How often do you get checked by law enforcement?

phoyem wrote:

I’m sure some exceptions exist, but I believe 99.9% of CO’s do their job

I the same token, I don’t believe that 99% of the anglers follow the laws. Present company excluded.

The number of CO’s don’t have any relationship with the success or lack of success of a fishery. They do have a direct relationship of on the water safety and law enforcement.

What disappoints me the most is the lack of use of the tip line. Oh, it’s just a few short walleyes, it’s just a catfish, he’s fishing for white bass when walleyes are out of season… and on and on. Others will say they just forgot about it, while others will say it’s not my job to tattle (unless it’s their favorite species)

/Rant

This might be a little off topic, but I was checked by a Conservation Officer up by Mille Lacs Lake just after we had pulled the boat out of the water, he asked to see my lifejackets, I showed him the two inflatable style jackets we had, he then asked me if we had them on, I said no, he said that inflatable lifejackets are required to be worn in order for them to count. Luckily, I had two other regular lifejackets still to wear so I didn’t get a ticket. I guess I was unaware that you are required to wear an inflatable life jacket if you want it to count as your life jacket if you have no others life preservers in the boat.

** I just saw the thread on this topic from last year, but just in case anybody else hadn’t…

I would interested to know how often the IDO staff gets checked while filming?

I just got checked for the 1st time in a long time last weekend. The funny part is we were on a rather remote lake in Manitoba at the time. My buddy has been fishing that lake for 20 years and has never seen a Law enforcement office let alone been checked by one.

ive been checked by CO’S several times, ice fishing, open water fishing and hunting. no issues no tickets. you have nothing to worry about if your being law abiding. usually start a pleasant conversation and turns out fine!!!!!!!!

mater of fact i’ll be in vegas with a CO in a couple weeks!!!!!!!!!

The last time that I was checked the only thing they asked about was safety equipment. We were clearly fishing but were never asked about fish in the box nor licenses.

In 64 years,
Once in Iowa some 30 years ago.
Once in Minnesota, maybe 3 to 5 years ago.
Once in Wisconsin, last year.
Zero times in MO, SD, AK, AL, TN, MI, IL and NE. This does not include any cruel report or an invasive species check.

Has one been checked by a volunteer sheriff’s before? I was up on a cass county lake with our club and we had a older tiller that was red and label Cass County Sheriff but there is old two guys check life vest.

Almost never. Maybe once a year while ice fishing. It’s easier for them to do that. Last season was the first in a while that a CO in a boat stopped me. He just wanted to make sure I had life jackets, a throwable float, a license, and a fire extinguisher.

Half my open water trips are up to Mille Lacs, lately twice a week. I have never been checked up there, nor have I ever had to open up my live wells. You’d think on the most heavily regulated lake in the state there would be regulators, am I right?

Charles wrote:

Has one been checked by a volunteer sheriff’s before?

Yup
Had one write me a warning ticket last year for ‘driving on the wrong side of the river’.

Let’s just say I had words with the sheriff the next day.

Got checked the other day no big deal.Same co has checked me a few times over the years,nice guy.I asked if they came thru the channel from the other lake since the water has dropped I figured it would be pretty difficult to make it thru there and they said no we were hiding in the weeds.So instead of being out checking the many boats on the lake they sit in the weeds and watch people.I realize they can catch people doing illegal stuff by hiding in the weeds but they can also catch people doing illegal stuff by actually pulling up and checking them out.

I had an issue with a water patrol a few years back. They were watching the extended no fishing area below Dam #3. They would run up write a ticket then drop back…way back and watch some more.

My thought was they should stay in the no fishing area to keep people from fishing it. Help keep people from breaking the law.

In talking to them, they told me that few people didn’t know about the area and as soon as they (the patrol boat) left, the anglers would enter the zone (sometimes for the second time).

I still go back and forth with this but if folks are going to break the law when they think no one is looking, well maybe a fine is in order…to make the sting last a little longer.

FishBlood&RiverMud wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Charles wrote:</div>
Has one been checked by a volunteer sheriff’s before?

Yup
Had one write me a warning ticket last year for ‘driving on the wrong side of the river’.

Let’s just say I had words with the sheriff the next day.

Someone needs to train them in. LOL!

Minnesota fishing: once; werent interested in seeing licenses just checking boat reg. and pfds.
Minnesota hunting: never
SD duck hunting: 3 times in 4 trips.

maybe 4 times in 30 years…2 times while on my dock…each check lasted about 1 minute and the officer was always pleasant…

Been checked a handful times never had an issue. When my brother and I were younger (not tiny but kids) we thought we’d help put stuff away while dad got the truck. The movement caused the boat to drift from shore slowly and there happened to be a sherbune county water patrol officer there. He jumped in, fired it up, and brought us in a few feet to shore. He could see nothing was intentional and was nice about it. Dad was embarrassed and not happy with us not watching the shore, but I was sure glad he didn’t get a ticket for it.