I don't think I've seen anyone checking fishing licenses or fish size/creel limits more than 5x in 45 yrs. How about in Tx.? I was stationed and fished in Tx over 4 years and saw enforcement at any of the lakes I fished. It's nice having regs, but if no one enforces them what's the point? As for me yelling at some clown for keeping too many and/ or undersized fish, all I get is the middle finger for my outrage wondering where my annual fishing license fee goes to. Certainly not to the stocking of any waters I fish.

Fees for licenses go to TPW and support projects such as stockings, land management, and water conservation. I am sure there are other projects covered by the license fees as well. As for TPW law enforcement, game wardens are spread out thin over a very large state. I have fished most of my life and do not get checked all that often. I always love seeing the game wardens out doing their job and appreciate all they do.

Depends on the lake, GW’s are always on Canyon lake and I rarely see them down at Choke. Surprisingly, they are on the small city lake here a lot.

I get checked at Choke about every 5 or 6 times a year and that goes back for over 20 years. I'm mostly on the water there October thru May. I also get checked once or twice during the white bass run on the Nueces.

Never a ticket, never a problem. I guess I'm in the right place at the wrong time.

I see the GW a few times a year here on Cedar Creek. I just wave at him and he waves back. I've never been checked on Cedar Creek for license, creel limit or anything else. The last time I was checked on a lake was probably in 1998 on Grapevine. That year I got checked twice in a few months.

I fish in many different locations and I have been checked several times on different lakes including Squaw Creek, Wheeler Branch, Granbury, Whitney, and the coast. I wish there were more GWs around. There are lots of violations occurring. If you see flagrant or reoccurring violations call them in. The GW will often try and investigate or at least check the area more often. I have had good interactions with GW and some that could have been better, but in general they help protect the resource and should be supported.

In my 53 years I have been checked twice while fishing...once on the Pedernales during the white bass run and once on Fayette. What little presence I see on/around the lakes here in Cen-Tex seems mostly focused on water safety vs. wildlife resource enforcement.

I wish they would write tickets for littering.

Got checked twice within 30 minutes while fishing a tournament on Lake Bonham and I was still in the same spot when he checked us the second. I commented on being checked twice in such a short time and was told that he would check us every 5 minutes if he wanted to . Used to get checked regularly on Monticello and they do it pretty regularly on Welsh if it isn't deer season .

I have been checked several times at Lake Bob Sandlin. Had the same set of GW's check my partner and me twice during a tournament. I have been checked several times on Lake O' the Pines, especially during the 3 month winter period when the rules are changed. Heck, I have even been checked leaving a private lake for fish and deer. Don't even start me on the times they have checked me during hunting season. That said, I have never received a ticket and they are just doing their job. And yes, I am inside the Pine Curtain of East Texas.

Once, but that was only boat safety check. Had them drive right past me in kayak to check folks on the bank and noticed that coincidentally my floating basket had come loose and was 50-75 yds away. If they had noticed, it would have looked guilty as hell but I was 100 percent legal (as usual). Just never worth being nervous / looking over my shoulder for a few extra fish.

Are you there more often during the week? I’m only there on weekends, might be the difference.

I've been checked on average at least twice a year out here in West Texas.I know all the GW's personally so its usually a casual check and a friendly chat.Sadly the last 2-3 years our GW's and DPS personel have been tasked with border security.Our local GW,Larry,has been doing 1-2 weeks out of every month down on the border with neighboring GW's filling in while they rotate border detail.............this leaves two GW's to cover over 3000 sq miles plus two lakes.I'm just going to say it..........if our federal government would do their job our state government could be taking care of theirs.

LET'S GO BRANDON

Texas has a little over 500 Game Wardens. Some of those are in administrative, supervisory, or investigative positions. Now subtract the ones on days off, vacation, holidays, training, sick or injured, and special assignment, and it's a wonder that we ever see them at all. They're spread pretty thin.

Exactly!
With the border situation, and those who ignore our laws from the start, they won't be worrying about our game laws either.
Our law enforcement are in trouble across the board, so don't be too hard on them.
With the way things are, I'm surprised anyone would want to sign up for the job!