I’m a live and let live kind of guy. To tell the truth there are times I probably let people get away with a little too much on certain things in world of fishing and hunting than I should. However, flounder poaching in any form has got to go.
I have heard numerous, reliable reports of anglers keeping not only more than the two fish allowed in November and the five fish the rest of the year but ice chests full of flounder (rod and reel and gig) over the last few years. Its not secret the Cameron Ship Channel just across the Texas border into Louisiana has the best flounder fishing on the Gulf Coast. There have been some egregious poaching with reports of hundreds of flounder kept and brought across the border illegally.
Lucas Moore shows off two big Sabine area flounder. Let’s make sure flounder poachers don’t steal from his future fishing efforts.
There are similar tales in Texas and it must end for the sake of the resource.
These are not anglers who forgot the regulations but who could care less about our resource. We are trying to protect this resource and most of the people are in compliance. In fact, most anglers have embraced the conservative regulations and said it gives them a new appreciation for the resource. Those however who are keeping far more than their limit deserve to be punished to the full extent of the law.
You can turn them in anonymously at 1-800-792-GAME (Operation Game Thief) and receive a cash reward if a conviction is made.
Some of the people involved in poaching are likely selling their catches which is subject to even more punishment. Whether you are recreational or commercial, rod and reel or gigger, you should not tolerate flounder poaching and flounder poaches. They steal from us all.
We need to make sure and out the bad guys out there who are doing damage to the resource.