From Texas Game Wardens

On March 14th, Freestone County Game Warden Shawna Poole was patrolling Lake Fairfield when she seized an illegal gill net and filed charges on the parties associated with it.

Warden Poole had just checked and released a boat of Dallas-area fishermen who were cast netting for tilapia and running jug lines. Shortly after releasing the group, she discovered the illegal gill net near where she first made contact with the group. Once the net was discovered, Warden Poole went back to the boat to follow up on their knowledge of the net. As she re-approached the group, they were quickly pulling up their jug lines and heading towards the boat dock in what appeared to be an effort to vacate the area. Warden Poole questioned them about the gill net and they soon confessed that it was theirs and they had put it out around 8 am. The gill net, which measured approximately 500� in length, contained numerous tilapia and a largemouth bass. Citations were issued for the illegal net and take game fish by illegal means/methods. State Park Police Officer Jeremy Gann met Warden Poole at the boat ramp and assisted with the release of all the fish.

GOOD!

I just saw this posted on FB, and it ticks me smooth off.

Literally everybody knows for a fact that gill nets are illegal, and these idiots are running a 500' one in a freaking lake? They should have been arrested for it, nothing less. This is not some mistake or ignorance of the law situation, it is obviously a blatant disregard for the law and conservation efforts on every level. Why else would they have been in a hurry to grab their gear and flee the area? Right, they knew they were had. Then they get a freaking ticket? SMH

If any type of case warrants confiscating gear and locking someone up, this is a prime example of it. Yet they got a ticket. Glad they were stopped, but the GW's should not have let them skate on something like this.

If Warden's would start taking boats and all gear, it would get expensive for these criminals. Even though they get their stuff back, they would spend thousands on attorneys.

Should `ve arrested them and put them UNDER the jail. SMH

Absolutely agree with both of you. Being over the possession limit, or having an undersized fish is one thing. But this kind of blatant abuse certainly merits confiscation of everything - nets, boat, etc

And they were cast netting and running lines. Just how greedy and low down can you be? Don't think this is the first time they have done it.

There is a rumor that illegal fishermen such as this have been selling to restaurants under the table and other persons.

Would love to see them get hit hard with expensive fines. When you realize how small Fairfield lake is and how large a 500 foot gill net is, you get a picture of how much damage a gill net can do.

People like this can take more than 3 times the legal limit in an afternoon.

Anyone want to guess WHO these people were?

No habla engless

If someone sets a net and knows it is illegal, I'm sure the net would not have been tagged with someone's name etc. on it. Why not tell the GW it wasn't their net? If the net was a Float Net design....it would have a LOT of visible floats. I ran nets of all sorts in NC...It was legal in the 70's and 80's.May still be,I don't know. If I were to set an illegal net, it would be a SINK NET design.Meaning the complete net would be underwater and still have floats on it. I made a few different nets in my time there and always obeyed the Laws. I'm with ya'll, these guys should have the book thrown at them. BTW....I lived on the coast so all my gear was in saltwater. In NC..GW's will confiscate all your gear including your boat. They have been known to come to your house and get your stuff too. Kudo's to the Tx GW.

I�m kinda thinking the GW have been watching them for a while...probably watched the whole thing, made contact, then got around to their dirty laundry...

I suspect a ticket was written, but no prosecution, and I doubt they will ever show up for court, and I doubt anyone would bother issuing an arrest warrant

I would bet you are wrong.

Considering the area, this wouldn't surprise me at all! Back in the early 90's we used to fish the Trinity from 287 down to where RC Creek dumps in, and there was a ton of illegal fishing activity going on back then, i can only imagine now!