...and Hello to all as this is my first post. My brother in law and I have been fishing the Dallas area for the last year and have caught literally several hundred lbs of bass, crappie, bluegill, gar, etc. actually inside the Dallas metroplex visiting various overpasses, creeks, ponds, and lakes. Never knew there was this much good fishing inside the city limits! We fly-fish and use conventional gear and it has been an absolute blast!
My only complaint has been people who come down to the water with their buckets and live wells and "steal" fish that do not meet legal limits. We are both licensed, and 100 percent of these people that we have confronted are not licensed and do not care that they are breaking the law. Most of these people are taking the fish to eat! Yuck!
The other day we were fishing an overpass up in Carrollton and this whole family of 7 people came down to where we were with buckets and began to catch LM Bass (all under 14 inches) with worms and putting them on a stringer. I was cool with it at first but I told my bro in law that if they took more than 5 I was going to have some words with them.
Make a long story short, we had to leave for a awhile to get gas and water and when we came back they had the stringer full with 9 Bass and a bucket full of them. I confronted the guy and he told him that he had to put the fish back because they were under 14 in. He did explain that he was not aware that there was a law but he said he didn't care....he was fishing to get food. I explained to him that he had to have a license to fish and he said I was a liar. I pulled out my license and showed it to him. He just ignored me and walked off. What a bastard! He had the balls to tell me that he saw us fishing down there a couple of weeks back and saw us catching the bass.

Is there anyway to report these SOB's?! One of my favorite fishing spots has been sucked dry because some ignorant people decided they were above the law.

Sorry for the rant but it seems like the people on this board treasure their time on the water as much as I do and I want to make sure that we can continue enjoying it!

Mike

Call the Game Warden. Check the site below

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/warden/

[quote=Dashipa . . . . .
Is there anyway to report these SOB's?! . . . .
Mike [/quote]

If you have a fishing license, LOOK at it - the 1-800 poaching number is on it right there . . . . Take pictures of the perpertrators, and their 'catch' . . . . ., and take a picture of their vehicle / license plate . . .

I will take pics and report it to the warden the next time it happens. Has anybody ever had to do this?

many of times....... call 800-792-4263 operation game thief.
u call also get rewards sometimes from it.

Turn em' in ! Call the game warden!

Disclaimer: I condemn these people

With that said, Game Wardens could give two turds what happens in Dallas County. Its a waste of time to call, because they wont come out. They have other, more important, bodies of water to deal with than anything in Dallas. Its no necessarily a condemnation, its just facts. I can go to Bachman by Love Field and watch people keeping small'ish bass, catfish, and crappie. It burns me up, but nothing will be done. TPWD could go out there and have a field day on peoples fish, not having licenses, etc. But most of those people are dirt poor, and while the tickets may be written, the fines will go unpaid, so it wastes the game wardens time and efforts.

I liken it to the no panhandling laws in Dallas. Its illegal, but do you think the officers are going to waste their time writing a ticket? Even if some of these vagrants did get tickets, where are they gonna get the money to pay for it?


Your fishing hole aint dried up.

Chubby,

That was my initial sentiment too. I guess if the same people get reported repeatedly maybe they might do something.
Anyway, nothing spoils an outing quicker than a carload of people crashing your spot and watching them take fish as if there was no tomorrow...illegally. That situation that occurred this weekend just sent me over the edge a bit.

Mike

Why dont you just tell him on the spot, that your going to call the game warden on him. That should get him movin.

Game Wardens take there duties to heart more so than your local or county PD. I guarantee if you call the 1-800 number a Warden will come out and atleast issue fines.

Is he supposed to wait until it does? A poacher can wipe out a creek or pond in a very short time. Your do nothing attitude is just as bad as the poachers IMO.

Dashipa,
Welcome to the Forum!
Where in Carrollton were they poaching? I live in Carrollton and
have "released" all my bass from certain places from my livewell
into Carrollton ponds. I DO THIS SO KIDS CAN CATCH BASS!!!
I tell everyone I know where to take their kids to fish in
Carrollton, because I know there are many, many, 1-2 lb Bass
in these ponds. Let me know the intersection this took place
close to, I will be on the lookout, and I WILL put the fish
back in the water!!!
Patrick Chambers

Just yell, "I'm an internet newbie who doesn't know hos to post responsibly on a public forum"

Game wardens on lake georgetown will be there in an instant. We have seen them several times giving tickets. Just on sunday two were giving parking tickets to folks that were not between the 2 white lines.

I guess it all depends on who pays the most taxes..dunno..

On the other hand... I was raised in GW hell...

Call the wardens everytime this happens and maybe something will get done to these familys!!!!