The FWC Man.... What to do....

[mjsigns]

The FWC Man is your friend and he deserves your respect regardless of your mood or previous impressions and encounters. There are some really nice FWC officers out there and they will share information with you, like where other folks are catching fish.

1- Treat them with respect. The easiest way to get along with the man is to "obey the laws",

2- Be courteous and realize that he may not have had a really good day either. Offer him a snack or a cold drink. (not a cold )

3- Express a willingness to cooperate with any requests or questions asked. If he decides to do a safety check on your boat, and you pass with flying colors, request that he provide you with a complementary safety inspection sticker for your boat.

4- Be sure to ask him for one of those complementary FWC courtesy Inspection stickers. If you pass inspection he is supposed to give you one for your boat. I call the sticker , "the good-boy" sticker.

5- The sticker should be posted on the port side of your vessel, (preferably the windshield) because the man always approaches from your port side if you are on open waters. Subsequently, if an officer sees a current " FWC courtesy Inspection sticker" on your vessel, he'll leave you alone, and will be allot less likely to inspect your catch or your craft.

Last word : Make it a point to get an inspection each year. You are responsible for your safety and the safety of anyone on board.

If you keep your sticker current. It will prevent you from being pulled over multiple times in a single year, and you can spend more your time fishing.

[RodBow]

what a green-noser

[Tom Keels]

Subsequently, if an officer sees a current " FWC courtesy Inspection sticker" on your vessel, he'll leave you alone, and will be allot less likely to inspect your catch or your craft.

This is incorrect. Every FWC officer who has spoken at an NFGFC meeting says these stickers mean absolutely nothing to them. They do not care one way or the other if you have one or not. They are simply an "incentive" gesture by the FWC. Do not think if you have one that you will not get checked. They say that people argue with them all the time about how they have a "Sticker" and they don't need to be checked. Their response is "The sticker is only good for the day it was issued and the officer who issued it."

Just an FYI.

[T Smith]

For a few years I really wanted that job, but they don't get paid anything and I figured if I was on the water Monday through Friday I wouldn't want to be out there on the weekend fishing with the kids.

It is true though with law enforcement you are usually treated with respect if you treat them with respect. I never liked TPD too many speeding tickets in my youth, but now I'm pretty good friends with a few officers. If you ever get a chance go on a ride-along, do so and you'll see why they act like they do, it's a matter of self preservation in many cases. We're not all bad guys but they don't know that untill the stop is almost over.

Thanks for the heads up I didn't know FWC gave out inspection stickers as well as the CG Aux. I've been stopped twice this year and when it's a homemade boat I think they take a little closer look. Next time I'll ask for a sticker.


Tom,

Makes sense I mean just because you were legal one day when someone stopped you doesn't mean today you didn't forget that extra life jacket or that your flares haven't expired since then. I think the biggest factor on your likliehood of getting stopped are the number of boaters out, go on a tuesday and youll get stopped cause theyve got nothing else to do, go on a saturday and disappear in the masses and your chances of getting stopped diminish. They do like waiting at the ramps on weekends though.
I think the sticker at least show you made some attempt to be safe and legal, might help your case unless you argue with the officer about how he shoudn't stop you cause you have a sticker.

[Charles]

Be polite, be professional. A check can go as easy or as hard as you make it. My younger brother is a Federal Wildlife Officer down in the Keys. Nice enough guy, but he can put on his Class A1 hardadze hat in a split second if he's pushed or challenged, as can our local Fed who is also a friend of mine. Also, as far as I know, all the refuge employees also have federal LE authority.

Also, don't be afraid to shoot the breeze with the officer and get to know each other a little bit. I have found subsequent checks to be easier by doing this. If you've made some kind of inadvertent mistake, don't lie to him to try to cover it up. Most of these folks can see right through that and it will only make things harder.

[mjsigns]

Tom Said-

Every FWC officer who has spoken at an NFGFC meeting says these stickers mean absolutely nothing to them. They do not care one way or the other if you have one or not.

Tom- Do you really think he would say something anything other than that in front of a group of fishermen?

I always welcome the man, and I feel somewhat "let-down" when I don't get a chance to speak to them, or at least get a complementary vessel check. I take great pride in my boat, my safety equipment and obeying the laws. When I talk to an officer, I learn as much as I can, I use FWC officers as a resource. When I have the time and an appropriate opportunity, I bombard them with questions about stuff like; what are the newest rules, where are most of the fish hitting, and what has he seen that day. I usually complement him on his boat and equipment. Like others have mentioned, I try to get on a first-name basis with them in case I see them again.

In closing, always keep in mind that the officer that checks you out today, may be the same officer who comes to your rescue tomorrow or next year.

[Fighting Conch]

Excellent advice, mj and charles, I'm going to follow your lead. How can I volunteer for one of those safety inspections?

[Tom Keels]

Tom- Do you really think he would say something anything other than that in front of a group of fishermen?

I don't have to know what he thinks. That's what he said.

I'm not sure who the group would have anything to do with it. Like I said, just an FYI. Any officer will tell you that he makes a judgement call on the situation and there are very few hard and fast rules.

[Charles]

Excellent advice, mj and charles, I'm going to follow your lead. How can I volunteer for one of those safety inspections?

CG Aux. Flotilla 13 at Shell Point used to do it. To be honest, I haven't checked to see if they still do, but I would think so and any of the other CG Aux. Flotillas should be able to.

[Dubble Trubble]

I remember not long ago at Econfina actually being dissappointed that I did not get checked. The man was there, (a new young guy) and I was pulling in to the landing with my wife and twin girls. There were a lot of people pulling in and I waited my turn. He was checking ALL boats as they came in. I loaded up and pulled up to the palm trees to put on my straps and lock up the motor, and wait on him to check my boat. He never came! He checked the boat in front and the one behind me. I wonder to this day if it was those two 18 yr old blue eyed blonde twins that maybe scared him off. Now, if I was the man and was a young guy, THAT would have been THE boat I checked that day!

Hooked

[Nathan]

I'm hoping to be one in another year or so. Waiting right now to see if I got an internship with them in the Spring. No, the pay isn't great, but it's enough to make a living off of. There are also private details that you can do after hours that typically pay pretty good. Pretty much like a security job, but you still have your LE powers.

Nathan

[Fighting Conch]

After a quick google search I found a site for the St. Marks Coast Guard Aux. (but not for Shell Point) at http://www.uscgaux.net/info.html and then sent a message requesting a safety inspection. My wife will be pleased (and that can lead to good things).

[MudDucker]

Got checked today as I was coming out of a duck pond. Two nice guys. Young guy just asked me if I had a license and when I replied I did, he didn't ask to see it. Older guy asked if the younger one had seen my license and I told him no, he hadn't asked. So the older one checked mine. Older one looked at my 6' 2" son and said well since you are not over 16, I don't guess you need one. My 18 year old son corrected him and pulled out his license. Looked at my ducks and saw I was shoting heavy shot. Told me to have a nice day and I left.

[birddog]

Tom- Do you really think he would say something anything other than that in front of a group of fishermen?

I don't have to know what he thinks. That's what he said.

I'm not sure who the group would have anything to do with it. Like I said, just an FYI. Any officer will tell you that he makes a judgement call on the situation and there are very few hard and fast rules.

Tom is absolutely correct. I've asked many CO's while being checked and each one has said the stickers are meaningless.

[Charles]

I got checked just a few hours ago on the Wakulla below Lower Bridge. State guy I hadn't met before. It went well. The first thing he checked was my life jacket. Then asked if I was hunting or fishing or both. I was doing both and he asked what I was hunting. Ducks and coots. He said he thought so when he saw my shotgun and the plastic box of shells in the bottom of the boat. He asked to see my licenses and I whipped out my Military Sportsman's Gold. Said he'd never checked one of those before. He saw my name and asked about my brother. We shot the breeze a little bit and then he headed on up river and I continued down. He never asked to check my cooler, even though I was sitting on it at the time and didn't have anything in it but ice and a few Chek Diet Colas. The only safety gear he checked was the life jacket, even though I had everything required and then some. He did kind of act like somebody hunting and fishing at the same time from a canoe with a bicycle in it wasn't all that common.