Don't be Bullied by the Lifeguard.

[Billy V]

This happened to me in March as I was fishing during the Fred Hall Show. I want to post it up so You guys know the SD Lifeguards are patrolling the Scripps SMCA but don't know the DFG rules.

- I set him straight, without too much humiliation. Only because he didn't try to come at me like a dick.
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On March 22, 2012 I decided to fish La Jolla. I was on a 26 Blackman and decided to leave without buying bait from the barge, I can usually make whatever bait I need on the water.

I fished my usual spots with irons for a short time, and didn't see any bait balls. I moved up north and located a nice size school of greenbacks in front of the mushroom house about 250 yards off the beach.

I start loading up the tank with about 40 pieces when I noticed a lifeguard truck come speeding along the beach from Blacks. He quickly stopped the truck in front of the mushroom house (that is as far as you can drive on the beach)

- I notice he was removing his paddle board from the truck rack and does a quick launch into the 54 degree water wearing only a bathing suit !

He paddles all the way out to me while calling out, "Hey Skipper, Hey Skipper" "You're fishing in the reserve, you can't fish here" "Its Fly Fishing Only"

-I had a quick laugh to myself, then assessed his attitude before I responded to him.

I ask him "who told you that ?". he responded "the DFG"

I told him he was wrong and I was not in the reserve, I was in the "State Marine Conservation Area and what I was doing was completely legal".

Then I pointed over to the South and told him, "That is the reserve"
-He disagreed, so I was then compelled to educate him throughly.

I said to him "I am within the boundaries of the Scripps Coastal SMCA and give him the lon/lat numbers." He insisted I was wrong while he said he was freezing in the water....
So I invited him to board the boat so I may show him my Map with the Lat/Lon, as well as the DFG rules and regulation governing the area.

-He didn't want to board the boat, but I damn sure wasn't going to let this contact end without having throughly schooling this lifeguard in the the law as he disturbed my fishing day!

I pulled out both the San Diego MLPA Map with coordinates, and legal description of what "Take is allow and by what method"

I promptly show him the error of his ways.

He accepted my explanation and apologized for not having his facts straight. I asked him to tell his other lifeguard friends about our encounter so we do not have a reoccurrence while others are in the area.

He agreed.

My friend Jim offered him a cup of coffee for the long cold paddle back. The guy was freezing by the time we were done.
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So there you have it.
- If you are approached in a similar manor please take a moment to respond with a cool head before lashing out and bashing the crap out of them if you are right.

-Sure I could have bashed him, but I didn't.

I say this because WE Fought Very Hard to be able to make bait in this area, and if abused, or a fisherman responds back in a violent manor We would All likely suffer the lost of this hard earned privilege.

If any of you lifeguards are reading this please tell your friends about this post, so we don't have future problems.
The lifeguard I had the encounter with was named Ron. I'm sure he will remember the incident.

Tight Lines
Billy V