If a pals at a camp site loading fishing gear, is he liable for a ticket, by him not having a license ?

No, but if you get a bad agent then you will have to go prove it in a court. Fishing is fishing, not possession of equipment espectially not on a body of water.

"Any person who takes or attempts to take fish, mussels, clams, crayfish or other aquatic life in the public waters of Texas must have a current Texas fishing license with the appropriate stamp endorsement."

M'thinks "takes or attempts" is the key words here.

Given some of the wardens in this area who were hired due to affirmative action, I would not risk having any gear without a license near the water. Some of them are real pinheads and do not have the intelligence of a goat.

In general, a game warden in Texas will only write you a ticket for no license if he reasonably thinks you are fishing, or you have fish in your possession. Have observed instances where a parent - with no license - was assisting children who were fishing, and the GW did not write a citation because the parent was not 'actively fishing'. They will usually use their good judgement in a given situation.

The mere act of loading fishing gear at a campsite without fish in possession is probably not gonna get a ticket unless there were special circumstances (did your buddy mouth off to the GW?)

as a former game warden in Florida, we were taught that unless you actually see someone in the act of fishing, you could not even check their license...

I have taken friends on the boat,and they always watch you(the game wardens)As long as they do not put their hands on a rod(your company), that hits the water,or reel in any thing,they won't bother you.At calaveras they will be watching you.

My question is simply hypothetical, but I'd say that Zeekthe could sure give a teen some real world advice.

Yes!

Yes!

now when I was a kid at lake pirue in ca. my dad was scolded by the game warden for not having a license to fish because he helped my little brother bait his hook , bit no ticket he just sat there all day upset, that he could not show him and teach him how to bait his own hook.

Never had any uncalled problems from a game warden

Witnessed a game warden at the Lake Arlington boat docks request people to leave that were fishing without a license. Probably did so because it would have taken him the rest of the evening just to write the tickets based on the number of people who left.

Steve, you can take Olive fishing with you and she does not need a license.

What a dumb statement you need to get over it or go back to the hills.

That is kind of a racist statement.