7-20-14 Wake Boat, Jet Ski, Pontoon, And Fish Report

[nathanhooper]

I think we leave to much up to law enforcement. This country was founded on all of us doing our part helping each other and keeping the peace. Let the law enforcement enforce the law, let us be good citizens and help each other by doing whatever it is necessary within the law.

I am not a big fan of the snitch. But there is a time and a place for writing down and submitting evidence to the law enforcement to do their job. But pretty soon, if your not careful, you'll have the guy who knows more people than you making you out to be doing something wrong just because he wants your fishing hole.

[Feathers and Fins]

Never ( repeat NEVER ) checked while fishing on Beaver Lake.... 10 years..... Checked twice while waterfowl hunting in the same 10... However I do believe they know my boat and know im honest so probably don't bother me and I suspect its the same for others they have checked. Granted Both checks were in in the last 5 years though and having a hunting/fishing license they would know that and have no reason to stop me other than check on limit. I do know however they do sit and watch and have checked people at the ramps.

As to the sheriff and rangers I have never had one stop me and do even a safety inspection. I don't give them a reason though but i have watched people blow through the no wake zone at Prairie Creek and the 12 Bridge and numerous other safety violation and a blind eye turned so it would seem. Maybe they had some other call or directive that kept them sitting where they were and just watching, i really am at a loss for words with why they don't enforce harder.

[nathanhooper]

Yea, if they are going to start enforcing the law, then it would not be hard to see where to start. No need in cruising around doing random checks. Just an open eye on the water will point them to all the checks they could stand in a day's time I am sure of.

I think that we will start seeing more of it going on. Seems to be the nature of the beast. Something has to get to the point of being ridiculous before something is done about it, then we will suffer the outfall and frustration. People might be "ok" with being checked randomly, but I would venture to guess people will sing a different tune if you get checked randomly a lot and then mins later see idiots fly by you and pulling crazy stunts while not getting checked.

There really is no need in randomly checking. I would not consider it randomly checking if the GW sat at the dock and checked each person who came in. Safety and game laws. That would be completely fine and would probably stop a portion of illegal activity. But if you want to stop the stupidity on the lake, just open eyes is all that's needed.

[showmebass]

FnF - I've had a similar experience on Beaver. Never been checked in 8 years. I grew up near Lake of the Ozarks, where boaters and fisherman are checked frequently on a lake that's over twice the size (and 10x as crazy) of Beaver. My Dad and I were even stopped once after dark because the Water Patrol noticed from a distance that the red and green lenses on our front nav light were backwards on our boat. Talk about observation! We didn't get a citation, but the officer made us switch them around while he stood by.

I also had the misfortune being forced to move to the Chicago suburbs for a couple of years for work, and EVERY time I launched on Lake Michigan I was checked by some sort of govt authority. Granted - IL is the land of big govt.

We definitely need a stronger enforcement presence on Beaver.

[M_Taylor]

I understand your point completely and value our rights and privacy just as much as the next person. My point was more directed towards the fact that I haven't seen an opportunity where a boat would check me since you don't see the patrols out watching. I was on a guide trip in NC two weeks ago and I had a big fish on, a LE boat drove up and watched me fight it from a distance, saw we were all legal in our rigs and size limits and took off without interrupting us. Thats more what I was making a point of for Beaver.

As much as F&F has been on the water in 10 years, I think that's pretty sad that he hasn't been checked at least once while fishing.

[nathanhooper]

I see. I agree whole heartedly with you on that aspect. Law enforcement is good. Its needed. And it serves a great purpose for everyone. It does make you wonder why there are not more 'seasonal' officers hired to patrol the lakes and such. Would make sense to me. In fact, they could cut out a lot of foolishness even if they narrowed it down to the weekends.

[Feathers and Fins]

I just want to be clear I have been checked hunting and my bet is they are not checking me because they have seen I stay legal and they do see my license when they have checked me hunting. My bet is a simple Bino check on the boat and running the numbers they can verify if the person probably has a license by seeing who it is registered to and then cross check against AGFC Data on their computer. AGFC that is and knowing more than a few wardens over the years they have ways of checking without checking in person.

I know a Fed who does exactly that based off Truck tags, then watches the person or group for awhile and if nothing is suspicious he typically wont do anything more than a limit check if he is still around when they finish. After a while he knows who is who of the regulars and often goes out and just shoots the breeze with people. You know he is there you know he is doing his job but he seldom bothers anyone without cause. Wardens are a special kind of sneaky and most are very courteous to people and helpful.

[Quillback]

Never been checked here in 8 years myself.

[YAKFM]

Interesting to read the accounts of many who have never been checked or only a few times in a decade. I have been checked/stopped by LE 7 times this year alone, although 4 of those stops were at the TB boat ramp by AGFC during the Spring walleye/white bass run. The 4 times I was checked at TB they were checking everyone coming off the water. Another stop was by a Sheriff patrol that was checking out my trolling setup because he thought it looked cool. He even snapped a photo to show his wife. The other two times were in the days leading up to Memorial and 4th of July Holidays by AGFC GWs on jet skis. AGFC advised me to avoid the lake during the Holiday weekends for safety purposes. Of course, I followed their advice.

[Quillback]

TB - Is that Twin Bridges?