Ugly incident on the water

[NC Rockhopper]

Originally Posted by Fishbreath

This is another testament why all georgia sportsman should keep the TIP hotline number programed in their phone.

1-800-241-4113

a physical description, time and place, vehicle description and tag number if possible goes a long way in helping LE stop the misuse of our resources. Even better if you can safely get pictures of the suspects.

Its everyone's resources and we shoud all be concerned about protecting them.

Couple springs ago I saw a kid fishing the C&R at Smiths right below the dam with a smorgasborg of live bait and reported him to one of the DNR driving by...I was the one that got checked (with no violations for the record).

Last spring at Toccoa C&R after watching a local dry cleaning the big hole below the canoe launch for the better part of a half hour (he was not ignorant, he had his truck parked across the road and kept sneaking over there to stash his fish in his cooler) my anger tempted me to make another report. I called the tip line and after 20 minutes on phone with a brainwashed government bimbo in Atlanta who wanted to know every thing about me and no thing about the poacher, I hung up and hauled arse...leaving the river to the poacher.

Admittedly I must be a slow learner because it took me twice to learn to NEVER report anything to the GA DNR EVER again...

I've met some great game wardens over the years but there's just not enough of them. Since there's so few game wardens and so much territory, they should make penalties so $tiff it will get the message to the poachers.

[F.A.R.R.]

Originally Posted by NC Rockhopper

Couple springs ago I saw a kid fishing the C&R at Smiths right below the dam with a smorgasborg of live bait and reported him to one of the DNR driving by...I was the one that got checked (with no violations for the record).

Last spring at Toccoa C&R after watching a local dry cleaning the big hole below the canoe launch for the better part of a half hour (he was not ignorant, he had his truck parked across the road and kept sneaking over there to stash his fish in his cooler) my anger tempted me to make another report. I called the tip line and after 20 minutes on phone with a brainwashed government bimbo in Atlanta who wanted to know every thing about me and no thing about the poacher, I hung up and hauled arse...leaving the river to the poacher.

Admittedly I must be a slow learner because it took me twice to learn to NEVER report anything to the GA DNR EVER again...

I've met some great game wardens over the years but there's just not enough of them. Since there's so few game wardens and so much territory, they should make penalties so $tiff it will get the message to the poachers.

I know that DNR officers are in limited supply, but the ones I have met in the field where all very Professional and seemed to take there occupation seriously.

There must be some disconnect with the tip line you mention?

Even though DNR officers are not as many as in the past I have encountered them what I would refered to as quite frequently in the field -both while hunting and fishing. They seem to patrol the Amicaloa Delayed harvest pretty heavily-I would say on my time on the water there I have been checked about 25% of the time. I am not sure why the DNR presence is so strong there?

[Windknot]

Originally Posted by F.A.R.R.

They seem to patrol the Amicaloa Delayed harvest pretty heavily-I would say on my time on the water there I have been checked about 25% of the time. I am not sure why the DNR presence is so strong there?

More reported violations there.

[saltysenior]

i've hunted, fished and did a little trapping in my life....i'm not 100% an angel but rarely break any laws.....i believe most outdoor users that have spent time enjoying the sports can identify a fish and game LEO that they know does his job w/ a better effect than his co- workers....one i remember in S.C. would do nothing but leave his card on your windshield..never met or seen him but i knew he was there. seems like nowdays they don't do anything till they get a call on the radio..i think exposure to the public with nothing more than their occasional presence
would help..

[random_lengths]

Originally Posted by BUBBA CORNCHUCKER

TALK TALK TALK. At least the signs I proposed is some sort of action.
There used to be a sign above Burrells ford that the DNR put up advising people that the area above the bridge was not hatchery supported, and catch and release was encouraged. I still kept a few fish that day but I didn't feel too good about it. It felt like I was doing something wrong and I have never Kept another one up there since. That sign is long gone, either rotted down or burned for firewood, who knows, but I do know this- without that sign or this website I wouldn't have thought twice about keeping everything I caught.
Your not going to change the slobs but I believe there are a lot of people like my wife and I who were just ignorant of the facts. Now we preach catch & release to everyone who might listen. If we could educate just a few people per stream it would save thousands of trout over time.

That sign was taken down because it was in the Ellicott Rock Wilderness Area and was deemed not to be "wilderness compliant".

[deaddrift]

I fished that area about a month ago and a DNR/FS truck did drive through. It's a shame that area is such a redneckpalooza.