# FWC



## User6882 (Feb 4, 2009)

last night i went fishing and saw at least 3 WAY over slot reds killed so i called the FWC hotline and reported it, hours later, still no officer so i called again and they said they were doing the best they could

another hour and the people are still there but still no officer.. the caught a kept 3 bull reds and kept fishing for hours after they caught them. i thought the hotline was to report game law violations and they would be taken care of.. well after 4 hours of waiting for a n officer they guys leave with their fish as do we, i highly doubt an officer EVER showed up :banghead:banghead


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## Dylan (Apr 15, 2008)

When I worked on the pier we use to call sometimes..Noone ever showed up..After seeing baby ling slammed and stomped and small kings getting murked..


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## angus_cow_doctor (Apr 13, 2009)

Are you really surprised????????

My experience with FWC is that they are good for harrassing law abiding citizens trying to legally fish, not good for actually doing anything to the real offenders.

I don't have anything against the officers, but the whole process is broken.


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## whome (Oct 2, 2007)

> *angus_cow_doctor (10/30/2009)*Are you really surprised????????
> 
> My experience with FWC is that they are good for harrassing law abiding citizens trying to legally fish, not good for actually doing anything to the real offenders.
> 
> I don't have anything against the officers, but the whole process is broken.




Budget Cuts....they cannot be everywhere all the time and I don't know the circumstances, but for all we know the only FWC officer might have been tied up at the jail with other calls coming in before yours to be handled in a priority order.

I guess some of the officers missed the class in the academy that taught them what a law abiding citizen looks like, therefore they must check everyone since they don't know how to tell the difference betweel law violators and law abiders by simply looking at you....:banghead


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## angus_cow_doctor (Apr 13, 2009)

All I am saying is that when you see some fishing legally, they come out of the woodwork. 

Then when people are seeking shelter from a lightning storm, they start writing bogus tickets for boats not being at "idle speed" . 

Call and report someone breaking the law, and nobody shows up.

I think that everyone deserves to be a little outraged in light of this situation. Perhaps they were tied up at jail. Perhaps they were involved in a rescue operation. Perhaps they ran out of doughnuts. I guess we will never know because the FWC is not accountable for its actions. That, in a nutshell, is the problem. If they can't come out, they should be able to tell you why. 

Pretty hard to trust an agency built on an ivory tower of impunity and without transparency.


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## whome (Oct 2, 2007)

Angus, Call them and ask them why and tell us....Not singleing you out at all, but a lot goes on in law enforcement that the public never knows, not because law enforcement doesnt want you to know, but because people dont ask, then they assume....


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## KPTN (May 21, 2009)

Just kind of frustrating to watch it happen, report it and then watch nothing be done about it.

They were probably waiting on me to come through the pass! lol. If you get on my boat you better be legal because, for what ever reason, they are going to stop me.

KP


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## Trophy05 (Nov 12, 2008)

What time at night was this at?


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## Debt-Finder (Jun 21, 2008)

I hate to hear that but.....

FWC LEO is probably the most thankless job there is. Give them a break, I think that overall they do a fine job especially for the crap they get paid.

I would be willing to bet it's more the system being crappy than the officers working.


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## Orion45 (Jun 26, 2008)

Before we hang the FWC in effigy, let's look at some of the hard facts:

Statewide, FWC has 721 officers, 469 of whom are patrol officers, and 59 plain-clothes investigators.For example,Lee and Charlotte counties have 24 officers and 19 patrol officers assigned and in May 2009, there were eight vacancies. By comparison, the Lee County Sheriff's Office alone has 347 patrol officers.

Part of the manpower problem, said Capt. Denis Grealish, FWC law enforcement supervisor for Lee and Charlotte counties, is that FWC pays less than most law enforcement agencies, so many FWC officers leave for more lucrative jobs.While starting salaries for law enforcement officers vary by county, the average is $31,879. Law enfocement salariesfor Lee County and Monroe County are$33,879 and$41,879 respectively.

According to Grealish, "At any time, the number of people in the field varies but with court appearances, leave, training, people calling sick, in Lee and Charlotte, we might have two officers in each county, or one, occasionally none. And with eight vacancies, it's difficult for us to have good coverage."

I sure that the situation is similar in our area. I've tried to find actual number of FWC officers assigned to our area but was unsuccessful. However, I'm sure that we face similar manpower shortages. Increasing the number of FWC personnel and at the same time, increasing their salaries would help alleviate some of the enforcement problems. Meanwhile, all we can do is to report violations and hope a FWC officer is available to respond.

The above information is a brief summary. You can read more about it at http://forums.capmel.com/printthread?id=3493824


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## angus_cow_doctor (Apr 13, 2009)

As I previously stated, I don't have anything against the officers themselves. They are just "doing their job" and are definitely underpaid.

My dad told me last night that he was at a dove shoot and an Alabama game warden (DNR) checked everyone on the field. When he checked my dad's friend, he asked him what kind of plug he had in his shotgun. Only problem was that the dude was hunting with an over-and-under.:doh That was truly a homer simpson "DOH!" moment..... (For those that don't understand what I said, pump shotguns hold 5 shells. Law only allows you 3 shots. Plugs take up space of those other 2 shots. Over-and-under only has 2 shots)

Personally, I think that if a FWC officer is not immediately available, then a sherriff's deputy should be dispatched. There certainly seems to be plenty of them around. It is a state law that you can not keep that size/# redfish, and they can easily write that ticket. However, it is too much to ask 2 government agencies to hold hands even for one moment.

What time did all of this take place? Where was the call from? I will gladly call FWC and inquire why nobody ever came. I suspect they will refuse to tell me, but I will give them the benefit of a doubt! Please tell us just enough info to call them, or PM me with it and I will call them to ask.

I give everyone the benefit of a doubt when possible. However, it is hard to expect a different outcome when you have the same problem over and over.


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## Outside9 (Apr 30, 2008)

I'm sure all of the people they catch breaking the law and are charged would disagree they are never around when a violation takes place. I suspect records at theclerk of courts would tell a different story.


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## Bill Me (Oct 5, 2007)

I'm pretty sure the sherrif does not have jurisdiction to cite for game violations. They also don't typically put a boat in the water except for emergencies (they probably only have one). Interestingly, I believe FWC has the broadest jurisdiction of any law enforcement in the state. They are funded out of fishing license fees, but I don't think they get their fair share. It would be nice to see them get adequate resources.


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## vicperdido (Jun 26, 2012)

*Fwc*

Angus you are absolutely right. The FWC, at least in this area is useless. They prey on people that they feel have the resources to pay the bogus fines that they issue. They profile people that look like decent people that have money, if you have a nice boat and/or truck, bingo you are their cash cow. Then when you want to have your case heard in court they lie just to win their case. Thats why they seldom work the piers because that cant tell if you came up there on a bicycle or a Yukon, so its hard for them to tell if you have the money to pay for their tickets. The ones around here have Short Man Syndrome. I think that they pull me over to gawk at the women that are on my boat and stick their chest out like they are important and try to impress them. They are rude and treat you like you are a serial killer. They pull me over 90% of the time when I take my boat out. They are real joy killers. They act like the water is their back yard and you are trespassing in it. They have pulled me over before and caused damage to my boat because they irresponsibly rafted their trash up to my boat in rough conditions for a "Safety Check" while the boats are bobbing around adrift and banging together. They have pulled me over so many times they know exactly where my safety equipment is. The estimate was $225 to get the scuffs and scratches buffed out of my gel coat. They have boarded my vessel without permission and without asking. If you are having trouble with the FWC too, I encourage you to keep a log of the times they pull you over and how they do their searches, and the officers names, (if they will even give it to you, Look on their name badges. I had one that would not give me his name even though I politely asked, he just said its on the ticket, and he must have had about a third grade education because you couldnt even read his chicken scratch writing) And then file a formal complaint. I recommend file it with the Governor. I have filed a complaint with their regional office and that was totally useless. And stress that they are hurting the tourist industry here in the Panhandle. If you get a ticket from them, even if you are clearly not guilty, you will be better off opting for "Pretrial Diversion" and be done with it. I tried to have my case heard in court. I went the first time and the Judge asked how I plead, I said not guilty, she said ok get all of your evidence together and come to court next week, I did that and it was a total repeat of the last week, I plead not guilty again and the judge said come back next week. I was like WTC??? A Deputy pulled me to the side and said I would be better off with the Pretrial Diversion program, and said the FWC will not go away. In other words he told me you cannot win. He was very nice, respectful, and helpful like most of Escambia County Deputies are. I had already missed two days of work for useless court appearances, and another day in court would have been at least a third day. The Pretrial Diversion program was basically a series of fines and hoops to jump through that totaled up to $225. (Imagine that, the same as the estimate to fix the damage they caused to my boat) They were nice too, and all but said it was a scam what the FWC was doing. I was already out $400 in lost wages from the two useless court appearances, $225 in a repair to my boat, and was looking for at least one more court appearance, where I would lose another $200 in wages, just to hear them lie to win their case. Even if I would have won, what would I have won??? NOTHING!!! I would have still lost $825.00 plus the fine, and they probably would have "tought me a lesson" with a hefty fine for bucking the system. They gave me a ticket in Destin one time for something that there is not even a law for. They totally made it up. I looked up the statute and it had nothing to do with what they said I did. It cost me $180 and I had to drive from Pensacola to FWB to pay the fine. Again I encourage you, if you have any stories of misconduct from the FWC to please bring it out in the open with forums or complaints to the governors office, but at the same time cover your back because I have heard stories that they have been vengeful to ones that have expressed their feeling by complaints and so forth. And never argue with them out in the field, its useless and you will likely get arrested by them, especially if you have had anything to drink. Its apparently the only recourse we have. Remember the squeaky wheel gets the grease. So the more voices out there the better the chance there is in getting this problem addressed. I hope this has helped some of you to know what to do if you do get a ticket from FWC, or pulled over and hassled.


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## Too much junk (Jul 8, 2011)

Damn man that's a Hell of a write for your 1st post:yes:


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## Chet88 (Feb 20, 2008)

Way to resurrect an almost three year old thread. Seems you are having a continual problem with the FWC. Maybe you need to look in the mirror. Thats what is wrong with our society today it's always someone else's fault.


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## k-p (Oct 7, 2009)

I think this thread seems to demonstrate why we need more of them around. They're usually booked up with more urgent priorities if they can't respond to a call. I've have had them pull up to me on four separate occasions and never bother me more than a glance in the boat probably because they knew I didn't have anything to hide and were looking for real violators. I've never been harrassed by them and all of them have been very professional. With some of the yahoos we have around here, definately need more FWC--I respect them and they have my support.


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## Sea-r-cy (Oct 3, 2007)

Too much junk said:


> Damn man that's a Hell of a write for your 1st post:yes:


+1 


I get stopped frequently (out of state boat tags). 
99% of the time, the FWC is doing their job in a professional way. Since the little bantam rooster officer (aka Barney Fife) doesn't now work in the Destin area, life is good again. He was a real jerk.


Sea-r-cy


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## Lyin Too (Aug 31, 2009)

f em


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## captwesrozier (Sep 28, 2007)

add on more FWC officers and you will then complain that they are checking you to much. more officers more people they can check. these guys can never do right!!!!

now are you mad at the three anglers because they had 3 illegal fish or are you mad because you cannot keep a fish over 27"es?

the law is the law and if these 3 anglers possessed illegal fish sooner or later they will get caught. they will face federal law not state law...they will need a lawyer!

did you approach these anglers and ask them if they knew the fish were illegal? a lot of times they do not know. yes i know it is their responsibility but some anglers should never be able to leave the house unless supervised. do them a favor let them know. if after you tell them and they continue to break law call the hot line and give them their car/truck license plate number and take a picture. everybody has a camera:thumbsup:

even though it is a law in the end there are more red fish than carter has pills. so is it worth the stress. maybe they we hungry and they were able to feed some children. hell that is 3 red fish the sharks and dolphins will not get. how many fish do you put back into the water and die hours later?

i hope these FWC officers were involved in more important operations such as arresting illegal commercial fishing or maybe saving somebodies life on the water or responding to a boater in distress.

remember...you are only responsible for yourself. you follow the law and in the end everything else will work its self out.

tight lines
capt wes


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## vicperdido (Jun 26, 2012)

To Chet88, My Mom always said, "Its better to remain quiet and let people thing you are ignorant, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt" While I dont need to explain, I will. I have had two tickets from the FWC in the last 5 years or so, and that is out of being pulled over more that 50 times. So I dont think that qualifies that I have, or am in continual trouble with the FWC. I have a red boat, that has the appearance of a go fast boat, and it seems to be an FWC magnet. I will not give the make of the boat so as not to subject my self to future FWC harassment for this post. I was born and raised in Pensacola, and have owned and operated boats for more than 40 years. I have never had a boating accident or had anyone injured while on any of my vessels. Anyone that goes with me has always felt totally safe and secure. 
The reason that I placed that post on this forum is to get the word out to others that might have received a ticket from FWC and want to fight it. Hopefully my experience can save them some time, money, and aggravation. And this is not the only media I have used to get the message out. The other reason was to test the waters to see if there are a significant amount of people that are having the same or similar experience as I am with being hassled when out boating and trying to relax. I hear stories all the time about boaters and other people that are being hassled by FWC. As a matter of fact I over heard two gentlemen discussing that very same thing in a store today. 
I am trying to urge ones if they are being harassed to make it known to the Governor or other responsible persons to get some action taken on it. This kind of harassment is bad for the local economy and tourism which the Gulf Coast largely depends on for survival. The FWC is cutting their own throats. I hear more and more stories of people that say they will never go fishing again, or are selling their boats and not getting another one. Boat traffic is very low in the Pensacola area, compared to what it used to be. The more it, and people fishing diminishes the less fishing licenses and boat registrations are purchased, so the less dollars goes into FWC funding, so fewer officers are hired, and the ones already on duty will get fewer raises, and/or smaller raises. If they were smart they would encourage programs to promote fishing and boating so that they would have a robust budget, and thus better salaries, and so on and so on. 
Another thing is I am not against the law. I used to be a law enforcement officer myself, and had a perfect record. So therefore I too know how the citizens should be treated, and how to regulate the law and still not rob the people of their dignity.
I see you are in or from Birmingham Alabama. The last time I checked there are no FWC in that area, so its unclear how much experience that you even have on this subject being discussed. Or if you even operate a nice boat in this area. I say "nice boat" because from what I have seen, that is the scenario that the FWC concentrates on, because it is obvious that they have enough funds to pay for the citations that they create. 
I have also been pulled over by other marine law enforcement agencies, ie Escambia County, and the Coast Guard, and have personally experienced the difference in the courtesy of them and the FWC. My hat goes off to the Coast Guard. They were especially polite, and professional. They say "yes sir" and "No sir", and ask for permission instead of making demands or rafting up to your vessel and/or just boarding your vessel without permission like FWC. After their "Safety Check" they gave me a document and told me that if in the future the Coast Guard pulls me over to show them the document that all of my safety items have been checked by them and passed, and they will leave you alone. Awesome bunch of young men and women, which in turn shows good leadership and training!!!
Anyways I hope this has cleared a few things up for you.


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## -WiRtH- (Feb 24, 2009)

LMAO. You called the FWC because someone kept some fish. That's cute.


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## daybreaker (Mar 23, 2011)

I find it interesting that some people say that the FWC is targeting them.I have a lot of respect for the FWC.They have always been very helpful.Most of them enjoy hunting and fishing.They are dedicated to preserving our resources.Budget cuts have caused them to cover more area with less personnel.


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## MrFish (Aug 21, 2009)

daybreaker said:


> I find it interesting that some people say that the FWC is targeting them.I have a lot of respect for the FWC.They have always been very helpful.Most of them enjoy hunting and fishing.They are dedicated to preserving our resources.Budget cuts have caused them to cover more area with less personnel.


:thumbup: I get stopped almost every time I go out. They have always been courteous and professional. They check our fish and safety equipment and then we hang out under the Theo Barrs shooting the shit. The only bad experience that I ever had was in Apalachicola. It wasn't really bad, as much as a pain in the ass. We had just gotten into a school of specks, after being skunked the two days before, and they chose that moment to check us. Like said before, not their fault. How were they supposed to know we couldn't catch crap before then?


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## gator7_5 (Oct 4, 2007)

I bet the amount of illigal fish kept on piers and bridges is astronomical compared to boats. Guess illigal fish like trout, flounder, and reds are less important than ARS. Has anyone seen ther FWC take a single step onto the 3 mile bridge or any shoreline? I haven't. Aren't all of those people supposed to have licenses now? How many do? A very small minority probably.


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## Chet88 (Feb 20, 2008)

The FWC is doing there job and are very good at it. You won't get much sympathy around here. Welcome to the Forum.

Not that it is any of your business but I own property in Destin and pay property taxes. I also own a Grady White Boat that I would qualify as "nice". 

I fish out of the busiest pass on the panhandle and get stopped frequently. Never had a ticket or a negative stop from any FWC officer. Always been pleasant and I expect to be stopped every time out. Just the way it is.


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## Outside9 (Apr 30, 2008)

Capt. Jon Pinney said:


> Budget Cuts....they cannot be everywhere all the time and I don't know the circumstances, but for all we know the only FWC officer might have been tied up at the jail with other calls coming in before yours to be handled in a priority order.
> 
> I guess some of the officers missed the class in the academy that taught them what a law abiding citizen looks like, therefore they must check everyone since they don't know how to tell the difference betweel law violators and law abiders by simply looking at you....:banghead


There is a class that teaches them what a law abiding citizen looks like? Heck, if that is the case they don't need but one or two officers.

I'm curious though, what does a law abiding citizen vs a non-law abiding citizen look like?


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## Trophyhusband (Nov 30, 2011)

vicperdido said:


> I say "nice boat" because from what I have seen, that is the scenario that the FWC concentrates on, because it is obvious that they have enough funds to pay for the citations that they create.


Since you are former law enforcement, I'm hoping you can shed some light on something for me. I must admit that I'm skeptical of your statement. I've heard this same thing before regarding law enforcement both on land and on the water and in all parts of the country. It's the same general story; "the cops are ticketing people that look like they can pay the ticket because that's how (insert municipality here) makes their money." However, there are a couple flaws here. Lets think about the costs involved in issuing that ticket. First there's the boat itself. I don't know how much the boats they use cost, but they probably aren't cheap and they don't look very old. How often are they replaced? Then there's fuel and the officer's salary. There are also administrative costs involved with issuing the ticket and collecting the money. Now add in that if someone decides to fight the ticket there are court costs. You say that you've been stopped 50 times resulting 2 tickets. To me the math just doesn't add up, but since you've got some inside knowledge maybe you can clear this up. 

I must say that I've never had anything but positive experiences from FWC.


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## whome (Oct 2, 2007)

Outside9 said:


> There is a class that teaches them what a law abiding citizen looks like? Heck, if that is the case they don't need but one or two officers.
> 
> I'm curious though, what does a law abiding citizen vs a non-law abiding citizen look like?


I guess you missed the sarcasm:thumbsup:


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## SaltAddict (Jan 6, 2010)

My experience with FWC has always been positive. Honestly I believe you get out what you put in (i.e. act like a jerk, get treated like a jerk). Now ocassionaly you will run into an officer who is having a "bad day." So what. Ever had a bad day? Happened to me a time or two. Keep your cool. My average stop is always less than 5 minutes. 

And seriously, what does a law abiding citizen look like?


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## shootnstarz (May 4, 2011)

I quit fishing because of them. Never gotten a ticket or harrassed, I just don't like being assumed I'm a guilty until proven innocent. The Fourth Amendment guarantees the right against unreasonable search and seizure. IMHO until they actually see you violating a law they have no "reasonable" need to search you.

They are out there "fishing" for violators and in my opinion, to fatten government coffers and excerise more control over the people are the main goals.

Imagine if this was translated to your car, or home? How'd you like to be pulled over every time you go out driving and have your car searched for no reason other than to see if you have anything illegal with you. Same can go for your house if these gestapo tactics aren't quelled. It could very easily come to that.

The more the populice bows and cowtowes to the out of control power hungry government the more the out of control power hungry government will take the liberty to violate the Bill of Rights. By stating "they are just doing their job" or "I'm glad they're out there doing searches" you are contributing to the demise of our God given rights.

FOLKS, IT'S ABOUT LIBERTY AND FREEDOM, NOT FISH !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rick


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## Getsome (Sep 28, 2007)

shootnstarz said:


> I quit fishing because of them. Never gotten a ticket or harrassed, I just don't like being assumed I'm a guilty until proven innocent. The Fourth Amendment guarantees the right against unreasonable search and seizure. IMHO until they actually see you violating a law they should leave citizens alone.
> 
> They are out there "fishing" for violators and in my opinion, to fatten government coffers and excerise more control over the people are the main goals.
> 
> ...


 
Let me start off by saying I have been stopped by FWC on multiple occasions without any problems. They were very professional and courteous. 
With that being said, I do agree that they have too much authority. This needs to be changed through the state legislator, you can't blame FWC for enforcing the rules, they are just doing their job.


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## jhamilton226 (Oct 1, 2010)

my most memorable FWC incidents... one night riding back from a bad flounder trip (no fish, waters got choppy quick, winter time so it was a cold ride home) I turn to look at my dad and catch sight of Blue Lights screaming across the bay come at us broad side...I point them out and my dad shut her down instantly...they kept on full bore until the got within I'd guess 20 yards or so...pulled up along side, massive wake beating the crap out of our 14ft. skiff, and all that just to do a 5 minute safety check! We thought we were being suspected of Terrorism or something at first tho sama: haha...

Second incident was a funny one...we had a more successful flounder trip this time and stabbed over a dozen...blood covered the floor of the boat and we got stopped in the no-wake zone between galvez and the Baars bridge... Must have been a rookie riding along with a veteran because the first guy (I'm assuming a rookie) about drew his gun when he saw the blood and asked with a very startled look on his face "what have you men been doing tonight?!?" to which his partner responded before we could answer, "How many flounder did you get?"  we proudly showed em our cooler full and they let us go on home... 

besides that I am stopped almost every fricken time in the above mentioned no-wake zone during the daytime when the current is ripping through because I'm riding a little above idle so I don't get pulled backwards with the drift...which I always have to laugh about because my little boat, even on full plain, wouldn't throw as much wake as most boats idling through that area :tt2: 

They got a job to do, its not always pretty and not always done "well" by some standards, but I'd rather have some FWC then no FWC out there...just be smart and follow the law as best you can and they will usually do the same


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## shootnstarz (May 4, 2011)

Yep, frog in the boiling water. 

First your cooler, then your boat, then your car, then your home, then they take your teenage children for "civilian defense force" service, then............

Just keep on accepting more and more government control with a big smile !!!! After all, they're just doing their job.

Rick


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## jhamilton226 (Oct 1, 2010)

I know Rick, we are losing our country to corporations and "elected officials" more and more every day...its sad and whats worse is we're spoon fed their non-sense by the media and we just accept it as though there is nothing we can do...but what can we do? Its not Mr. Smith goes to Washington anymore...the American populous can no longer work as one coherent voice for change and freedom from our government system, we're all "individuals" these days...but truth is, look at places like Egypt, Syria, China, and even some European countries...are we really that bad off? I don't like it either and I do see a day far off in the future where things will become intolerable for the lower/middle class and a revolution of sorts may take root...but until then I'm still going to contend that we got it better than 90% of the rest of the world  just sayin


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## shootnstarz (May 4, 2011)

I agree and I wish I knew an answer. Yes we are the best country to be in but if people don't open their eyes we'll soon be like the places you mentioned. We may already be too far gone. Just the fact that so many people still support the current occupant of 1600 Penn Ave with all the proven lies and corruption of him and his regime brings a sense of hopelessness for sure.

But less than 20% of the population supported the American Revolution against Great Britian. The big governement/entitlement crowd is working so much harder to advance their agenda than the liberty loving crowd is working to save liberty. It's quite a lopsided battle. Factor in on their side the media, academia and labor unions and it truely is a daunting task to turn the ship around. The freedom loving crowd is so busy producing they have little time to organize while the taker crowd has all day to do their best to increase government and their monthly green checks.

But accepting things as they are without squeaking about it only invites more control. And all we may be able to do is squeak for now, until the First and Second Amendments bite the dust. Then it's over.


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## kendive (Sep 9, 2008)

User6882 said:


> last night i went fishing and saw at least 3 WAY over slot reds killed so i called the FWC hotline and reported it, hours later, still no officer so i called again and they said they were doing the best they could
> 
> another hour and the people are still there but still no officer.. the caught a kept 3 bull reds and kept fishing for hours after they caught them. i thought the hotline was to report game law violations and they would be taken care of.. well after 4 hours of waiting for a n officer they guys leave with their fish as do we, i highly doubt an officer EVER showed up :banghead:banghead



Re breather and C-4 would take care of that problem. :thumbup:


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## dockmaster (Sep 27, 2007)

With the amount of improper affixed state hull numbers on boats, I'm surprised more people arent pull over....... Kinda like the tail light out thing. Dead give away.
FL 12345 AB not FL1234AB
I would also think having a large amount of fishing poles heading back in would also get the officers attention. 
The CG doesn't need PC, but I think the FWC does. So they pull people over to inspect for fish....
Been pulled over twice in 12 years, not problem, less than 2-3 minutes...show me your lifejacket, fire extinguisher type of deal and see ya.

Rock on

Billd


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## JoshH (Sep 28, 2007)

I have plenty to say about FWC, but Ill keep it simple. When they have 2-4 FWC boats rafted up at Hub Staceys on ANY GIVEN DAY for 4-6 hours, that pretty much shows how useless they are. When a 40+ foot searay etc comes thru the no wake cut right there stepped up pushing a 4 foot wake, which happens daily, they dont do a thing. Makes me feel great that they use my tax dollars to hang brand new twin Yamaha v8s on their donzi just so they can go back and forth thru pensacola bay. I see em do it almost every time I fish over by SRS. Sorry, meant to keep it short. FWC is useless.


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## SaltAddict (Jan 6, 2010)

Hub Staceys??


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## kendive (Sep 9, 2008)

JoshH said:


> I have plenty to say about FWC, but Ill keep it simple. When they have 2-4 FWC boats rafted up at Hub Staceys on ANY GIVEN DAY for 4-6 hours, that pretty much shows how useless they are. When a 40+ foot searay etc comes thru the no wake cut right there stepped up pushing a 4 foot wake, which happens daily, they dont do a thing. Makes me feel great that they use my tax dollars to hang brand new twin Yamaha v8s on their donzi just so they can go back and forth thru pensacola bay. I see em do it almost every time I fish over by SRS. Sorry, meant to keep it short. FWC is useless.


They need to make it where you need a License to own a boat and you need to show proof before you can buy the boat... Maybe tack on a fee also like 1K or more to get this Licence.

Nothing stopping me from buying a 300k yacht and run the waters like an idiot and run other boats over. 

I have owned over 7 different boats and fished and Scuba dived alot in this area and have seen all kinds of stupid S**t out there and I don't own a boat now and don't really miss it.

My wife and I favorite thing to do is camp with the RV at big lagoon and ride bikes down to the boat ramp and sit in that little gazebo and watch the fools put there boats in and out of the water. I need to film it and make a movie. I have seen people almost kill each other.

One guy was putting the boat in the water and the wife was holding the rope and I guess she thought that the boat is going to pull hard because she had it wrapped around her arm and holding tight. Well the dumb A** husband (guessing) got the boat off the trailer and then took off like the law was after him (still in the ramp) the boat trailer guide posts caught the rope she was holding on too and almost pulled her off the dock onto the concrete ramp. (if you know that ramp the dock is pretty high up) She was lucky to catch her balance and let go of the rope fast enough. You could also tell she got rope burn. The husband driving the truck like an A** had no clue that he almost killed his wife.


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## DLo (Oct 2, 2007)

shootnstarz said:


> I quit fishing because of them. Never gotten a ticket or harrassed, I just don't like being assumed I'm a guilty until proven innocent. The Fourth Amendment guarantees the right against unreasonable search and seizure. IMHO until they actually see you violating a law they have no "reasonable" need to search you.
> 
> They are out there "fishing" for violators and in my opinion, to fatten government coffers and excerise more control over the people are the main goals.
> 
> ...


Well said sir...X2


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## polar21 (Nov 5, 2007)

My list of FWC events are rather comical, including them bringing a dog on our boat to hunt for the elusive red snapper as well as getting stopped 25 miles out in there twin engine donzi.

I have problem gotten stopped 20 or more times by them in the all the years on the water. Heck, we got stopped twice in one day a couple years back. 

I wonder how much revenue they generate as an organization?


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## dockmaster (Sep 27, 2007)

Is the dog a fish smelling or a multi tasker fish and dope smelling dog. Seems somewhere you would need probable cause for the dope search if thats the case. Actually you should need pc for a fish dopg search. What have we come too? pretty screwed up. Wait till the FWC buys some drones.......

Billd


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## titan77 (May 13, 2012)

Fwc does write bullshit tickets and they get away with it. Not all fwc officer are bad just a hand full


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## polar21 (Nov 5, 2007)

I wish I would have taken a pic of the dog on the boat. I have no clue if it was a red snapper search or they were trying to find my stash of blow. In either case, they didnt find the blow...


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## Rustifaro (Jul 16, 2008)

titan77 said:


> Fwc does write bullshit tickets and they get away with it. Not all fwc officer are bad just a hand full


 
Years ago I was camping on the Escambia River when I was checked by the man. I didn’t have a sound producing device so I got a warning. The next day the same guy checked me again and I still didn’t have a sound producing device because I had been camping and hadn’t even been back to the launch. I got a $35 ticket and just thought that the jerk could have been a little more flexible. Other than that, I have been checked many times and have never had anything but praise for the FWC.


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## Outside9 (Apr 30, 2008)

Capt. Jon Pinney said:


> I guess you missed the sarcasm:thumbsup:


 
Sorry, I guess I did.


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## dockmaster (Sep 27, 2007)

I wish there was a lawyer on here. The whole thing with dogs, takes an inspection for fish to a search. What if you told them you weren't going to allow the dog on board, what authority or jurisdiction do they have? Searches generally need probable cause and a warrant. Are we top the point where we are now allowing canines to develop probable cause? I wonder if the FWC is now acting on behalf of USCS....
The CG gets around that by using customs laws which have been upheld in court but they are still big on probable cause before they go cutting a boat up, under a customs search. I would at the very least take pictures or video and for sure have thje voice recorder going on my phone. 
Our 4th amendment rights to unreasonable searches are getting trampled ever day. It kills me to watch cop shows that ask the people is they mind if I look in your car? Of course they tell you they will bring the dogs if you say no. What right does the police have to search you possessions with a dog without probable cause being developed? Denying a request is not probable cause either. 

I'm all for catching the criminals, but making us law biding citizines fell like criminals isnt right and I hope not legal either. 

Billd


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## Outside9 (Apr 30, 2008)

dockmaster said:


> I wish there was a lawyer on here. The whole thing with dogs, takes an inspection for fish to a search. What if you told them you weren't going to allow the dog on board, what authority or jurisdiction do they have? Searches generally need probable cause and a warrant. Are we top the point where we are now allowing canines to develop probable cause? I wonder if the FWC is now acting on behalf of USCS....
> The CG gets around that by using customs laws which have been upheld in court but they are still big on probable cause before they go cutting a boat up, under a customs search. I would at the very least take pictures or video and for sure have thje voice recorder going on my phone.
> Our 4th amendment rights to unreasonable searches are getting trampled ever day. It kills me to watch cop shows that ask the people is they mind if I look in your car? Of course they tell you they will bring the dogs if you say no. What right does the police have to search you possessions with a dog without probable cause being developed? Denying a request is not probable cause either.
> 
> ...


Be the test case and refuse them to board you.

Here is some reading where they beat the topic to death.

http://forums.floridasportsman.com/showthread.php?17380-Does-the-Constitution-not-apply-on-the-water


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## Breeze (Mar 23, 2012)

Rustifaro said:


> Years ago I was camping on the Escambia River when I was checked by the man. I didn’t have a sound producing device so I got a warning. The next day the same guy checked me again and I still didn’t have a sound producing device because I had been camping and hadn’t even been back to the launch. I got a $35 ticket and just thought that the jerk could have been a little more flexible. Other than that, I have been checked many times and have never had anything but praise for the FWC.



Seems to me when I was reading up on what I needed on my boat, and I could be wrong here, but there was not anything that said how loud the sound producing device had to be, just had to make noise. It can be a whistle, which is what I have, or one of those compressed air horns, or an electric horn on the bigger boats.... With that in mind, then technically wouldnt a persons mouth be a noise producing device????? I mean, I know people that can whistle just as loud or louder then the bright orange emergency whistle I bought... so if you wanted to be technical, wouldnt a persons mouth be a "noise producing device"? I know, that would be pushing it a bit too far, but really, doesnt it produce noise? I know alot of people that produce noise with their mouths... LOL


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## mongo (Apr 30, 2008)

As far as K-9s go, I am not totally up to snuff about the restrictions of placing one on a boat but I know that a k-9 sniffing the exterior of a vehicle is not considered a "search" because the dog is smelling the air on the exterior of the vehicle which the vehicle owner/driver has no right to claim ownership of. Once the k-9 alerts on the presence of what its smelling for, that "alert" is the probable cause for a physical search of the vehicle. As far as a boat goes, I could see someone arguing that the dog being physically placed on their vessel for the purpose of a sniff is a search, given that we can't put one in a car without it alerting on the exterior first. (Without consent that is) There was also an earlier post about the sheriff's office not having jurisdiction on the water which isn't the case. I'm on the Pensacola Police Dept boat team and we can enforce all state laws within our jurisdiction, including fish and game laws. The state has given the local departments jurisdiction within state waters for that purpose. As for Federal waters, I don't know about FWC, but we have to get Fed approval for ops in Fed waters on a case by case basis in advance unless there are extenuating circumstances. I've written several Notice to Appears on the 3mb fishing pier. Same thing works the other way. A FWC oficer can stop a vehicle for speeding and issue a traffic citation.


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