Over The Limit

[sagefisher]

WDFW NEWS RELEASE
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091
http://wdfw.wa.gov/

December 12, 2008

Over-the-limit Rufus Woods fisherman forfeits boat

OLYMPIA - A Rufus Woods Lake fisherman cited earlier this year for too many fish in his daily catch recently forfeited his boat and other equipment to the state.

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) officers cited Pedro Martinez, 46, of Moses Lake on two counts July 26 at Rufus Woods Lake on the Okanogan-Douglas county line in north central Washington. Martinez was cited for possessing 13 rainbow trout-11 over the legal daily catch limit of two-and for failing to display his catch for inspection to officers when requested.

The criminal violations cost Martinez a $250 fine and the loss of his boat, boat motor, boat trailer, cooler, and fishing rod and reel.
A Washington state hearings officer recently finalized the forfeiture of the equipment, valued at an estimated $2,500.

"This case is a good example of how a fish and wildlife violation can end up costing much more than a standard fine," said WDFW Sgt. Jim Brown of Okanogan. "Loss of equipment for serious intentional violations is a strong deterrent to others."

Brown credits other arrests to concerned anglers who are reporting violations they see by cell phone to WDFW's poaching hotline (877-933-9847) and then testifying to their observations.
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Justice is served

Larry ---sagefisher---

[Vulture6]

Where's the smilie for a "Standing Ovation"?

Work well done!

[Kerry Stratton]

Hows this?

[nighthawk]

Here in Pennsylvania they probably would have been fined several hundred dollars per fish in addition to all of the other forfeitures they made! I say good for the people that turned them in and bravo for the wardens that nabbed them!

[Ron Eagle Elk]

Always glad to see a poacher go down in flames, especially when it costs them a lot.

[DG]

I caught two people this past summer with a few more than the limit in their cooler. Fishing from a put-and-take lake and with somewhere to be, I chewed em out and sent them home. In hindsight, I prolly should have written them up or called the DOW on em, and been half an hour late.

In CO it is $35 for the first illegal fish and $10 for each additional, I believe. Never had to write one of those.

Oh well, will have my eye open for them next summer. Maybe they will have learned to read by then. Or not.

[ashbourn]

Taking their gear seems a bit much. A large fine seems better $100 per fish or something like that. This might drive them to return to fishing but stay within regs.

Joe Fox