Corpusfishing.com

BobBobber · Guest

I have many details, but I'll try to supply enough facts that anybody could I.D. this thief and my equipment.

The thief drove an older model all white Toyota Tundra extended cab pickup with a blue cooler with white lid in the pickup bed. He was probably 50-ish, medium build, average height, wore a white hat with chin string. Full brimmed hat similar to Tilley brand.

What he got was very unique for this area. Probably not another outfit in Nueces Cty like this. Rod is spinning, bronze colored, Berkley IM8, 9-ft, long cork grip with approximately 1 foot of rod tip painted white. Berkley does not sell rods with white tips. NO store in Nueces Cty sells Berkley IM8. Same with San Antonio. The rod is unique.

Reel was Okuma Coronado CD40a, gray graphite body with gold colored spool and handle. NO store in our area sells this reel.

Both items had only been used less than three times in the last two weeks, so they are bright, shiny new.

How it happened: We were fishing a rock wall at NAS. A big sheephead had been cruising and munching away along the shoreline for more than 2 hours. One place, he kept returning to. Each time he'd come back, I'd plop my shrimp on the rock where he was headed. Once, about 10 feet of line peeled off my reel, but when I struck, nothing there.

So, I left my rod there to mark the exact spot. I returned to it several times. He wouldn't take the shrimp. Each time after he swam away, I reeled in the line, so the shrimp was not in the water but more than 3 ft out of the water, In other words, a fish did not pull my rod into the water.

A bit later we decided to move approximately 200 feet away to try our luck there for specs. I left the rod behind, baited and ready for the sheephead.

The thief was the ONLY other person fishing the rocks. Nobody else was there. Anywhere, nobody.

We saw him get into his pickup and circle near where we had left. He got out and make a couple casts. We didn't watch him closely, as we were getting some specs.

Then, in a few minutes, he packed up, drove right by us and left. When we went back for the rod and reel, it was gone. There was no other possible explanation other than that thief had run off with my rod and reel. Just to be sure, we walked around looking for the equipment. It was gone.

I left a full report with the NAS Police.

I've seen the guy a few times before fishing in the same area we fished. I'll be watching for him. If I see him, the NAS Police told me to call them and not confront the thief. Apparently, I was told, theft on a federal property is not a civil crime, but a federal one.

The thief might not be aware how unique was the equipment he stole, so I hope somebody spots it, and that he is not a member of this forum and reads this.

If you see anybody with my equipment, please PM me with his license plate number. If you see my equipment in a pawn shop or Craigslist, I'd appreciate it if you would send me a PM.

In any event, even if I never get the equipment back, you should watch out for the thief that I described. Protect your stuff. He's bold.

Lastly, , we checked with the marina to see if anybody had turned in my equipment. Nobody had.

JOHNNYREB · Posted: Fri Aug 16, 2013 6:20 pm Post subject:

Sorry to hear about this BB! Hope you get your things back...will be on the look out, hate a damn thief! Evil or Very Mad

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ironmanstan · Posted: Fri Aug 16, 2013 6:32 pm Post subject:

That really sucks. Maybe he thought someone left it behind. Either way he should have left it alone.I hate it that there are so many thiefs around
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BobBobber · Guest

SaltyMutt · Posted: Fri Aug 16, 2013 7:31 pm Post subject:

Wow. Very. Bold to do it on base. I will definitely be looking out for the truck. Might be a ccad employee.
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Drunkswimmer · Flour Bluffian in training Joined: 13 Apr 2010 Posts: 255

You should try driving through the navy lodge to check cars... Or the navy gateway inn and suites.

Also, there are cameras at the gates. If you can get a decent timeframe and description of the vehicle, there might be video of him leaving.

navytxn · Posted: Fri Aug 16, 2013 8:55 pm Post subject:

the cameras at main gate are not controlled by security and we have no way of back logging .

flounder daddy · Guest

That would be a FELONY on a govt. installation. Sad that theres a theif on the NAS.

BobBobber · Guest

navytxn · Posted: Fri Aug 16, 2013 11:04 pm Post subject:

Actually flounder daddy your wrong it would not be considered a felony

navytxn · Posted: Fri Aug 16, 2013 11:12 pm Post subject:

It's not govt property, the value doesn't exceed $1.5k , the property was left there unsecured so it was unsecured property wasn't actually locked or in a secure storage area .

wallhanger · Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2013 7:46 am Post subject:

A thief is a thief but that was just carelessness on your part.

BIG LONG · Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2013 8:57 am Post subject:

I fish the base on a weekly basis so ill keep an eye out for that rod, but you are still kind of at fault for leaving a rod laying in a public place to mark a spot. Most folks put a rock or something else besides a valuable piece of equipment. Not leaving your stuff laying around just keeps the honest folks honest Smile

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bollie · Pony Mullet Joined: 04 Mar 2011 Posts: 76

Sad that we live in a time that you must guard your stuff like a dog just to hold on to it. And God forbid you laps one second then it is considered yor vault. The reaction that you get is YOU ASK FOR IT.

BobBobber · Guest

I'll answer several of you with this one reply.

Yes, I should have kept the equipment within arm's reach and watched it instead of my Alameda float. Laughing

Since the area was entirely rocks, I'd have a challenge finding a rock unique enough to distinguish itself from hundreds of others and small enough to pick up to move over to mark the spot.

I was not far away. I could have walked to the spot in no more than two minutes. There was not a crowd of people there. Just one, the thief with the Tundra.

For example, I have been on BHP and left my fully decked out pier cart to walk to the bathroom. Many other people do that. Can't remember seeing anybody wheel their carts or carry their gear with them into the bathroom.

I believed there was camaraderie among anglers. I have believed the same courtesies exist between honest people in campgrounds, for example. Nobody packs their tent and gear into their car trunk before going swimming.

The rod had a shrimp on the hook ready to plop in front of that sheephead. Stealthily without any motion. Creep up. Drop the bait. Yes, maybe I was too involved in having fun fishing to be suspicious of that thief. OK, my bad.

But in my 60+ years of fishing experience, there have been multitudes of times that anglers walk away to retrieve more gear from their cars, use the bathroom, walk and chat with others, get more bait, etc. Plus, I obviously had a false sense of security thinking that others fishing at NAS were more courteous than the mass population. Not saying that anglers at BHP are not courteous, but the NAS pier crowd gets along better and shows more respect for others than I have ever seen at BHP, just for example.

Even today, the shark anglers fishing the BHP t-head walk to the bathroom or visit with others. They do not pull in their rods and slide lines before moving away from their equipment. Plus, their rods and reels cost many times more than mine did.

And the distance I was from my equipment was probably less than the length of the t-head at BHP.

OK, to answer those of you who find me at fault, OK, I realize that I never should have taken my attention away from guarding the equipment.

BUT can we return our attention to keeping an eye out for the thief in the white Tundra and Tilley hat? That guy is still out there. The next time, it could be your property.