I was really psyched up to hit Benbrook again, so much so I only got a few hours sleep last night. I woke up when the alarm clock sounded at 5:30am. I got my gear in order the night before so that everything fishing related was ready to go this morning. Well almost everything, I arrived at Benbrook at 6:10 am this morning. I got out of the truck, took a nice deep breath of fresh lake air, it was going to be a grand day at the lake.
I got my rod and tackle out of the back of the truck and that when I noticed something was a little lite on my backside. And my backside is NOT lite by any stretch of the imagination.
I cant believe I forgot my wallet and my wallet is where I keep my fishing license. For just a crazy moment I debated whether I should still go or not, I am proud to say my moral compass that more often than not guides me in the right direction started the process of accepting a morning fishing at the lake was not meant to be today. I put everything in the truck, I watched two vehicles pull up next to me with a couple of guys in each one loaded for bear, each vehicle had more rods than fingers on each of the occupants hands.
They had all the makings of a good day at the lake. Now I have no excuses, I have to do the things I don't want to do but had justified in my mind that I could put off to another day. The crappie spawn only last so long I have been telling myself.
So, help a poor fellow out that cant afford the pay channels that carry the fishing shows. If you don't mind sharing your days catches on this post I sure would appreciate living vicariously through you. I don't care what you caught or where you may have wet a hook, I need a fishing fix. But don't tell me if you caught a 10lb or larger bass at Benbrook Lake, that would be the final straw in my mental health today.
So, what did you catch today?

You did the right thing.

I agree MR, I don't think I would have enjoyed a moment of fishing knowing I did not have my fishing license on me.
Do you or anyone else know if you can make a copy of both your drivers license and your fishing license and put those in your tackle box just in case I ever do something like this again ?
I was trying to remember when the last time if ever I have done this in the past. I could not remember a specific occasion but then again my memory is not as sharp as it once was in my younger days. That truth was clearly evident today when I forgot to check to see if I had my wallet on me before getting into the truck. That was a slow ride through Benbrook let me tell you, lots of construction on 377 and I think I saw just about every Benbrook officer on the force on my ride back to Fort Worth.

Thanks for any answerers in advance, I am off to do more things on my list of have to do's but would I would much rather be fishing.

Ok let's see, I invited a few of these to dinner yesterday




Not my dinner and no big ones but this one made the team.







And it's been dink city for me today.

Jig,
Very nice, thanks for sharing.

sorry you missed out on fishing for the day. Its a hard decision to make, especially since you know you own a license. i wish they would go electronic with them so we can have proof on our phones, just for days when the old wallet is left behind.

If the game warden has a computer they can lookup your license. Of nothing else they can call it in and look it up. Not that every Game warden would go through that trouble.

I wouldnt have let that stop me.....worse case scenerio would be you have to show proof to get the ticket dissmissed

Was fishing with a friend last spring who had forgotten his wallet and low and behold we get checked by the GW. My friend knew his DL # and the GW called it in and verified his fishing licenses. GW also advised my friend that the next warden might not be as obliging.

Don, that was my thinking. I do know my drivers licensee number but so many other variables may have come into play that would have made the decision to go ahead and fish much more difficult for me.
The area I planned to fish is definitely holding spawning crappie. I don't want to sound arrogant but I had a very good chance should I have fished that morning of catching fish.
Then you get into I don't have a fishing license and I have fish in the basket that I caught without a license on me and that is when the tickets may have really added up for each fish in my possession. The Game Warden has the right to take your fishing equipment if you are found to be not in compliance with the law.
I understand what Jeff is saying, I just did not want to roll the dice things would go in my favor. Guilt of knowing I was doing the wrong thing combined with fear of getting caught, I just would not have enjoyed a moment of fishing and enjoyment is the biggest payoff fishing brings into my life.

Did you consider driving back home to get you license and then heading on back? Heck for that matter, head on back out there now. plenty of time left today to catch a mess. Go for it!!!

Jon,
Yes I did consider doing just that, what tipped the scales in not going back home to return again was from my experience the day before and in years past the early am bite is the most productive. You have a small window of time and then they just shut off. The two cars that parked next to me and the ones following them into the parking area told me that I would have little chance of fishing in the small area of known spawning fish. The place I fish is far from being a secret, sadly the trash on the shoreline is testament to that fact.
I did however get a lot of non fishing things accomplished I had planned for later in the day after I returned from fishing. I have more to do today but on my next trip which should be on Wed I will be prepared. On Friday, the day the weather turned ugly, I only saw two other fisherman. One in a boat and one who passed me on the shore. It was like I had my own private lake. It was fantastic.

You can call your wife or ...take a pic of the license from ur wallet and send it for u...just my opinion , maybe help for the next times,jk..lol

Nick,
I like the way you think my man. I wish I had a wife to call. I will say this, I just got back from a great church service and now I have the best "chore" of the week. I stopped at Lisa's Chicken on University Drive on the way home and picked up a small order of fries, an order of fried corn nibblets, and now I get to cook the fish I caught on Saturday.
My cooking skills are almost non existent with one exception, I can fry up some decent eating fillets and few things taste better to me than fresh caught crappie.
If my schedule works out the way I think it will I am going back on Wednesday to do some more grocery shopping. I know most folks have traditional working hours but if anyone is free on Wednesday morning and wants to join me we should have the bank mostly to ourselves.
Until then, it is time to eat and be thankful.

Just as a bit of information for you and anyone else who reads this it's perfectly acceptable to go ahead and let the warden cite you and then just mail in a copy of the citation, driver's licence and copy of your fishing licence to the county court in which you got the ticket. I know from experience lol anyway don't let it stop you next time you paid your fees