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I was in my kayak at the ST Marks/Wakulla rivers on MLK Day, Jan 16, 2017. Lots of boaters ignoring the no wake zone to include a commercial crabbing boat. Not a single FWC officer in sight. But I do see FWC officers around during the week when things are slow. Get out there and enforce the law FWC!

In all my years of Florida boating I've seen no wake enforced once: by a marine Deputy Sheriff down in Ft. Pierce inlet. It was kind of funny cause he was trying to stop everyone!

I'm from the FTP area, they enforce no wake/manatee zones pretty aggressively. FWC being understaffed probably has their resources pretty scattered, especially on the last few weeks of hunting season.

I am always compliant with all regulations but have watched the man weave thru dozens of boats with Fla registration to check my Ga registration boat. Not sure why.


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Hit-n-Miss wrote:I am always compliant with all regulations but have watched the man weave thru dozens of boats with Fla registration to check my Ga registration boat. Not sure why.


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For the same reason the Coast Guard went past dozens of boats @ Dog Island from over a mile away and boarded my boat for a safety inspection. Fla. registration.

For the same reason I have not been stopped locally our entire duck season. They just don't have the number of bodies available to enforce the law. I've even called to report people running ducks, running motors on iammonia, and obviously shooting over the limit.
Not once have I seen an FWC officer on the water.

reelbad wrote:

Hit-n-Miss wrote:I am always compliant with all regulations but have watched the man weave thru dozens of boats with Fla registration to check my Ga registration boat. Not sure why.


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For the same reason the Coast Guard went past dozens of boats @ Dog Island from over a mile away and boarded my boat for a safety inspection. Fla. registration.

. Funny how that works. We must look shady. Lol


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Poaching will always be a problem, unfortunately. Some folks just feel like they are above the law and don't care. All we can do is report the ones we see and hope they can get after them. I want to see fish stocks stay good enough that my grandchildren can enjoy catching them. A few years back, we used to catch trout in the river that had obvious net marks on their skin, the smaller ones that wiggled free somehow. Makes me mad. Same thing goes for ducks, kill the legal limit and then go home.

IMO I feel like your concern should be directed higher up the food chain at FWC than to the local game wardens. It's not the local officers' fault that they are understaffed and/or busy working hunting seasons or boating/fishing concerns in other places. One person can only be one place at a time. (Just my opinion, not trying to ruffle any feathers.) Also, there may be some areas that have "less than proactive" law enforcement folks, but they have always been fair and professional with me, and my boat has Tennessee numbers on it.

FWC Wildlife Alert Hotline:

888-404-3922, 24 hours a day.


Get as many details as possible, including hull numbers, boat & engine make, color, location, tow vehicle, description of the offenders, etc.

Yes, FWC LE is spread too thin but they do a good job with the resources available and the average boater/angler you see may actually be an undercover officer.

deer30084 wrote:...Get out there and enforce the law FWC!

FWC Field Operations Weekly Reports
http://myfwc.com/about/inside-fwc/le/weekly-reports/

I believe FWC does "enforce the law" - every chance it gets. The problem is there are many times the number of chuckleheads out there than there are FWC law enforcement officers.

Hit-n-Miss wrote:I am always compliant with all regulations but have watched the man weave thru dozens of boats with Fla registration to check my Ga registration boat. Not sure why.


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Nautical Profiling!

I've seen it at Econfina many times over the years!

Hit-n-Miss wrote:I am always compliant with all regulations but have watched the man weave thru dozens of boats with Fla registration to check my Ga registration boat. Not sure why.


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Perhaps for the same or similar reason(s) I've experienced or seen Georgia State Troopers pulling vehicles with Florida plates over on I-75 while vehicles with GA plates go whizzing by.

RHTFISH wrote:

Hit-n-Miss wrote:I am always compliant with all regulations but have watched the man weave thru dozens of boats with Fla registration to check my Ga registration boat. Not sure why.


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Nautical Profiling!

I've seen it at Econfina many times over the years!

Which is why I register my boats in Florida.

Last year the FWC seemed to be everywhere this time of year. This year, I've passed at least 3 different trucks at different times, but have not encountered any on the water or at the ramps.

Last year, I hunted a local lake every open day during the first phase, and most open days of the second until going back to school in early January. Not once did I encounter FWC at that lake, and early/late shooting was rampant. This year, same lake, FWC was at the ramp at least every other open day, and for the first time in all the years I've hunted that lake, I met my first Fed--ran into him again at least 4-5 other times after that as well. Per an FWC officer I spoke with this season, within the area they're assigned to patrol, they have discretion as to where they choose to be and what activity they regulate (unless given specific orders of a call comes in).