My cousin just called me and told me his rods got jacked in the middle of night at the bent tree hotel by subway. Very interesting deal. He slept from 4-6am. 2 hr window. Weirdest part was there was another boat outside right next to his with rods on the deck!? They passed on those and broke into his? They broke his rod locker latch. 4 ducketts paired with lews bb1, diawa zillion , skeet Reese Revo and a shamno currado. Someone please catch the next theif with a gun.

Sounds self inflicted to me....why in the world would he leave rods in his boat when it's common knowledge there are meth heads up there that continuously steal stuff?

Not self inflicted. Brand new triton and you would think the lock would more difficult to break. Lesson learned not self inflicted

Hey Yank are you looking for a prize for being the first to kick a man while he is down?

Jody

Do people who steal these pawn them off and get caught sometimes or do they keep them because they are fisherman as well?

Sorry to hear that happened. At the same time that place is famous for theft of rods. Id of thought guys would have learned by now to take them inside at night. Im guessing a good crow bar is all they really need to bust the locks. Hope they find the scumbag, but I wouldn't count on it. Lots of those combos around. Good Luck

Good question. Obviously not around Lake Fork and I don't shop the 'Pawn Shops' but, will keep an eye out but, be hard to identify with many using rod and reels like that.
Can't stand a d#mn thief!

tough question to answer. I am sure that most are taken to places like Canton. Probably the seller will be 2nd or 3rd party to a really good deal for them and more than likely a good sob story. Others will end up in pawn shops but no telling where.

Good Luck

Jody

I guess you could 'engrave' your name/DL# or ? on both.....even then be hard to find someone who 'spots' his equipment.
I sure hope ya'll find this stuff....its EXPENSIVE...hope he has insurance.

I have a Loc-R-Bar and still would not feel comfortable leaving rods in a boat at Fork.

They are most likely meth heads, so they will be turned to cash ASAP, probably pawned.

I always put white nail polish on the bottom of my reels and on the reel seat of the rods....if you put it where it's not normally seen...you will always have a chance to claim your goods.

Praying these thieves are caught and have to pay....

I guess I am just too naive. I have been going out to Fork and staying out there quite a bit this year, and I just lock my rods up in the box and don't think much about it. That would suck, I mean it would really suck and it pisses me off and I don't even know your cousin.

There may be some out there, but I wish there was an alarm system in boats like we have on vehicles these days or a better locking device on boats. Usually when I go fishing out there, one of the things I look forward to as much as anything is getting out of the D/FW mess, all of the people seem so nice out there, that I never think about the meth head/ thieving aspect, you would think thats more of a big city problem.

That is why I would not stay at any of those motels around Lake Fork or Tawakoni. Book at a Private Place.

I use an ugly boat its meth head repellant they look at it and think this poor sob has less money than us.

I have a lock-r-bar and have no trouble. And Yank, there was no need for that, self inflicted. That was just not right.

Chris, it has nothing to do with your boat. They see all 6'5" and 250 lbs of you and say.."nahhh".

It seems that the thievery has really picked up lately. And don't forget what happened to Bass Master's Fisherman Jimmy Johnson in that Motel in Mississippi when he confronted the thieves.
http://deadspin.com/police-arrest-confessed-killer-of-texas-fisherman-jimmy-1446718531

Story seems "fishy" for sure with rods on deck of boat next to his and only a 2 hour window... that's tough. It is somewhat surprising you don't see alarms being sold as ad on packages for boats... given how many people trailer around rigs worth well more than the average car, and with WAY more easily stolen valuables inside them than anyone would have in a car...

The lock R bar is a good idea but the comments by Yank have to be taken with a grain of salt; he is somewhat right. I have had stuff stolen from me one when I let my guard down; it has never happened again. We as fisherman have to be smarter; lock your stuff away and if at a hotel take the rods inside. Yes it is a pain but it greatly reduces the chance of them being stolen. We know there are scumbags out there who will steal what you have in a minute. If we dont take this serious and secure our valuable equipment, then we do have to have personal accountabilty for our actions or lack of actions. Sorry about him losing his equipment and I hope it is recovered.

Take everything out always at hotels, period! Expect to be broken into! 45 minutes for me but well worth it!

They try to unload them first to other fishermen then they go to a pawn shop if they can't turn them quick. Dealing with this right now as we speak. Rods made it from lake fork area to Garland pawn shop. If they don't have #'s on them they are impossible to track. Had buddy's looking and they called me that they were there. Police report is a must in case you do find them. And they were methheads that took mine. Advise to EVERYONE, put marks or numbers on every rod/reel and write down serial #'s off of graphs and trolling motors. But if we hadn't done a lot of leg work they never would have been found. Didn't know how these low-rent p.o.s's operated til mine got stolen. But now I a watching for them all the time. Sorry it happened to you to.

Don't feel safe with a Rod-Locker. They just break the thing off. I always take the rods in to the room, even though I have an alarm on my lids.

Had 7 rod/reel combos stolen out of my boat in my carport 2 years ago. Got all seven back within a couple months from three different locations. I had put last four digits of my SS# on the bottom of the reels and on the reel seats on the rods. No question as to who's they belonged to. Sorry the scumbags got yours.

SE Kansas grass grower

You can do a google search and find many stories of fishing gear stolen at motels.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2011/07/st_martin_man_arrested_on_two.html

Have seen lock bars broken into.As far as I am concerned,a thief needs a good whooping!!

You must be thinking of the Go Rilla known as Yates! I'm a nice guy

mmmmmm sounds fishy, rods on the deck of the other boat and the thieves take the time to break into his rod lockers and take his?? with all honesty id be hunting the owner of that boat down because why would a crook risk more time to break into your boat when they're are rods just sitting out in plain sight that are quicker and easier to take ?

Hate to hear about your cousins loss. Too bad we live in a society where we have thieves that will take anything they can get their hands on.
Thieves stalk their prey, very few do smash and grabs. They search, look, and watch for the best places and easiest targets. It's our job to make their quests as difficult as possible. We read these stories on this forumn all the time, and most of the stories are pretty much the same. Most things are stolen from boats and vehicles that were 'easy pickins' for a pro. It's only a few more minutes to protect your stuff and it's a pain, and yeah I get it, we shouldn't have to sleep with our fisning pole, but it's a damn good way to make sure it's there in the morning. jim

There is a revolving door for thieves, they have nothing to lose these days. Unfortunately they have nothing and lose nothing by going to prison, they come out and steal from the very same tax-payers who feed them while they are in prison.

Guys, sorry if I hurt anyone's feelings, but this guy didn't do the responsible thing. Hopefully others will see this and learn to secure their stuff better. You just can't leave stuff in a boat on Lake Fork. I hate a thief as much as anyone, but this is 2014, boys.

Shut up no one cares. It's not ur fault if ur stuff gets jacked. You can always do something to prevent theft but it's never your fault or self inflected if someone decides to take your stuff

LOL

I love it when I hear about someone introducing a thief to their friends Smith and Wesson.

best method right here, I use the same to id my stuff.

sorry he got ripped off but truth is with no way to id them they are gone, no way am I going up to anyone and asking to look at a rod/reel because i think it is stolen unless there is some positive way to id it. good way to get you butt in a huge bind.

hard lesson to learn but I take EVERYTHING out of my boat if in a motel, don't lock a thing up either so they won't tear it up trying to see nothing.

That's pretty funny, considering you hail from Huntsville. I guess proximity to a LOT of criminals does provide some subject matter expertise on the matter.

I'm definitely not trying to kick the guy while he's down, because that's a LOT of money in rods and reels gone. But when are people going to learn that anything that isn't bolted to the ground can and will be stolen around Fork. ESPECIALLY fishing gear. It its out of sight, it's potential theft material. Take EVERYTHING you can inside and if you don't. . .well you really shouldn't be all that shocked when you find that it's gone.

Yes it sucks and its wrong but it IS the way it is. Desperate people do desperate things.

Really...

I don't leave anything on the boat. Period. Yeah, it's a hassle to take six rods, two tackle boxes and three worms boxes out every time but there people on Conroe who will steal your American flag off of your dock so climbing into my boat would be nothing...that is until they heard the hammer clip back on my Sig.

Somebody needs to come up with a way to electrify those rods while they are in the boat.. One touch and zaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaap

But when you check out of your room and drive to the boat ramp to go fishing, they will be waiting for you!

I absolutely hate having to haul everything into a motel room especially when you have been on the lake all day and you are on the third floor and the stairs are at one end and you are in the middle. It is easy to say "I think everything is safe" but the day on the lake tomorrow is no fun with the cane pole.

If you leave something where it can be easily stolen, it's really your fault. Sorry but that's just the world we live in these days.

Sad that some have come to the conclusion that theft is the victims fault.

Plenty of heartless d-bags on here posting "ah you deserved it". Exactly why I rarely post questions anymore. For ever 1 decent post, you have to read 10 a-holes with their smart asz responses! Here's to hoping you get robbed blind to see how much it's "your own fault".

I never leave my stuff in the boat at night anywhere or in my boat storage. Only takes 10 minutes for me to get everything out they might steal.

Leaving it in is like playing Russian roulette. It should not be that way but it is.

The last TTBC tournament at Conroe, Jacob powroznik had all of his rod and reels, depth finders and tackle stolen out of his boat. He fished with borrowed stuff during the tournament and still did really well.

By law what is the LAW saying if you shoot someone in the act of stealing your property? It has to be different than a home I assume but with a conceal carry and you catching them? any info??. Not to pre meditate it by any means...

after all the posts on this forum over the last 3-4 yrs at least about taking stuff out of your boat especially at fork it still amazes me that people don't pay attn to what is said. no IT IS NOT HIS FAULT some db that deserves a lead brkfst stole his stuff but fact of the matter is we all live in a chity society now and people steal stuff because they can so we have to be vigilant and take precautions to prevent it.

how many times have we even read about boats at weigh in being hit here? people get hit right next to their own trailer while sleeping in it.
the sheriff here is making sure they are visible at night and it has worked to an extent but they can not be everywhere watching our stuff.

it is called personal responsibility, no more, no less.

My neighbor told me how his mom's house was recently burglarized while she was out of town, and 3 punks made off with 2 TVs, and some expensive jewelry. (A neighbor saw them, but thought they were there to feed her dog.) She gave the TV serial #s to a Pawn Shop and through their system, the TVs and most of the jewelry was recovered, and 2 of the 3 punks are in jail, looking for the 3rd. So, why can't our fishing equipment, reels included, have serial #s? that would help a lot!

Amen... You have hit the nail on the head...

I saw a boat alarm system at Angler's Pro Tackle that I am seriously considering , it looked dang good, saw a demonstration, portable take it with you when you sleep in a motel while you are fishing. I don't fish but one tournament a year (Skeeter Owner, stayed in some kind of refugee camp last year, never again), but stay in motels around Fork 10 times a year. I haven't had any problems yet but just one crackhead away from a disaster.

YES!!!!!!!!! I went to that same school. My lockers have never been touched but i guarantee the contents are worth far more than the whole rig!

Common sense tells me to not leave my stuff out, then again our society is lacking in common sense.

Common sense tells me not to take something that doesn't belong to you...

Or does this sound better? You shouldn't have locked you rods in your rod locker....... You should have placed them in your motel and locked them in a steel vault. So that way if the thief would have broken into your motel room he couldn't have got into the vault. And then he wouldn't have got his [censored] stolen, where do you draw the line? I had someone slim Jim my truck while my truck was parked in front of my house. And the cop literally asked me why I parked my truck in the street what he heck.

I don't know about other states but in Texas you can use deadly force and Deadly Force to protect your property or others. There are also other laws that makes this even easier to defend at Night. You also do not need a CHL. See Below:

� 9.43. PROTECTION OF THIRD PERSON'S PROPERTY. A person
is justified in using force or deadly force against another to
protect land or tangible, movable property of a third person if,
under the circumstances as he reasonably believes them to be, the
actor would be justified under Section 9.41 or 9.42 in using force
or deadly force to protect his own land or property and:
(1) the actor reasonably believes the unlawful
interference constitutes attempted or consummated theft of or
criminal mischief to the tangible, movable property; or
(2) the actor reasonably believes that:
(A) the third person has requested his protection
of the land or property;
(B) he has a legal duty to protect the third
person's land or property; or
(C) the third person whose land or property he
uses force or deadly force to protect is the actor's spouse, parent,
or child, resides with the actor, or is under the actor's care.

Acts 1973, 63rd Leg., p. 883, ch. 399, � 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1974.
Amended by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 900, � 1.01, eff. Sept. 1,
1994.

� 9.41. PROTECTION OF ONE'S OWN PROPERTY. (a) A person in
lawful possession of land or tangible, movable property is
justified in using force against another when and to the degree the
actor reasonably believes the force is immediately necessary to
prevent or terminate the other's trespass on the land or unlawful
interference with the property.
(b) A person unlawfully dispossessed of land or tangible,
movable property by another is justified in using force against the
other when and to the degree the actor reasonably believes the force
is immediately necessary to reenter the land or recover the
property if the actor uses the force immediately or in fresh pursuit
after the dispossession and:
(1) the actor reasonably believes the other had no
claim of right when he dispossessed the actor; or
(2) the other accomplished the dispossession by using
force, threat, or fraud against the actor.

Yates is a gentler, kinder Go Rilla.

� 9.42. DEADLY FORCE TO PROTECT PROPERTY. A person is
justified in using deadly force against another to protect land or
tangible, movable property:
(1) if he would be justified in using force against the
other under Section 9.41; and
(2) when and to the degree he reasonably believes the
deadly force is immediately necessary:
(A) to prevent the other's imminent commission of
arson, burglary, robbery, aggravated robbery, theft during the
nighttime, or criminal mischief during the nighttime; or
(B) to prevent the other who is fleeing
immediately after committing burglary, robbery, aggravated
robbery, or theft during the nighttime from escaping with the
property; and
(3) he reasonably believes that:
(A) the land or property cannot be protected or
recovered by any other means; or
(B) the use of force other than deadly force to
protect or recover the land or property would expose the actor or
another to a substantial risk of death or serious bodily injury.

Does this advice extend to the Minnow Bucket?

Minnow Bucket, Treble Hook, Sinkers, Bobbers, Dead Minnows, Half a plastic worm..... He should have fair warning if it aint his don't take it.

When I lived in Irving and had my boat stored out here I got the storage broke into once. The deputy who came told me the stolen items get put on the internet to pawn shops. They got a call from a shop in Bossier City that someone had just brought some stolen stuff in. An investigator went over and the shop had pictures of the guys and had heard what casino they were going to. When they found the guys at the casino they had over $3,000 and could not account as to where they got it. Next place they visited was the Wood County Hilton.

I can 100% Guarantee you that with the flood of thousands and thousands of illegals that are stampeding our border the thieving is going to get thousands of times worse everywhere. There is nothing good that will come from this.

I meant is the Minnow Bucket marina/hotel more secure?

I think you missed the point. You need to take care of your stuff. Sure, I can leave my wallet on the dash of my unlocked truck at Walmart and say it's the thief's fault for stealing it, but in reality you have to take care to protect your stuff. It's not like things being stolen is a new thing. Gee, it's not my fault I left the keys in my truck and the doors unlocked and somebody took it, it their fault (even though I gave them the opportunity)...

the TFF sure gets funny in the heat of summer and dead of winter.

So many of the people that are bashing the ones saying. "use common sense and be responsible and lock up your stuff" are the same people who in the past who have bashed those for leaving their stuff in a position to be stolen.

There are so many weak sheep on the TFF that fall in with whichever crowd is louder.



It really sucks we have to fight thievery, but it's the reality of our day and time....

wow...and you guy's don't know they read everything you say.

I could not agree more with yank, if we lived in a perfect world there wouldn't be any need for keys or locks but until then I will continue to unload my fishing gear at motels or any place that requires a layover , and don't lock your rod boxes that will just get your locks or lids broke. And remember they haven't made a lock that a crack head cant defeat.

My thoughts exactly. Hope you get your stuff back.

For me if I am not in a Private Driveway at a Private Residence I take everything valuable out. It is a pain to have to do that but the thievery is getting worse. Still does not mean they wont get life jackets or seats.

With as many issues as there are out there and everybody knows it goes on out there if you lose your stuff at fork it is your own fault.

These a$$ wipes that r saying its the victims fault think just like thieves n rapist, thats what u get for tempting me.They r probably thieves also! It should be enough that he locked his belongings up!!!!

Really? Do you think maybe the guy who got ripped off ever thought "I wish I had taken the time to bring my stuff in"? Nobody is saying it the victims fault, just that they probably could have prevented it. But you just go ahead and leave your stuff out there for the thieves....

Not at fork, it's well known the problems out there. Take your stuff in and these problems don't happen. It amazing to me that people go on about locks and alarms and stuff that does not work when 5 minutes takes care of the problem.

But the people who say "Just take your stuff in the room" are a$$wipes. Amazing.

I really would recommend staying at the private cabins as much as possible.

Would you leave a briefcase full of cash locked up in your backseat over night? No you wouldn't. So don't leave your expensive fishing stuff out. Use common sense and you will be fine. Then again common sense is a thing of the past

I did say it is ultimately the victim's fault that his stuff got stolen. Same as I'd say it would his fault it didn't get stolen if he took it inside. Accountability. That what it boils down to...or lack of. Just cuz a few of us on here call a spade a spade doesn't make us an a$$wipe or a thief. We tend to not sugar coat things as many others do. Facts are facts. If he takes his stuff in, then it doesn't get stolen. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.

this

I don't log in much these days since I am not working with my family any longer. But I caught a thief on Saturday. Not sure if I can post the details because I don't know if he has been arrested or not, but I was able to recover stolen gear from LFM and another business. You may check with the wood county sheriffs department. I know they have at least 3 rod and reel combos in their possession.

If you caught a thief busted yet or not. Post away for if he is not arrested yet this post may help his speedy check in.

Good job Cam.

I hope he was caught but you can always depend on him having a replacement. I always lock up all of my stuff if I am not at a private house.

If it were my stuff that was stolen, I would come back a few days later and leave all my rods on the deck, graphs on the boat and camp out in the bushes

That is really a sad quote. It is not anyone's "fault" when someone steals someone elses belongings. What could be quoted without sounding like this %$&* is that because of the state of our country you are certainly foolish and taking chances when you do not secure your belongings.

It is best to lock your truck doors, house doors, etc., but it is never the victim's fault. We should be able to leave our personal items laying on the deck of the boats and our doors unlocked, but we can't do this because there are a few dishonest folks out there who can be tempted very easy. So the best thing to do is try our best to not become the next victim. If they break into my boat's rod locker and steal my gear while I'm paying for gas inside the store enroute to the lake, I can't do a lot about that. But probably best to take them inside at the motel room. It can be a hassle as mentioned after fishing all day. They might still be stolen from my room while I eat at the cafe down the road....gotta do the best you can not to make it easy.

the problem is these thieves are caught, arrested and sent back home for supper because it's not worth the courts time or expense to make an example out of them. They are usually caught with minimal dollar value according to the "law". Then when you or I catch one and give him a good ol southern @$$ whooping or put a bullet in them, the DA decides its time to add a feather to his hat. The victims don't have rights, they are all awarded to the criminals. As others have said, it doesn't pay to leave it locked up anymore, you have to sleep with it. I don't believe it's my fault for someone stealing my stuff, but it is my responsibility to make all necessary efforts to ensure I have it tomorrow. I don't go to lake fork because of this problem. I blame the law or lack of for it and the local business owners. The police know who's doing it, just don't have time to chase it, cause speeding tickets generate more revenue for the county.

Just my

Why in the world would a poverty stricken pigeon who apparently can't see nor fly for [censored] yankedhardfast squak as though he represents the twackers who steal. We know it's common knowledge twackers steal, we don't need to hear your self inflicted elevator speech ! Put your self in others shoes once yankhard, oh I forgot, Siegel's have no compassion they just squak and [censored]. Another Siegel who thinks he's an Eagle. God bless you pigeons

WTH is a Siegel ?

Siegel pigeons....

I think he meant Sea Gull but have no idea what twacker means.

keep it coming guys!

Sorry to hear about your misfortune. Lake Fork has been notorious for break ins. There is a solution. Give Tightlines Premium fishing Tackle a call. 254-690-3474 (FISH) www.tightlinspft.com We are a new dealership for Truck Vault. We order your bed box to the year and vehicle and design it to your specifications. These vault are secure enough to store your guns in. No more hiding your valuables in the cab unless you want the vault installed in there. These boxes can be engineered to coexist with another product called Cargo Glide which depending on the model you prefer can extend 70-100% with loads between 1000 to 2500lbs.

Take my rods and electronics in the room. Leave the tackle in the boat and latches unlocked. Had some one get under my cover one night but they did not take anything.

What a coincidence as I was reading the whole thread, I got a text from my daughter. Her husband just got home from work and found their house was broken in to while they were at work. They live in another state in a good neighborhood. Nothing is safe anymore.

WOW, I just took 30min to read all the post to this thread. I didn't realize it had turned into a political saga. Well, we have in stock and install rod locker alarms as well. The alarm kit comes with a remote fob to take with you to your room. This is still not an option to being prudent in securing your stuff. Its never the victim fault when this happens, but it is a lesson learned. Thieves are out there and you should always exercise an ounce of prevention, but to voice the obvious to the victim?...I'm sure he is now his worse best conscience. I still sympathize with him over the situation and hopefully his insurance will take care of him. Let this be a lesson to all to mark your stuff and at least have pictures and receipts to show the insurance to process a claim.

Your luck is as bad as mine. They never hit when you are watching. I hate thieves!!!

Poor thieves...they're just doing what they have to do....its our fault for tempting them....right. PC thinking gone mad. A thief is a criminal just like a murderer or rapist...the only difference is the impact of their crime on the victims. Too many people look for a reason to excuse the actions of a criminal. Don't let Yank (and friends) shame you into thinking you did something wrong by locking your rods in the rod box. If you had them in your hotel room maybe they wouldn't have been stolen. When everyone puts them in their hotel room, criminals will break into hotel rooms to steal. With the current failure of the legal system and government to protect law abiding citizens its up to you to protect yourself and your property....but its not your fault criminals do what they do.

I second, third and fourth this.

HUH?

But it is the victim's fault. If the victim didn't work hard to acquire stuff the thief wanted to steal, the thief would not be tempted to steal. So the victim is causing the problem by creating temptation for the thief, the thief is to be pitied because he doesn't have the things he wants and must steal to get them.

As to the drug users, if society would just give them free drugs they would not need to steal to buy them. So we are all at fault for not taking better care of our fellow citizens so they would not need to steal to get the things they want.

And if you lock up your equipment, accept that it was your fault that the thief destroyed your property to get what they wanted from you.

After all, if you had not locked it up, the thief would not have had to destroy anything to get to what he wanted.

Start showing some pity for thieves and drug users instead of being so hard on them.

I really wanna reply to this, but I'm not sure what to say....you ever been in a public place and a 3 yr old little boy walks up to you, grabs your pants leg then just goes to talking away and you can't understand a word he's saying so you just stand there and smile at him? Yeah, that's where I am right now.

Haha

The famaous words of Chris Tucker in Rush Hour "Do You Understand The Words Coming Out of My Mouth"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Rl9Cxc7uZA

No I meant Siegel and a twacker is a meth head. Now about yankhard not understanding what the 3 year old said......pigeons can't comprehend what a 3 old will ever say. Poor buzzard

I have a spot in a gated RV park at fork and unless I get carried away by Jack...I will not leave my boat out...I take it to the storage unit.

It is what it is...you leave your stuff out and you are presenting a wonderful opportunity for a crack head to connect on his next fix. I don't care where you are.

I'm still confused. Am I a pigeon or a buzzard?

I wouldn't pay much attention to Just5. He's a troll who tries to at every turn. Siegel is a surname for a Jew. Twacker is his uneducated way of saying "tweaker". Poor Just5.

Hey fouz..... Can you and yankhard cross pollinate so we can have a revolutionary hybrid pigeon that can hit the streets this spring???? With all the juice fouz has, TPWD might even raise your offspring to insure the concrete jungle won't stress the FLOCK. I will fund this opportunity . Lmk

I know this happen on Aug 8 and is still a bad deal today, but since there has been so many comments to this post, I vote to drop it at the 60day mark. Again, sorry for the loss.

Where is the "LIKE" button!

Right Now you are OK unless you are a Dove.