Is there a faster way to report poaching?

[captainharvey]

Last night around midnight I was finishing up from a gigging charter. I pull up to Froggies in POC and assist my clients from the boat. The cleaning table was being used by some people that were cleaning why appeared to be about 10-12 trout and a few black drum. I set up at the far end and clean my clients fish.
When I was done I thought I would offer some help to the other people and clean their last 4-5 fish. I then got a big surprise when I noticed that what appeared to be trout were actually undersized reds 14"-18".
I explained to them that these fish were illegal and I was not going to assist with cleaning them. They laughed and said they had been fishing at the jetties and it was dark.
Then walked to my truck and placed a call to operation game thief and explained the situation and left my # if needed at 12:42am At 1:02am I receive a call back from the local office and again they ask all the details and I told them that these guys were already done cleaning the fish and were loading up to leave. The game warden explained that they had received a call about a boating accident the same time I placed my call. I understand that an accident is more important but I am a little disappointed that these guys were not caught for poaching. I did give them the license plate # and a description of the vehicle.
Is there a faster way to contact the GW to get a faster response? Should I call the local office and ask for some phone #s?
I am in POC several nights a week and and nighttime seems to be a good time for someone to break the law.
Lesson learned for me is to look a little closer at the cleaning table when I get there, if I would have seen it before I took the time to clean our fish(30-40min) I believe they could have been caught.
Shawn

[Fishing4Life]

I bet those people probably don't even have the fishing license. It would be a double wammy.

[poco jim]

I have the county wardens # and the captain's # for this area in my phone and stay in touch with both. We get quick responses when we call. You may want to try that.

[atcNick]

Were they Vietnamese?


-Nick

[Drundel]

If you're a guide, you should probably have the cell phone numbers to the local GW. I'd call back during business hours and see if you can get some cell numbers.

[dparkerh]

I'm surprised the wardens in that area don't make an occasional midnight run to catch guys like that. Maybe they do -

[Muddskipper]

Originally Posted by atcNick

Were they Vietnamese?


-Nick

what's it matter ... they were breaking the law ... and Captain did the right thing ...

[22'baykat]

I would definitely get in touch with the local game warden, maybe meet up with him and keep his card with you so you can call him directly. Im a hunting guide on a ranch near stonewall, and our old game warden retired so we had the new one come out to the ranch and met with him and got his phone numbers so that we can call him directly whenever we need to.

[22'baykat]

Originally Posted by Muddskipper

what's it matter ... they were breaking the law ... and Captain did the right thing ...

From the stories I have heard if they were they prolly would have gotten away with it.

[Smackdaddy53]

I called operation game thief on some idiots in the barge canal last year chunking undersize trout, reds, black drum, pretty much anything they caught in two ice chests. Fished all night and no one ever showed up. I think theyre spread so thin they couldnt care less unless they are in the area


-mac-