 |
Corpusfishing.com
Fishing Reports and information for the Coastal Bend
|
| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
The Trash Heap
Full Grown Flour Bluffian
Joined: 06 Mar 2006
Posts: 1932
Location: Corpus Christi
|
 Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2007 9:43 am Post subject: Last Word on Filleting on BHP - Don't |
 |
|
I tried but failed to get written confirmation of what I was told 2 weeks ago. Here's what I got instead from Major Bill Robinson, Fisheries Law Enforcement, TPWD, Austin. | Quote: | Mr. French,
As stated in the Texas Parks and Wildlife Proclamation rule §65.72 (E) It is unlawful to possess a finfish of any species, except broadbill swordfish, shark or king mackerel, taken from public water that has the head or tail removed until such person finally lands the catch on the mainland, a peninsula, or barrier island not including jetties or piers and does not transport the catch by boat.
As you can see, this would not allow a person to fillet a fish on a pier. Our enforcement policy is to allow a fisherman to fillet fish at a cleaning station on a pier so long as all fishing by that person has ceased and fishing equipment has been placed off the pier where it is no longer accessible to continue fishing. I would suggest you work with Major Larry Young and his Captain in the Corpus area to resolve the sign issue.
I would also suggest that your sign request that persons fishing on the pier support conservation of our resource and report violations of bag and size limits to Operation Game Thief by calling (800) 792-GAME (1-800-792-4263). A warden will respond immediately to answer the call. Sportsman acting as the eyes and ears of game wardens is the most effective enforcement tool we can have.
Thank you for your concern and cooperation.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Johnny French [mailto:jfrench@stx.rr.com]
Sent: Tuesday, September 25, 2007 1:16 PM
To: Bill Robinson
Cc: Chuck Cazalas
Subject: Signs for Bob Hall Pier Cleaning Tables
Major Robinson,
Thanks for taking the time to speak with me about the subject this morning. I understand your hesitancy to make it any more difficult than it already is to enforce the fish size and numbers regulations should people be allowed to remove the heads and tails from and/or fillet fish before they have put away their fishing gear.
The following advice has been posted a couple of times on the message board of www.CorpusFishing.com in recent months:
"Mr. Smith,
It is legal to clean fish on Bob Hall Pier, but only after all fishing
has ceased and your fishing equipment has been placed in you vehicle.
If you have anymore questions, please contact the Corpus Christi
Regional office at (361)289-5566.
Thanks,
Lt. Toby Murray "
As we discussed, there has been a rash of break-ins and thefts of fishing gear from vehicles parked at Bob Hall Pier in Padre Balli Park on North Padre Island. I agree that this is a law enforcement problem outside the TPWD's jurisdiction, but it explains why I'm hoping it may be possible to reach a compromise which will prevent fishermen from having to take the risks of damage to their cars and of equipment losses if they must put their gear in those cars before returning to the cleaning tables and filleting their catches.
I had earlier hoped instead that we could post signs at each cleaning table saying: "Once you remove the head and tail from a fish, state law prohibits you from continuing to fish. Reel in your gear and set it aside before filleting." However, as you said in our conversation, there is little to prevent someone from throwing the fillets in an ice chest and continuing to fish unless the fishing gear is already secured elsewhere.
After speaking with you, I thought of a possible compromise. The concessionaire at the charges by the head and by the pole for people to fish from Bob Hall Pier. If you and he are agreeable, before cleaning their catches people could remove their fishing gear to a location just inside the entry gate at the pier where, at least during the hours of the concession's operation, the concessionaire's staff could watch over them. Even after hours at night, fishing gear left inside the gate would also be visible to its owners from the nearer of the two cleaning tables, but still far enough away that it would not be simple to begin fishing again after cleaning fish. Under this alternative, the signs would read: "Leave your fishing gear in your vehicle or inside the gate at the marked location before cleaning fish. Once you remove the head and tail from a fish, state law prohibits you from continuing to fish."
Let me know if you think the compromise language suggested for the signs is legal and enforcible, or provide other language that is both. Whichever you choose, I will recommend it to Nueces County Commissioner Chuck Cazalas and the Nueces County Parks Board at the next meeting at Padre Balli Park Headquarters on September 27, and post it on the message boards at www.CorpusFishing.com and www.BreakawayUSA.com under my avatar, The Trash Heap.
Thanks again,
Johnny French
|
I'm done with attempting to modify the cleaning tables to make it easier to fillet fish and with putting up signs if they advertise to crimnals you'll be leaving fishing gear in a vehicle parked at BHP. Your best bet would be to forget filleting on the pier, pack off everything at once when you leave, and clean the fish somewhere else.
_________________
The Trash Heap Has Spoken!
NNYYAAAHH!!! |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
jabroner
Finger Mullet
Joined: 07 Mar 2006
Posts: 28
|
| Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2007 10:42 am Post subject: |
|
|
I'm not trying to step on anyone's toes or anything seeing as how i rarely comment on issues i see on this board. But, do you all honestly think an experienced game warden is going to ticket you while you're cleaning fish at a cleaning station just b/c your gear is within reach? It is easy to tell when a person is done fishing for the day when all their gear is around them and looks like it's packed up ready to go.
Now i understand rules are rules, but c'mon... seriously, you think the game warden is going to waste time writing you a ticket for cleaning your legal catches near your packed up gear? Believe it or not, most officers are not out there to hand out every single ticket they can. I would think most officers use a thing called discretion or judgement.
On the other hand, how often do you see game wardens or other officials enforcing the rules or fish and game laws out there? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
The Trash Heap
Full Grown Flour Bluffian
Joined: 06 Mar 2006
Posts: 1932
Location: Corpus Christi
|
| Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2007 11:10 am Post subject: I Should Be More Careful What I Wish For |
|
|
| jabroner wrote: | I'm not trying to step on anyone's toes or anything seeing as how i rarely comment on issues i see on this board. But, do you all honestly think an experienced game warden is going to ticket you while you're cleaning fish at a cleaning station just b/c your gear is within reach? It is easy to tell when a person is done fishing for the day when all their gear is around them and looks like it's packed up ready to go.
Now i understand rules are rules, but c'mon... seriously, you think the game warden is going to waste time writing you a ticket for cleaning your legal catches near your packed up gear? Believe it or not, most officers are not out there to hand out every single ticket they can. I would think most officers use a thing called discretion or judgement.
On the other hand, how often do you see game wardens or other officials enforcing the rules or fish and game laws out there? |
I wish I'd never stirred this pot because having drawn LE's attention to the situation I'd expect them to make a point of enforcing it now. I was optimistically supposing I could get a guarantee discretion WOULD be applied to law-abiding citizens. However, like stupidity, indiscretion and poor judgement can't be legislated out of existence, so we now have Hobson's Choice: go by the letter of what the major wrote, even if you risk having your gear stolen, or run the risk of a ticket for a "knowing violation."
_________________
The Trash Heap Has Spoken!
NNYYAAAHH!!!
Last edited by The Trash Heap on Thu Sep 27, 2007 5:43 am; edited 1 time in total |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
rabbit
Full Grown Flour Bluffian
Joined: 06 Mar 2006
Posts: 3835
Location: FLOUR BLUFF
|
| Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 3:25 am Post subject: |
|
|
Read it again people. --not including jetties or piers and does not transport the catch by boat.
Clean all you want. 
_________________
Fishing and Kayaking its a rough life but somebody has to do it. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Skipjack
Flour Bluffian in training
Joined: 29 Jun 2006
Posts: 300
Location: San Antonio, TX
|
| Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 8:57 am Post subject: |
|
|
Secondly, How many of you guys fillet your fish by cutting off the heads and tails?
Just take the side fillet and put it in a baggie and keep the fish carcass intact so that a measurement can still be taken.
The regulation states the head and tail must not be removed. In Alaska they fillet all of the fish at sea and bring back the carcass for measurement. It saves the charter fisherman alot of time at the dock.
_________________
I am a pirate 200 years too late. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
