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Well, I picked up my first wildlife violation today. We were up fishing piveview this morning caught three nice muskies, came around the corner of cemetary point and ran into a muskie that was floating belly up. Two other boats were in the immediate area and saw the event take place. We tried to revive it for about fourty five minuets and it never did anything more than a couple small wags of it tail. We brought it into the live well and turned the areator on full to try and get him back. No doing. He was dead. Anyways, we figured we better not let him go to waste and decided to keep him. Now I dont eat fish except on a very rare occasion so a musky is way too much for me but I know lots of people who would love it. We load up the boat and lo and behold theres a fish and game officer in the parking lot. We showed him the fish and our liscenses, explained the whole story to him. He measured the fish, it was a 37 incher. Three inches short of the legal size. Ooops. He has no idea if our story is legitimate so he begins writing me out a ticket. As hes writing it, one of the guys who saw the whole thing happen out on the lake pulls up, the fish and game guy takes him aside and the verifies our story. I recieved a citation regardless. I am not posting this to show anger toward fish and game. I am just glad the guy was out there doing his job. I am posting to warn everyone not to let thier conscience get the best of them. No matter how right it is in your mind, the law is the law. Its better to let a fish rot on the surface than to break the law for any reason. I wasnt sure I was a believer in that idea until today. I had a pretty solid case made out in my defense as far as trying to be a responsible angler went but as far as the law according to the proclamation went I was wrong. So, heres my warning, if its not 100% legal turn away and live with the guilt. It may be better than living with the feeling of being a law breaker. I feel like crap. And I am going to have to pay. Better to feel like crap and not have to pay.<br><br>UNICORN CATCHER F.L.P.
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That Sucks, I would take it to court and let a judge decide your case. But it is nice to see that the fish and game are doing there job. It is about time. <br><br>
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PREDATOR,<br>You left part of the insodent up for question. Was the muskie confiscated or did the fish and game let you keep it? Not sure if court would be an option. I know that you have a winning case but the cost of liegal reprisentation to prouve it will be much higher than the imposed fine.<br><br>Texas Gulf Coast Fisher <*(())))))))))>{<br><A HREF="http://myweb.ecomplanet.com/ROSS6959/" target="_new">http://myweb.ecomplanet.com/ROSS6959/</A>
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He confiscated the fish. That is o.k. as long as the fish and game will not waste it. I dont eat fish very often so I wasnt going to keep it for myself anyway. I was just going to give it to someone who would eat it. I will be seeing a judge and he will determine my fine ammount. Hopefully based on the available evidence he will be understanding and just keep it minimal. The fine could be nothing and up to a thousand dollars.<br><br>UNICORN CATCHER F.L.P.
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PREDATOR, <br><br>Any chance you got the name of the witness. I had the same thing happen several years back while boating.With a chinook salmon. The judge through out the case after my explanntion and a witness provided testamony. Hope your case goes as well as mine did. Although it did cure me also from waste not want not. If the situation were to arise again, I'd have to say it I'd leave it be. Good Luck <br><br>Gamakatsu <*(((>{<br>
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hope your fine dose not include the loss of your fishing license as it does here in michigan<br><br><A HREF="http://myweb.ecomplanet.com/MESS6438/" target="_new">http://myweb.ecomplanet.com/MESS6438/</A> <br>For Kids Sake <br>Recycle your old Equipment<br>Dave
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I'm with you all the way Bear Lake Mack. <br><br>
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I talked to a guy at work that said he killed a musky on saturday, he said he tried to revive it for 20 mins but no luck. He killed it getting it into the boat to take a picture, he lifted it by the head. I told him that was probably why it died. WH2<br><br><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by wiperhunter2 on 07/16/02 00:30 AM.</EM></FONT></P>
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I hope you told him that mouth to mouth recessitation dosn't work on fish<br><br><A HREF="http://myweb.ecomplanet.com/MESS6438/" target="_new">http://myweb.ecomplanet.com/MESS6438/</A> <br>For Kids Sake <br>Recycle your old Equipment<br>Dave
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I forgot to ask the other day what happened when you went to court? If its any of my business. WH2<br><br>
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I told the judge my story, everyone in the court room got a big laugh out of something they thought was insignificant and ridiculous as a fishing violation. The man smacked me down a fourty dollar fine and I was on my way. I tell you what, I will never be there again! No one took it real serious except for me, I felt like crap just being associated with breaking the law.<br><br>UNICORN CATCHER F.L.P.