Ticket at Lambert's
 

My uncle went fishing with a buddy on Tuesday and were both ticketed at Lambert's for the boat being past the signs. He said that only the azz end was past it. Also... while the warden was pulling up my uncle hooked a red on the legal side and ran to the weir. He also was ticketed for fishing beyond the posted sign. He tried to plead his case... but to no avail. The other boat nearby also got ticketed for fishing beyond the sign. I did not know you could get ticketed for casting past the signs also. I just thought as long as the boat wasn't across the signs you were okay. I just wanted to pass on the info.

Well I have to side with the Wardens on this issue. i spoke with a game warden for about 2 hours at the landing last week shooting the bull..... They are getting real tired of everyone not following the law. They wrote about 65 tickets in a one week. Its good money for them and the state but its is going to cost us as fisherman one day. These signs are here for a reason. And If people keep dis obeying the law I would not be surprised if a gate dont come up here! Then you will have to buy a pass to enter the marsh!. I pulled up on a boat the other day when I was going thought Grand...he was tied up to the weir... I ask him if he could read, he said I know im not suppose to be here but its the only place the reds are........WOW....Looked at my wife and said this is prime example why we keep getting my laws on the water

I was @ Lamberts on Tuesday also. I was told by the same game wardens that wrote your folks the tickets that you can cast as far as you like towards the weirs as long as your boat is even with or behind the signs. The guys that got the tickets were well past the signs FWIW.

the other day they had some dude out of his boat standing on the weir catching reds then throwing them to his son in the boat

That actually happens a lot @ both Lamberts & Grand Bayou. It's really stupid to risk getting a $225 ticket when you can just use a 3/8 oz jig head & easily cast to the fish from the signs.

I doubt they will put a gate; however, I would not be suprised if the fine amount goes up in the future. Too much easy $ because of the amount of tickets they write. Kind of like a speed trap!:D
Makes those REDS pretty expensive!

Dont think for one minute they wont gate it.........I had a bird that told me if this continues to be a problem higher measures will be taken....And it wont be $$$ going up it will be a gate:rolleyes:

It wouldn't take much to throw a gate up either. Would be a good idea!

If they gate it then they will lose out on the fines/tickets they write since you will not have the issue of fishing past the sign. You said when you talked to the agent they wrote 65 tickets.......@ 225 a pop that cover a lot of expenses! I could care less if they gate it. I only fish the weirs maybe twice a year.

Every time I pass the weirs, there are people fishing inside the signs.
For the SC tourny, we saw 3 guys standing on Lamberts weirs fishing.

I dont think money is a issue.....This is a problem because folks cant read

I hope they but a big azz 10ft tall gate...I dont fish the weirs ... Fish them 2 times this year and caught all the reds i wanted no where near the sign....Also I made 3 trips behind the weirs in 3 years...and had one good out of the 3 all reds no trout.........So this will not hurt me one bit

Them Flounder stack up in the marsh behind them weirs.
That's what I like...
But I can get access back there if I need it.

If I am not mistaked at Grand, you can pass thru the weirs. Is it against the law to pass thru the weirs and fish behind it and in the marsh....

some of the marsh is Miami Corp and Some is private owned...They close Grand all duck season to boats..........They can close Grand all year if they want im sure......... Its easy follow the rules and no problems.....:D

When the weirs were first built, they closed them a lot to lower the water to get more vegetation to grow back there. But it severely hurt the shrimp and fish spawn.

I know I'm probably opening a can of worms here, but I want some opinions as a reality check for myself. My brother and I fish the weirs at Lamberts occasionally. If the tide is coming out in the morning, we like to get there before daylight and anchor up just outside the signs. We will cast to the weirs and try to get our limit of reds quick and early, and then we go out into the lake to fish the rest of the day for specks. Now to get the prime spot we go to a lot of effort to get up earlier than usual and make the run to Lamberts in the dark. But the last couple of years it doesn't do us much good, because as soon as the sun comes up good, here comes the illegal jerks that motor right past us and fish past the signs. So now for my question. Would I be wrong to call the warden on these people? Don't know if they would respond anyway, but to me it's not just a matter of them breaking the law, but they are also screwing me by taking their boat into the water I'm casting to? Maybe I'm being too sensitive here, but I've been fishing Big Lake since I was a little kid, and I have always believed there's enough water and enough fish for everybody without screwing over another fisherman.

Heck no its not wrong, most people just don't do it..which i prefer that aswell, less trouble. Hardly fish the weirs and when we do, we either stay on the outside past signs, or motor thru and go in the marsh.

NOT AT ALL!!!!!!!!
Fished there one time & never again!!!!!!! There was two guys achored leagally just out side the signs, I stayed back about 50 yards, there was another guy hanging down the bank wanting to get there also, neither one of use bothered the 1st boat in any way (being very respectable to them) all of a sudden here comes a hydrosports running his motor within 15' from me, past the 2 guys that were already there past the signs with his motor still running THROWS HIS ANCHOR damn near in the 2 guys boat & is inbetween them & the weir, right where they were fishing!!!!!:pissed::pissed::pissed::pissed: I felt bad for the 2 old men. I wanted to whip that guys azz for them!!!!!:pissed:

All I can say is they better be glad my Dad wasn't there!!!!! He would have lit that azz up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You can't fix stupid!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The signs are there for a reason........It's a safety issue......If someone was to fall out & get sucked through the weir & drown.....you'll see gates put up....that's a promise!!!!!!!!

Take a pic on your phone and get the boat #s if possible and call the WL&F right away............let them all pile up and get good pics.....so when the game wardens pull up and they bail out saying they were not behind the line.....Show the Warden you pics........I like to try to block them in......:shaking:

Good point, however if somone is fishing beyond the posted sign I could care less because eventually they will get their $225 fine per person! I wonder how much they collected in fines just this year.

I don't think the signs are threatening enough. It's obvious that this is a regular routine for many of the violators. They don't look the least bit concerned about the law. I think if the signs asked fishermen to report violations, listed the warden phone number, and stated the $225 cost of the fine, more of them would think twice.

If your fishing a tournament take pics and boat numbers of boats behind the signs. If any of them weigh a fish you can get them DQ'ed for fishing illegally.

Here is a question????????????

Does anyone know what the fine is if you get caught for a second vlolation?

Hey wait.................actually I did that at the SC tourney, even got pics of guys on the weirs fishing.

I forgot I took them, maybe I should look and see who's in them.

So...................if it's just 225.00 you 'll still do it?:D

Oh, ok.
Your just curious.

wiers
 

I can't tell you how GLAD I am that the law is finally being enforced at the wiers. The game wardens should go there EVERYDAY and write tickets until people learn. And the wardens should also look at pictures on this site and write citations to those who have posted catches behind the signs. That would be fair, don't ya'll think? It doesn't matter if it's a guide, father and son, or everyday Joe, the law is the law. Just my 2 cents.

BD

YEP............

update...
 

My uncle lied to me about where the boat was located. They were behind the signs-- no doubt. Although he was not the captain, they both deserved the fine-- fair and square. So, his story about catching on the legal side and it heading to the weir is false also. I don't know why he didn't tell me the truth from the get go! Yeah, guilty as charged!

BTW, did the game warden take their red fish.....

If you get 5 you can be banned for life from all Fed land.

I'd rather come home with ZERO fish than to catch just one illegal fish.

Maybe a 50 dollar reward for reporting people behind the signs? Then noone would be back there........

I actually kinda like the gate idea. If you want to fish next to the structure, go to weir 1, 2, or 5. The gate at Grand could be open when the marsh is open to fishing but you would know exactly where it is legal to fish. While they are at it how about widening the boat bay to 20'. Talk about a safety problem when the tide is running. Does anyone know the rules inside the refuge concerning guides fishing with paying clients? I have heard that it was not legal for any commercial activity on the Federal Wildlife Refuge. The boys in Tan or Green need to be there when the shrimp are running in the fall. Is it the State LW&F boys writing the tickets or the Federal Cameron Prairie folks?

You can guide inside the refuge, with a permit.
They busted a few cast netters behind the weirs when the shimping got good.
I started a post about it after it happened.

Same question I asked. He did get to keep the fish. Thats one high dollar red.

Getting busted......does not stop the cast netters.

I was in the marsh catching some nice shrimp back in September. This was a couple of weeks after it was reported that some people had been busted for over the limit. There were a dozen boats castnetting. Two of the boats close to me, knew each other. One of the guys was one of the people that got busted.

This did not stop him.......he was throwing an oversize net, and I would bet that by the time he left....he was over the limit again.

I had the same experience with cast netters. When the shrimping is good and the price of shrimp is high, the fine only sets them back one day. Maybe the fine needs to be higher. Then I would probably get caught on a technicality. HaHa!

Maybe there should be a permit for commercial cast netters in C.P. Refuge. They have to work pretty hard for their grits. Then there could be a permit for commercial crabbers in the refuge. ..... Nevermind. That probably goes for the wider boat bay too. The wider the boat bay, the bigger and more boats behind the weirs. NeverNeverNevermind.

There are commercial crabbers on Miami Corp. property, not far past the weirs.
If they alllow commercial shrimping behind the weirs, the recreational shrimpers
will never catch anything on weekends. The commercial shrimpers will wipe them
out on weekdays.