# Another game warden question???



## brucevannguyen (Oct 21, 2012)

So the same guy my friend that got the ticket for passing the cable. Game warden checks his fish and saw limits of striper and question if the boys had catch it them self. Friend had to stand there and explain that each his boy had their own twelve ft pole and reel and that they caught the fish all on their own. What about the people who don't know how to cast a long pole. I see the guides doing over and over year round casting that long pole and handing it to their clients. Does it apply to regular people on their own boats who can't cast a long pole and get handed a pole with a striper on the end. Are do get we get question by the game warden and get issue a ticket. They always seems to reply I was watching you with binoculars.


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## texwake (Aug 17, 2010)

brucevannguyen said:


> So the same guy my friend that got the ticket for passing the cable. Game warden checks his fish and saw limits of striper and question if the boys had catch it them self. Friend had to stand there and explain that each his boy had their own twelve ft pole and reel and that they caught the fish all on their own. What about the people who don't know how to cast a long pole. I see the guides doing over and over year round casting that long pole and handing it to their clients. Does it apply to regular people on their own boats who can't cast a long pole and get handed a pole with a striper on the end. Are do get we get question by the game warden and get issue a ticket. They always seems to reply I was watching you with binoculars.


I'm kinda confused on what they got a ticket for. How old are these boys? Never heard of a regulation on pole size. Sounds like the boy did not have possession of the fish with him.


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## brucevannguyen (Oct 21, 2012)

Boys 12 years old.both was with his dad. Fish were on the boat in the same cooler. Bottom line question is is it leagal to cast for some one then hand them the pole.


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## bill (May 21, 2004)

I'm interested in knowing the answer. I have been at sponsored events (disabled people and kids ect) where people would cast for them and they hooked and reeled in the fish (many where Texas Game Wardens present and helped). I taught my Daughter how to fish when she was old enough to walk, she could not cast but did reel in the fish


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## mycolcason (Jan 7, 2013)

This is off "out door annual";
Striped & hybrid striped
(also known as Palmetto or Sunshine bass)

Daily Bag:
5 in any combination
Minimum Length:
18 inches
It does not state who caught them it's telling me possession & bag limit. 


Tight lines folks!!


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## SeaOx 230C (Aug 12, 2005)

Oh wow that is wild never thought about it, we have all probably handed the rod off to someone else before. Maybe it has to do with who reeled it in and not who hooked it. But then again what about a group of people running jugs or trotlines? No one reels the fish in so does that mean you have to take turns on pulling the fish of the jug/trotline?:headknock:headknock

It gets confusing sometimes doesn't it?


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## Mattsfishin (Aug 23, 2009)

mycolcason the bag limit you are talking about DOES NOT include from the dam to the bridge. Special regulations for that area.

Bill, I have worked special events for wounded soldiers and GW'S wave some of the regulations such as no license.

I have been told in the past if you touch the rod you are fishing. Gw's have watched me cast for kids and hand the rod to them and let them set the hook and reel the fish in.

When it gets crowed below the dam you can expect GW'S to show up. There are only 2 places in Texas that I know of that the hatchery gets the stripers for restocking and Livingston is one of them.


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## fishinganimal (Mar 30, 2006)

The rule is if yourself has landed your limit. You may not land another keeper fish it must be released. Also you cannot cull. Correct me if I'm wrong. You can hand the pole off to another person and they have to reel it in but can be helped to land the fish. You cannot take 3 kids and reel all the fish in yourself that's what the are watching.


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## fishinganimal (Mar 30, 2006)

Same as you cannot catch a fish and hand it off to someone that does not have a limit. That means you yourself retained over the limit.


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## denimdeerslayer (Feb 23, 2012)

Sounds like they have gotten too greedy and only care about money. **** shame


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## fishinganimal (Mar 30, 2006)

But as we all know when your out with a guide lets say nobody is keeping count of the total for each person. There is no way a Warden could verify it especially with Whites. But below the dam they watch like a hawk with binocs but they must have it on video I would think to prove it. Which they may. And they know people fish down there and do not know the regs. Don't take long to get your two Stripers!


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## Momma's Worry (Aug 3, 2009)

that is why I will not go there ...If I was under surveillance by state police 
while I was fishing and knew it , I would quit and leave.......


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## brucevannguyen (Oct 21, 2012)

Ooh oh yeah. No culling. Them stripers you put on the stringer or in a live well is as good as dead when released. I catch my first 4 legal and in the ice box it goes and the rest is catch and immediately release. If you catch a bigger fish just take a picture then let it go. A few extra pound of meat culling for big ones is a waste for all the ones thats release from a stringer or live well. They have a high chance of dying.


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## stickman (Apr 17, 2012)

The sad point to me is the point about the kids..... I get a bigger kick out of watching my son or other kids pull a fish in than if I did it. My son is big enough to do his own thing, but what about those who take smaller kids. It is one thing to take a 2 or 3yo kid and say they are getting a limit as compared to a 12yo who has the knowledge and the basic skill to get a limit.


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## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

brucevannguyen said:


> I see the guides doing over and over year round casting that long pole and handing it to their clients.


Some of those who hire guides specifically for this and even start threads here about it, think game wardens can do no wrong.

So Bruce, obviously, your friend DID deserve anything and everything and more than what that GW did.

There's two sides to every story...always.

LOL, quit fretting over it and go fishing..


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

I had a customer ask the game warden about this issue and he gave a very good response. He even asked the guy to listen to his response and not interrupt him.
I'm sure because he gets asked this question often.
The game wardens have been doing a very good job of keeping people on their toes at the dam.
one of the reasons everyone is catching the stripers is because they make sure folks are being legal.
If you have a question about the law, ask the game warden, he will give it to you straight.


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## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

Bruce, I hope you realize my post above is sarcastic.
Yes, we need game wardens and cops of all kinds. It help ensure our civilized world, and in the GW case, protects our fish and wildlife resources.

Zero tolerance is fine with me. Break a law, get a ticket or whatever. I never liked the term "speed trap" because of that. You speed, you get a ticket, you weren't trapped.

However, I think it possible your friend saw the same GW as me the other day. Mine reamed me up one side and down the other and made me squirm. When I got home and looked up the law, I was right, he was wrong. Your friend's kids got harassed below the dam. There are 3 sides to every story (his, hers, and the truth), but I tend to believe your account considering the timing and where it happened. Luckily in my 61 years, I haven't met many like this though. No regular cop has ever been anywhere near that bad that I have seen. This is only the 2nd GW in my life that seems to be a "bad apple." 

The other GW situation was on a deer lease I was on the 70's. A GW there jumped all over the rancher's (landowner's) granddaughter for shooting a free ranging exotic. Laws vary from county to county, but the landowner's granddaughter was totally legal in her case, and the GW scared her. He abused his power much like one below the dam will do right now. As it turned out, and it shocked me, that landowner basically threatened that GW about ever setting foot on his property again, and it was no bluff. The GW disappeared. 

Bottom line: We need cops and game wardens, but some have no business in that job.

PS_ I haven't been back below the dam again, and not really sure what to do. That particular GW is a true arse. If I fish below the dam again, I don't plan to fish the cable area; that cable area line is so vague that if that particular warden wants to write a ticket over it, there would be no way to dispute him and prove it in court. I love to catch fish, but I am not mad at fish enough to go to jail for a few due to an arse hole GW.

Somewhat ironic, if there are fishing rods in my boat, every passenger must have a fishing license whether they fish or not. My attitude is that it can be a contribution to our great parks and wildlife department, they need funds.


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## muney pit (Mar 24, 2014)

Same with me whitebass fisher. If im speeding and you catch me fine, but dont give me a long lecture about it.


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## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

Yes, my point is very similar. My sticking point is that laws are usually black and white, line in the sand, definite laws. If I break one, then shame on me. But for a GW to make stuff up just so he can yell at you and feel powerful is total BS in my book.

A big shame is that a very few bad apples can easily cause a private citizen to despise all forms of cops.


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## jacen (Mar 29, 2012)

i am respectful to all officers. But not all of us are there to break laws . I know they have a hard job . But if you talk to me like a person I will think them for the service they do. If I make a mistake explain to me what I did in a respectful and professional manner that is what you will get in return. I understand that gw deal with a lot of rude and vulgar people but not all of us treat them that way I personally like to see them there . My daughter is going to school to become a game warden


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## tiberiuswade1 (Feb 21, 2015)

brucevannguyen said:


> Boys 12 years old.both was with his dad. Fish were on the boat in the same cooler. Bottom line question is is it leagal to cast for some one then hand them the pole.


It is legal for one person to cast pole for someone, then give it to that person!!! Even if you manage to hook the fish (but don't reel it in), you then hand the reel to person and they land the fish...legal also. Not sure why he would issue any tickets. If number of fish caught match number of people in boat . Also kids under 16 can fish without license , as long as they are under direction of license fisherman in boat.

Sent from my SM-T230NU using Tapatalk


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## Harbormaster (May 26, 2000)

If that were the case then I've been breaking the law for years and years cause very few of the people I know have the required skills to catch their own fish!


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## Crusader (Jan 31, 2014)

brucevannguyen said:


> Boys 12 years old.both was with his dad. Fish were on the boat in the same cooler. Bottom line question is is it leagal to cast for some one then hand them the pole.


Limit is "per person". You could argue that fishing includes casting, i.e. if you don't cast -- you don't fish. So, yeah, technically GW is correct (though I'd be amazed if judge did not kick him out of the courtroom with an argument like that). This does not make him better person though (assuming this story is correct).

I'd make an assumption that he wanted to discourage 'meat hauling' a bit. There is certain type of people (me included) that occasionally get carried away...


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## muney pit (Mar 24, 2014)

Crusader said:


> Limit is "per person". You could argue that fishing includes casting, i.e. if you don't cast -- you don't fish. So, yeah, technically GW is correct (though I'd be amazed if judge did not kick him out of the courtroom with an argument like that). This does not make him better person though (assuming this story is correct).
> 
> I'd make an assumption that he wanted to discourage 'meat hauling' a bit. There is certain type of people (me included) that occasionally get carried away...


Where would it stop and start at if all GW's thought that way. So a kid thats never fished before and u throw his hook out and he reals it in isnt catching a fish? Thats goes against your limit? How about trolling? Who is "casting" the guy that releases the reel or the guy driveing the boat letting out line, while the pole is in a holder? What about useing jugs? If both guys throw out jugs and one guy drives to pick them back up who do they belong to? If fishing gets that stuipid I'll go find another pass time. I think the GW in question was just a bit backed up from not getting any and its a non issue.


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## Beaux (Oct 11, 2012)

Letter of the law VS. spirit of the law. It is up to interpretation by the officer and subsequently the judge if written a ticket. Any LEO has experienced this before. Just because you can write someone a ticket for something doesn't always mean you should. It was usually a case by case basis for me.


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## brucevannguyen (Oct 21, 2012)

Oh and I got a game warden last year while flounder fishing looked at my two limit of flounder got antsy then start questioning me if my son has his own fishing pole. So his thoughts were you can't share pole. My son did not catch it if he aint got a pole of his own. Then he goes to ask my son if he had caught those fish.So if you take a bunch people fishing you better have a pole for each and everyone. Can't limit out then loan some one your pole.


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## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

It sounds like some GW's are bound and determined to prevent youngsters from wanting to enjoy the outdoors in the future. It would make patrolling by a GW so much easier if no one boated or fished or hunted. Yes, that is the answer. :headknock


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## Rusty Lizard (Feb 26, 2014)

I guess I have been lucky during my years in the woods and on the water. I have been checked by wardens a few times and all have been respectful. Some go out of their way to be nice and others are just matter of fact I know there are times when the law is violated and the person had every intention of compliance. I even quit hunting ducks during the time they had the stupid point system. I did make a mistake but it was in my favor. There is one GW that I have lost all respect for and he brings down the respect of all other wardens. How he has a job I don't know. Please Google and read about Chris Fried.


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## muney pit (Mar 24, 2014)

Rusty Lizard said:


> I guess I have been lucky during my years in the woods and on the water. I have been checked by wardens a few times and all have been respectful. Some go out of their way to be nice and others are just matter of fact I know there are times when the law is violated and the person had every intention of compliance. I even quit hunting ducks during the time they had the stupid point system. I did make a mistake but it was in my favor. There is one GW that I have lost all respect for and he brings down the respect of all other wardens. How he has a job I don't know. Please Google and read about Chris Fried.


Wow, thats a winner right the. :/

http://www.dallasnews.com/news/stat...y-hunting-avoided-felony-charges-kept-job.ece


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## Momma's Worry (Aug 3, 2009)

game wardens are state police, law enforcement, not a good ole boy ..one long timer who abused his authority here was found guilty of official oppression... and is now paying for it


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## bubbas kenner (Sep 4, 2010)

I have talked with several GWs in the field they have all said if we see your young ones not fishing and you filling the kids limit you will get ticketed.They have very good binoculars ans they use them daily we need more GWs.


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## SeaOx 230C (Aug 12, 2005)

bubbas kenner said:


> I have talked with several GWs in the field they have all said if we see your young ones not fishing and you filling the kids limit you will get ticketed.They have very good binoculars ans they use them daily we need more GWs.


bubbas kenner I don't think anyone is in disagreement with that. I think the question is can I cast the rod and then hand it off to some one else? (kid or not). In other words is "fishing" casting the line, setting the hook and reeling the fish in. Or is "fishing" simply reeling the fish in? This is particularly relevant below the LLD as not everyone can cast the long rods we often use. It is common practice for a person that can to cast the rods then hand them off to the fisherman. This is done with guides and on private boats.


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