Don't be poochin' round here!

Went on a bike ride with Leah.  When we got to the bridge we stopped and looked down at the river...what did we see???

Sgt. Mahi walkin' a poocher up the bank to the hood of the car...SWEET!

I  Mahi!

Ummmmmm..........I vote mob hanging.


WTG Pooch Patrol

Steelhead fishing with no steelhead punch card...no trial needed.

string him up !!!

I can't comment due to pending litigation.....................

I'll just say that you better not have barbed hooks and you had better have a report card.

CHEERS!

Was it an open stream?

Way to book 'em, Dano!   

  " Bang" ... " Hault "..Ops...

 Oh Well, .... F#$#@@!@ Poucher Don't Need no Stinking Trial

 Kool Gig Mahi Mahi...

Mahi, you're my hero.

Nice work Mahi. Good to hear poochers getting their come uppance. And scwa, take it easy on the boosting.

Z

  You are THE MAN MAHI!!!! Get them poochers!!!

-FF

I've gotta say, there are different levels of pooching. And fishing w/out a steelhead report card has got to be one of the least offensive infractions. Fishing w/barbed hooks is a little more offensive though, as it can do actual damage to the fishery (via increased mortality rates).
The alleged poocher should receive a fair trail. And the punishment should fit the crime. In the case of 'fishing w/out a report card' the offender shouldn't be put in the guillotine; maybe just remove a finger. If the guy was fishing w/dynamite and selling the steelhead carcases on the black market, then, well....batter up!
PK

Where's the helmet cam?? JK

I've gotta say, there are different levels of pooching. And fishing w/out a steelhead report card has got to be one of the least offensive infractions...

I'd have to agree with this statement. And as you said...fishing with barbed hooks is definitely a no no. This is deserving of at least a nasty fine.

-deva

I don't know the details of the arrest, and this is certainly not meant to reflect on Mahi Mahi, but is instead, a reflection on the California justice system and Fish and Game laws:

If the suspect told the officer, prior to arrest, that he was fishing for Steelhead, then yes he should get popped for yet another California law that turns otherwise moral and ethical (yet perhaps ignorant) people into criminals. If he stated that he was fishing for any other legal species, and did not have any Steelhead in possession, then I hope the DA/Judge drops those particular charges. It is my personal opinion that the way this particular law is enforced (fish in any water that has ocean access and Oncorhynchus mykiss are present, then no matter what you are actually fishing for, you better have a card!) is driven by revenue generation. I haven't fished for Steelhead, per se, in frickin years. However, because I fish in waters where Steelhead are present, I've always been told to buy the darn card. Which I then have to return to the DFG every winter, at my time and expense, with zero entries...

If he was fishing with fully barbed hooks in barbless water, then I don't have much sympathy for him. But was there an attempt to "de-barb" the hook? There are plenty of tales of folks being popped because the enforcement officer found that barbs were not 110% flattened. Also, the punishment should fit the crime. Just how many released fish did he kill by using barbed hooks? Did he keep illegal fish because they were mortally wounded by a barbed hook? That would be a good indicator of how severe the penalties should be. If the number was not provable to be greater than zero, then should the fine actually be large?

I guess I feel in general that punishment should be related to the provable impact to the resource. No card? Sorry, probably zero impact. Low fine, how about some community service helping out Steelhead habitat restoration? Barbed hooks in barbless waters? How many fish were impacted? What's the value of each fish? Fine based accordingly. Killing breeder sturgeon? Taking dozens/hundreds of illegal abalone - Throw the book (a big heavy book) at them. Etc....


Regards,
Scott

I have encountered DFG on the Russian between Hopland and Cloverdale several times - they have been courteous and professional. I sometimes use flattened barbed hooks and have not been given any special scrutiny or grief. I would like to think that I greet the wardens in a friendly manner, I keep my area clean and neat and do my fishing by-the-book. So far, no problems. I appreciate seeing the Wardens out and checking for poochers. As for Dan - whether it's catchin' big Dinos or evil doers, keep up the good work.

John