License check on a dock or shore?

[the_donger]

After reading the "harassment" post and all the different scenarios for being checked by the water patrol on the water, I was just wondering, have any of you ever had a water patrol check your license while fishing from a dock or from the shore? I have been fishing for 30 years and have never been checked, nor have I heard of anyone being checked. Any stories to share?

Another question - If you own a home on a large lake like KY lake, would fishing from a dock be viewed by law enforcement as fishing on your own property, like a farm pond where you would not need a license?

[DJD]

Yep been checked while walking a creek about 10 years ago. This creek must have been close to the officers home because myself and or fishing buddies were checked several times.
I watched the guy sneaking around the woods with Bino's looking at people to make sure they were fishing before checking them. We joked about Ol Barney with his bullet and pretty new bino's.
I thought it was over the top in checking people this way. Sad part is the creek is 30 foot wide and your lucky to catch a few...

[mhall]

I have many times, once this year already.

[apb]

Been check fishing the banks of the Ohio River several times and also wading a creek.

Andrew

[Bobby Headrick]

Donger to answer your question, you only own the dock not the water so you are not fishing on your own prop, you will need a licence, but I could be wrong.

[the_donger]

Bobby, I think you are 100% correct. I was just wondering if there was a rational behind the fact that I have been fishing off docks for 30 years (Herrington and KY Lake) and I have never been checked nor have I seen anyone else on a dock checked. I have heard of a very few people bank fishing getting checked but have never witnessed it with my own eyes. Doesn't make much sense to me. Just wondering...

[Tim_T]

I have been checked way back in the Gorge while wading East Fork of Indian Creek! Two forest service rangers came out of nowhere lol!

[Catfish Bob]

I got checked fishin Nolin at winter pool. They (2 of um) were on a boat. I was crappie fishing on a rock ledge(land) about 10-12 ft up off the water. The boat idled up and the guy jumped up and pulled himself up on the ledge. Checked my paper then jumped back in the boat. A+ for effort on that one. At first I thought they were going to have me just hold it up.
This was on a freezing cold February day. I don't think the temp went above 40 that day. Caught a mess of crappie tho!!! too much fun.

[RoadToad]

I've been checked exactly once, while bank fishing at Miles Park. There were about 10 people fishing there at the time, and he went around and checked everybody.

[bassin_bug]

One time at Cherokee Lake, we pulled our boat out of the water and stopped in the parking lot to tie it down to the trailer before leaving. A TWRA officer walked up and identified himself. He asked to see my fishing license and my husband's license, boat insurance and registration. Then he boarded the boat, asked to see the fire extinguisher, life jackets and flotation device. Then he checked both of the live wells and measured the fish. We were legal all the way but, since there were many other boats coming up the ramp, we decided to sit there and watch to see if he did it to anyone else.

That guy was making boaters pull over to the side of the parking lot and stay there until he got to them. He measured fish and threw some live ones back into the lake, took the filets and put them in a bucket, wrote tickets for BUI, no license, no registration, and everything you can imagine. I heard boat owners screaming, cursing, threatening the TWRA officer telling him he should be on the lake instead of in the parking lot. We sat there and saw him issue 30 tickets to some of the angriest people I've ever seen.

We also saw other boats do a U-turn and take off back up the lake.

[nonamesleft47]

We've been checked a number of times on the Kentucky river. The officer that works it now is very nice and remembers us so he just comes up and chats some. They do a good job of keeping the illegal population down on the river but I wish they would do more. I've seen alot of infractions and even traded some of them big legal fish for small illegal fish so I can let them go. Too bad you don't get cell service there.

I've been checked by a few that come blowing up in a big old boat, cross your lines and sit out 30 feet away with a pair of binos and have you hold it up so they can see the number. Not very nice.

[greenriverman1]

Yep.