Cal-Tip Works!

[matt johnson]

Hi all,

Just wanted to report a very favorable first time experience with Cal-Tip today. This morning at a favorite local fishing spot of mine, I had to endure the supreme disgust of observing a fellow angler land, then carry a wild Central Valley steelhead into the bushes. Before doing this, he had stupidly explained to me that he had retained two others before I arrived, complaining that he is unable to catch any clipped fish at this spot.

Just before loosing my mind, I said goodbye and good luck to this guy, drove home, and dialed Cal-Tip. I have heared of lots of frustration with Cal-Tip, but this experience was very positive. An hour after placing the call, I recieved a call from the locally dispatched warden. She had gone to the access point I had described, but unfortunately this dude had already split. I gave her all the details I could, and she assured me that she would get this guy. I am very confident that she will.

The take home message is: if you see anything weird out there, please do not hesitate to call a warden. The force is stretched very thin, but they really do care. We are the best stewards of our angling resources. Matt.

[Jasonh]

Way to go Matt. It is amazing how many wild fish i have seen taken especially from the American with nothing done about it. Many times i have not had a phone with me to report it but have mentioned some of the incidents to DFG the same day. Its too bad that they do not have the funds and man power to patrol our valley rivers more often. It is so frustrating to be out fishing and see people keeping wild steelhead and snagging salmon. What makes it even worse is when you see fathers teaching their kids how to snagg salmon off the redds. I am glad Cal-tip worked and maybe it will only get better.

Jason Hartwick

[Adam Grace]

Good job!

Nail those poachers!

[ripdlip]

I myself called DFG hotline recently on some "fishernman" that where snagging salmon and running them up to thier car and putting them into an ice chest. After about 45mins I had not seen any DFG wardens so I was disgusted and began to leave. As I got up to the parking lot there where two wardens hiding behind a porta potty spying on the "fisherman". They said they were waiting to actually witness them snag a fish and keep it. They got their wish and busted 6 guys for various reasons. It does work...and thank god it does.
Good fishing!

[SullyTM]

Hi Matt...Do you have the Cal-Tip phone number? The more calls they get, the more monitoring of the water-ways. Thanks. SullyTM

[matt johnson]

SullyTM,

The Cal-Tip # is: 1-888-334-2258, if you just remember to dial 1-888-DFG-CALTIP, you will be dialing the right number. Another possibly more direct line on a warden is contacting your local CHP dispatch. Happy dirt-bag poacher fun-spoiling! Matt.

[Tony Buzolich]

I think any of us who spend a fair amount of time on the water witness acts of poaching and vandelism quite often. I know I do.

You would think with all this blatant stuff going on that it would be easy for wardens to write citations till their arms fell off. The other part of this would be the revenue derived from writing so many ticketed fines.

With the state budget as tight as it is you'd think any enforcement agency would encourage their force to become stricter and pass out more fines.

Shouldn't matter who it is, the Highway Patrol, wardens, police, etc. If for no other reason than to aide the state's budget.

:? Just thinking out load,
TONY

[SullyTM]

Thanks Matt...I have a favorite hang-out that needs some poacher watching :evil:

[Digger]

WE ALL SHOULD BE DOING MORE OF THIS. We need to be proactive and be the wardens of areas where we fish, since the DFG cannot do this task on their own. And, agreeably if we hear that the CAL-Tip line does work, I think more of us would bother to call and participate.

However, we also must realize that what appears to be a 'wild' fish, may not truly be. The hatchery admittedly does not clip each and every fish they raise and release.

Tony- the budget cuts have limited the hiring of wardens and the recent AB 7 was supposed to, among other things have earmarked funding for about 50 more wardens. But, that's not going anywhere last I heard.
Also, there was a plan afoot to reorganize the DFG altogether. The proposed plan was to have removed the 'enforcement' segment of DFG and lumped it into an overall state type of enforcement where all 'peace officers' (e.g. state police, CHP, wardens, park rangers, etc.) would become responsible to act on any and all law enforcement issues.
Like a CHP officer would really give a hoot about fishing regs!

Just for kicks, what fun it would be to just hang out and wait for something to call DFG about. Sit in the parking area like a neighborhood watch program. Write down license plate numbers and so forth. If this were done on an organized and regular basis, eventually these A-holes might curtail their activities. Actual fines (when handed out) are really very stiff, and I think they can take your gear and so forth.

[Darian]

Hi Digger,..... Just for info, the Gov signed AB 7 and it was chaptered 689 on 10/7/05. Didn't review it, tho. Even if it included funding for 50 wardens, it's probably up to the Legislature to authorize the expenditure. :? :?

The plan to reorganize law enforcement capabilities was originally a product of the Little Hoover Commission that was adopted by the Gov for his year of reformation program. 8) I'm not sure where that one stands but I would imagine that the impetus for that one slowed because all sworn officers can issue citations, make arrests, etc. The real difficulty with consolidation may have something to do with the fact that no single person can recall all of the body of laws required to administer it. :? At least one consolidation did occur at the State level many years ago. The State Police Force was absorbed by the Highway Patrol. 8)

The dollar amount of fines issued by courts actually result in revenue for courts (counties) and the State. So, unless the fine is very large and there are a number of them, there probably isn't much impact on the State budget. 8) 8)

[matt johnson]

Digger,

Unless you can prove me wrong, please do not assume that there are any un-marked hatchery steelhead swimming around in California rivers right now. All hatchery steelhead are clipped by hand by with scissors, typically by a nice bunch of older ladies. Occasionally a little flap of an adipose is missed.

Perhaps you are thinking of Fall-Run hatchery Chinook in California? Not all of them are clipped. Thanks, Matt.

[Eyecatch Tinytrout]

I have never had the opportunity to go "Battman and Robin" on poachers. But I'll call CAL TIP for sure.

[Digger]

Digger,

Unless you can prove me wrong, please do not assume that there are any un-marked hatchery steelhead swimming around in California rivers right now. All hatchery steelhead are clipped by hand by with scissors, typically by a nice bunch of older ladies. Occasionally a little flap of an adipose is missed.

Perhaps you are thinking of Fall-Run hatchery Chinook in California? Not all of them are clipped. Thanks, Matt.

I spent about an hour last January at the Nimbus hatchery, watched the film, walked around, the whole deal, and spoke at length with the staff member there. Those were his words, not mine.

[matt johnson]

Digger,

Thanks for the insight. Nimbus is totally lame. In fact, I've always thought their hatchery steelhead program is sorry, since they insist on propagating out of basin fish, and I could never catch those fish swinging flies. Always used to like to half-pounders though.

Speaking for the upper Sacramento basin, I know for a fact that Coleman clips all of their hatchery steelhead, because I work with the biologists that evaluate the practices at Coleman Hatchery and have chatted with them at length. While it is not out of the question for an un-marked Nimbus fish to stray into the upper Sacramento basin, I really believe that 99% of the adipose present steelhead in the upper Sacramento are wild. Just wish there were a few more of them. Matt.