# Probable illegal fish at dock, what would you do?



## baldona523 (Mar 2, 2008)

So we pulled into the marina on Saturday, and a dad with his wife and 3 kids were taking trigger fish out of a cooler and putting them onto the picture rack. These things looked tiny, no way they were 14" to the fork. I'm thinking maybe they were 14" total which would make them all about 8-12" to the fork. I heard him say later they "got their limit" and although I never counted exactly how many they had, i'm guessing he knew the limit was 2 each and they had 10. If his kids were not with him I would of said something without a doubt, but what would you have done? What should I have done? 

I don't know the boat name or who the guy was, but he was most likely military. He didn't clean the fish there which was a little odd but other than that they didn't act odd or anything, so I'm thinking he just had no idea how you were supposed to measure them.


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## panhandleslim (Jan 11, 2013)

Take him to the side, congratulate him on his catch and then warn him that he might want to be cautious about hanging those up because they were likely under the legal limit. 

It's a nice way of letting him know something that he may not be aware of.


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## jack2 (Mar 19, 2010)

some people really don't know the regs much less to pick up a copy at the bait shop. i'd just ease over and ask what they were using for bait. then i would say, "those look kinda small. are they 14 inches." this works. i've done it before and the people were from georgia and really didn't know.
kinda scared them when i told them about the fwc constantly riding the pass.

jack


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## welldoya (Oct 5, 2007)

I agree with the others. If he seemed like a pretty good guy but clueless, I would explain the regulations to him. If he responded in a positive way, I would leave it at that. If he told me to get screwed, I would call the law.
Now, if he was a blowhard jerk bragging about catching 10 redfish, I would call the law so fast his head would spin without explaining the regs.
Everybody should play by the same rules.


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## scott44 (Aug 17, 2013)

I would do the same thing I usually do when I see someone going down the road with an expired tag,tail light out etc. Nothing.


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## Mike Moore (Feb 10, 2010)

I agree with the advice given. I wouldn't embarrass him in front of his kids or woman unless he acted a fool.


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## 2chairs (Oct 3, 2007)

Wirelessly posted

Thank him for his service.


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## Orion45 (Jun 26, 2008)

panhandleslim said:


> Take him to the side, congratulate him on his catch and then warn him that he might want to be cautious about hanging those up because they were likely under the legal limit.
> It's a nice way of letting him know something that he may not be aware of.





Mike Moore said:


> I agree with the advice given. I wouldn't embarrass him in front of his kids or woman unless he acted a fool.


Spot on. :thumbup:


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## afishanado (Oct 26, 2009)

jack2 said:


> some people really don't know the regs much less to pick up a copy at the bait shop. /QUOTE]
> 
> Regulations change so quickly nowadays, the books at the bait shop are often wrong. You almost have to check the regs online before you go anymore to make sure you are compliant with the current regs.


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## capt'n slim (Feb 8, 2008)

Trigger fish....eh i would just load my boat up and go home and say nothing. Thats one of those fish they regulate for no reason. Redfish, Snapper, or Gags would probably warrant a whisper in the ear. If I did say something about the triggers it would more or less be a warning about the FWC, some folks just don't understand the regs no matter how many times they read them, hell if i catch something unusual the fish usually dies and dries on deck before i figure out if i can keep the damn thing.


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## KingCrab (Apr 29, 2012)

The man caught a pic of someone else's fish. Congrat him! We all once pulled somp'n similar. :shifty:


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## LibertyBelle1326 (Aug 29, 2014)

Not sure I understand the comment he was most likely military? That really has nothing to do with the situation you describe but bottom line you should have just sparked a conversation and taught him, I doubt he knew if he was photoing them on the board. As everyone has stated the rules change so quickly even if the requirement hasn't changed. We all make mistakes but those who teach us help aid in learning no matter the subject.


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## Try'n Hard (Oct 23, 2008)

2chairs said:


> Wirelessly posted Thank him for his service.


+1

Sent from my iPhone using Forum Runner


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## CatCrusher (Jan 18, 2009)

I would mind my own business.


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## coastie83 (Apr 20, 2014)

Out last week and ran across a guy who decided he wanted to brag about his catch. Called me over to look in his cooler. He had some undersized redfish 10 to 12 inch range. I said something to him in a underlying polite way. It's the careless actions of others that ruin it for everyone. Ignorance is no excuse. Take 5 seconds to open a book, or Google it ffs.


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## BentStraight (Dec 27, 2008)

I saw a guy speeding on I-110 and was wondering if I should pull him over and warn him about it???


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## tyler0421 (Jan 10, 2008)

So y'all are ok with this guy breaking the law? The same laws that (i assume) y'all abide by? If you are out fishing you should know the regulations before you put something in the cooler. There is no excuse for this kind of ignorance.


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## scott44 (Aug 17, 2013)

I can't believe nobody checked the guys fishing licence......


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## jack2 (Mar 19, 2010)

scott44 said:


> I can't believe nobody checked the guys fishing licence......


nobody on this forum works for the fwc?

jack


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## OP-FOR (Jan 23, 2010)

There are so many rules and regs that I just eat fish sticks. I am sure that soon a fish stick will need to be over 4 inches and I will only be allowed to cook 12 at a time.


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## Fish Sticks (Feb 28, 2014)

"There are so many rules and regs that I just eat fish sticks. I am sure that soon a fish stick will need to be over 4 inches and I will only be allowed to cook 12 at a time."

okay awkward.................


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## Rastaman (Oct 5, 2007)

I was interested in this report because it was triggerfish. I will confess that last year I wanted to take my kids and wife fishing and was trying to figure out what we could catch. I got online and looked at the Fwc website and looked at their chart. All indications were that triggerfish was open in federal waters. The chart indicated the dates of the open season and we were within those dates. 

I went fishing and we caught triggerfish. At a the fuel dock I was showing the dock guy our fish and he said I think they are closed. I told him I looked it up. This worried me enough to call the bait and tackle shop. They said trigger was open. I openly and publically cleaned the fish and then went home and ate them. 

Later I was again on the Internet and looking for the reef fish regulations. I found a memorandum from us Fws indicating an interim closure of triggerfish. At that moment I again check the charts and the Fwc website and they indicated the same date range as being open with no reference to the memorandum of closure. 

My point of this story is this.....I tried my best effort to determine the laws. I missed the closure because it was an interim closure by a memorandum and the charts were not noted. I would have never put my family in a situation of breaking the law. Why is it so difficult to determine what is open and what is closed?


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## CatCrusher (Jan 18, 2009)

tyler0421 said:


> So y'all are ok with this guy breaking the law? The same laws that (i assume) y'all abide by? If you are out fishing you should know the regulations before you put something in the cooler. There is no excuse for this kind of ignorance.


Do you ever speed?


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## SaltAddict (Jan 6, 2010)

Rastaman-
Subscribe to the fwc hotsheets. You will get an email when these things happen. 
Add gmfmc to your Facebook page 
Get fish rules app for your smart phone. 
The hot sheets get out several days before a change. 
Gmfmc will give you 1-2 days notice. 
Fish rules is tricky. While he is awesome at staying on top of the regs and updating the app, he only deals with state regs. So his closure dates will get you in trouble in fed waters. 

Sad that we need this much info just to stay in compliance, but that is the case these days. 

To the OP, I would have asked for a minute of the guys time (away from his family of course). Explain the regs, and my blanket statement is always "I hate to see someone catch a fine for confusing regs."
I send people private messages on here and Facebook several times a year about feeding Dolphins or killing snakes on federally protected property.


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## stauty trout (Jul 19, 2012)

scott44 said:


> I would do the same thing I usually do when I see someone going down the road with an expired tag,tail light out etc. Nothing.


Agreed... It ain't my place to measure other people's fish... that's the man's job


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## johnf (Jan 20, 2012)

SaltAddict said:


> Rastaman-
> Subscribe to the fwc hotsheets. You will get an email when these things happen.
> Add gmfmc to your Facebook page
> Get fish rules app for your smart phone.
> ...


You can't feed dolphins?

:001_huh:


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## stauty trout (Jul 19, 2012)

johnf said:


> You can't feed dolphins?
> 
> :001_huh:



not out of your boat... I pulled a shrimp net a few times and remember that reg from those experiences


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## panhandleslim (Jan 11, 2013)

johnf said:


> You can't feed dolphins?
> 
> :001_huh:


Dude, Your Old Town Caspian has got to be longer than that?


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## Play'N Hooky Too (Sep 29, 2007)

johnf said:


> You can't feed dolphins?
> 
> :001_huh:


You can't feed them to what??


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## salty_dawg (Mar 21, 2013)

stauty trout said:


> not out of your boat... I pulled a shrimp net a few times and remember that reg from those experiences


My wife and I were fishing about a month ago and flipper kept following us around. He was most interested in the short Red Snapper we were catching. Tossed about a 14" snapper back in and flipper has dinner. I keep the fish, go to jail, throw it back and flipper eats it, go to jail. Damned either way:thumbdown:


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## Snagged Line (Sep 30, 2007)

Fish Sticks said:


> "There are so many rules and regs that I just eat fish sticks. I am sure that soon a fish stick will need to be over 4 inches and I will only be allowed to cook 12 at a time."
> 
> okay awkward.................





:notworthy::notworthy::notworthy::notworthy::notworthy::notworthy:


That was Funny as Hell...........................


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## tyler0421 (Jan 10, 2008)

CatCrusher said:


> Do you ever speed?



Thats one way to put it. So your okay with these guys that kill redfish that are 30-40"s?


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## scott44 (Aug 17, 2013)

tyler0421 said:


> Thats one way to put it. So your okay with these guys that kill redfish that are 30-40"s?


One a day.


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## johnf (Jan 20, 2012)

panhandleslim said:


> Dude, Your Old Town Caspian has got to be longer than that?


Just noticed that. Been there for two years. 

Nice catch.


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## CatCrusher (Jan 18, 2009)

tyler0421 said:


> Thats one way to put it. So your okay with these guys that kill redfish that are 30-40"s?


I wouldn't kill any redfish. I only kill what I eat. I don't eat redfish. My comment was based off the triggerfish post. If you kill 10 undersized triggerfish it's the same as killing 10 legal sized. IT'S STILL 10 FISH. It's not like he had a truck bed load. If the fish are being eaten that's what matters to me.


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## Burnt Drag (Jun 3, 2008)

It won't be long till we 14" Vermillion Snapper and 20" scamps


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## baldona523 (Mar 2, 2008)

I said the guy was probably military because I was on a military base at the time, and I'm a civilian. Because of him having a decently nice boat and his age, he was probably either an O-4 or O-5. I didn't feel it was my place or in my best interest to recommend anything to him, and with his kids being right there the whole time there just was not a good time to anyway. 

Additionally, for all I know it was the guy's first time fishing in the gulf and he looked at the first regs he found online and they easily could of been outdated or something. Lot of military guys come and go so quickly around here they have no idea how fast these stupid regs change.

For the record, I was going to politely tell the guy that the regulations were 14" to the fork and I was worried FWC may fine him for them so he needed to be very careful. But again, we were busy just pulling in and he was with his kids busy until he left.


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## tips n tails (Mar 2, 2011)

I'm glad you kept the spot light away from the enlisted side of the house.:thumbsup:


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## CSA (Oct 23, 2008)

baldona523 said:


> Additionally, for all I know it was the guy's first time fishing in the gulf and he looked at the first regs he found online and they easily could of been outdated or something. Lot of military guys come and go so quickly around here they have no idea how fast these stupid regs change.
> 
> For the record, I was going to politely tell the guy that the regulations were 14" to the fork and I was worried FWC may fine him for them so he needed to be very careful. But again, we were busy just pulling in and he was with his kids busy until he left.


Sir you did what I think most would agree with as just fine and had good intentions if the proper opportunity presented itself


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## firefighter14 (Aug 22, 2009)

CatCrusher said:


> I would mind my own business.


That's right, nothing more.


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## MGuns (Dec 31, 2007)

baldona523 said:


> I said the guy was probably military because I was on a military base at the time, and I'm a civilian. Because of him having a decently nice boat and his age, he was probably either an O-4 or O-5. I didn't feel it was my place or in my best interest to recommend anything to him, and with his kids being right there the whole time there just was not a good time to anyway.
> 
> Additionally, for all I know it was the guy's first time fishing in the gulf and he looked at the first regs he found online and they easily could of been outdated or something. Lot of military guys come and go so quickly around here they have no idea how fast these stupid regs change.
> 
> For the record, I was going to politely tell the guy that the regulations were 14" to the fork and I was worried FWC may fine him for them so he needed to be very careful. But again, we were busy just pulling in and he was with his kids busy until he left.


You think he might have been a 0-4 or 0-5; that’s even more reason to beat him about the head and shoulders. Just kidding; enlisted folks now days can afford some pretty nice boats. I probably would have approached him and asked to speak to him in private for a moment so as not to embarrass him in front of his family and explained the regs. Now it’s his move and he probably would have been thankful and it’s a lesson learned. If he became a jerk and got nasty with me I would have made a phone call.


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## 153 Large fish (Nov 30, 2013)

To me all regulations are a guess at a perceived problem....Dont be a snitch and keep your nose in your own business. ..


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## MGuns (Dec 31, 2007)

153 Large fish said:


> To me all regulations are a guess at a perceived problem....Dont be a snitch and keep your nose in your own business. ..


 
If there are guys/gals taking illegal fish due to size, limits, or closed season it’s all our business. The water and its contents belong to everyone and there’s regs put into place to preserve and manage the resources for future generations to enjoy. I’ve never been one to look the other way and “mind my own business”. I’d rather step up and do what I think is right. I look at it one of two ways:
1. Maybe the individual doesn’t know and would appreciate a head’s up.
2. The individual just doesn’t care and needs to be educated via FWC ways.
Either way I will act but I also believe a little empathy goes a long way. If the individual is honestly trying to feed a family I would rather release the fish and take the person grocery shopping and buy him/her some essential food staples. If the guy/gal is just an ass and doesn’t care about anyone or anything but themselves we can go a different route. My point is that the water and its resources are everyone’s and we should all take an active role in its protection; when safe to do so. It’s not worth getting killed over.


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## 153 Large fish (Nov 30, 2013)

Well when it comes to regulations, take for example red snapper.....commercial fishermen can take thousands of pounds per day, we cant keep one....and my friend, that is politics.....nothing to do with preservation and all to do with money...the oceans are not dying off and I dont know how they count fish to make a regulation...so i call most of it B.S.


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## sea hoss (Aug 18, 2009)

As long as I felt he was being a responsible steward of "OUR" resources, I would assume he had chosen to go Non-Compliant as I have.:whistling:


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## Charlietuna (May 2, 2014)

baldona523 said:


> So we pulled into the marina on Saturday, and a dad with his wife and 3 kids were taking trigger fish out of a cooler and putting them onto the picture rack. These things looked tiny, no way they were 14" to the fork. I'm thinking maybe they were 14" total which would make them all about 8-12" to the fork. I heard him say later they "got their limit" and although I never counted exactly how many they had, i'm guessing he knew the limit was 2 each and they had 10. If his kids were not with him I would of said something without a doubt, but what would you have done? What should I have done?
> 
> I don't know the boat name or who the guy was, but he was most likely military. He didn't clean the fish there which was a little odd but other than that they didn't act odd or anything, so I'm thinking he just had no idea how you were supposed to measure them.


Triggers should look like this...5lb trigger...caught 16 in 2 hours...just not here and no reg's where I caught them either...they are good eating. hope you can see uploaded picture


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