how many people fish your lake illegal?

[Other.]

Just wanted to know. At the lakes I fish I can see alot of people that I know are not fishing with a licence and are keeping undersized fish or keeping them not in season.

I would say that 7/10 people fish my lakes illegally. Im sorry but alot of maryland anglers arround here think disobeying the law is cool *sigh*

[Craw]

I hate to admit it but I went to court last summer for fishing a restricted area. The courtroom was full of game wardens and fishermen who had broken all sorts of laws. I don't know how many times a month that the game wardens bring their cases to court but if that day was any indication then they are certainly doing their job. The judge could have really put the screws to me but he let me off with a small fine and some friendly advice. All Fish and Game laws are in place for the well being of everyone. If fishing is a serious passion for us then the laws must be obeyed or the privilege can be taken away.

I'm sure that here in Va. we have our share of violators but I trust the wardens to weed them out. They caught me right in the middle of the week at 4am. Now I fish as if there's a warden in the boat with me!

[Raul]

Being honest is doing the right thing even when nobody 's watching.

[Bass Smacker]

It's a huge problem here in Northern Ca. People fishing with 5 or 10 rods. No license. Keeping every thing they catch big-small. It don't matter to them and when they get busted there charged a fine that they never pay. Some do jail time but are back at it as soon as there out. I'v seen them selling fish out of the backs of pickups. I'v called fish and game but there streched so thin its rediculis.

to tell the truth I havent seen a game worrdon in 2 years.

[BucketmouthAngler13]

a couple ppl do at my lake, they keep undersized cats.

[Chug Bug]

I've never seen a DNR officer in the 16 years I've been fishing in Maryland

[boatnik13]

We do have DCNR park rangers and they will cite for anything against the books . even  if your boat trailer is over the line in  a parking stall and your the only trailer on the lot. They are out in bigger force than the PFBC in PA. ( assigned waters).

[56 crestliner]

THe funny thing is u talk about never seeing a game warden were u live i have been interested in being a game warden so at school we had to learn about the job and in ohio each county has 1 game warden and there are so many people who want to do it but cant get a job in it. I dont know how it is in your state.

BUt anyway out on lake erie there are a lot of water craft officer cruising around and at some of the marinas checking fish counts and size.

[Bass Smacker]

THe funny thing is u talk about never seeing a game warden were u live i have been interested in being a game warden so at school we had to learn about the job and in ohio each county has 1 game warden and there are so many people who want to do it but cant get a job in it. I dont know how it is in your state.quote]

  From my understanding it's the pay about 2/3 of a reg police offecer with the same requierd training and twice the danger. Ever see a high way patrol officer give a speeding ticket to some one holding a gun. :-/    

[CK14]

people around here keep illegal bass and crappie a lot  >. we have a slot limit on bass (can't keep any between 12"-17") but a lot of people don't know or just don't care. we also have a 9" minimum on crappie in some of our lakes, a lot of people really don't give a crap about that. i just don't get people sometimes.......

[RobDar]

I would bet more than 50% of the guys I see shore fishing pay absolutely no attention to size limits...

seems especially bad a the State Parks.

[SimonSays]

I think it's more that people don't know about the size limits, they'll see a bass that's a good 10inches maybe and keep it thinking that's it's probably big enough.

[Lightninrod]

At the State owned lakes I fish in, the fish limits are prominently posted, right at the ramps and around the shore-fishing areas.  There are usually DNR officers on site but not all the time.

I obey the rules except for carrying a PFD on board :-/.

Dan

[Gatorbassman]

I obey the rules except for carrying a PFD on board :-/.

I need some more high dollor rods and reels..... Dan, Do you want to go fishing? How fast can you swim?

[Valascus]

One of the state parks I fish has a limit on how many keeper fish(15" for bass) you can keep. I see people leaving with stringers filled with a plethora of species. They just don't care. I am all for keeping your catch if that's your thing, but when they take more than the allowed limit, they just don't sem to get that they are hurting the fishery.  

[Keithscatch]

Guys, if you see Poaching going on (The correct term for keeping illegal fish) then please by all means call your Game Warden. Their number is posted on your fishing license. Get the registration number of the car they are in or boat and call the number on the license. Beyond that and a scolding to the people keeping the fish is all you can do. But doing nothing is equally bad in my opinion.

[Raul]

I obey the rules except for carrying a PFD on board :-/.

I need some more high dollor rods and reels..... Dan, Do you want to go fishing? How fast can you swim?

Hold it right there mister......I saw him first !  8-)

[j-bass]

In the places that I fish, it is rare to see anyone else out there, but it is not uncommon to see an old-man throwing a castnet (called a taralla down here) for bass, gar, etc, etc.  What I do find, more often, is remnants of past illegal fishermen, like getting your crank snagged on an old gill, or sane net that got stuck and was left in the water (I'm glad they lost it, but it sure does make things a pain in the a$$ for everybody else).  The other thing I see all time is jug lines that have been left out there (I usually just scoop them up and throw them in the dumpster when I get home).

-J

[George Welcome]

Illegal fish can get you a fine.

"I obey the rules except for carrying a PFD on board "

The above can get you dead which does occur far too frequently!!!!

[liquidsoap]

I obey the rules except for carrying a PFD on board :-/.

How much room does a PFD take up anyway, you cant really not have any room in your boat to at least add 1 PFD.  O well, I called the game warden in ohio once.  They got away because there was no size limit on smallmouth posted.

HA!!!!!!!

Why would you keep a 5" smallmouth anyway. :'(

[Thefishy1]

Yeah it makes me mad to see people catch and keep fish that I would not even put in my fish tank but they say that if its big enough to get on the hook then it is big enough to keep

[Captain Cali]

I'm sure it happens a lot out here. I have not seen any illegal activity myself...but if or when I do...I'm calling the authorities. 1-888-DFG-CALTIP is programmed in my cell phone.

[bow3022]

What's a pfd? lol. Anyways I see little people fishing illegally at my lake. Most of the people that fish at my lake always has a license clipped on their hat or pants. I myself am not old enough for a license so i get away with it legally ;D. But as far as keeping fish i don't keep any unless I wana eat it. lol.

[langs15]

1-2 if any. We're lucky enough that not man y fish our lake illegally, may swim it without haveing  any tags but oh well.

[Dan:]

I've seen people catching small panfish that were probably less than 4 inches and keeping every single one, they were stuffing the fish into any container they had, even gatorade bottles and pickle jars. I saw one person with 4 sunfish stuffed into an empty pickle jar, it was disgusting...