Fish Cop on Board

Springer · #1 08-02-2020, 08:06 AM

The news has been telling us for Months now about Covid, Social distancing , how easy it spreads.....
The point of my writing.... A week ago as my son and I were enjoying the day fishing on Gull Lake when the 2 young Fish cops showed up and wanted to see how fishing has been, all our gear on the boat to meet the rules and my operators licence for the boat...Ok No problem.
Now that I have told him about my Walleye in the live well he says I'm coming aboard to measure it.....Their the law right.
So he comes aboard and opens the live well and and after a 30 second fight he has the fish on the floor of my boat and is wrestling to keep it still to measure it...I offer to use the white plastic pipe with a measuring stick inside that I bought...Nope he wants his retractable measuring tape because mine could be fake.
I ended up having to hold the end of the tape for him, Yup 47cm your good..He puts the fish back in and their on the way to the next boat then the next.

Afterwards I was thinking how if he had covid or any others how it could get spread around by him now.
As a government employee are they not instructed to keep their distance or at minimum when boarding boats wear a Mask !!!!

I guess I should have said no mask no boarding my boat and stood my ground on that decision. The law does not need any bad media attention right now so doing this kind of thing on their part was not very smart.....

spurly · #2 08-02-2020, 08:32 AM

I would think he should have at the very least been wearing a mask if he entered the boat, as well as rubber gloves.

FlyTheory · #3 08-02-2020, 08:38 AM

It's sad, an incompetent fish cop gives a sour name to them all. Sorry that happened dude

58thecat · #4 08-02-2020, 08:39 AM

Well there is always one thing that is a for sure and that is you can control you and what I mean by that is explain the covid social distancing and that you will go to shore to take care of this check.....I am sure they would agree with it.

You go to shore take your fish with you and licenses etc....place them down and back away....like I said I am sure they would have been more than accommodating.....had them pull up beside us and I just picked the cooler up and tilted it...also had a tote which I just showed the contents....

tangledangler · #5 08-02-2020, 03:28 PM

I have always wondered about the legality behind this, if a police officer needs consent to search your vehicle why is a Conservation Officer able to board without permission?

OL_JR · #6 08-02-2020, 03:36 PM

Definitely different than the last time I ran into an officer earlier in the year. Didn't want anything to do with checking licences or equipment, just a quick verbal review of the regulations from a distance and have a good day.

Talking moose · #7 08-02-2020, 05:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 58thecat

Well there is always one thing that is a for sure and that is you can control you and what I mean by that is explain the covid social distancing and that you will go to shore to take care of this check.....I am sure they would agree with it.

You go to shore take your fish with you and licenses etc....place them down and back away....like I said I am sure they would have been more than accommodating.....had them pull up beside us and I just picked the cooler up and tilted it...also had a tote which I just showed the contents....

So there’s a cluster of 30 boats off Shaw’s point jigging for walleyes off the drop. Fish n feathers is out doing checks and they are gonna individually take each boat to shore to conduct them?
That’s silly and would take the whole day.

58thecat · #8 08-02-2020, 07:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Talking moose

So there’s a cluster of 30 boats off Shaw’s point jigging for walleyes off the drop. Fish n feathers is out doing checks and they are gonna individually take each boat to shore to conduct them?
That’s silly and would take the whole day.

its your health and safety that maters most...I see many people very comfortable with strangers within arms reach....to each their own...I would allow them to do what they needed but I would explain and head to shore...got nothing to hide and support these guys and gals 100 percent but given this covid crap there is ways to conduct business safely for all.....

fordtruckin · #9 08-02-2020, 10:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tangledangler

I have always wondered about the legality behind this, if a police officer needs consent to search your vehicle why is a Conservation Officer able to board without permission?

My guess is it’s written in Statute somewhere. Here in Montana wardens had the authority by statute to search a boat for fish w/o probable cause. Some legislator didn’t like that and it got changed last session. 99.9% of people still are more than willing to let me inspect their live well and boats etc... but as a point of being courteous I always ask before boarding and ask if I can see their catch. I have the right to see the fish but it goes over much better if you ask rather than just go poking around uninvited. Have yet to be refused when I ask. You catch more flies with honey than vinegar...

Springer · #10 08-03-2020, 07:47 AM

You know for me as a Government employee especially he should have had latex gloves and a Mask. Looking back I should have requested that or told him to pound sand. Kinda got caught up in the moment , we were having a relaxing discussion then the boys were beside us..

SNAPFisher · #11 08-03-2020, 08:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Springer

You know for me as a Government employee especially he should have had latex gloves and a Mask. Looking back I should have requested that or told him to pound sand. Kinda got caught up in the moment , we were having a relaxing discussion then the boys were beside us..

Good luck with that. It is not mandated that they wear masks or gloves. If it was it would be a different matter. What they are mandated to do is check that your fish is legal.

They should be mandated to have and wear them. And, it sure would have been good if they had them regardless. Too bad there isn't a little more foresight by the powers that be.

58thecat · #12 08-03-2020, 08:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SNAPFisher

Good luck with that. It is not mandated that they wear masks or gloves. If it was it would be a different matter. What they are mandated to do is check that your fish is legal.

They should be mandated to have and wear them. And, it sure would have been good if they had them regardless. Too bad there isn't a little more foresight by the powers that be.

I believe all are learning the so called new...new....and will take time to get to more effective, efficient safe ways of going about business....all good to have a conversation regarding the safety for all.

barbless · #13 08-03-2020, 03:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fordtruckin

My guess is it’s written in Statute somewhere. Here in Montana wardens had the authority by statute to search a boat for fish w/o probable cause. Some legislator didn’t like that and it got changed last session. 99.9% of people still are more than willing to let me inspect their live well and boats etc... but as a point of being courteous I always ask before boarding and ask if I can see their catch. I have the right to see the fish but it goes over much better if you ask rather than just go poking around uninvited. Have yet to be refused when I ask. You catch more flies with honey than vinegar...

And I have always been brought up with the assumption of and the proper way to ask for inspection of a water craft is to ask "PERMISSION TO COME ABOARD" I could be wrong. All encounter's that I have had have led to that wording.