Whodat Posted March 8, 2007 Posted March 8, 2007 Well got down about 1:00 since the road was shut down to the dam with NO SIGN, Started fishin below the cable with roostertails catching more fish than than the guy's in the in the water. 30 -40 fish later after getting our 4 fish limit a piece cause the family want's some good fish to eat. Getting ready to leave sittin down on the rocks here comes the Conservation Man! What a son of a bit h. All our trout was legal, got a ticket for fishing above the cable. Was I above, 3 feet! Yes, No problem. It's my fault. Was wasn't that we was singled out and no one esle was I.D. except us. The boat out anchored out at the cable was fine casting up stream past the cable! What pisses me off about the whole thing is the lack of respect for the conservation dept guy. So tomorrow.I will be at Chute #1 with my Flippin Stick and a Zara Spook on trying to catch them Bass Phil is talking about. The officer said when he comes up to us, have you got any wants or warrents! What the hell does that got to do with fishin! He was the upmost most UNPROFESSIONAL PERSON I HAVE EVER MET! Sportin My O@A Hat think I would do somethin wrong! Yes , I was above the sign by 3 feet, my fault.
Danoinark Posted March 8, 2007 Posted March 8, 2007 Are you saying the officer was disrespectful for. not ticketing the boating angler doing the same thing? Attitude? Asking if you had wants? I guess I am not following you here Whodat. Glass Has Class "from the laid back lane in the Arkansas Ozarks"
Whodat Posted March 8, 2007 Author Posted March 8, 2007 No, I am in the wrong here. I am saying the officer was hateful, had an attitude and was not caring about his professinal responsabilities. I am not trying to cheat on anything. It just sucked that we were fishing for 3 hours catching fish at the same place before the little creek before the cable and we sit down with no rod in the lake for 10 minutes and here he comes. Oh, we had a cooler to, I am 45 so I can drink a barley pop when I want to. I will pay the fine,tomorrow it's Spooks and 3/4 roosertails.
Danoinark Posted March 8, 2007 Posted March 8, 2007 No, I am in the wrong here. I am saying the officer was hateful, had an attitude and was not caring about his professinal responsabilities. I am not trying to cheat on anything. It just sucked that we were fishing for 3 hours catching fish at the same place before the little creek before the cable and we sit down with no rod in the lake for 10 minutes and here he comes. Oh, we had a cooler to, I am 45 so I can drink a barley pop when I want to. I will pay the fine,tomorrow it's Spooks and 3/4 roosertails. Oh, I know you are taking responsibility for the violation. I was just curious as to what made you feel that way about the agent and if he truly was being disprespetful instead of just being firm and it came off that way. Nothing wrong with barley on the river is there? I sure can't answer that. Dano Glass Has Class "from the laid back lane in the Arkansas Ozarks"
tippet7 Posted March 8, 2007 Posted March 8, 2007 The officer said when he comes up to us, have you got any wants or warrents! What the hell does that got to do with fishin! He was the upmost most UNPROFESSIONAL PERSON I HAVE It is common practice for ANY law enforcement officer to ask that question and then verify it though the state and local crime computer (NCIC) You may have been an escaped felon trying to catch dinner. Who knows..it was for the officers protection. YOU were breaking the law...why should the officer extend courtesy to you? You did not extend courtesy to the other law abiding fishermen? Thats my .02 You are so stupid you threw a rock at the ground and missed.
Rusty Posted March 8, 2007 Posted March 8, 2007 It is common practice for ANY law enforcement officer to ask that question and then verify it though the state and local crime computer (NCIC) You may have been an escaped felon trying to catch dinner. Who knows..it was for the officers protection. YOU were breaking the law...why should the officer extend courtesy to you? You did not extend courtesy to the other law abiding fishermen? Thats my .02 My thoughts exactly.
Terry Beeson Posted March 8, 2007 Posted March 8, 2007 I wasn't there, so I can't speak for this particular incident or officer, but in this day and time, I don't envy ANY type of law enforcement agent their job and don't blame them one bit for being EXTRA cautious. The days of the "Andy Taylor" type of law enforcement are (sad to say) gone! Yes, it does seem some of them take it to the extreme, but still, put yourself in their shoes. Read the news and watch the videos. I knew an enforcement agent for AGFC that was driving home one night and noticed a spotlight out in a field. He pulled over, looked for a bit, and thought it was a farmer checking on some cows. So he crossed over the fence to see if he could help his neighbor. Turns out three guys were working on an illegal deer - out of season, doe, at night. He spent a week in the hospital because he wasn't cautious... The "wants and warrants" statement had nothing to do with fishing. But it had EVERYTHING to do with safety on his part. TIGHT LINES, YA'LL "There he stands, draped in more equipment than a telephone lineman, trying to outwit an organism with a brain no bigger than a breadcrumb, and getting licked in the process." - Paul O’Neil
Members Rick F Posted March 8, 2007 Members Posted March 8, 2007 Sorry to hear you had a bad experience. Mine has always been pleasant with law enforcement. But, as stated above, you can't be too careful. If you break the law they have to enforce it. Maybe he was having a bad day who knows. It is just like I tell my kids in school, if you don't want any problems, don't put yourself in a situation that that causes a problem. You knew you were breaking the law and you got caught. That doesn't give him the right to treat you like a mass murderer but he doesn't know you aren't. Remember, you are a stranger to him.
Whodat Posted March 8, 2007 Author Posted March 8, 2007 You guy's are right. Maybe it wasn't as bad as I earlier thought.And your right about not being able trust everyone. I think it was some of the things he said and the way he went about it. It's done and forgotten now. Tried to pay my fine awhile ago and it's not even in the system yet. Going to try to get back down this afternoon and $100.00 say's I don't go beyond the cable! Dave
Greg Posted March 8, 2007 Posted March 8, 2007 If this officer acted as you say (and I have no reason to doubt you)then I think he is just asking for trouble further down the line. I have a couple of friends in law enforcement and they say the way to approach someone you don't know is to be polite and humble at the start. That if you approach people that way they are much less likely to get "go postal" later on. They say that you cannot back down but you don't have to be a jackass either - that can just make the situation worse. My experience has been different though. The 2 times (in 40 years) I have met conservation officers in MO they were both courteous and polite. The last time was when I observed an an agent writing a ticket to a guy with illegal fish (on Taney). The agent was polite to this guy even though he had obviously broken the law. And he took the time to offer the illegal fish to my son and I and chat with us about fishing in general. I do have a question though: Is it illegal to position yourself below the wire and cast above it? I think I may have been guilty of this a few times myself! Greg "My biggest worry is that my wife (when I'm dead) will sell my fishing gear for what I said I paid for it" - Koos Brandt Greg Mitchell
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