I am now a law breaker...

[B.G.hunter]

sounds kind of like our game warden in asotin county.  he wrote a ticket to a mentally handicap kid for fishing without a license because he had a broken fishing pole and piece of jerky in the water.

[DOUBLELUNG]

That sucks.  I guess the thing to do is get the kids their own catch cards. 

[colockumelk]

Gamie had a very well thought out post.  I would take it to court.  You have a very good case.  Worst case scenario would be they reduce the fine.  Good Luck.  You should also get a copy of the report that the officer wrote for your violation.  Just ask for it ASAP.

[CastleRocker]

The writing of a citation in this situation just makes it seem like it really is "all about the money" nowdays.  I would definitely go to court, do your homework, be very professional, very nice, but without a doubt be absolutely firm in maintaining your innocence.  You did NOT land these fish and were not trying to, nor did you exceed your limit.


I took two days off work a few years ago to contest a speeding ticket and it was eventually dismissed.  Yes, it cost me a lot more than just paying the fine would have.  I politely told the judge that although this was costing me much more than just paying the ticket, and I apologized for wasting the court's time; I was innocent and would plead so, right to the bitter end because now it was entirely about principle.  I asked if I needed to hire council.  He asked me to plead down to a lesser charge and I apologized again and told him no.  The judge stared me down for a several seconds, and then it was "case dismissed". 

Although the officer was probably just following orders, and sounds like he was being considerate for the boys sake; I would stand on principle on this one.  Go to court.

[lazydrifter]

I wouldn't have signed the ticket.  Had him arrest me and then I would have gotten Komo 4 news involved.   That's bull.

[Dmanmastertracker]

The writing of a citation in this situation just makes it seem like it really is "all about the money" nowdays.  I would definitely go to court, do your homework, be very professional, very nice, but without a doubt be absolutely firm in maintaining your innocence.  You did NOT land these fish and were not trying to, nor did you exceed your limit.


I took two days off work a few years ago to contest a speeding ticket and it was eventually dismissed.  Yes, it cost me a lot more than just paying the fine would have.  I politely told the judge that although this was costing me much more than just paying the ticket, and I apologized for wasting the court's time; I was innocent and would plead so, right to the bitter end because now it was entirely about principle.  I asked if I needed to hire council.  He asked me to plead down to a lesser charge and I apologized again and told him no.  The judge stared me down for a several seconds, and then it was "case dismissed". 

Although the officer was probably just following orders, and sounds like he was being considerate for the boys sake; I would stand on principle on this one.  Go to court.

 I find it very hard for me to be polite, or even take the high road in situations like this. We elect and pay huge sums of tax dollars to elected officials to make intelligent, well thought out decisions, this is pure BS, absolutely nonsense. If this indeed happened as described, then it's clear to me that the legislation that was referenced is broken and needs to be fixed, an issue like this is larger than this one incident .

[Huntbear]

With all the problems with snaggers, guys putting in nets, etc....  the gameys have more to worry about than a guy taking his boys fishing and handing them a rod with a fish loaded up on it....  Maybe they have a quota now to keep their jobs, since there is a money problem with state agencies....

However, no matter what the situation, I would fight it, cause you can win... take your boys in with you to not only testify, but to also learn how the legal system actually works, win or lose.  No judge is gonna hold that ticket up in court.. not if he is any kind of judge anyway.

[Fishhunt223]

I agree that a warning would have been enough but I also see why this kind of ticket is given.  There are plenty of people that abuse this.  For example, I have seen a guy take his three kids to a juvenille only pond and start fishing.  He would do the fishing and set the hook, fight the fish till it was almost in and then hand the rod off.  The kids couldnt have given a crap less about fishing, the guy was just using them to catch a bunch of easy fish.  It would be interesting to see how the court would rule on this.  My guess is that they would drop it.  Like was said before, just dont take a plea, it isnt worth it to drive all that way just to knock $50 off of a ticket.

[Happy Gilmore]

Fishing Blue Lake a few years back my friend was in his canoe. We just got back from fishing Forde Pond and put his canoe in the water, I was in my float tube. He had my two flyrods rigged for Brooks with barbed hooks. Officer called Steve over to the bank. Steve was using his rig with a partially pinched barb. He tried to pinch it but, with aging eyes he didn't get it all the way on a small Chronomid.

Officer cited the 3 rods with barbed hooks in his canoe as proof he didn't pinch his barbs. I paddled over and explained the two rods were mine and we had just been at Forde Pond. He didn't care, said the rules were the rules. Steve got a ticket for $80 bucks or something like that. The officer was very nice and an agreeable guy but, he wrote it up.

It happens. They are the messengers for the rules that we all have the ability to comment upon at any WSFW meeting. THere is an on-line forum I used to comment on a rule change at one time. My comments were read at a meeting in Chelan. The on-line forum even sent me the meeting minutes and an attachment with my written comments showing my letter was taken into consideration. It is worthwhile to call and or write in. I think the department really seemed responsive when it came to listening to what I had to say in that case. Not to say it is always that way....Hap

[cohoho]

Sorry to hear about the ticket, that stinks, I used to do that all the time with my kids, even have for some of the young ones for Sturgeon on an occasion.  That is chicken crap ticket. Now I could see his point if your kids were up on the hill playing far away from the area, but passing the rod off so they can enjoy reeling them in, that is a plain stupid ticket. 

[Ironhead]

My wife got a ticket for that exact thing at Fort Flagler 10 or so years ago. The gamey was about 4 foot 2 and about 18 years old and started giving my wife a bad time about handing the rod off to our kids. I took him a side as she was in tears, and told him to go a head and write the ticket and then leave us the hell alone before his partner had to drag me off to jail in front of my kids.

[coasty]

i didnt read it all but got the pic. i have 5 kids and i hand them the pole all the time if they cant find something to do but give you a ticket for that it is a sad world
take a kid fishing were does this go   

[WDFW Hates ME!!!]

All right it is RCW 77.15.380.

What he said to me was i can not stand there and hook fish and hand the pole off. He understood that it woul dbe very boring fr the kids to cast all day and not catch a fish but dad hooks 20 fish.
He was not an ass at all, he did take me away from the kids, and he commended me for geting the boys out there. And also commended for fishing with eggs and not snagging. What his issue was the helping them land the fish.
One of the boys had the fish 25 yards down the bank and i walked out and grabbed the leader to get the fish onto the bank, and cody couldn't get the fish out of the water so i grabbed the rod and pulled it up. I did not fight the fish i just pulled it up onto the bank, he just couldn't get it out of the water. So then it should have been on my catch record card and we kept it there fore i had exceeded my limit because i should have recorded the first one on my catch record card.
He said he could have written me a ticket for 5-600 dollards for using another persons catch record card but he was not going to because i had the kids out there and would cut me some slack.

I need to call and get the officers report.
I didn't sign anything either.

[PolarBear]

Asinine!  That guy was being a prick.  You should have taken a steamer on the hood of his rig!

[WDFW Hates ME!!!]

So the WAC is 220.56.180.5 i think he meant to write down 220.56.180.9, not sure if going to court will do anything for me.
Can they make it worse? i mean can they find me guilty of something other than what i have been issued a violation for? I have no clue how these go it is my first offence and i don't want to go up there and plead not guilty and get the book thrown at me. Not sure how this really goes. I really am ignorant of the process.
Also in the RCW it says that this is Unlawful recreational fishing in the second degree — Penalty.