Calls to cal-tip do seem to work. If you are unhappy, or see illegal activities, call them and protect your resource. Overstating of limits could lead to earlier rockfish closures, etc...

http://www.dfg.ca.gov/news/news02/02096.html

Statewide Investigation Results in Department of Fish and Game Filing Complaints on 14 "Party Boats"


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Contact(s): Capt. Nancy Foley, Special Operations Unit, (916) 996-9003
Capt. Dennis Davenport, Marine Region, (707) 738-5451)
Sonoma County Deputy District Attorney Brooke Halsey,(707) 565-3798,Steve Martarano, Information Officer, (916) 654-5866


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Formal complaints in nine counties, ranging from Mendocino to the north and Orange County to the south, will be issued this week against operators of 14 Commercial Passenger Fishing Vehicles (CPFVs), commonly known as "party boats," the California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) announced Tuesday.

The complaints, scheduled to be filed in San Francisco, Monterey, Mendocino, Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, Marin, Sonoma and San Mateo counties, cited violations which included taking specific depleted rockfish during closures, fishing with illegal gear (barbed hooks), failure to keep accurate log books, taking overlimits, and killing pelicans and attempting to kill sea lions. The charges resulted after the DFG, based on complaints turned in from citizens and by the Pacific Fisheries Management Council (PFMC), investigated 18 CPFVs since the beginning of the year, said Capt. Nancy Foley, head of DFG's Special Operations Unit.

"This investigation was as much to discount those allegations as to investigate possible violations," Foley said. "This was an investigation of 18 of the 408 party boats licensed by the DFG and it is not an indictment on the entire fleet. Passengers who go out on these boats need to feel they can book one of these trips and not be "party" to breaking the law."

On Monday afternoon, Richard Powers, 48, skipper of the New Sea Angler, and his deckhand, Atsushi Yamashita, 33, both of Bodega Bay, were arrested by DFG officers in Bodega Bay and charged with felony conspiracy, reflecting a number of alleged misdemeanor violations from throughout the investigation, said Sonoma County Deputy District Attorney Brooke Halsey. The Powers/Yamashita arrests were the most egregious of the 14 complaints expected to be filed, and will be probably the only felony conspiracy charges in the operation, he said. In addition, two search warrants were issued, one for the New Sea Angler and the other for the Bodega Bay Sport Fishing Center. Wardens found evidence of illegal fishing gear, and 42 fishing license books that are overdue to DFG.

Powers, who was taken to Sonoma County Jail, faces a maximum of three years in prison if convicted of the felony charge, Halsey said. Bail was set at $100,000. Yamashita's bail was set at $75,000.

"The felony status of the charges represent the ongoing nature of the violations over a one-year course of conduct, numerous citizen complaints, and his status as a spokesperson for the industry," said Halsey, who added that Powers is vice-president of the Golden Gate Sport Fishing Association and is also a member of an advisory committee to the PFMC. Powers and Yamashita were charged with taking overlimits of rock fish, which is a depleted fishery, using too many hooks, as well as keeping some prohibited species.

The eight-month operation utilized officers from DFG's Marine Region and Special Operations Unit. Party boat inspections, however, are part of the normal duties of a Fish and Game marine warden and have occurred for decades, Foley said. The recent operation was a different method of inspection which enabled the wardens to see what was happening on the water, not just at the landing.

"Boat operators are not only required to comply with fishing laws, they're responsible for making sure their clients do the same," said Sonke Mastrup, deputy director of DFG's Wildlife Programs. "Anglers pay to have the boat operators ethically follow the regulations. It's for the betterment of the resource and to ensure it remains sustainable for the long-term and to provide a viable resource for sport anglers and California's sport fishing economy."

The 408 licensed party boats landed about 5.8 million pounds of fish in 2001. The main species landed were rockfish, salmon, mackerel, seabass, bonito, barracuda, and tuna. Other species included California scorpionfish, ocean whitefish, sea chubs, croakers and flatfishes.

The information provided by accurate log books, which are required to be submitted to the DFG by the 10th of each month, allow DFG to determine annual catch limits used for the sport fishery. DFG allocates fish between sport and commercial users. Without accurate catch data, the potential to overharvest fish is a major concern and is detrimental to the resource because with overlimits of fish, the annual limits are likely reached well before a fishery closes

"This undermines our management efforts for maintaining a sustainable fishery resource," Mastrup said.

###

The above report stinks of enviro, touchy feel good, save the seals, mismanagement by the DFG, end all sportfishing, tree hugging, sap sucking I know whats best for you or I'm going to call Cal Tip.
Jesus H tapdancing Christ whats the world comiing to. If you have a problem with a sportboat talk to the captain or landing owner.

Actually, that is an article published in last weeks L.A. times. The guy they busted up north was investigated for over a year. Apparently, he was setting up his customers with ganions for rockfish that had four hooks (two only are allowed) which will help increase those fish counts (inflating fish counts by illegal means gives the opposition to recreational anglers more fuel for closures of inshore rockfish). He allegedly used cirle hooks for salmon which is illegal to do. If you ask any respectable angler, he or she would agree that we have so many good sportboats and skippers out there - lets weed out the handful that are bad apples and NOT give radical enviros more fuel to shut down our fishing grounds.

I'm not sure of the original posters experience. There could have been C&R going on that went into the fishcounts anyway, or maybe it was an honest mistake. The individual did talk to the landing but was given poor customer service and was hung up on. In these instance I say money talks - tell the landing that you and your friends and all your buddies at work that were potentially going to charter their boat will be moving to a landing that gives a crap about it's customers. And then find a new boat to fish on.

If anyone thinks it's silly to call caltip when there are individuals breaking the law and even handing off WSB or fishing after their limit, they are miseducated and mis informed.

my $.02

Call Cal tip if you are unhappy, what kind of BS is this?
Fishing wasn't good enough, I only caught 2 WSB and the skipper hooked up and said "who wants a hookup" and I said "I do" but I was unhappy I didn't get my own, so waaaaaaa I'm going to call Cal Tip waaaaaaa.

"Overstating of limits could lead to earlier rockfish closures"

Good point. I didn't even think about that aspect.

It is not at all silly to call the DFG and report poachers. It is our responsibility and I have no problem doing it. Personally, I view poachers as thieves stealing from the rest of us.

My $.02

I saw that article from the Times. Apparently a warden alleged that ONE partyboat landed 150 (NOT a misprint... ONE HUNDRED FIFTY) pelicans without moving or "changing tactics." What a load of horsecrap! I can only think of ONE reason a warden would make such a claim. Hey! I could be wrong. Maybe a partyboat skipper WOULD do something so ridiculous. I've never seen anything remotely like that and I don't believe it. Which means I consider the rest of the article horsecrap, too.

Fishslayer

Yeah, that pelican thing sounded like a misprint or an overstatement or just total crap. I don't ever think I've seen one hundred and fifty pelicans on a fishing trip, single day or multi-day. But, the other allegations did seem feasible and I have heard similar accusations about that same skipper that got busted.

I hate when DFG does pesky things like ticket people for not wearing their fishing license even though a person has it in their back pocket. They get my thumbs up though for taking out poachers and people who break the rules like this guy up North did. Hundreds of good respectable boats out there, dumb guys like the guy who got busted give respectable anglers a shadow on our reputation.

But in any case, I have to say, everyone is innocent until proven guilty so we'll see what happens.