer BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Southwest IN Posts: 5,630	Mike...if you knew me, you would understand. I am not "everyman". I'm a freakishly huge guy with a unique boat. They damned well recognized me. __________________ Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing it is not fish they are after.

03-02-15, 08:17 PM	#14
Rebbasser BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: San Antonio, TX Posts: 10,141	Been checked several times. The first time was the craziest. It was the 4th of July on an electrics only lake. I was fishing with Flyrod-the older guys know him. He passed away a couple years back-when about 7 AM a guy in a kayak came paddling up to us. We were the only ones on the lake and thought it strange this lone kayaker coming straight at us. As he got closer Flyrod recognized him as a game warden. He checked everything out and we then spent the next half hour just shooting the bull. Now when he sees me he just waves or comes over just to visit __________________ It's happened to the best of them: John 21:3

03-09-15, 07:47 PM	#16
bassinbob BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Pitts. Pa. Posts: 3,801	Never checked but went fishing up at Erie for salmon years ago. They had a gate across the road at one of the creeks we were going to fish. If I remember the gate opened at 6am and we were first in line. Going through my stuff I realized I didn't have my license with me. So as the warden was opening up the gate I told him my predicament and he told me to go ahead and fish but stay close by. Didn't catch any but it was better than driving 120 miles back home. __________________ you can have my fishin rod when ya take it from my cold dead hands

03-20-15, 10:49 PM	#18
senkosam BassFishin.Com Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Hudson Valley, N.Y. Posts: 719	Unfortunately NYS doesn't use our license fees for fishery protection from angler violators very much. Their thing are polluters, permits, land use violations and boater safety on larger waters. Our local DEC doesn't even have experienced boaters and the few times I've seen them on small waters, I've had to rescue themlug not in the transom or battery not charged properly - went dead - no oars in the boat, etc. One time when they did venture on the ice, they didn't carry a ruler and I doubt counted crappie (25 limit) or yellow perch (50) but only because they didn't know. They did bust one guy for no registration on his quad and for the bass in the guys bucket caught through the ice. (Season ended in Nov. long before the ice was thick enough.) Guess it's better than having to deal with the harassment anglers have to put up with in PA. by overzealous officers. Good thing I had my out-of-state 3 day permit!

12-13-14, 05:56 PM	#2
mikechell BassFishin.Com Active Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Posts: 464	I've been stopped three times on the St. Johns River. Never been stopped anywhere else. The first stop was just as you experienced. I had everything they asked for and had a good 4 or 5 minute chat about them seeing anyone else catching fish and my fish ... I hadn't kept any, so no measuring. The second stop started out just fine, until they looked at my license. I have ALWAYS had a license ... and I thought I still had a month on that one. Turns out, I was a month past expiration. Cost me $63.00. The third stop was the weirdest. I had everything, again ... and the chat was pleasant. But they'd actually paid attention to the numbers on my boat. I'd had those numbers on there since I got the boat, about ten years. When I got the boat, it stayed on top of my van (upside down), unless it was in the water. I'd painted the numbers on when it was on the van. Until that day, I'd never noticed (nor had the first two stops) the the middle two numbers were reversed. Example ... instead of 1234 ... I had 1324. It's been fixed for several years now, and I haven't been stopped since.

12-14-14, 02:33 PM	#3
Thornback BassFishin.Com Active Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Ocala, Florida Posts: 156	On the Half Moon Lake check me and my buddy handed the officer our fishing license. He looked at mine and then at my buddy's. The officer said to my buddy, "You ain't Mary Ann." My buddy had mistakenly handed over his wife's fishing license

12-25-14, 08:42 AM	#5
mikechell BassFishin.Com Active Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Posts: 464	Expecting them to remember you is like expecting a check out clerk at Walmart to remember you. If they're doing their job, they see so many people everyday to remember who they have and haven't checked. Twice in one days is a bit bothersome, though. On the other hand, I don't mind getting stopped. I'd rather get stopped, than see people I KNOW aren't legal taking fish out of the water. To keep the poachers off the water, I'll show my license as many times as they want. Just consider me pro-law enforcement ... in all ways.

12-26-14, 02:22 PM	#8
bassboogieman BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Parkesburg, Pa. Posts: 3,762	It's that damned red shirt, attracts attention...

12-29-14, 04:25 PM	#11
Thornback BassFishin.Com Active Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Ocala, Florida Posts: 156	Here's the photo of my fishing buddy with the wildlife officer on the Withlacoochee River. After checking our smallest bass he graciously agreed to let me take a photo of him with my fishing buddy. He asked me not to post him on the internet in a bad light. I told him I didn't do things like that at my age. So to protect his identity I'm whitening-out his face.

03-04-15, 12:02 AM	#15
lilmule BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Buchanan,Tn Posts: 2,685	Stop on the ohio river by a bridge and anchor wont be ten min they are all over you.Not looking for fish etc -ie explosives etc. Catfish terrorists.

03-10-15, 08:39 AM	#17
Thornback BassFishin.Com Active Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Ocala, Florida Posts: 156	Once during a draw-down at an impoundment I drove up to look at the place. There were boats all over the old river which was now exposed and of course all the fish were gathered in much less water. People were hoping to "get a big bass" to take a photo. During the drawdown it was catch and release for bass. Parked at the entrance to the temporary boat ramp was a game warden. I stopped to talk to him and he said he was checking every boat that left. He said he had caught several people trying to sneak bass out.

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