# Poachers



## CMAN322 (Jul 12, 2009)

Went down to a lake today with my brother and family. As we were fishing, there was 3 guys fishing. Ohh did I mention it was a small lake, like about 9 acres. Well anyways, they were catching fish every time that lure hit the water. What really ticked me off was the part were they were putting all the fish they were catching inside a cooler. It's a small lake I understand catching about 3 fish and keeping them and releasing the others, but it sure look like they kept all those fish. When my brother walked over there he saw it was 2 full coolers. Now luckily, my brother was an off duty SWAT officer. He called his buddy over that was on duty, then he called the game warden and I guess they got ticketed, I know one of them got arrested but I think that's because he had a warrant. What's your experince with poachers?


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## FISHROADIE (Apr 2, 2010)

Wat to go there is no reason for people to keep every fish they catch, there would not be any left.


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

CMAN322 said:


> ... What's your experince with poachers?


Bad, all bad. Some of the worst I've seen is during major fish runs, e.g. white bass runs, crappie runs, and even stripers/hybrids.

On several different occasions, I watched people catching hybrid striped bass up at Lock & Dam carry out big hybrid after hybrid. Many brought youngsters and other non-fishing folks with them to "extend" their limits. I did call it in and later on another day I saw a Game Warden checking folks way up by the concrete. He was writing tickets too. I talked to him a little and he told me he observed how some folks "extended" their limits and he was writing them up. The limit is per person fishing.

Last year on Kickapoo, I watched a guy bring in a cooler full of crappie, transfer them into his truck and then went back out with an empty cooler to fill it back up again...and we wonder why we don't have many crappie.

Below the dam on Livingston is another place where when runs are going, you often see violations.

I fished salt water many years and I don't recall ever seeing any problems along those lines. Maybe its there also, but I just didn't see it

I have put much of my life's "spare time" into building and managing my own world class bass ponds. I built them largely myself with my own hands and equipment often working sunup to sundown every weekend for many years. I stocked the fish, raised the fish, managed the ponds and poachers would wipe out everything I have worked for in an instant if they get the opportunity. They could care less about what a land owner has invested in terms of blood, sweat, and tears and they will clean you out in a heartbeat...and laugh while doing it.

Poachers, yeah, bad , all bad. I don't care for them much.


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## FISHNNUTT (Oct 27, 2007)

green to you cman you did good


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## Listo (Jun 26, 2010)

Right. Also, how many freezers get filled up and then half of it or more ends up going to waste or forgotten about till next year? I think sometimes people catch a lot more than they really need. Lord knows I was guilty of it when I was younger.


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## Kickapoo Duke (May 15, 2010)

Good job CMAN; what kind of fish were they catching?


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## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

My experience on Livingston is that it is more common below the dam and upstream during the spawn than in the main lake. It may come out wrong, but some of the folks below the dam and some upstream just seem to be from a different social/economic group. I believe that TP&W reports would show that the worst poachers break more than just game laws too.


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## RockportRobert (Dec 29, 2006)

Spend a little time anywhere along the coast during the winter and you can watched our resources being pillaged via over-the-limit-violations and size violations daily by our "winter-Texan" friends. Not sure the TP&W even bothers with them. What are the offenders going to do, be extradited from Nebraska? Need to start confiscating gear of any violators from out of state. When the tickets are handled in court the gear is returned. Confiscation worked when the commercial netters were still at it.


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## JakeBrake (Jan 28, 2009)

One time about 15+ years ago I was fishing in Harmon creek around the bridge during a great white bass run when I watched some vietnamese people using gill nets. They were catching literaly hundreds of whites each time. I was ticked that there was nothing I could do at the time. But just about the time I was going to go back to the marina and call, a game warden come walking down from the road!!! Tickets went to flying too!!!


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## CMAN322 (Jul 12, 2009)

We all remember these small lakes as the ones children like to fish, were we know the first fish we caught was in these small lakes and now they are being drenched out by some brain-dead people.


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## Boomhauer75 (Jan 3, 2010)

Welcome to East Texas.


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## SetDaHook (Oct 21, 2010)

It's not just the small lakes but big ones too are affected. I had a place on Toldeo Bend for about ten years and constantly saw people keeping undersized bass and well over the bag limits. They used to stay out till after dark and come in to clean the fish at a local marina after everyone had cleared out. The game wardens were alerted, but over there, an over-zealous game warden risked getting his house burned down...or worse. I'd say it had a drastic affect on the bass population but I'm sure there were other factors that contributed to the slow down in bass fishing on TB as well. Either way...some people will never change. They don't see fish or game as a renewable resource. They are just concerned about "getting theirs", whether it's fish or whatever else they can get their hands on. Just my opinion.


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## Sunbeam (Feb 24, 2009)

You done good! A poacher is no better that a sneak thief. Every fish or animal they take illegally belongs to you and I. And I didn't agree to giving him my share.


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## wshniwasfshn (Oct 14, 2010)

Sunbeam said:


> You done good! A poacher is no better that a sneak thief. Every fish or animal they take illegally belongs to you and I. And I didn't agree to giving him my share.


Well said Sunbeam! X2


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## MrG (Apr 10, 2005)

I hate poachers as much as the next guy but if it was a private lake there was no foul unless the owner protested. With the private lakes around here, some as large as 200+ acres, the owner controls access and limit restrictions. 

I fished one where the owner was raising catfish and made you keep every bass you caught. If you didn't want to clean them he'd say to just throw them on the bank if you wanted to come back.

We have taken 50 to 150 small bass out of one lake on at least 5 different occasions. It was overpopulated and the fish were stunted. The rule there was to keep anything under 13 inches. Over time and lots of small bass removed, you can almost be assured of catching at least one 5+ on every trip.

Fish populations have to be controlled on smaller waters.


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## tbone2374 (Feb 27, 2010)

Whitebassfisher said:


> My experience on Livingston is that it is more common below the dam and upstream during the spawn than in the main lake. It may come out wrong, but some of the folks below the dam and some upstream just seem to be from a different social/economic group. I believe that TP&W reports would show that the worst poachers break more than just game laws too.


 **** This is probably true WBF but the laws are made for all of us ... No Excuse. I've seen it at the local pond, I fish. If you say anything to them, they look at you like you're nuts. What possible benefit can you recieve from a 8 or 10 inch Bass? A lot of perch I keep for bait, but there seems to be an over abundance of perch, and they multiply quickly. Game fish is an exception. If everyone broke the rules we wouldn't have game fish. I think it's easier to make a call and let the local LEO or Game Warden explain it to 'em.


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## luckyD (Jun 13, 2010)

*Catching the sneaks*

I had never caught a white bass until this past April, then a friend had invited me to go with them below the dam. We caught our limit and then stopped and tried for catfish. 
Watched with disgust as a pontoon boat pulled up to the bank and unload an ice chest full into a vehicle that had arrived. They made the switch, the vehicle drove off and the boat went back and caught more. People caught doing things like that should not only get fined, but lose their boat, tackle and the right to buy a fishing and hunting license for a few years.


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## Won Hunglo (Apr 24, 2007)

I hate poachers. We used to be able to spotlight dozens of deer each night. Not anymore. You are lucky to get just a few shots off each night. Seems like our gill nets are getting lighter too.

Abyone know the best way to skin a spoonbill catfish?


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## aggiemulletboy (May 31, 2006)

Won Hunglo said:


> I hate poachers. We used to be able to spotlight dozens of deer each night. Not anymore. You are lucky to get just a few shots off each night. Seems like our gill nets are getting lighter too.
> 
> Abyone know the best way to skin a spoonbill catfish?


Only keep the ones 5 feet and larger, and only females. Their meat is better and the caviar is AWESOME.


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## aggiemulletboy (May 31, 2006)

CMAN322 said:


> What's your experince with poachers?


All great experiences of course. Really intelligent, nice, and courteous group of people. :spineyes:


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## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

Originally Posted by *Whitebassfisher*  
_My experience on Livingston is that it is more common below the dam and upstream during the spawn than in the main lake. It may come out wrong, but some of the folks below the dam and some upstream just seem to be from a *different social/economic group*. I believe that TP&W reports would show that the worst poachers break more than just game laws too._



tbone2374 said:


> **** This is probably true WBF but the laws are made for all of us ... No Excuse.


I could not agree more tbone, and did not mean to come across any differently. I may have been too politically correct in my description, but I have tipped off game wardens about them, and chuckled to myself as I watched them being written up.


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## Lonestar Proud (Oct 26, 2010)

Operation Game Thief 800-792-4263. This number is saved on my cell phone, speed dial "X".....just sayin....

-LP


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## nightgigger (Oct 13, 2008)

I was chatting with a friend, who told me the GW caught a guy at Pelican Island last week with over 30 flounder. I think the fine is $300 per fish over the limit of 2.
I guess some people think the rules don't apply to them.


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