Fishing Fine
 

So I was doing a little spearfishing yesterday morning just of Mission Point since the bite has been so slow lately. I drilled what I thought was a lovely 14.5" Sculpin right in the head. Unfortunately Fish and Game corrected me. Turned out to be a Cabezon and they must be at least 15" to keep. I had no idea they even were to be found in the bay and I have never actually seen one. Long story short I did not have a fish lunch and got a fine instead. Does anyone have a clue as to what the fine amount will be. This is a first time offense and I might show up at court to see if it will be reduced. I should study the species and regulations closer, but honestly at 25 feet in murky conditions, it looked like a Sculpin. To make matters worse I am pretty sure I left my Omer Alien mask and snorkel on the rocks as I was getting out of the water per Fish and Games request. I was already a bit sour for hesitating on a Halibut shot. It must have been at least 28-30" and took me a second to process, therefore no shot was fired. Oh well.:(

BOHIC... :(

Attachment 6026

Here we go again.......

The fine can be as high as 940$. Fishing regulations are free at sporting goods and tackle shops. Be informed on what is legal. Fishing without a license is now 740$ not 25$ as in the past.

you'll need it. . .
 

I was ticketed by CA DFG in 2009 for fly-fishing a "closed" area of the upper Owens in Mammoth CA. I read the sign, my buddy and I said WTF, no one is here, and we were doing C&R anyway. Caught one fish, let it go. Saw a green truck pulling in a few miles away, not a good sign. Started to make our way back to the truck outside the fishing area.

15 minutes later, ms. snaggle tooth of the DFG (hard to believe she was single) stopped us. We got the lecture, thought we'd actually get off with a warning. NOPE. In the end we were both hit up for $449 each. :mad:

Boys and girls read, understand and comply with the signs.

I've been checked by DFG three times this month. (once LJ fishing and twice Coronado clamming )

Two very polite DFG females check out each and every fish I got at LJ launch while I was loading to my truck , then a not so polite lifeguard yelled at me "15 minutes only loading, or I write you a ticket ! "

I explained to him DFG was doing the checking, he said "I don't care ! 15 minutes or ticket"

Next time maybe I should ask the DFG to wait for my loading, and do the checking at a parking lot ?

Watch out! no fish is worth a big DFG fine. :reel:

I'm just saying, Ca is hurting for $$$, MLPA enforcement is costly.

maybe PM the guys who posted up on Bd and ask the outcome.

http://www.bdoutdoors.com/forums/fis...ut-fillet.html

http://www.bdoutdoors.com/forums/fis...-lobsters.html

Im not a spear fisher, but how do you measure a fish before you shoot it, to make sure its legal & all?
we had a minimum for ling cod up here in Washington, but it sounds like they actually dropped it for spear fishers, realizing how little is actually taken by spear fishers in these northern waters, how hard it is to measure the fish before you shoot it, and any undersized shot by mistake, would just be left for crab food..

Fine...
 

Once you get your ticket in the mail and get off the floor you'll realize how obscene these things are, especially the way they're disguised. You should definitely GO TO COURT as the amount on the ticket is the bail amount, not the fine. The fine should be around half the bail amount, give or take. Most people do not realize the difference and send in the BAIL amount.

Then again, most people think nothing of spending $300 for a bait tank when they can make one for $50... :wink:

The bail money is true but not always in the case of getting fined
being locked up yes what you have to pay is only 10% of the bail but with the fine you have to pay the full amount enless told other wise by a judge

Lesson Learned
 

Thanks for the posts. I will definitely go to court in hopes of having the fine reduced. I did pick up a regulations booklet and plan on memorizing the damn thing. Ignorance is no excuse, but I swore the fish was a Sculpin. My buddy was on land and warned me DFG was coming, but I didn't think I had anything to worry about since Sculpin only need to be 10". Next time I will either pretend to be deaf and keep diving or just swim away and let the Coast Guard track me down. The officer acted like he was giving me a big break for not confiscating all the gear on me and in my truck. I made an innocent mistake and am not a criminal. It's not like I was poaching abalone or taking lobsters out of season. He even searched my Omer dive vest pockets that hold lead shot weight to see if I was hiding fish filets! I am all about following the rules and protecting our resources, but damn this guy was out for blood and was really trying hard to hit his quota. F it. I am off to go pick up my Olive PA right now, so no more whining from me:luxhello:

SO DFG was standing on the jetty and ordered you to get out of the water? Also, you learned another with the lost mask, never let go of your gear...

GO GET YOU PA enjoy forget about the fine till it comes in the mail

My buddy got fined like 550 for catching sheephead out of season....and that was years ago..good luck with that.

The fine could be between $600-$1000.

That does not include Court Cost that will be imposed by the Judge if you go to court and loose the case.

Look Here
http://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/july2011_jcbail.pdf

Bail and fine/penalty are not the same thing. Going to court (and standing before a judge) is not the same as going to trial.

I know of three people with F&G infractions. All went before a judge and paid a substantially lower amount, although one elected to do some community service as partial payment (short lobster).

Please let us know how this turn out...

This might give you an idea of what to expect.

(California Code of Regulations, Title 14) as posted on the DFG Website

Scroll Down to page # 124 it is right there on top.
http://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/july2011_jcbail.pdf


Undersize Fish (I)-infraction (M)-misdemeanor
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Please let us know what happens.

and the answer is a $250 cabezon dinner ....
 

CA Specific Fines
The state designates base fines for specific offenses related to hunting and fishing. For example, someone in possession of undersized fish faces a $250 fine for each fish that does not meet the state's size regulations for that particular species.

Any update?

Bump... ?