Game Wardens stopped me last night:

[chet]

I fished late afternoon in the ocean till a little after dark yesterday.

As I was coming up to the boardwalk to get my bike I run into two guys in uniforms. They stop me and say "We're EPO's and we've had a couple of calls that someone is keeping undersize fish!".

I carry my hooks, weights etc. in a backpack and bait in the plastic grocery bags. One of them said he wanted to check my stuff and acted kinda rude- like I was guilty and trying to hide something. Little did he know I caught the skunk that night. heh heh...

He asked me if I'd seen anyone else fishing and I said "I mind my own business and don't pay attention to what anyone else is doing.". Which is true- how can you really fish correctly if you're trying to look around at what everyone else is doing.

The dork acted like he didn't believe me. He and his buddy were looking around the beach at the bottom of the stairs with thier flashlights like I threw away fish cause I knew they were coming or something.

First time I'd ever seen a game warden on the public beaches.

[mrmorrison]

You should of said, "Do you know who I am? I have over 10,000 posts on the TDPRI forum! How dare you treat someone of my stature like I am a common peasant, you filthy swine!" That would've probably gotten you arrested, but I digress.

[dan1952]

Game wardens have more power than the police.

[chet]

Don't get me wrong- I'm all for them keeping people from taking the undersize fish but use a little tact.

[Mike Bruce]

Years ago a buddy and I caught a bunch of guys poaching salmon so after some discussion and an hour or so of legal fishing we drove to the nearest police station where one of the poachers was behind the counter. The explanation was that he was undercover. We still don't know what to believe. These days, with digital photography, we never travel/fish without a camera.

The way the streamside is treated around here, it's obvious there's little respect for the environment. It likely also translates into abuse of resources too.

Mike Bruce

[chet]

Originally Posted by Mike Bruce

Years ago a buddy and I caught a bunch of guys poaching salmon so after some discussion and an hour or so of legal fishing we drove to the nearest police station where one of the poachers was behind the counter. The explanation was that he was undercover. We still don't know what to believe. These days, with digital photography, we never travel/fish without a camera.

The way the streamside is treated around here, it's obvious there's little respect for the environment. It likely also translates into abuse of resources too.

Mike Bruce

You might get hurt if they see you taking pics. I personally wouldn't.

[Groovey Records]

A man has to feed his family

[chet]

Very true.

[jkingma]

Years ago some buddies and I would go fishing every spring up near Kirkland Lake. We rented a cottage for a week or so from a friend of my dad's. We would have to boat in from a fish camp where the road ended. The fish camp was run by this guy named Harmon who was in his 60's and as big and as strong as an ox.

One year we arrived a couple days before walleye season opened and Harmon was cleaning a few walleye on his bench at the end of his dock. While we were loading up the boat the Warden puls up to the dock and says..

"What you cleaning there, Harmon?"

Harmon says "Walleye"

Warden says "You know what that means, don't ya"

Harmon says "Yep, 2 and 2"

Warden says "What do ya mean, 2 and 2?"

Harmon says "2 weeks in jail for me and 2 weeks in the hospital for you"

Warden says "Have a nice day Harm" and starts his boat an buggers off.

[boris bubbanov]

Originally Posted by chet

The dork acted like he didn't believe me.

So.

You're a sushi eater, Chet?

[sonserve]

2 and 2. Yuck yuck.

[Brad Miller]

Why was the guy a dork?

[chet]

Cause I said he was.

[Tim Armstrong]

So you were tagged and released?

Tim

[gaddis]

Hmmmm, I read this post on Stripers Online. biggstriper ????

[studio1087]

Originally Posted by Brad Miller

Why was the guy a dork?

If they searched his bags and he was fine...they should have told him to have a good evening and moved along.

I live in the lake country outside of Milwaukee. You hear stories like this often. I can appreciate that the wardens who patrol during deer hunting get jumpy. I wouldn't want to approach a guy in a tree stand who has a deer gun like mine and ask the hunter to come down from the stand and show a bunch of paperwork. If a guy is up in a tree with an amazing rifle....I'll just let him be....and I won't scare all the game away. I can appreciate that the wardens act like hard-*sses during gun hunting but they can dial the testosterone back when the see a guy on a dock with a pole.

When some wardens approach a guy with a fishing pole like he's a crime lord....the wardens need to lighten up. It's mean and it's silly.

Don't lets the goofballs get you down Chester.

John

[studio1087]

Double post - whoops

[Buckocaster51]

EPO = Environmental Protection Officers?

Everybody that interacts with other people need to use tact and be polite all of the time.

It pays off in the long run.

Sometimes it is hard to do.

Maybe the dork just got dear-johnned.

No excuse for his behavior...but there was probably a reason.

[chet]

I'm not worried about them bothering me. This was the only time in all my trips surf fishing that they did that.

Kinda wierd, that's all.

[Nick JD]

Round here the Great Whites biggest enemy ain't poaching...



BTW - that's a 10 footer, so whatever took that bite is close to 20 foot. Let's just say I was keeping my eyes peeled in the surf yesterday .

[cowboytwang]

I would have played him that Tom Russell/Ian Tyson song "Claude Dallas". A true story song about a guy that has a shoot out with two game wardens, and kills them both.
I've been on the mountain where it happened.

Here is Ian Tyson doing his version of the song:

[Buckocaster51]

Ah! Claude Dallas!

He had to be a bad dude.

But as the song says, he thought he "was justified. They were going to cut him down. A man has the right, to hang some meat, when he lives so far from town."

[emu!]

How ironic...the movie classic Southern Comfort was just showing on the oldies movie channel a few weeks ago.

[1293]

Originally Posted by Mike Bruce

Years ago a buddy and I caught a bunch of guys poaching salmon

I love poached salmon! I poach mine in sauvignon blanc with some shallots and a bouquet garni. mmmm good.

[chet]

Originally Posted by Nick JD

Round here the Great Whites biggest enemy ain't poaching...



BTW - that's a 10 footer, so whatever took that bite is close to 20 foot. Let's just say I was keeping my eyes peeled in the surf yesterday .

Well if they hadn't roped that shark then it probably wouldn't have gotten bitten.

I thought Great Whites were protected? Maybe that's just in American waters.

[emu!]

Might have been the boat propellar.

[Mike Bruce]

Originally Posted by 1293

I love poached salmon! I poach mine in sauvignon blanc with some shallots and a bouquet garni. mmmm good.

Haha! I like salmon on a plank or smoked.

They were grabbing fall Chinook salmon by the tails from the shallows of a stream, stripping the roe from them, then tossing the carcasses into the bush. By that time in the life cycle the fish isn't any good to eat, but the roe is stolen for food (even dog food) and bait, preventing a successful spawn.

Mike Bruce

[Mike Bruce]

Originally Posted by chet

You might get hurt if they see you taking pics. I personally wouldn't.

Don't be seen, but I get your point.

[PapaBeef]

I used to fish almost every day back in the late 70s. And I don't recall ever being stopped by a warden back then.
After I got married & had kids I didn't have as much time to fish. But about 8 years ago I ran into an old friend at Guitar Center. And it turned out he had a boat & we've gone out a few times & been stopped & searched every time, (On the Mullica & Delaware rivers, Rancocas creek & Tuckerton).
I've still never been stopped while surf fishing. But I've been stopped almost every time I've fished in freshwater.
Most of the wardens have been okay. Only one was what I'd consider a real dill weed. He searched all of our stuff. We didn't see a fish all day. But he was convinced that because we had circle hooks, we must be fishing for stripers out of season.

[Nighthawk]

I enjoyed your story Chet, they were D__ks... But the job is necessary, sad to say.

[getbent]

pictures of you and the game wardens or it didn't happen.

[chet]

Did getbent say somethin'?








The guys were just doin' thier job. I hope they keep it up but they're wasting thier time searching me cause i don't keep small fish.

[getbent]

is that a small fish in your pocket or...

[emu!]

I live close to a major river and always see small Coleman lanterns on the banks after dark. I'm gonna try it one day. It looks very relaxing to fish in the cool, brisk, dark of the night.

Well, I guess they are fishing...

[chet]

They might be spoonin'...

[PK]

I've never been approached by DFG, but I know if I ever fish without a license they are sure to show up. They can be very weenerish based upon stories i hear, but in fairness to them they run into plenty of Griswolds :P

PK

[TJNY]

Originally Posted by getbent

pictures of you and the game wardens or it didn't happen.

Funny, I was wondering if there was video?? Maybe, just maybe, it was Chet who coped the attitude?? I'm just sayin'.....

[stealyerface]

Two of my buddies were fishing Lake Erie, which some of you know has both Canadian and American water. They were jigging for big smallies when the OPP arrived, and asked for their licenses. They produced them, and the OPP guy said that he appreciated them showing him their NY license, but wanted to see their Canadian Licenses, as they were fishing in Canadian waters.

One of the guys (the boat owner) stated that he didn't realize that they had drifted into Canadian water, and apologized and said they would leave. The OPP Officer told them that they needed to read the regulations before fishing dual boundary waters.

The other guy (who reminds me of Chet) and obviously NOT the boat owner says, and I will quote this verbatim:

"We came here to fish, not read rules".

The OPP took the boat, the trailer, all their gear, their truck.... impounded everything. Seven hours later and $885 in fines, they got their stuff back.

Sometimes it is best to smile, and say you're sorry.

syf

[garymaddox]

As everyone here knows, Chet is a humble guy and doesn't like to talk about his accomplishments. I have a story I'd like to share with the members:
A few years ago Chet was deer hunting with a friend. Chet's rifle accidentally discharged and wounded his friend. He rushed his friend to the hospital and refused to leave until he knew about his condition.
Hours and hours went by and finally the doctor came out of the operating room. The doctor was covered in blood and obviously worn out from his efforts. Chet ran up and asked him, "How's my buddy?" The doctor told him, "Well, it doesn't look good... One thing though, he'd had a lot better chance if you hadn't field dressed him and brought him in on the hood of your car".

[dman]

Good point..you give attitude, you get attitude back! (Meant in reponse to SYF.)