# Fort Pickens Redfish; unethical fisherman rant!!!!



## gergs

Hello there! I came back for another weekend of fishing the beach and wanted to thank those who contributed information for when I was on the hunt about one month ago!

Today was awesome!! I ended up landing 3 in a matter of about 2 hours. There was a nice school that just seemed to linger in an area that I was fishing. They would swim back and forth parallel to the beach within a span of about 100-150 yards. What a blast!! And the best was that I had the whole beach to myself...well at least for most of the time.

The first fish took the clouser on the sink... never even had a chance to strip it. This fish was hooked deep (not in the lip) and I had a bear of a time trying to get her in. I must have fought her for at aleast an hour on my 6/7 wt and 15lb tippet. What a ride!

The next two fish came right after that. But I was able to get some strips and actually got to see the reds chase the clouser and then CRUSH it! These two I wasn't too concerned about losing an 'hogged' them in a bit without a concern for breaking my line. Each took about 20 to 30 minutes to land.

After landing my third, I went back to work and hooked into my fourth about 3-5 casts later. At this time I noticed two adults and one child arrived onsite about 120 yards up the beach from me. I thought, alright I'll get this one in and let them know that there's a big school of reds over my way if they're interested. They were casting from shore....... and here's where it gets ugly........

So I'm playing my fish and I'm forced to chase it towards these guys. Now the fish has me into my backing but I'm holding her steady and won't let her take any more line... mind you, my fish is still at least 200 feet laterally away from where these guys are casting. Well wouldn't you know it, one of the guys literally runs, RUNS, about 100 towards me and casts out directly over my line!!!! There's a nice gentlemen with his wife watching me play my fish and talking to me as I fight her... so he yell's, "hey you just casted over his line!!" and the guy responds, "he'll be alright!!" Well after this guys casts over my line, the other gentleman in his group hooks into a redfish and he runs back 100-150' to help him land it and leaves his rod in the holder with his little boy to keep an eye on the rod. Now I'm still fighting my fish for another 5-10 mins until the guy runs back to his rod thinking he has a hit because he inevitable got hung up on my line with my fish!! The guy starts cranking in his rod and sets the hook, while the whole time me and my gentlemen friend say, "you don't have a fish, you have my line!!!!" guy doesn't listen, sets the hook and snaps my line. There goes my clouser and fish! (*hopefully that story makes sense to you guys!)

So me and the guy come face to face as his gear is all tangled up while my line is still tangled with his as well. I cut my line (as there's nothing on there to save) and ask him why he ran down the beach and casted over my line. He says, "I gave you plenty of room to land your fish, I guess you don't know how things are done around here." I couldn't believe he was saying it was my fault! My fish was at least 150-200' laterally from where they were casting from shore, until he ran towards me and casted over my line. I said, "I guess I don't, that's ridiculous that you're blaming this on me. I'm running 15lb test and I was well away from you before you casted. If I could have hogged her in I would have but you had no right to cast over my line. That's horseshit...blah blah blah..." He had his little boy with him and I told him that "that's some example that you're setting for your little guy there." the guy just walked away back towards his buddy with his child in tow. The nice guy that was standing there with his wife watching me fish was just as astonished as I was with this guys actions. 

With a terrible end to an otherwise awesome day, I decided to pack it in at about 2:30 and head back to the car to leave. By the way, the redfish that I saw them catch appeared to be over 27" and they were man-handling it like they were keeping it. I could tell that these guys were all about keeping fish... I'm not. I'm just in it for the fight and wouldn't keep a red even if it were within the slot limit. I wasn't mad about losing the fish, but I was crazy angry about HOW I lost it. 

When I got back to the car I made myself a sandwich and hoped a ranger would go by. I don't think they're authorized to measure fish, but I wanted to at least broach the question. But alas, no rangers so that I could report those guys were keeping a redfish over the slot limit. Is there a number to call for poaching?

I've never been more angry or ever had something as outrageous and unethical happen to me in all my years of fishing. And I come from 'steelhead alley' in northeast Ohio and PA where it can get so crowded that guys will fish 10-20 feet away from each other shoulder to shoulder. Guys like this definitely ruin the fishery for the rest of us and set a pour example for our youth. 

Anyways, I went to mass shortly thereafter and forgive and forget!  but I just wanted to get this out there and give a report!


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## Buckyt

I thank the lord for the asshats of the world, because they make me look a little better. You will find these idiots where ever you are, and whatever you do. Hopefully Karma will pay this fellow a visit someday.


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## ChileRelleno

I love it when we're out surf fishing and some asshat runs their boat straight down the beach... all of 30 yards off the shore.
Or mindless tourist kayakers actually entangle themselves in your lines as your yelling at them to turn away.
But your guy is a special case, especially ignorant that is.


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## panhandleslim

This type of Jackwagon was born stupid and no amount time on this earth will change him. If it's not in the National Enquirer, it never happened...as far as he's concerned.

It's a sad state of affairs that the earth is running out of usefulness for this ditch digger mentality but, sadly, they still seem to go forth and prosper. He probably resented you 'catching all them fish with your highfalutin, fish releasing antics and your fancy pants waders and little willow limb fly rod' while he was out there with his 'meat pole' trying to restore the balance between man and beast.

Sorry that such a perfect day had to end on such a sour note but, as we say around here, 'Don't let the bastards get you down'.


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## Robin

They are nice fish........Lucky Guy.

Robin


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## WhyMe

Well, that was good information to know.
Whyme
Mako My Dayo


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## wtbfishin

Nice fish!!:thumbsup:


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## jim t

http://myfwc.com/contact/wildlife-alert/

Jim


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## a

Nice Catch! you should have posted his pic right here.....:whistling:


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## SandbarFlies

Congrats on the beautiful reds! I love stalking those guys in the surf and running down the beach while chasing them. Sorry to hear about the idiot. I always try to find a secluded part of the beach where no one is walking or fishing because I hate when people walk behind me because they have no regard for my terrible backcast. It always seems like the slow down as they walk on by. Anyways, well done! Beautiful fish on the fly! Ain't nothing better! Hopefully I'm able to make it down in a few weeks and toss some flies at some cruisers and have the same results as you. I've got a few new flies to try out.


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## Fielro

Nice fish, too bad about the other fisherman. Always one no matter what you do or where you go...


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## KingCrab

Welcome to beach fishing.:yes: Boats, People, Tourist,,,, "Same Thing" . They are right , U are wrong. Or at least that's how it seems. Ignorance is Bliss.


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## Jason

Dang fine job.....especially grand on a fly!!! Congrats and sorry fer the idiot!


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