Have you ever been busted

[Dad 818]

Originally Posted by Bocephus

got caught fishing a big reservoir is RI a few years back..... snuk right up and bagged me and 2 others quietly. Then says we can fish for another hour while he goes and gets the guys on the other side of the cove, tells us to meet him at our vehicles cuz he is parked there. Gave us a warning and I havent been back since. But MAN, there are some bigguns in there.

If it's where I think it is, there are monsters there. Plus with all the pine blight they have been clearing it out and it's wide open now.

[Back Beach]

I was like 17 or 18(1987 or 88 just for reference) and was dipping herring up behind the herring run motel. The property owner at the time had "conveniently" left the gate open for fishermen. After observing for a few days I realized it was pretty common for guys to walk right in through the unlocked gate and dip bait, so why would I needlessly deprive myself from having some live bait?

Anyways, the squirrel cop/herring warden showed up while I was dipping, confiscated my stuff and left me with a $50 fine.

What got my goat was this same guy used to "discreetly" deliver live bait to all his buddies on the canal. There would be a couple guys set up down in the cribbin area, the green truck would pull up(while nobody was looking, of course), and load the guys up with bait. The whole canal herring scene back then was really something to behold.

Participating in that fishery with any fervor was like being a member of the underworld...many folks would point the finger at everyone else, all the while they'd be hoarding every last piece of bait for themselves when nobody was looking, or at least they thought.

[chrisjoe13]

Originally Posted by Bocephus

got caught fishing a big reservoir is RI a few years back..... snuk right up and bagged me and 2 others quietly. Then says we can fish for another hour while he goes and gets the guys on the other side of the cove, tells us to meet him at our vehicles cuz he is parked there. Gave us a warning and I havent been back since. But MAN, there are some bigguns in there.

I heard that the RI state record largemouth actually came from there (different locale given at weigh in)

[RIJIMMY]

when Im heading out in the boat at 2am, i go about 8mph in the harbor instead of 5mph.

[the point]

I've been busting for fishing without a license. But i dont poach so i cant get in trouble... but you need to catch fish small enough to poach to poach.

[Rockfish9]

I got a stern talking too bu the EPO's for keeping short red fish in Fla visiting my Aunt on Vacation........ I was 12 years old...

[JFigliuolo]

Originally Posted by Rockfish9

I got a stern talking too bu the EPO's for keeping short red fish in Fla visiting my Aunt on Vacation........ I was 12 years old...

I had no idea your checkered past went so far back... really explains a lot

[WESTPORTMAFIA]

Every year except for last I usually get busted once or twice. I don't really freshwater fish much but when I do I fish an illegal spot. We dress in full camo and even sport war paint. The last time we got busted we forgot the war paint and they saw our faces. They get a kick out of catching us because we make it very hard for them to find us. The fishing is well worth the ticket or 2 a year. And the guys who bust us have always been pretty cool about it. They always say You know your not supposed to be here right? Yep but the fishing is too good not to.

[FishermanTim]

Are we talking about past offenses, committed when we were young, or currently committed (recurring) offenses that we commit because we don't practive what we preach?

I'm not innocent by any means, but once I found out what the rules were, I played by them.
Do I keep short fish/poach fish? NEVER!
Do I exceed my limit? NEVER!
Do I fish restricted/posted waters? NO!
Do I fish without a license? NO!
(I may not have it on my person, but I ALWAYS buy a license.)
Do I care what "the other guy does"? Not always, unless what "the other guy" does is illegal, immoral or dangerous!

I wonder just how many replies a post titled "Have you never been busted?" would get?

[MAC]

25 or 26 years ago we were down at Bell Rd. (yes alcohol was involved) We weren't catching so decided to try a crab trap off the top of the bridge abuttment (slack). We were shining a flashlight down and see a good lobstah crawling on towards our bait.

Then we hear "hey, whatcha doing?" We all about went swimming after jumping as we never saw him coming. He then told us he was getting a laugh out of watching us and said "glad you didn't catch one as that is illegal". We chit chatted for a little while and decided it was cheaper to just go buy the bugs.

No citation, just a verbal warning.

[gone fishin]

Maine - I got popped for fishing without a license in front of my camp. I was trying out a new fly line with a piece of yarn tied to it for practice. He was in a canoe and spotted me stretching the line from the water. It took a lot of arguing before he Left me off with a warning. Maine is unbelievable!

Once got stopped scooping smelt at lake Winnesquam NH. I had the hat and license from another guy on and the law recognized the other guys name as he just busted him a few hours before for being over da limit. We were fairly well lit and he made us dump our catch and followed us back to camp. Never wrote me up!

Same trip - It was a father sons weekend smelt fishing and one guy was famous for falling asleep after a hard night. He returned to the dock and just left the boat adrift. No one missed him til we got a call from home. The boat was found and the guy who owned the launch area saw his car and trailer in the lot. He called the law and they had a full out search going on at the lake. They thought he fell overboard. He was sacked out under the porch in a sleeping bag. A trooper came calling and the guy crawled out asking what was happening. Man that trooper was pissed. It actually was reported on the radio. We had to stop the father sons trip when the sons were caught swiping our booze and smoking weed. They were having a better blast than the dads. The sons are now in their 50's and tell some stories that are unreal...

[Swimmer]

Me and my brother are pretty straight shooters. We have a bro-in-law thats covered all the bases several times over for our family and most of youse guys too.

[JoeBass]

My brother and me in PA fishing for trout out of season when we were 14. We saw the warden and knew we were busted so we just reeled in and waited for him to make his way down to the river. He ran at us with a pistol pointed at us. He was shaking. He calmed down after a while but it was really unnerving. $150 fine each.
Now i teach my son to get a license each year and respect all the laws. Not because of that warden, but because I understand that much of the fees go to stocking, conservation, water clean up etc.

[tattoobob]

Only once for not wearing a PFD before may 15th

we saw the game warden waving and yelling to us and we pretended we didn't see him after an hour the battery died so we paddled back the warden was gone or so we thought found out he was waiting in the bushes
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[The Dad Fisherman]

Looks like Maine has a Reputation

[Rmarsh]

I'm 54 years old and never been arrested. Not saying I haven't broken any laws, just haven't been caught. There is still time I suppose.

Maine takes their fish and game laws more seriously than MA or RI for sure. And they don't take kindly to people who litter either. Even ordinary citizens will let you know that, when they see you drinking your coffee from a styrofoam DD cup.
And the licsense actually shows the exact hour and minute they expire too!

[Raven]

what the Legality is of fishing with just a bobber
and say NO HOOK at all?

because you have a fishing rod in your hand
is that where they draw the LINE?

When is it not fishing.... is my question?

can ya walk down the beach with a rod over your shoulder
without even a reel on your pole?

[The Dad Fisherman]

Originally Posted by Raven

When is it not fishing.... is my question?

You can cast...you just can't retrieve...at least that was the BS line they gave me.

[piemma]

Originally Posted by Rmarsh

I'm 54 years old and never been arrested. Not saying I haven't broken any laws, just haven't been caught. There is still time I suppose.

Maine takes their fish and game laws more seriously than MA or RI for sure. And they don't take kindly to people who litter either. Even ordinary citizens will let you know that, when they see you drinking your coffee from a styrofoam DD cup.
And the licsense actually shows the exact hour and minute they expire too!

I got caught in ME for being 10 minutes over. I was fishing just South of Ripogenus Dam and this warden appears out of nowhere. We we going home that morning and I figured one more shot at some landlocked salmon. It was 1970 and the fine was $35.00. That was half a weeks pay in 1970.

[Backbeach Jake]

I was fined 50$ for fishing without a license in Maine. I was watching a friend icefish in the spring with 4 inches of water on the ice. My feet were freezing. When he started to pack it in, I helped. That's when the Warden showed and asked for licenses. I said that I wasn't fishing, just helping pack up, been standing with my hands in my pockets all day. He said if there had been a big trout on one of those tilts he thought I would keep it and handed me a ticket. His partner was sympathetic but said pay it if you don't there'll be a warrant for you next time you visit. I wrote it up to tuition in the School of Hard Knocks. My friend was fined for fishing a closed pond. .

[Raven]

to many Horror stories for me to waste my time f-em all to hell

[The Dad Fisherman]

Originally Posted by Backbeach Jake

I was fined 50$ for fishing without a license in Maine. I was watching a friend icefish in the spring with 4 inches of water on the ice. My feet were freezing. When he started to pack it in, I helped. That's when the Warden showed and asked for licenses. I said that I wasn't fishing, just helping pack up, been standing with my hands in my pockets all day. He said if there had been a big trout on one of those tilts he thought I would keep it and handed me a ticket. His partner was sympathetic but said pay it if you don't there'll be a warrant for you next time you visit. I wrote it up to tuition in the School of Hard Knocks. My friend was fined for fishing a closed pond. .

I was visiting some friend's up in Maine and we went over to their Parents's house on a lake up there. The kids were down fishing on the dock with there little ebco setups. I walked down and was talking to them about how I used to have a setup like that when I was a kid.

Asked one of them If I could take a cast. Kid said "Sure"...I cast it out reeled it back in and handed it back to the kid.....rangers came putting around the corner, said I was fishing. I was like I made one cast....he said If I had just cast it out and handed it to the kid it would have been fine.....but the fact that I made a retrieve meant I was fishing.

Had to take a day off from work to appear in court and pay $125....they wouldn't even let me mail in the fine.

[Joe]

Originally Posted by Rmarsh

And they don't take kindly to people who litter either. Even ordinary citizens will let you know that, when they see you drinking your coffee from a styrofoam DD cup.

Confront the wrong person drinking from a DD cup and you'll eventually get some stained flannel and a fd up face.

[Rmarsh]

Originally Posted by Joe

Confront the wrong person drinking from a DD cup and you'll eventually get some stained flannel and a fd up face.

And that would get you arrested for assault and battery.

They usally aren't confrontational, just asking politely that trash be disposed of properly. My point was that you don't see much litter up there, and that they enforce littering laws as strictly as poaching laws.

Not like MA & RI with trash everywhere.


Doesn't seem fair to be fined after you have paid for a license, but fish for ten minutes after it expires.

[shadow]

I moved back to ct. from RI a few months ago and have not changed my address yet. Not wanting to pay $80 bucks for a fresh water lic to fish in the upper hussy for hold overs.I headed out to a discret spot only to get pinched. got off easy with a $77 fine should of fight it because I really was not fishing when he saw me I was walking back to my truck.But I paid it I was in the wrong no dubt .wish I was still in rhody.

[Joe]

It was either a coincidence, or the squirrel cops were staking out the docks for illegal fishing. Imagine how many people don't come back to Maine.

[JoeBass]

I've fished in Maine for stripers for 24 years now, usually just 2 weeks in August and a weekend each in June and September. Stopped once on the beach and once in a boat. On the beach I had a keeper on the sand. He said "You realize you can't keep any more right?" I said I was just fishing for fun and knew the regulations. He was very nice. Another time on the Piscataquaw our boat got stopped. They checked our legal fish, were very nice and sent us on our way. I only keep about 1 or 2 meals a year, so it was a coincidence I had fish, but the wardens were cool each time.

[Saltheart]

no

[MikeToole]

In the early 60s when my buddy and I were 12 we used to fish to close to the Earle Navy pier which is over two miles long sticking out in Sandy Hook bay, NJ. There was a big bed of clams and mussles right next to the pier which was both great for fishing and clamming. The Marines would come out on the pier yelling at us to move but we would just come right back after they left. One day after they had chased us three or four times we saw a Coast Guard boat coming. We ran in along the pier and when the Coasty boat got close we cut under the pier to make our get away. Since it was getting dark and the Coasty boat had to run out two mile to get around the pier they didn't bother to chase us. We thought we made good on our escape. But that night the cops showed up at the house. Didn't get charged with anything but spent the next two weekends picking up litter and weeding flower beds at the Sandy Hook Coast Guard station.