I really hate to be negative here, but at the same time don't want this to go unnoticed.

I'm pulling up to the dock at Worth yesterday, and I see a little girl about my daughter's age (5) on the dock fishing with her grandparents. A respectable looking family obviously killing a Sunday afternoon by taking a kid fishing---something we all champion.

As I pulled up, I asked the little girl if she had caught the biggest fish in the lake yet. she shyly smiled and said no. I then opened up my tackle box and told her I had a special lure made just for kids--and I gave her one of my beetle spins, and told her how to use it. Heck, it beats sitting there watching a bobber.

As I was walking off the dock, a FW Marshall drove up. I just KNEW it was not going to be good. The Marshall went on the dock, and I'm not sure what transpired, but by the time I had my boat out of the water, everyone on the dock was leaving (including the grandparents and their little girl). I assume the Marshall was checking for fishing licenses or something.

Look, I know there are laws to be upheld, such as it is illegal to take more than three sips of beer at a time while standing, or the entire Encyclopedia Britannica being banned in this state because it contains a formula for making beer at home, but these Marshals swoop down on people like Storm troopers. NOTE: The FW Police Dept. Officers that go down there are the COMPLETE OPPOSITE. They are very respectful to everyone there.

It just really irks me that (as clich� as it sounds), my tax money is going to an department like this who deem it appropriate to treat every citizen for which they come in contact with the utmost disrespect.

Maybe it's me, but if I had that job, I and I dealt with people on a daily basis, I would go more by the heart . . . instead of going by the book.

Please note I am not trying to turn this into a "bash the Marshall's" post, but at the same time, this forum is for edification of any and all fishing experiences. The more we know . . .

The really sad thing about this story is a five year old child now has a negative impression of law enforcement officers.

I know these guys get frustrated by their job and dealing with all us horse's a**es - heck I KNOW I would - but it'd be nice if they'd remember to turn it down a notch around children.

Sorry to hear about that bummer of a story. The job is a tough job. Takes a special breed of person to inforce the law. There are folks working in law inforcement that should not be in that field. Sometimes it could be the boss that the officer is working for.
There are folks that are dentists that shouldn't be fixing anybody's teeth. There are fishing guides that have no customer service skills.
Some folks develop the needed skills and some don't.
I'm glad I don't run into those folks very often.

I guess I don't see the issue here.

I think this weekend was free fishing weekend from what I kept hearing during the week heading up to it. You didn't need a license for the weekend, but maybe that was just Saturday.

here is an issue I have had personally happen to me and take it for what it is worth cause I am a police officer (I consider myself one of the good guys). back on january 28th, 2007 I had a drunk guy attempt to assault me in front of his 3 year old boy. well it didnt turn out real well and daddy got injured as did I. but the 3 year old son had to see me taze daddy and attempt to do anything I could to restrain daddy. well mom was good enough to remove the 3 year old from the living room so he did not have to see all of it. after it was all said and done with, the 3 year old got a stuffed animal and we chatted like adults after daddy was taken to jail. mom explained to the son that I was trying to help daddy. I explained to the 3 year old and he understood as much as he could.

just my .02

so yes there are great cops and there are guys who have no business wearing a badge at all.

Mike,

The really good thing about THIS story is a three year old has a positive impression of a law enforcement officer. Good job!

The question is, was it a fishing dock? or where you dock your boat to and from the ramp??? I know around here that there is no fishing signs posted on our docks, we have special docks for fishing. So as I see it, even if you were not offended or bothered, there are several that might be, and if the officer let them fish there, then he would be setting a precedence, and allowing them to "break" the law. I know there was a thread on here bashing those that fish off the docks, so it would really depend. I for one don't care if they are fishing and move when I bring my boat up, but not everyone shows respect on the water or docks.

Seems like the docks are marked "loading and unloading only". Sucks in a way for the kid but maybe the grandparents did not have a license but at least they are patrolling and checking nonetheless. Back just 2 years ago it was a rough place at both ramps and they have improved the area well.

So, I was trying to load up my boat this last weekend at Palestine, and there was an old lady sittin in a chair at the very end of the short dock at the boat ramp. Then I have a guy in a jon boat that has the rope from the front of his boat hung up in his prop at the back of the boat and he is just floating right in the way. He knew we were there and didnt move. So, not only could we not pull up to the bank because he was in the way, but we couldn't pull up to the dock because of the lady. We sat there for a good 5-10 minutes waiting for someone to move so we could load the boat and I was thinking of all the times I have read about stories from this website. So it was actually funny to me. Wish we had a Marshall out there to get folks out of the way. And maybe I am mistaken, but do you really even know what was said to the girl and her grandparents? If I remember correctly, aren't you the one that posted a thread on here about gettin several citations from one of the FW Marshalls? This didnt happen about the same time all of the storms were hitting the area was it? Maybe he just merely asked them to move to another area so they weren't in the way and didn't run into any of the hot headed, impatient people in the world that might be trying to load or unload their boats. I'm not trying to start anything either, but, if you don't know what was said, I see NO reason to post negative things about law enforcement.

There is a lot that could be said here and I'm going to leave it at that...

Wait a minute...beetle spins are for kids? Dang.

I feel sorry for the little girl, but if this was a courtesy dock at a boat ramp I am 100% behind the marshals decision. Lake Worth may be the worst about people fishing off of the courtesy dock, its like that at both ramps. If those areas were fishing piers they would be marked that way.

I can look at the situation from all three perspectives...as an officer,as a dock fisher,and as COFFEE saw it.The officer was enforcing the law as he obviously saw fit.The officer may have been very polite about explaining why they couldn't fish from the dock,and not appear negative at all.I hope so.He had to make a judgement call,and no matter what,when you make judgement calls,they will be unpopular with some of the people.
Then as a non boat owner...if there is a courtesy dock nearby...I FISH FROM IT."Just a confidence thing".If I see someone needing to tie off,I move and give them all the room they need.If the Corp of Engineers tells me to get off the dock,I'll move...for that day anyway.But I'll be back on it the next time I go there.
Then,as a man who loves to see kids fishing...I too hooked a couple of youngsters up recently,and gave one of them a positive impression of the men and women in uniform.
The frst time,I was sitting at a light,in uniform one block away from Academy.I had just bought some lures from a small shop near my house,and paid way too much for them.Well the kid sees me sitting next to them,and I smiled and waved to him.So he was talking to me,but I couldn't hear.I got out of my car and talked to him for a minute.I asked him if he liked to fish,and he said "yes".So I gave him a pack of Brush hogs and told him to go catch a big one.It made his day.Then my 5 y/o neighbor came to my house the next day to show me his new rod/reel combo(I always let him use my worthless spincast to play with).I was sorting lures,so he asked if he could have some.So I found an empty bag,and let him fill it with soft plastics.He's moving soon,so I don't know how much fishing he'll get done.So COFF,I'm with you,I know your heart was in the right place.But the officer had to make a judgement call on that one.No matter what...every call is unpopular with someone.It's just something we have to deal with.

Lake Lavon is just about as bad. People show up with their lawn chairs and turn the Courtesy dock into a Drive In.

It clearly says "No Fishing" on the thing, but I guess the Non Boating Visitors can't read.