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Post by Lunkerfish on Aug 13, 2016 5:45:34 GMT -5
I've been hastled plenty of times. Always boxes in before pulling out. I had 4 crappie, 1 was 1/8" short they said, I measured them all. So he took the fish, I was fishing two rods and carrying them, she got harassed cause they thought she might be fishing. It's just very time I'm there all fish get measured, every bag or cooler gets searched, blocked in not allowed to leave until you pass their inspection. I've never got a ticket or fine because I follow the law, but when he took my fish that time after holding me and girlfriend for 30 min after dark I threw my hat on the ground and said this is redicioulus. He twisted me up and slammed me on the hood of his car. lol. So I know where the original poster is coming from. I follow the law and expect to be stopped and checked, if they didn't do that then people would be fishing illegally. But they try to act too tough when I go I have everything laid out for them so when they come over to me I can keep fishing without me getting annoyed causing him to slam me.
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Post by bassfever on Aug 13, 2016 5:49:21 GMT -5
Go park ranger, thanks for doing you job well !
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Post by wader105 on Aug 13, 2016 9:10:58 GMT -5
I'm always a little suspicious of the motives/intentions of anyone who posts on this board with the label - "guest".
In my 20+ years of fishing the lakes and streams in this area, I've never been "hassled" by any rangers. Even when I've broken a "rule" (which we call "laws" in PA), they've always been polite, reasonable, and informative so as not to make the same mistake again.
I realize we have some dopey and strange fishing/boating laws/regs in this state, but we don't have the same amazing natural resources as some of you do from out west. That said, our resources are limited in a relatively small area that is heavily populated and heavily fished. Most of our regs protect what we have so everyone can share them and I've seen what can happen when they don't follow the regs.
Also, PA is still part of the USA and, as such, part of the Land of the Free - so, if you don't like the "rules", you are "free" to leave.
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Post by Hazzzy on Aug 14, 2016 14:38:21 GMT -5
I have been fishing and boating for years and finally decided to get a kayak last year and was excited to get out on the water. It was towards the end of April and water Temps were warm. And I decided to go out on my maiden voyage. I had everything I needed my kayak was registered and I thought I was good to go. Ranger called me and my friend over and said we had to wear our life vests until the end of april. We complied and told him that we never heard of that rule and we would have been wearing them if we knew but we didn't see the need since it was warm and we were over by the old road were you can stand if you did fall out. Few weeks pass and I have a ticket for $130 in the mail. Completely blew me away that he actually issued a citation to me and my buddy instead of just giving us a warning. I took it to court and didn't have to pay but I was pissed that I had to go through all of that just for not wearing a pfd days before I was allowed to kayak without it on. I understand they want to make sure everybody is safe and obeying the rules but it made me completely lose respect for them and now I see them as money hungry sticklers.
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Post by bassfever on Aug 15, 2016 4:10:27 GMT -5
It's your job to know the laws
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Post by Deleted on Aug 15, 2016 9:57:28 GMT -5
WOW; it sounds like there are no middle ground comments on the Rangers at Chambers. Either you have terrible experiences with them or you think it's a great thing having them. I am on the had great experiences side of the spectrum and I am glad they are there. I only wish Blue Marsh had the Ranger coverage that Chambers does. If you fish Blue Marsh often enough then you would be glad that the Rangers are around. I had the pleasure of chatting with one of the Rangers for about 45 minutes last Fall and honestly; they are all just people like us.....they are normal folks just doing their job. Technically if you violated the law then you violated the law; if you're one day late or two days early bottom line is that you aren't following the rules and regulations. It's just like the policemen out on the roads; sometimes they will let you go with a warning other times they won't. I can't say there's a rhyme or reason for it but all you can do is be respectful and if you are in the wrong then you are in the wrong; bottom line. Just make sure you have everything you need with you on the boat and when they come over be polite and courteous and I think more so than not they will be the same. As per my first post on this topic; I am not trying to tick anyone off; these are just my thoughts and reflect any contact I have had with the Rangers over the past 4-5 years. I had a young Ranger come over to me several years ago as I was pulling my boat out of the water for a spot check. Of course I have my license, registration.....well; the whole 9 yards. After his little check he notified me that I did not have a throwable device on my boat; which was a correct statement. But I informed him "POLITELY" that since my boat was only 14' I was not required to have one. He said he would have to check on that and I told him I would do the same. We ended up having a good conversation about fishing etc. and off he went. I did contact the Ranger station a few days later though just to verify I was correct (and I was). All I was told was thta he was a "new" guy and I returned with telling them that he was a very nice and polite young man. So; it's all good!
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Post by shellback on Aug 15, 2016 14:18:53 GMT -5
Rules are rules, and if you break them, be prepared to pay a penalty. That said, I think the mailing of a $130 summons for the lifevest deal was a cheap shot. When the fellow complied, a simple warning that another occurrence would result in a fine, should have been the end of it. Those of us on the water can be of great help to law enforcement if we witness folks breaking laws or damaging property. Personally if I was fined for something I was unaware of, but did comply immediately, I'd think twice about helping out or reporting something. There's times for fines, and times for warnings, a good LEO should know the difference.
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Post by bowlerx on Aug 20, 2016 21:04:33 GMT -5
I met up with the enforcement officer this morning.....he was the highlight of the day until the bass started biting.....well, they kind of did anyway....he was nice, joked, and went on his way.....would have been 30 sec if we hadn't engaged him in conversation.
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Post by dmancari18 on Aug 20, 2016 21:58:39 GMT -5
It's funny how this goes. I have never had a single issue with any park ranger or fish and game guy anywhere... But then again, I'm always careful of knowing the rules and regulations of where I'm fishing and allow them to do their thing and move on. I have a kayak with a motor on it, so I have to go through a little extra to make sure I'm legal. I just do it, and every time they check me, which happens often, I have my PA motorized registration handy as well as always having my pfd on board whether it's in season or not, my whistle and all the items that are required of me. If they want to check my cooler or what I'm using for bait, so be it. That's their job. I'm always polite and thank them for being vigilant. These guys are spread thin and don't have an easy job. Just imagine them having to go out there and find several people like yourself not following the rules/regulations at every stop, every single day? That's their reality. It's a tedious job, but they're out there protecting our resources. Whether it's like this in Colorado or not, this isn't Colorado. It's Pennsylvania. I have fishing licenses in PA, MD, NJ and DE. There's quite a few rules/regulations that are different depending on what state you're in. With the dearth of information available at your finger tips on the net these days, it only takes a few minutes to brush up on whichever state or body of water you're fishing, so there's no real excuse. Hopefully this is a lesson learned.
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Post by fishncool on Sept 19, 2016 10:04:36 GMT -5
Do I need to register a unpowered kayak at Chambers? how about Marsh? I think I just need a life-vest and whistle
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Post by Gsseagle on Sept 19, 2016 21:24:43 GMT -5
Yes kayaks and canoes do require a launch permit to be used on any state, county or commission owned lakes in Penna. They are available thru any fishing license dealer or directly thru the Pa Fish and Boat commission. And yes our store does sell the
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