DFG at TC 11/15

If you don't high grade, don't take undersized abs, don't pop abs for your buddy, and just pop your three and tag them as soon as you get to beach you really shouldn't have any problems...

If you do break any of the above rules then you really have no one to blame for a ticket but yourself...

Filling out the card can be a PITA, but it's not rocket science and once it's done it's done, then you can walk to your car and get a cold drink and relax.

Just my 2 cents...

 

Sincerely,

Jim

That is correct for the most part, but you can get ticketed if you don't happen to carry some scissors to cut the tags, cause they tear off and you better have something to attach the tag to the shell.  I'm just saying if you don't have a sharp knife or scissors and a zip tie, string, or fishing line, it will he nearly impossible to attach the tag in a sufficient manner to pass a strict warden.  The old punch cards were much easier to deal with.

Yeah...but those are just necessary tools for going ab diving IMO.

Like an ab iron and gauge...need to bring license, report card, knife, zip ties and pen.

If you're fishing you need to bring a rod, reel and license...not any different really.

If you forget your zipties or knife or pen, you really don't have anyone to blame but yourself.

Not saying I wouldn't be bummed if I forget them and got a ticket, but it would be my fault and not DFGs cuz the rules are very clear and it is my responsibility to know them and follow them.

 

Sincerely,

Jim

Not to harp on this, but it's pretty easy to throw a handful of zipties (or wad of old fishing line) and a pen into a nalgene bottle or other waterproof container along with your report card/license...and that's it you're set for the season.

As far as the knife goes....if you lose/forget your dive knife I bet you can find a sharp shell or rock on shore and it would work fine to cut the tag off and poke a hole in it.   

 

Sincerely,

Jim

I saw domenec do this and it's perfect:  As soon a s you buy your tags, punch out the holes and perforate the tags so they tear off easily.  They sell hole perforators at craft stores for < $10.

Now all you need to remember is the zip tie and a small pen, which I just keep in the same waterproof pouch as the tags.

I've seen a rookie spear fisherman bring ashore a 21 inch Ling and tell everybody about it.  He said he couldn't tell the size underwater.

Also a kayak fisherman with 3 short Lingcod. It was his first time and didn't know the difference with the  species. 

They all walked away free.

You think they'll give you a break if you can't fill out the tags/report card if the pen is not working?

You think they'll give you a break if you can't fill out the tags/report card if the pen is not working?

I would probably resort to cutting myself and writing in blood. While it might not be legal I can't imagine the citation sticking.

I saw domenec do this and it's perfect:  As soon a s you buy your tags, punch out the holes and perforate the tags so they tear off easily.  They sell hole perforators at craft stores for < $10.

Now all you need to remember is the zip tie and a small pen, which I just keep in the same waterproof pouch as the tags.

Yeah, when the new cards came out I saw several posts about this method and it seems to work great...

I personally haven't done it because I would be afraid of the perforated tag coming off the report card before I was ready to use it, and/or a warden saying that the tags were "altered" or something by having them all peforarted and with holes poked in them.

While I haven't heard of anyone having problems with this method, it just takes one slice to cut the tag off the card and one poke to make the hole for the ziptie so that's the method I prefer to use.

 

Sincerely,

Jim

Abdiver Eric showed me he uses a letter opener. The kind that has a razor blade and the tag (letter) slides in the triangular wedge area and gets cut by the blade. Works great, but I keep forgetting to get one.

Abdiver Eric showed me he uses a letter opener. The kind that has a razor blade and the tag (letter) slides in the triangular wedge area and gets cut by the blade. Works great, but I keep forgetting to get one.

Cheap, Easy and Effective-

Its obvious DFG officers take Ab violations pretty seriously.  As I mentioned earlier me and my buddy Taurus987 were left alone and weren't inspected.

The weather forecast was way off that day.  Instead of the 5 to 7 knots forecast the wind blew to around 20 knots.  Despite the strong wind and fast drift I still managed a limit of lings (30 inches and 27 inches) plus 7 keeper RF, let a bunch dinks go.  Taurus987 did about the same. 

We seem to be boat magnets, a few PB stayed close to us most of the day.

I got my 3 on Sun, hit the beach, filled out card, went to car. Pretty simple.

I had bunch of zip ties, a towel & FOUR pans in my dry bag last Sun. Forgot my scissors at the camp, but used a line cutter on my PFD.
I had an bad pen experience before that went through two pens & have to wait there until the pens dried.

I have a friend who works for DFW as a biologist (not ATD). He had a bad pen experience & the warden gave him a ticket. He told him that he use to work on abalone too, but the warden just told him that then he should've known better... It sucks, but can't not laugh about it... I still give him a hard time when I see him.

I got my 3 on Sun, hit the beach, filled out card, went to car. Pretty simple.

I had bunch of zip ties, a towel & FOUR pans in my dry bag last Sun. Forgot my scissors at the camp, but used a line cutter on my PFD.
I had an bad pen experience before that went through two pens & have to wait there until the pens dried.

I have a friend who works for DFW as a biologist (not ATD). He had a bad pen experience & the warden gave him a ticket. He told him that he use to work on abalone too, but the warden just told him that then he should've known better... It sucks, but can't not laugh about it... I still give him a hard time when I see him.

That's when you hire a good lawyer out of principal.  I carry three pens and they were in zip locks and dry bag but still somehow got wet before. I also misplaced my dive knife once and couldn't cut the slips off.  Luckily someone came by and they said they had scissors in the truck.  So I filled out tags while they got them.  Now I carry small mustache scissors with tags. Issues like these happen and those are chicken s#!+ wardens that can't see the difference between an honest mistake or misfortune vs someone who deserves a ticket. They should read this and get a clue.  If they want people to report poachers and follow the rules they need to be more flexible to those trying to do the right thing.  I in no way believe statements like the supervisor will not allow them to make judgement calls.  That's just BS and everyone knows it. 

+1 with DG.
Ticket a guy on non-working pen is stupid. One time my pen does not work, and I push it hard so it dented on the tag.
I got stopped and checked once, not a problem.
My buddy forgot(honest mistake) to fill the top part when checked, he got away with verbal warning.

I think it's depended on the warden.

I carry a small swiss army knife,has scissors to cut and snip a place for zip ties, space pen and a dry cloth hand towel.

I always carry both a ball point and a sharpie.....ball point for the indentation on the tag and the sharpie to color it in if needed.