Thanks OSP

Steelie Ben · 10-23-2002, 09:06 PM

Last weekend my girlfriend and I were fishing at one of our "Zipperlip" fisheries when we witnessed a guy hook, land and bonk a tail hooked silver. Now, I gotta say that this fish wasn't even good for the smoker and was probably on its last leg anyway. Wait a minute fish don't have legs, ok it was on its last fin, and thats where he had it hooked. My girlfriend being the good sports person she is called the guy on it and he just brushed her off. That really made her mad so she went and got the cell phone and called OSP. The guys hurried it up and got out of there but not before she got thier liscence plate number. OSP called us back about a half hour later and had the guys pulled over on the side of the road, how they managed that is beyond me but back to the story. They interagated the guy for about 30 minutes before he and his buddy admitted to taking a snagged fish. The OSP officer cited both the men and confiscated the fish. I just would like to thank OSP for their quick and efficient response to our call. Oh and by the way, if you witness something like this don't be afraid to whip out the cell and make a call, it will help teach these scumbags a lesson.
Ben

Salmonator · 10-23-2002, 09:08 PM

ragjr · 10-23-2002, 09:10 PM

way to go!!!

10-23-2002, 09:14 PM

Get their names and badge numbers and promote them.

Dipnet · 10-23-2002, 09:19 PM

Good Job!!

skein · 10-23-2002, 09:21 PM

You suppose it might be time to call or write OSP and let them know how much we appreciate their help in preserving the law and helping protect our fisheries? I think I will. They may just need to hear an encouraging word now and then. And it lets 'em know that there's a lot of us who are glad to see them on the riverbank and don't mind getting involved.

Ben, tell your lady she is an inspiration!

Skein

crabbait · 10-23-2002, 09:22 PM

Two down and way too many to go!

Good work troops.

Point-of-Sale Clerk · 10-23-2002, 09:24 PM

Good job

[ 10-23-2002, 10:26 PM: Message edited by: *** Clerk ]

Danderson · 10-23-2002, 09:31 PM

:grin: :grin: :grin: :grin:

Good Job

Straydog · 10-23-2002, 09:38 PM

:grin: :grin: :grin:

Good work!!

'Book em.'

Corkie Monster · 10-23-2002, 10:12 PM

OSP needs to take a visit to the Sandy at the Cedar creek hole.

Fishplay · 10-23-2002, 10:38 PM

Report Wildlife Violations
1-800-452-7888

1pump · 10-23-2002, 11:25 PM

Yee-haa!! :grin:

KingFisher85 · 10-24-2002, 05:32 AM

Good job.

Keep up the good work.
If only a cell phone worked in my fishing hole.

Jennie@ifish · 10-24-2002, 05:37 AM

Ifish snagger cadet Police program in action. :smile:

I love it!
I'm going to write a letter too!

Hey, is there an e mail to direct these to, or should it be handwritten and snailed?

Jen

montster303 · 10-24-2002, 05:56 AM

FISH & WILDLIFE DIVISION
Phone: (503) 378-3720
osp.fwd@state.or.us

Wildlife Enforcement
Commercial Fish Enforcement
Aircraft Program
Phone: (503) 391-8725
Special Investigations Unit

I found this under Contact Info on the OSP web page.

Joe Schwab · 10-24-2002, 07:17 AM

Most of thes guys will go the extra mile or two when they get complete information. One other thing to remember in a year when fishing is good and fish are stacked in the rivers, violations are rampant and they are running from call to call. Sometimes there just isn't anyone left to take the call. With good information they can follow up sometimes days later. We can make a difference. Thanks for making the call and being persistent, SteelieBen and your girlfriend.

Gus Orviston · 10-24-2002, 07:26 AM

OSP doesn't need to go to the Sandy...use Steelie Ben's example and go there yourself and if you see something you don't like use the phone you took with you

Just start spreading rumors that there are "legal fishers" among them and that will curb the "bonking side of things --maybe not the setting hooks on line bumps.

Oh, Steelie Ben,,, give the girlfriend the promo! Da dant da dan, Da dant da dan, da dant da dan dant ...fish fish fish .oops got lost.

[ 10-24-2002, 08:28 AM: Message edited by: Gus Orviston ]

Miss B Haven · 10-24-2002, 07:32 AM

This was many years ago, but I was coming up the Wilson one time and stopped at Jones Creek. It was summer and this was the deadline at that time. I drove across the bridge and noticed several people fishing the fast water above the bridge. I stopped and yelled up at them that they were fishing above the deadline and that water was closed.
I was OK to this point, lot's of people don't know better and I don't believe there was any posting. Problem was that instead of saying "oh no" and coming back down, they all took off upstream around the corner. There's a spot you can drive down into and camp up there. I walked up the river a little and I could see they stopped and started fishing up stream a ways.

There were no cars around the bridge so I figure they parked up there at the river. I took off and as I got to Lee's camp I saw an OSP car there so I stopped and told him the story. He said one word, "thanks" and took off out of the store like his #$% was on fire. I hope he got em! :grin:

PapaHog · 10-24-2002, 08:32 AM

steelheadslayer · 10-24-2002, 08:40 AM

If we all did this, we might be able to fish some of our honey holes again!

GutshotApe · 10-24-2002, 10:24 AM

These days a poacher has gotta figure that at least half of all hunters & anglers carry a cell phone in their vest or tacklebox. This, along with a willingness to use cell phones to report violators, is one of the most important advances in assisting law enforcement in the history of natural resources conservation.

FishinMission · 10-24-2002, 12:54 PM

Reminds me of an incident that happened a long time ago...far far away.

Saw a couple of kids fishing off the mouth of the Sandy in July or August. Two juveniles.....4 rods. At that particular time in my life, I resided in Vancouver, Wash. and elected to notify the Washington Game Enforcement of what I'd seen. They wouldn't give me the time of day. I was miffed...so I called the OSP Game Enforcement folks and reported what I saw. The next day..I received a call from one of their officers informing me that the two had been caught, and cited for fishing with an extra rod each. They asked me if I would be willing to testify against them, and I said sure!!

Never had to tho....but that particular incident left me with a bad feeling for the Washington
Enforcement folks, and a GREAT feeling for the OSP.

Good Job.

Mark

OceanBlue · 10-24-2002, 01:19 PM

Hoooraaaaaaayyyy!

Don Becker · 10-24-2002, 01:35 PM

Okay, now I gotta tell one. This is from a very good friend and former so-worker, now deceased, who was a former OSP Trooper and was on duty at the time as a part-time Lieutenant on the Yamhill-County Sheriff's Posse. One Saturday afternoon, along the bank of the Yamhill River, he came across four men sitting on the bank fishing. Among them, they had five poles with lines in the water and there was a fifth member of the group a little ways away standing near their vehicle. Dave was routinely checking fishing licenses and asked the fellow at the vehicle if that fifth pole was his and he said no and indicated that he had no license . . . at that point, the fellow sitting closest to the �extra� pole spoke-up and admitted it was his pole. Dave knew what was going on and took the follow who had just admitted to fishing with two poles in the water aside (BTW, all of the other four were properly licensed). He explained to the man that he knew what was going on and that he would handle the citation-situation however they wanted but that maybe they ought to talk it over and decide what their story was really going to be since (and, I�m just making-up amounts here since I only recall the approximate amounts . . . but, the difference will be fairly close) the bail for fishing without a license was $30 and fishing with two poles was $100.

Vandal · 10-24-2002, 02:46 PM

hearing this makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside....bad things do happen to bad people

Wild Bill · 10-24-2002, 04:51 PM

Snakebite · 10-24-2002, 04:57 PM

HOO! YAA!

10-24-2002, 06:40 PM

Take Down · 10-24-2002, 09:16 PM

I thought it was only me that has found the OSP much more responsive to fish and game violations than the Washington side of the river. Does anyone know why that is ? :whazzup:

TD

wet-net-32 · 10-24-2002, 09:54 PM

Steelie's got a good gal, nice work

-wn

Corkie Monster · 10-24-2002, 10:23 PM

OSP is programed into my cell now

Don Becker · 10-24-2002, 11:09 PM

Ditto all of the above! I just e-mailed a link to this page to the OSP Superintendant, Ron Ruecker.

Fish_N_Russ · 10-24-2002, 11:28 PM

OSP game cops do a darn good job with the resources they have. Course I might be biased lol......(relative is retired OSP game, 25+ years).

I too have heard 'things' about the Washington side guys........wierd.

Russ

Spoiled Daddy · 10-25-2002, 05:54 AM

Just remember when you call OSP about a game violation that you might not get an immediate response. These guys are spread so thin it is not even funny.

For instance, in Lincoln County there are a grand total of 5 troopers assigned to the game division. One is assigned to commericial enforcement and you can see him all day long working on the docks in Newport. The other 4 are not only responsible for fishing, but also we are in the midst of hunting season and they are responsible for enforcing those laws too. Throw in an abandoned car in the woods or an illegal dumping complaint in the mountains somewhere and there might not be anybody to respond to your call in a timely manner. I know all of these guys and all are dedicated to helping us keep it safe and fun on the water and in the woods.

I would hope that you would be patient, make good mental notes and be prepared to be a good witness! SD

Jerry Dove · 10-25-2002, 07:49 PM

Remember to let your State Rep. and Senator know that we need these OSP people out there. We need to raise fishing fees to keep hatcheries open, and our OSP on the job. They do a great job, just not enough of them. Jerry

DF · 10-26-2002, 12:27 AM

:grin: :grin:

Empire · 10-26-2002, 06:39 AM

Count your blessings that you can get enforcement when you call for it. Here on the Sacramento River, the fall salmon run is in full swing. I fish out there, and the snaggers are all over the place. Some guys might be legitimately jigging, but many are keeping snagged fish. The last time I was out there, I saw 5 fish being netted. Only one was hooked anywhere near the head, and only one was tossed back. I have seen the Department of Fish and Game on the river one time, and they were jetting through at about 30 MPH (in a no wake zone!).

goose · 10-26-2002, 03:43 PM

We have some very fine people in Lincoln County trying to cover the territory.
Why is it that every time the state comes up with a money shortage, it is our services that they try to cut back on to save a penny? I get sick of listening to it. Sorry. I'm off of the soap box.
Great job. We need to help our officers any way we can.
Goose