plainclothes

[Fighting Conch]

Apparently the FMP has learned from the fish and gone to camouflage.

"In Wakulla County, Officers Blake Hoelscher and Ryan Knutson were working plainclothes patrol offshore of St. Marks when they encountered a boat that had been bottom fishing. The officers conducted a vessel stop and fisheries inspection, and found the two individuals on board in possession of eight gag grouper, four of which were undersize. Citations were issued for possession of undersize gag grouper and possession of over the bag limit of gag grouper.

Knutson and Major Dave Pridgen were working plainclothes patrol in the Spring Creek area when they stopped a vessel that had been flats fishing. During the inspection, Knutson asked to look in a compartment capable of holding fish. The operator advised that there was nothing in it. Further inspection revealed an undersize redfish in the compartment. The suspect was cited for possession of an undersize red drum."

[silverking]

Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission law enforcement officers have been doing this for years. Anglers observing the laws don't have anything to worry about. It's too bad the FWC can't impound boats, gear and tow vehicles for violators, who are stealing from all of us.

By the way, FMP was phased out more than 10 years ago.

[What a mess]

Good you don't wanna play by the rules and they got the tools to make you look like fools.

[Tidedancer]

I have mixed emotions about this unmarked/plainclothes patrolling.
I will first say that I have never had a game fish ticket for any reason because I obey the laws of the land. But with all the meanest that is gong on now in the world it will not take long for some very bad men to take advantage of this. And someone is going to get hurt or dead.
I just do not want any boat of men coming up to me in a unmarked boat and plainclothes officers. If you wait until they are close enough to see their police ID, it is too late if these are people that mean you harm.

In Georgia there were a lot of murders and rapes by people posing as police in unmarked cars, so the state of Georgia passed a law that you can not be pulled over by an unmarked car for ANY traffic laws. The car has to be maked in 6" letters on the side of the car that this is in fact a police car.
I know in Florida they drive unmarked cars. But what do you do when a blue light pulls you over in an unmarked car and the person or people getting out of this car are in civilian clothes. Your dead a long time!!
I just don't think it's right.

I will close with I have not had a traffic ticket in over 30 years.

[bull68dawg]

I got stopped today by a Plainclothes FMP officer. You would have never known he was a officer, he even had poles hanging out the back. I asked if he could fish on the job, which appearantly you can but just not aloud to keep anything while working. He noticed my NFGFC hat and we spoke a bit about him speaking at the next club meeting. Never did he ask to see a regulation,registration,or license. The only thing he asked to see was the fish box which he counted the fish never asked to measure. Very nice guy and after today I think I am for the plainclothes FMP officers.

[CSMarine]

I had a strange encounter once with a plain clothes once. I was on the dirt road leaving the boat ramp at Yates Creek. The road is very narrow there. If you meet another truck pulling a boat, someone has to pull over so you can pass each other safely. I met an old looking truck pulling a small aluminum jon boat. The truck pulled over to the side to let me pass. The man had his window down, so as we all do I stopped when he acted like he wanted to talk. He asked if I'd had any luck. I told him I'd caught a few. Still in his truck, he then stuck his badge out the window, identified himself and asked to look at my fish. I never break the law. My two sons are both police officers, but I still felt violated. The man was just doing his job and was very polite as he tore my boat and truck apart trying to find something illegal. Like someone else said, he could just as easy have been someone else, that's why I felt angry. I consider myself to be fairly alert to danger. I don't like to be fooled by anyone, be they law men or outlaws.

[MudDucker]

I too do not like the idea of a plain clothed game wardens. Flashing a badge ain't gonna get them nowhere with me, I demand to see a picture ID and even those can be faked. There is a lot of deterrence value of them being out there in boats and trucks clearly marked and in uniform. It ain't like a boater can do much when the come around without being seen. There are no trees to hide behind in the gulf.

[CairoTrout]

I am all for it. Maybe they will catch all these outlaws stealing from all of us. I bet out of every ten boats there are people keeping over the limit and under the size limit of trouts and reds. They can check me anytime. This thread is useless and is a slap in the face to FWC. These guys work very hard to catch these outlaws. And for you guys who feel "threatened", take karate. These guys work hard and all they do is get bitched at, how bout give them an atta boy. I bet they have locked up a lot of outlaws while doing this.

[dolphinatic]

I don't really worry about it. Most of the time I am out there, I fish with a buddy who is a deputy and he's ALWAYS packing I'm yet to hear of an incident where FWC impostures tried some "tomfoolery." Till then, no worries

[MudDucker]

I am all for it. Maybe they will catch all these outlaws stealing from all of us. I bet out of every ten boats there are people keeping over the limit and under the size limit of trouts and reds. They can check me anytime. This thread is useless and is a slap in the face to FWC. These guys work very hard to catch these outlaws. And for you guys who feel "threatened", take karate. These guys work hard and all they do is get bitched at, how bout give them an atta boy. I bet they have locked up a lot of outlaws while doing this.

Boy, I am gonna show you how threatened I am next time I am in Cairo! Karate is for sissies, you don't need to be messing with no ninja!

Now go wipe your eyes out, they done turned brown with this post!

[BAD BEHAVIOR]

I am all for it. Maybe they will catch all these outlaws stealing from all of us. I bet out of every ten boats there are people keeping over the limit and under the size limit of trouts and reds. They can check me anytime. This thread is useless and is a slap in the face to FWC. These guys work very hard to catch these outlaws. And for you guys who feel "threatened", take karate. These guys work hard and all they do is get bitched at, how bout give them an atta boy. I bet they have locked up a lot of outlaws while doing this.

Boy, I am gonna show you how threatened I am next time I am in Cairo! Karate is for sissies, you don't need to be messing with no ninja!

Now go wipe your eyes out, they done turned brown with this post!

DAYUM LAWYER

[lonesouth]

I don't see how the officers gain an advantage by being PC. Unmarked boat, that I can understand, but the officers should be fully uniformed so as to better identify them. If I encountered an unmarked car or boat I would be extremely cautious about the encounter until I was reasonably assured that they were indeed LEOs. If this were a traffic stop, I would drive to a populated and well lit area and contact FHP en route to validate the identity (I don't mean to say drive for an hour, but I certainly wouldn't stop on a dark highway shoulder). In a boat, I would do my best to establish the identity of the persons before they were within boarding distance and hit the DSC button in advance of contact. If they are legit, I would do as they ask and facilitate the stop. They are just doing their job and probably don't want to deal with an irrate angler any more than you want to deal with an a-hole LEO.

That being said, I haven't been pulled over in a long time, marked or otherwise. Similarly, I've never been stopped by FWC on the water. This is my keyboard quaterbacking, so don't take it to the bank.

[Reel Cowboy]

This was discussed in depth at the June NFGFC meeting by Lt. Kent Harvey, who coincidently, is in charge of the "plain clothes" in this area.
These officers are looking for criminals and as such are welcome to search my boat anytime. I would rather deal with a fish check than have people stealing from the public resource.

[CairoTrout]

Lonesouth, there are many advantages for officers in plain clothes. Think like an outlaw for a minute, if you have 10 undersized redfish in the cooler would you dump them if you saw FWC in the distance? I bet you would and if you were passing a couple of guys in a skiff with plain clothes I bet you wouldnt. I am in favor for this because it can only help us. And for all this talk about them being unmarked and are we really that cautious about an encounter at the boat ramp? I have a lot of people come up to me at the boat ramp and ask if we caught any. I have never felt threatened by that. These guys are doing a great job and we need to support them and not gripe about it. Imagine if we didnt have FWC. There would be so many nets in the water you couldn't even run your boat.

[lonesouth]

CT, I can't see that far, so perhaps my perception is skewed. I can see a boat and probably determine FWC or private, but no chance of seeing what the people are wearing. Maybe if I had binoculars. Regarding feeling threatened. I don't feel threatened by people coming up and chatting, but someone looking like they want to board my boat without permission or a nontraditional traffic stop gets me a little tense.

I do see your point for people with good eyesight though