I am seriously ticked!!

[Slow Roll]

Yesterday, went to have a relaxing afternoon plunking at Meldrum. I did, for the most part. I was skunked, but did get see a guy bring in a nice hatchery nook. Then about an hour later a guy up from me hooks into a nice summer steely. He realizes what it is and hands it off to his nieghbor. They net it, slam it on the bank. Lo and behold its a nate!!! So I'm thinking that its time for a few choice words about treatment of nates. The first guy grabs the fish and hustles back to his truck with it. A few miuntes later he come back with it and it is missing an adipose fin.
I asked how he pulled that off, said he had a small laser that cut and cauterized it. I looked at it and if I hadn't seen the fish in the net before I would have said he was full of B.S. cause it looked like a clipped fin when he got done.

My question is now what can I do? I was going to call the ODFW with their license plate #'s, vehicle descriptions but I have no real proof since the fish looks like a hatchery fish. :whazzup:

One thing I do have to say is if either of you belong to this board and I find out I will hang both of your ***** out to dry in short order in front of everyone on this board. People like you give the rest of us a bad name. Stupid SOB's.

Paul B.

Hey Neutron, it was good to meet you yesterday. Good luck out there.

[lovetofish]

That's disgusting. You could still call ODFW. They might want to investigate this.

Steve

[Bait O' Eggs]

Paul
Turn them in. I am sure the state police will hang this guy by his manhood if they find him with the laser as you describe.

If you got the lic plate number just do the right thing, call the 800 TIP number on your license.

[Point-of-Sale Clerk]

BOE is right, call in the tip. Even if the OSP does not get them this time they will know what to look for the next time.

*** Clerk

[Red]

The people that violate these nate/hatchery laws are outlaws, they are stealing from all the honest fishers. Next time use a cell phone and get the law there while the evidence is available.

[16/0 Circle]

I guess if this is what you had witnessed, why wouldn't you report them?

[Lured In]

Ditto...raise the issue as it may be a new method. Anyone stupid enough to "announce" he has a laser like this is asking to be caught. I would guess this is not the first time he did and there are probably others as well.

[finner]

Serious words for "if" you catch them on this board. You had everything right in front of you at the time and you didn't do a thing. Someone doing this to natives has to be turned in. No question about it! You need to go back, get the needed information and call the state police...

[Gus Orviston]

Yeah, what is with the hesitation? Don't suppose they won't get caught, do something about it. I am sure the OSP would love to follow these guys out on a fishing trip or two and investigate the tackle (laser) they have in their truck.

Also the scar tissue underneath wouldn't be the same as if it was clipped, to the naked eye maybe. In fact it would be cooked.

Make the call!

[Slow Roll]

Just called and reported what I saw. They were very interested in what I had to say and happy to have license plate #'s.

I hope they nail these two jerks to the wall for what they did.

I was asked if I would be willing to I.D. them and testify in a court of law. That was a question I was more than happy to answer yes to.

I look forward to seeing these two pay for what they have done.

Would it be in bad taste if I posted what their vehicle descriptions and license plates are? I just want to let anyone who does this crap know that this is something I will not put up with and will let as many people know about as I can.

Paul B.

[TundraIII]

I'd have been on my cell phone imediately. The guy that did that is a double idiot for explaining what he did to a stranger. He's got balls, time for a little castration What kind of people do this sort of thing without feeling guilty?

[lovetofish]

Way to go Paul! Stand up for what is right!

As for posting the numbers here on this forum...much as I would like to see it since I'd like to find the truck and let their air out of their tires...you might ask the law enforcement folks. They might not want you to for various legal reasons.

Nail 'em in court. Right on!

Steve

[Salmonator]

Just curious, what kind of power supply would a lazer (even a small one) need to cut flesh? We're not talking lazer pointers here [img]graemlins/eek13.gif[/img]

[finner]

Way to go! Too many people let things like this slip by. Let's hope they get what they deserve..

[Corkie Monster]

Did this guy look like he had some money??? Cuase a lazer like that seems like it would cost a butt load, Somthing like a cosmetic lazer maybe?

[fishbane]

Turn him in,
Even a day late they still may get a call or something. They may think twice before they do it again if they know someone turned in thier license plate number and stuff. even if they don't get procicuted.

[Slow Roll]

I think I just too amazed to do anything last night. I didn't really think about my options just got the info I could and then kinda sat there numb. I can gaurantee that won't happen again, that 1-800 number is in the cell phone quick dial now.
I have never seen anyone pull this kind of thing before. Last night was my first time plunking and I can see how they give the rest a bad name. These are really the only fisherman that the public and see up close and most do not behave themselves very well.
Not that I have the holier than thou attitude, but come on, I do not sit there and use language like they do. Every other word started with F. Not all of them but a select few did and they are the ones that everyone remembers. I was embarrased to be there after awhile.

A young couple came by with their son and I chatted with them for a few minutes and they high tailed it out of there in short order when the morons down the way started to let loose.

I hate feeling like I am lumped in with the idiots because I am in the same area as them. Oh well, live and learn.

Paul B.

[happybrew]

Salmonator, in response to what kind of power supply, it doesn't really take a whole lot of power to run a laser. All that a laser is is a fancy flashlight with all of of the light on the same wavelength, with the waves all in synch. It's the fact that they are all in synch going in the same direction that allows a laser to apply energy to a specific point all at once. Because all of the waves are in synch, going in exactly the same direction, the light rays are packed into a tiny area, rather than scattering around like a normal light. They all hit the same small spot, and apply all of the energy there, rather than spreading it around. Sort of like when you focus the sun's light with a maginfying glass to burn something, only it's already focused because the light rays go parallel to each other. Furthermore, the specific wavelength of light gives it more power. The higher the frequency, the more energy is packed into the light waves. You could run a laser off of any type of battery that would pack enough power to cauterize a fin clip, although it may drain the batteries quickly.

happybrew

[GutZ]

Happybrew;
Do you think you could castrate :shocked: them with there own laser? Or would that take too many batteries?

[Phish_on]

Amazing. How selfish and ignorant people can be.

It's a pretty special sub-culture down there, alright.

[Tanner]

Just curious. Native Summer Steelhead?????????????

[Slow Roll]

Tanner, might have misspoke on that one. All I know is that it was a native chrome bright steely when it came out of the water and a hatchery clipped steely 5 minutes later. :whazzup:

Paul B.

[fishbait]

Depending on your size and theirs, I think the thing to do would be to stand there right in front of them and make the call to the poaching hotline. I stepped on a snaggers rod one time at the barried dam on the cowletz, took him out of commission for at least a few days, didn't have a poaching hotline and cell phones back then. Plus I was lots younger and cockier back then.

[Gus Orviston]

Thanks! ...so every other word was Fish, or is there another word that starts with F?

Keep us posted on any progress.

dennis

[ 04-24-2002, 09:09 PM: Message edited by: ****** ]

[omnivore]

Slow Roll,
As you can tell, you have a great many people backing up your action, so stay the course. You eyewitnessing the crime is the best evidence a prosecution can have, so don't be discouraged by what appears to be a disappeared evidence. What you saw and what you heard that poacher say are solid evidences.

[AngleThis]

I agree. Using a lazer to fake out law enforcement is really dirty pool. If someone decides to take the risk at getting caught with illegal fish, and is willing to pay the price, that is one thing. But using sophisticated means to alter fish to make them appear legal, violates many more laws than the one game law in question. More importantly, it provides a means to do real damage to a fishery if it becomes widely used.

Your having witnessed this, and being told how they are doing it, should more than motivate the state police to act. Further, it is legally admissable testimony. Not only will they watch for the guy, the first time the find him or his vehicle they will search it. And if they find a lazer, there won't be a ticket, there will be an arrest and a siezure of this equipment...

GO FOR IT!!!

[ 04-24-2002, 08:12 PM: Message edited by: ********* ]

[Fishin Magician]

Way to go Paul! Stand up for the right thing to do! Sometimes it might be a little nerve racking to confront these type of people so notifying the proper authorities is the right call. I have done it before and the fish gods were gracious to me in the future. I believe that all good deeds will be rewarded and conversly all bad deeds will come with some form of bad luck. Those type of people who will lower themselves to that level obviously do not care about the impact they are having on the environment. to you Paul!!!!!!!!
John

[AngleThis]

For what it is worth, last year I had the occasion to contact the state police over a fish issue. Apparently one or more sturgeon gillnet boats was cutting the tail tops off of fish which were approaching 42" or larger, but not large enough for commercial harvesting (46" if memory serves). I read on ifish about these tailcut fish, and then I caught one myself with a fresh clean cut tail top, the the after a gill net boat had been in the area, and became convinced.

So I called the state police. It took less than an hour before I was contacted by an officer responsible for enforcement in that area. We discussed in detail, motives, the seasonal dates, suspected vessels, and possble remedies. He even told me where and when he would be hiding in his blind, and that he would be ready with an ultra high res zoom lens camera. He said, and I quote "If they throw tailcut fish overboard, I will get it on film and then they are mine".

I don't know if he ever did make an arrest, but the reports of tail cut fish promptly dissappeared, and I caught several more near and small keepers shortly thereafter, all with full tails. I have come to believe that unusual or special illegal tactics people may make in order to get away with breaking the law, interests law inforcemnt a great deal more than the occasional quarter inch short or one over limit fish. IE, if you in fact did report this with a liscense plate number, and this is modus operandi for these guys, I expect we might be hearing about them on the news one day soon.

The more I think about it, had I been in your shoes, I would have said "hey that's cool..show me"....Once they had shown off their lazer, I would have then made the call if a phone was available. If not, I like to think a citizen's arrest, followed hopefully by resistance, and the resulting application of 'reasonable and neccessary force' would come to pass .

[ 04-24-2002, 09:49 PM: Message edited by: ********* ]

[STGRule]

I wonder if it was a cauterizing tool instead of a laser. That would be easy to build with a battery.

[jayman]

slowroll, hang these dirtbags [img]graemlins/berry.gif[/img] out to dry. And don't lose a bit of sleep over it.
jayman

[Point-of-Sale Clerk]

Happybrew

Excellent post, very correct.

The tech guys would rather say “Coherent” rather than in synch…

You spelled it wrong Glenn, it is Carpe cerevisiae

[ 04-24-2002, 12:06 PM: Message edited by: *** Clerk ]

[Phish_on]

Let's not publicize it too much - unfortunately they will have to repeat the offense to get caught.

I doubt that they're the Internet-surfin' types ...