So long Deschutes County – (rant)

[No Time]

Fellow ifishers beware when boating Crane Prairie, in my opinion they are out to get you.

I’ve been driving a motor vehicle for 24 years and a boat for 18 and consider myself to be very law abiding but I now have two citations to my name.

Both were issued by the Deschutes County Sheriff and both were issued while I was fishing Crane Prairie Reservoir.

A few years ago I was cited for exceeding the 10mph speed limit per the professional opinion of the officer who observed me through binoculars but said I was too far away for the radar gun. (My fish finder said I was going 10 -13 mph but his “professional option” said otherwise)

On Saturday I was anchored and bobber fishing with my wife and kids; I removed the life jacket from my 2 year old so his diaper and clothes could be changed and then put his life jacket back on 2 minutes later. The Sheriff shows for what I thought was a routine safety inspection but instead writes me a $287 ticket because he momentarily saw a child not wearing a PFD.

I argued that it was only off for a couple minutes while changing his clothes; we were anchored, motor off, no wind, no wake, fully enclosed by canvas and glass in a 21.4’ Alumaweld, and there was never any endangerment. Even my 13 year old was wearing a PFD and didn’t need to be.

I understand that the law is the law but sometime more can be gained through tolerance than heavy handed enforcement and the “I’m out to get you anyway I can” attitude that was impressed upon me by the other officers in the boat. While writing up my citation they radar gunned another boat at 12 mph and were chomping at the bit to go get ‘em.

It will be a cold day in “beep” before Deschutes County sees any more of my recreational and tourism dollar.

Sincerely,
Jim Claunch

[T-Jet]

Thats pathetic! The same type of reasons is why I wont go to Billy Chinook! Got smoked on a parking ticket........I know it feels good to vent, but too many places are soaking us sportsman for our checkbooks. Try Tillamook in the fall! Got a speeding ticket a few years back on 101 with my Driftboat....I was clocked at 56 miles an hour in a 55 zone! The ticket stuck too! I hope a letter to the Judge on this one will lower the bail or dismiss this citation! Good Luck to you!

[Bendman]

Don’t worry No time it’s not just here. They were out in full force every where. I read a article somewhere that said that ALL Marine Sheriffs would be out on the water this past weekend. The main thing they talked about is PFD’s

I spent the weekend up on the Columbia this past weekend in the John Day area. The Sheriff was on the water the entire weekend from morning to night. The old guy that used to patrol the area was always by himself. When he died they got the new Sheriff a bigger boat that required 2 people. This past weekend there was 4 deputes on one little boat.

By the way I think That them giving you a ticket for changing the baby it absolute garbage!! I want to use stronger language but better not.

Make sure you fight the ticket. The judge might say that’s the most absurd thing I have ever heard and throw the whole thing out.

[plug cut]

I think it might be worth your while to write a letter to the court along with your payment or appear in person and explain your situation. I would bet the Judge will either toss out the citation or significantly reduce the fine. Don't ask me how I know this.

Tight Lines

[Snakebite]

The Deschutes County Sheriffs patrol are, from my observation, just a little bit overboard. A couple of years ago, I witnessed a whole bunch of enforcement overkill at Wickiup! They never cited me for anything, but they were sure looking for it. One day, as I was trolling near my campsite on the Deschutes arm, I saw an unmarked boat pull up by my campsite and a guy jumped out and ran up into it. My immediate thought was that I was being robbed. I buzzed over and confronted them, and it was a couple of Deputy wannbees checking for campfire violations. I told them I was armed, and wanted to know what they were doing at my campsite! They weren't very polite, and I acted in kind, but they didn't bother us again. Part of the reason I've not been back to those lakes over there is because of that experience. Sure, there's some need for enforcement, but the DCSD is preying on easy and questionable ticketing, which is infringing all of our rights and priviliges. They're betting you don't go all the way back over to Bend to defend yourself and just pay the illicit ticket. RANT ON! By the way, I have yet to see anything resembling ethical behavior by any counties deputys in this state.

[WapitiBob]

I was fishing Davis the last year the local dirt bag cop could get his boat with the 70+hp motor in the lake. He looked long and hard to write me a ticket and finally concentrated his effort on the "poppers" I was using. since I was 20 years older than he was I gave it right back to him.
30 minutes later and pushed into the 5' tall cattails by his boat he finally left the wife and I in our 10' rubber raft to fend for ourselves, no tickets for him.
They can't get their boat in the water now so all they do is ticket the float tube guys for no life jacket.
As of last year, patrol deputy performance is rated by the quantity of tickets written. they are on the water every weekend, wickiup or crane, always.

[Half fast Toyn]

Dont think of it as a fine..think of it as a tax. I get taxed about once a year for not wearing my seat belt. I get taxed about once every 5 years for not having a license on my boat trailer. I get taxed about every 2 years for driving too fast.. the list goes on.


Ill probably get "Taxed" soon for snorkling off the boat with my step sons..... oh well...the state needs the money to pay all that double time and 1/2 for working memorial day.

[ripthevolcano]

I thought that if you are anchored it changed the life jacet rules. I have a 2 year old and practice the same diligence. I would have had my boaters book out for sure on this one. As mentioned above I would write a letter arguing my case.

[Dip]

yeah it was 2 years ago a officer at Wickiup was going to give me a ticket for cleaning my fish near the lake shore. i told him it wasnt in the water, then he told me to use the fish cleaning station. I asked him to show it to me, He could not find it. I was at the campsite across from southtwin resort and found it funny he didnt know the cleaning station was at the boat ramp. He said nothing more and left(Probably to go find the cleaning station lol).

Donnie Widener

[Zodiac-Fisherman]

I got pulled over for speeding on lake Simtustus, which is right below Billy Chinook. Was going 31mph in a 10mph lake. 5am, and a Jefferson County Jetboat with a fulltop, and camoflauge was hidden in a cove, next thing i knew, there were sirens. After explaining that I had just arrived from portland, and blew up the zodiac, the sheriff was sympathetic, and let me off.

"I better now catch you speeding again today!!"

Yes sir.

[baltz526]

the deschutes county sherrif is looking for any reason to get near your boat to check for drinking and safty violations. they even patrol the parking lot and check boats being taken out of the water and writing tickets for safty violations.the dam boat launch at crane prairie has no speed limit posted. the standard speed trap.

[Snakebite]

Mis directed enforcement! Typical! One day on the Yaquina, my wife landed a nice big chinook, and in all the excitement, a Sheriff boat snuck up on us and accused us of landing a coho because he didn't see anyone else catch a legal fish. They didn't even bother to see if we had all of our safety equipment. Jerks! I picked up the fish, and asked the dep if it looked like a coho to him. I complained to the Sheriff later, and he told me that he didn't approve of that kind of behavior. Question authority! I won't put up with it, and I hope y'all do the same!