Don't be Bullied by the Lifeguard.
 

This happened to me in March as I was fishing during the Fred Hall Show. I want to post it up so You guys know the SD Lifeguards are patrolling the Scripps SMCA but don't know the DFG rules.

- I set him straight, without too much humiliation. Only because he didn't try to come at me like a dick.
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On March 22, 2012 I decided to fish La Jolla. I was on a 26 Blackman and decided to leave without buying bait from the barge, I can usually make whatever bait I need on the water.

I fished my usual spots with irons for a short time, and didn't see any bait balls. I moved up north and located a nice size school of greenbacks in front of the mushroom house about 250 yards off the beach.

I start loading up the tank with about 40 pieces when I noticed a lifeguard truck come speeding along the beach from Blacks. He quickly stopped the truck in front of the mushroom house (that is as far as you can drive on the beach)

- I notice he was removing his paddle board from the truck rack and does a quick launch into the 54 degree water wearing only a bathing suit !

He paddles all the way out to me while calling out, "Hey Skipper, Hey Skipper" "You're fishing in the reserve, you can't fish here" "Its Fly Fishing Only"

-I had a quick laugh to myself, then assessed his attitude before I responded to him.

I ask him "who told you that ?". he responded "the DFG"

I told him he was wrong and I was not in the reserve, I was in the "State Marine Conservation Area and what I was doing was completely legal".

Then I pointed over to the South and told him, "That is the reserve"
-He disagreed, so I was then compelled to educate him throughly.;)

I said to him "I am within the boundaries of the Scripps Coastal SMCA and give him the lon/lat numbers." He insisted I was wrong while he said he was freezing in the water....
So I invited him to board the boat so I may show him my Map with the Lat/Lon, as well as the DFG rules and regulation governing the area.

-He didn't want to board the boat, but I damn sure wasn't going to let this contact end without having throughly schooling this lifeguard in the the law as he disturbed my fishing day!

I pulled out both the San Diego MLPA Map with coordinates, and legal description of what "Take is allow and by what method"

I promptly show him the error of his ways.

He accepted my explanation and apologized for not having his facts straight. I asked him to tell his other lifeguard friends about our encounter so we do not have a reoccurrence while others are in the area.

He agreed.

My friend Jim offered him a cup of coffee for the long cold paddle back. The guy was freezing by the time we were done.:)
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So there you have it.
- If you are approached in a similar manor please take a moment to respond with a cool head before lashing out and bashing the crap out of them if you are right.

-Sure I could have bashed him, but I didn't.

I say this because WE Fought Very Hard to be able to make bait in this area, and if abused, or a fisherman responds back in a violent manor We would All likely suffer the lost of this hard earned privilege.

If any of you lifeguards are reading this please tell your friends about this post, so we don't have future problems.
The lifeguard I had the encounter with was named Ron. I'm sure he will remember the incident.

Tight Lines
Billy V

Good job!

I just installed the DFG map overlay that Buskid posted http://www.dfg.ca.gov/m/MPA/Map the app has a tracking feature that will show your current location with an overlay of the MPA's. The only thing that one needs to consider when using this app is if the gps on your phone is calibrated or not, if its not you could be off by a few hundred yards........no bueno.

OK - I'll bite, as someone who did calibration for a living.... How does one "Calibrate" the GPS on their phone?

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=how+do+i+calibr...+on+my+phone.+


:p

Dang beat me to it :doh:

The "authority creep" you discribe is hard to handle some times. I had my fishing license checked twice in Laguna by life guards that looked high school students. I complied because I figured they were one cell phone call away from some one who could make things tough for me. Years ago while spear fishing at San Elijo state beach, I had my catch inspected by one of the state park rangers. Armed and sworn in law enfrcement officer. I dumped out my bag and he proceeded to ask me what kind of fish they were. I identified all the fish and politely quoted the the bag and size limits for them. He may have been looking for lobster but what the hell?? Mike

The week prior to my incident a friend who is a retired NY Cop was fishing from the beach north of Scripps pier. He was teaching his son to fish with a sabiki and 4 oz. lead - casting it from shore.

They has caught several mackerel and had them in a bucket.

-Along come 2 Lifeguards in the truck who proceed to stop him from fishing and tell him is is in violation. They tell him he is fishing in a State Marine Reserve and must detain him until they call the DFG.

He remained there with his son as the Lifeguards called the DFG.

"The DFG told the Lifeguard on the phone "He is allowed to fish where he was, and to let him go."
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This incident and the above incident involving me is why I posted the information.

Please set the Lifeguards Straight. Its not within the boundaries of their job description to enforce DFG regulations.

They absolutely do not know what they are doing, and I suspect Coast Keeper or some other full of crap organization is behind their actions.

Life guards are there to keep you from getting hurt not trying to get you hurt

Keep doing what's right and stay within the bounardies and I'm sure it'll be just a matter of time before they stop telling everyone that they're doing something wrong.

I hear there is the 1st Annual 2012 SMCA Coastal Pelagic Kayak Tournament scheduled real soon?...:reel:
Largest legal bait(s) wins.
Additional side jackpot(s) for various species caught on SMCA baits outside the SMCA?

SPECIES PROHIBITED For Recreational Take
All marine aquatic plants. All invertebrates, including market squid. Finfish, EXCEPT coastal pelagic finfish species.

SPECIES ALLOWED For Recreational Take
Coastal pelagic species, except market squid, by hook-and-line only.

Take, Finfish, Pelagic Finfish, and Coastal Pelagic Species Defined
Take means pursue, catch, capture, or kill, or attempt to pursue, catch, capture, or kill.

Finfish, as defined for purposes of MPA regulations, are any species of bony fish or cartilaginous fish (sharks, skates and rays). Finfish do not include amphibians, invertebrates, plants or algae.

Pelagic finfish, as defined for purposes of MPA regulations, are a subset of finfish defined as: northern anchovy (Engraulis mordax), barracudas (Sphyraena spp.), billfishes* (family Istiophoridae), dolphinfish (Coryphaena hippurus), Pacific herring (Clupea pallasi), jack mackerel (Trachurus symmetricus), Pacific mackerel (Scomber japonicus), salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.), Pacific sardine (Sardinops sagax), blue shark (Prionace glauca), salmon shark (Lamna ditropis), shortfin mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus), thresher sharks (Alopias spp.), swordfish (Xiphias gladius), tunas (family Scombridae), and yellowtail (Seriola lalandi). *Marlin is not allowed for commercial take.

Coastal pelagic species, as defined for purposes of MPA regulations, include the following: northern anchovy (Engraulis mordax), Pacific sardine (Sardinops sagax), Pacific mackerel (Scomber japonicus), jack mackerel (Trachurus symmetricus) and market squid (Loligo opalescens).

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