FWC: Overreach or Justified? You Be the Judge!
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 ต.ค. 2024
- Capt. Dan, Elizabeth, and a good friend set out for an epic day of lobstering. But, as the sun sets, a storm looms, and an unexpected encounter with the FWC leaves them wondering: Is this overreach or justified? Let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment!
EVERYTHING You Need
linktr.ee/flor...
Elizabeth’s Dive Skin: slipins.com/
**Check out our gear**
floridafishing...
Join this channel to get access to perks:
/ @floridafishingcouple
NEW Florida Fishing Couple Merch is UP! Go Check it out!!
floridafishing...
Never miss a minute when you follow us on Social Media:
Facebook: floridafishingcouple
Instagram: @FloridaFishingCouple
website: www.floridafishingcouple.com
We LOVE subscriber mail!!
If you have pictures of your catch, a product, or a recipe you'd like us to try and feature in a video send it to:
floridafishingcouple@gmail.com
101425 Overseas Highway #53 Key Largo, FL 33037
I personally don’t make conversation with those guys during a stop, from their prospective it makes you seem nervous. Also, as a USCG licensed captain I am the only one that talks to the FWC during a stop. I get my safety gear out right away, all those things together speeds it up. Also, if they want to check my fish they can get on the boat and do it themselves. Just my opinion.
True
Yeah, I was surprised Dan didn't see if one of them didn't want to come on board and poke around. I would have.
Yup, great advice that I will listen to with future stops. Appreciate the comment. Hope to see you out on the water sometime.
There's so many careless people on the water these, they have to be this thorough now.
Doing their job, 100%
You were lucky to get only a warning re: fire extinguisher.
I wish our Texas, Arizona borders were this protected.
Ha! How about that! GREAT COMMENT!!! 👍👍👍
Right😂😂😂
LEO doesn't fear law abiding citizens with something to lose, that's why they harass us and leave the scary guys alone.
FWC absolutely hates anyone enjoying themselves.
Sometimes it seems that way! 🤷♂️
Stockholm Syndrome - Positive feeling toward their captors and sympathy for their causes and goals
Well, there is a little more to it than that. Thats a bit of an exaggeration. 👍
100% on point
I agree, 100%. The fishing couple can lie, it’s either Stockholm syndrome or they’re too afraid to say this is a knock against law enforcement, I mean he spent the first 3 min defending the purpose of this video… so which one is it?
I’m not sure I understand. As a fellow veteran we swore to uphold and defend the constitution, so did the cops yet they have no problem when it comes to “just following orders”. We have heard that line before throughout history.
Another veteran in Florida as well was arrested for BUI even though he was absolutely sober and no drugs in his system.
Cops have proven way too many times that they are fragile people and admit they “enforce the law” based on how they feel about someone, or what they are told to do.
I used to believe they were good guys, but there is ample evidence that prove they will pretend to be nice to get you to talk. There is nothing weasile when it comes to recording all encounters with police. They have cameras that they deliberately mute, turnoff, or the video disappears.
Just recently a police lieutenant arrested a teenager because he didn’t like the way he looked at him as he was walking home from school! Both the school district and the police tried hiding the video evidence for a year before it just became public. Imagine it was something where a man’s life was on the line. Go to the institute for Justice YT channel as well as The Civil Rights Lawyers YT channel to see just a handful of the criminality that happens and is almost never handled correctly.
So what is the answer here? True not all LEO are honest or good cops but that can be said of any profession.
Yes. I fully agree. These officers are not our friends and they don’t care about our safety. Their mandate is to generate revenue and overreach, just like their counterparts on land, the cops.
There are criminal on both side i have family and friends in the law enforcement departmen just be carefull.
@drp1bb856 Great comment, well said. A channel you might be interested in is called Good Luck America (Rick Gore) He’s ex military, trained police dogs, worked with secret service, was a cop and detective. He’s got great insight, and his content is very educational, (to me at least). Cheers😁
@@FloridaFishingCouple The issue is not many other professions have the ability to destroy a man’s life. Too many examples of cops using civil asset forfeiture to steal innocent peoples money. The problem with that is you are guilty until proven innocent and even then the government will use every trick in the book to drag the case out to make ppl give up. The same with DUI/BUI. An innocent man was arrested for DUI because the cop didn’t like that he knew his rights. He blew .000 and negative on blood tests. The problem is the man is a pilot and just the arrest for DUI meant he could not work. He destroyed this man’s life because he didn’t like an educated man. Plenty more.
The solution is for them to be held accountable from criminal to civil. Once they are forced to sell their homes to pay for attorneys like everyone else they will get back in line.
Definitely seems this like a rookie with his FTO, doing a thorough check by the book as they should.
How can you treat this high seas pirates like they are your friends? good god Dan, grow a pair.
It doesn’t do much good to have a huge set in prison. The problem here is the law the way it is written and enforced. What needs to happen is a reform of the stop and search laws. We don’t expect you to be checked for a “Safety Check” in our vehicles so why is it permissible on our vessels?
OMG !!! Really. Did he ask if you guys were legal Americans . We need need them but that was way over the top. Dude must have trying to get his 1000th citation for his career. I love y'all an that was totally bs. God Bless! Great folks!!
Unfortunately there are many who put the keepers in one bin and the shorts in another which hurts our our fisheries. In a way its very good that people see this. Was it frustrating? Yes! Was it all necessary for you ? No, but it is necessary for many out there so they are doing there job. Great Job Capt! You passed and we’re on your way.. that’s all that really counts. Those guys see the best of em out there as you can only imagine
Great comment and perspective. Thanks for watching, commenting, and especially for “Following Us!”
Yes I totally agree with this comment. They were doing their entire job.
TRUMP 2024 BUT POLICE IMMUNITY NEEDS TO GO RIGHT NOW! Did you even realize your 4th Amendment was violated?..All of you goofs that think that a boat is a car just dont even bother...
I'm in Louisiana and they rolled up on me one time when I was fishing. their excuse was they thought I was stranded and having issues with my motor. I always carry a sidearm, showed them my CCW permit, and they left.
Whew! Glad that went ok for you! Appreciate you taking the time to comment!😁
It does appear to be a training event for the younger guy, and learning occured for you. I guess my feeling is If I have to pay for a license, I also want to see the enforcement. I think that they were professional, just as you were.
Very thorough. Nothing wrong with that. FWC can now use your video as a training video. Stand up guys for giving you a warning and not a ticket. Also giving you an education god forbid you ever need a 2nd extinguisher
That second extinguisher is on board now!
I agree, they did a full inspection. Down here on the Texas coast that's usually done late afternoon on the way in of course, much like yours was.
I really enjoyed the video and the lobster and you have a new subscriber from Texas.
Awesome! Welcome to our TH-cam family and thank you for”Following Us!”
unfortunately I cant eat lobster anymore but know the area where your first spot was I was waiting for them to check your pockets and take your hat off LOL
In my opinion they were that thorough because they knew they were being recorded. 37 min for a safety check is excessive. Is there a limit? Can they "safety check you for 6 hours?" When does it become a detainment/arrest? I once was stopped 3 times in 90 min by 3 different agencies without any violations. Sometimes it takes the fun out of boating and makes you want to sell everything. I definitely would not encourage anyone I know to be a LEO nowadays. Especially FWC. Low pay to be an agent for the gov't and take people's $$ to fund a fiscally irresponsible gov't and ruin people's days on the water.
You’re right, it must be tough to be in law enforcement these days. I really appreciate the comment. You raised some very interesting questions. Thanks for supporting the channel!
As someone stated probably a rookie getting trained on his first stop. Dan this may have been annoying but they were doing their job man. Nothing here was unwarranted. Just let them do their jobs and be on their way if you truly support them that's all you need to do the less grief you give them quicker they can be on their way.
However I understand it sucks that you got stopped by the rookie who had to do the entire full inspection as a Captain myself I have dealt with this and man does it suck.
Yup, I’m with ya! I’m not sure why, but this particular stop just left a bad taste in my mouth. We’ve been stopped many times as you have I’m sure by the Coast Guard, Sheriff’s Office, and by the county, and none of them ever felt like this stop. Most of the time the interaction is friendly and helpful. Thanks for your perspective. Hope to see ya out on the water. 👍
Yeah gota train them to use their big thumb and the boot on us Lol we need more 🐑like you
We had a house in the keys but a lot of our boats had Md registration. We had to change it after a few years bc we were a magnet for the law. Never got a ticket but we rarely went a day or two without being stopped. I think out of staters are an easy mark.
Hey Dan, Just be happy with it, all in a day's work for them. And if Heiko was on the boat, they would of stripped searched ya. 😀😀😀
🤣😂 That’s probably true!
It almost seems like it was training. And had to do whole thing. What impressed me is the way you guys handled with professionalism. You guys rock as always.
That’s a possibility. There was lots of chatter back and forth between the officers, so that may have been the case. We always remain respectful, so appreciate the comment on that too!
That was my exact thought"training"... notice how the experienced guy had no humor?I've also been stopped by all 3 in the same day so his comment isn't a big deal!
Same here, I think the officer was in training and he was being evaluated by the other officer to see if he missed anything. You all had everything to be legal and found out that you needed another fire extinguisher. No harm no foul.
Appreciate you guys joining in with your perspectives
They were doing their job. I've been stopped a few times and gone through the same thing. FINALLY SEE YOUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK. Stay safe guys. Think having to swallow your pride a little when you DIDN'T have the extinguisher, just saying.
An illegal search using the resources meant to protect us from fentanyl smuggling illegal aliens...
That was a full textbook inspection, in part for the benefit of the younger FWC guy, but likely mostly because they were being filmed. My boat is only 18.5 ft so not so much space to look through. One day we were fishing outside Channel 5 and were checked by 2 different FWC boats within 20 minutes. I was tempted to ask if they don't talk to each other when on the water, but I kept my lip zipped. FWC used to give you an inspection sticker to put on your boat (pre-Covid) if you passed the inspection, but they don't seem to do that any more. One guy even told me it was illegal to display an expired inspection sticker........not sure about that, but the 3 year old sticker is still on my boat. Once they see you have everything up to date they pretty much leave you alone. Enjoy your videos....they're always a treat!
If not doing anything to worry about, just provide what they ask for, try to be polite, easy on the small talk if at all, everything should go faster & smoother ?
Somewhat controversial takes incoming:
I know that this interaction is an extreme example of enforcement. Some departments / enforcement officers will take this approach, the idea being that rather than stopping 100 boats a day, and spending 3-5 minutes on each doing a quick check looking for things that are obvious, they'll instead go after 10 boats a day very diligently covering nearly every possible area of enforcement. The theory is that it can be significantly more effective use of limited resources, with a better long-term return on time/resource investment when compared with the traditional quick stop and check methodology, by going to an extreme level of scrutiny, word can spread that stops like this are now common and fewer people will be willing to risk breaking / bending the law, and there is data to back up this theory.
If you look at states where the state police/highway patrol have a reputation of pulling and ticketing over every car that they clock going >5mph over the posted limit, the people driving there who eventually became aware of this fact tend become far less likely to risk speeding over time because they know that the odds of them getting away with it if they do get caught are slim to none.
This here was probably a combination training scenario or part of a new strategy to dig as deep as they are legally allowed to every X number of boats they check in an attempt to alter reputation/perception and hopefully modify behavior as a result as word gets out.
I personally am torn, because up here in New England, we know that the agencies don't nearly have enough resources for enforcement, and many anglers/poachers are well aware of that fact and will risk it, rightfully believing that the odds of them being stopped and checked with enough detail to result in them getting caught are probably 1000 to 1. I'm not alone in my belief that a major factor in why the North Atlantic Cod population has yet to truly recover is poaching, especially by non-local commercial/semi-commercial boats who know that there aren't remotely enough resources to catch them in the act. I know this because I've seen ice trucks on the side of the road or in parking lots selling enormous amounts of fresh local NA Cod fillets when the commercial fishery is still closed and the rare times it temporarily opens for personal/charter anglers but with a strict 1 fish per person limit, not only not nearly enough to support the 5000lbs of fresh NA Cod fillets you see on each of these trucks every time, but it's pretty easy to tell when a looking at a filet that the fish itself did not remotely meet the size limitations when the fishery has allowed limited non-commercial rod and reel line angling. In this case, I know that we have issues with not having nearly enough resources causing them to only have enough time to stop and check less than 0.1% of vessels, and even those they only do a quick check looking for major obvious violations or obvious evidence of poaching, coupled with their desire to be respected by the fishing community with hopes of cooperation rather than animosity.
On the other hand, sometimes it really is a power trip with some law enforcement personnel, and I absolutely hate that, but I don't think this dude was doing that, as he could have still legally fined Capt Dan for the lack of 2nd fire extinguisher violation and instead gave him a warning.
It's easy to witness these events and get angry seeing them as excessive and over-reaching, but it's important to also take a step back and think about the bigger context as to why they may do this, it's not always overreach, it's not always power-tripping or fine revenue farming, most of the time these policies aren't meant for us directly, they're the result of other assholes that drive these agencies to alter how they interact with the community. Enforcement is complicated and difficult.
~Sean
Sean, thank you for your interesting and well researched perspective. When looking at the bigger picture it does seem an impossible task to enforce the laws with a reduced staff of officers. What we were looking for was some discretion in the part of the officers. We obviously are not poachers, our paperwork was in order and presented, and our logo plastered across our boat. I wonder how people might react if the same laws and powers were applied to their vehicles in the name of “Highway Safety”. Do you think the public would be accepting of being stopped and searched randomly? We are not blaming the officers in this case but the laws and rules that empower them to act in such a manner that citizens do not have to be breaking the law and there is clearly no probable cause for a stop other than being in possession of fishing gear. Maybe the laws should be reviewed so enforcement of the law does not feel like harassment. That being said, we really appreciate the comment. Been awhile since we have seen you down here. Hope you and your family are doing well. 👍
@@FloridaFishingCouple Hey Capt Dan & Queen Elizabeth!
I agree wholeheartedly! Enforcement tactics like this are a double edged sword. I personally am a constitutionalist, which means that even though I don't believe that our constitution is remotely perfect or effectively aligned to our world in 2023, I deeply believe that it represents the absolute fundamental rights in which all other laws and policy must be based upon and adhered to. There is little I dislike more than an authority figure prying into my personal life without just cause, or going to extremes simply because historic precedence or lack of consequences allows to do so with impunity. For example, qualified immunity has in many cases given law enforcement the ability to break laws, injure or kill civilians without consequence, which gives the bad apples a mechanism of escaping justice at the high cost of loss of public trust and cooperation.
I personally probably wouldn't have been able to remain as lighthearted and understanding as you guys did after the first 15 minutes here, even though I know that they're just doing their job, even though I know that their policies aren't meant for me specifically, because I know I'm a law abiding citizen and believe in innocence until proven guilty, and, as such, I assume that by "adequately" cooperating and providing evidence during the initial events of an interaction with authorities that gives them zero reason to suspect that I may be breaking the law, that the interaction will remain reasonable and just. I have to remind myself constantly that others are not me, that the policies of enforcement agencies aren't developed and implemented with you or I, those who make all reasonable attempts to abide, in mind, those policies nearly always evolve as a direct result of those who continue to take advantage of any opportunity to ignore or violate laws and regulations if they think they can get away with it.
I think a big mistake we often make is our presumption that law enforcement and other rule enforcement agencies approach their charter from the basis that they exist to protect, whether protecting us, our property, our land, resources and environment, but the problem is that in action, their actual charter is protect by enforcement, which means that they instead approach from the basis of "these are the rules and laws that our established system has determined must be enforced, and now we must ensure the public is aware of these rules (mandatory education as part of licensing), and then enforce them by finding those who would break them while following rules and regulations that dictate our processes".
Enforcement is meant to be the primary deterrent component of protection, the consequences of breaking the agreed upon rules and laws, and as such, all law & rule enforcement agencies are tasked with the enforcement components of protection, which unfortunately results in their primary goal being looking for those breaking the rules, and subsequently properly obtaining viable evidence of any violations as to ensure that violators face the consequences that are meant to act as the primary deterrent. This results in many of our interactions with enforcement officers feeling as though they're treating us as guilty until proven innocent, that even in the absence of any evidence of wrongdoing that they search for any reason to find us guilty of some type of noncompliance, and only deepens the "us VS them" mentality that both civilians and enforcement officers tend to have.
I have no solutions, only the conviction that the current state of affairs is not a result of any actions by people like you or myself, instead it is 100% the result of the actions of our peers, our fellow citizens that believe the rules only exist for those who get caught, those who believe that their needs and desires trump all others and that they shouldn't be forced to follow any rules.
Lastly, I cannot ignore the the reality that nearly every organization gets measured in some way or another, and therefore many policies tend to evolve with the core need to justify the organization's existence, which creates a scenario where their actions become heavily influenced with that goal in mind, leading to their interactions with us being an ends to a mean, their actual goal becomes the organizations ability to report effectiveness, to demonstrate growth, produce results. We see this in corporate America every day, especially in publicly traded corporations, where company goals are focused on showing revenue and profit growth to appease investors, and departments only focus on the metrics in which they are measured, resulting in a feedback loop where leaders and managers from top to bottom are forced to continuously decrease costs, increase revenue/profit/efficiency, every single quarter or face some sort of consequences.
If I recall, Capt Dan has a background in training and management. I'm sure you are no stranger to encountering policies that have become perverted by the need to always demonstrate improvement forward movement of some kind, often at the cost of ethics, fairness, empathy, logic and/or common sense...
@@FloridaFishingCouple also, it's been a strange and challenging three years, but family is doing well, thank you for asking!
Tight lines, and your days be blessed with ample Mutton Snapper, Hogfish & lobster!
Just my personal opinion,with todays climate of anti law enforcement,as soon as you pulled up the camera to video these 2 FWC officers,you changed their attitudes. They are probably nice,easy going people. When that camera was seen,you received ,professional,non- humorous,serious by the book and policy officers. People roast law enforcement today for the slightest slip of the tongue on video and these 2 guys werent going to be part of anyone scrutinizing their action. By the book was the way to go. Great job FWC.
Ok, love that point of view. One other take on the public opinion of LEO these days however, could be, once a threat is not perceived LEO might be more friendly, less threatening, and more considerate of the public they serve. LEO needs all the positive public relations they can get these days. We just tried to show them courtesy and some levity during the stop. Appreciate the comment and support of our channel! 👍
Actually the Constitution says that this is a violation of our civil rights! They don’t have reason to believe that you have committed any crime just because you have fishing poles!! This is an illegal search!!period!
Absolutely!
@fisch69 I am just going to say it - - You don't think you're the first person to bring this up, do you? The fourth amendment protects you against unreasonable search and seizure. Courts have a long history of holding these types of inspections to be reasonable.
Your opening dialogue sounds like Stockholm Syndrome.
I used to think similarly before...
Back the blue until it happens to you!! (I learned the hard way)
You are not the first to comment that sentiment.
I think you handled this very well,I've seen people stash 😂and hide fish and lobster. Which by the way is the very reason these guys are checking every nook and craneie,there's always lawbreakers out there. ALL OF YOU handled it very,very well. Also loved the tank sized lobsters you guys got,wish Darlene and I were there to help you eat them,good content Dan,you should always expect an inspection like that,and if it's not that intense, it's your lucky day.
Thanks for taking the time to comment. You guys were welcome for dinner! 😁 we definitely agree with you that there are a lot of poachers out there and hope every one of them gets caught and pays the price. I think what we were looking for from this particular stop was a little more leeway and discretion on the part of the officers. There’s due diligence and then there’s over reach. This felt like the latter.
I have to agree,when every thing checked out, THEN is when they started asking you to open everything else,as if you were hidden something. I think they took your honesty and cooperation too far. Must have been a quota they were trying to get, go figure 🤔
IMO, that's normal, until they asked for you to start opening all your compartments.
The other boat was probably their supervisor grading them for regulation procedures.
Your taxes at work.
Capt. Dan, bring more buckets... lol
Hahahah! Yes, I def need more buckets! Thanks for the comment! 🤣😂🤣
Actually, I believe they did a heckuva job. Yes, it is aggravating, but without them doing their job to the fullest extent no telling how many illegal lobsters or fish would be taken.
@@glenngray1201spoken like everyone who doesn’t remember or see that the lobsters are as plentiful. Stick to your second amendment arguments. The fishing itself isn’t nearly as good as it was. Just a fact. Especially in shore
Probably just a case of simple KARMA! all those layouts we made the Troops do. . . Lol
Hahahah! You got me there!! 😂🤣😂
I have lost all respect for the fwc after being ticketed twice myself this past year ! They have really stepped up there game finding any little detail to make money for the state !😢
The reason we have crime is all of the cops are out giving tickets...
Safety shake down! USCG will do the same thing, and now you know you need a bigger fire extinguisher. I don't feel it was overreach, just your turn.
Very good comment and take on the situation. Appreciate your perspective.
Yes, it sucks getting stopped, but they were very professional. You guys did everything right and went home with a great catch!!!
I had two "inspections" years ago with the NJ Marine police. Their egos were injured when I wouldn't allow them to board my boat. They think they're GODs ! (IMHO)
I understand it being a inconvenience, but if they weren't thorough the wrong people would exploit that. I respect the fire extinguisher regs. You have a lot of fuel on board... if shut goes wrong it will happen quick. Having 2 fire extinguishers isn't a bad thing. Although the experience can be irritating,It is part of being a fisherman in any US water.
Oh yeah, I agree with the fuel issue, but I have a 200 gallon tank which I usually keep full. Twenty of those little fire extinguishers wouldn’t put out that kind of fire or explosion. But I agree with you fundamentally. 👍
100% that was a rookie getting trained
That would explain the depths they went to during this stop.
I have spent my entire life fishing inshore & offshore from the panhandle through out the keys up the east coast of Florida offshore fishing is life for my family so much so that my my uncle Gene and his son Chris is the sole reason Tampa Bay Clearwater beach
Fishing is so good now my 2 cousins, and I were catching reds on our way back we couldn’t have been 10mil from his house we got stopped by 2
FWC after tying off one of boarded our boat, if there was a latch, it was opened. They went in every compartment every cooler every tackle bag live wells bait tanks you name it the guy that boarded was a asshole I respect all law-enforcement. I’m polite, and do as I’m told this guy though was getting mouthy, and I don’t do good with somebody abusing the power of authority when he got done and before I let him untie, I chewed his ass he was so red faced and mad veins were popping out of his forehead. On the other hand I’ve been boarded, and they could’ve been more polite and showed us respect as we showed him but here’s the thing and I would’ve never considered this my cousin got on me a little bit for the way I handled the situation at the end. I don’t know what kind of day he’s had. He could’ve pulled a child that had grounded out of the water or he could’ve found somebody that grossly head over their limit and giving FWC a real hard time but the way I see this guys weren’t too bad they come aboard, and they were very respectful, even though the one gentleman I thought was a bit dry, but he did laugh towards the end it’s been along time since I went after bugs, usually go in July I enjoyed your video. Wish you all the best. Be safe.
Thanks for sharing your experiences with us. You make a great point about the officer maybe having a bad day or worse. Lesson learned for me here is comply quickly, give them what they want and get on with our day. They have a job to do and they can use discretion when they wish to. I consider it a good day when they do. Thanks for some great comments and advice. 👍🦞
You mentioned that you asked to video them - my guess is they had no choice to "give you a break" or "go easy" - if I'm their CO, and I see that on TH-cam, then I have no choice either than to ream them for anything less than exactly professional and complete inspections. My take is - you got exactly what you asked for (and maybe a rookie in there as well :)
Geez here we go we're just doing our job... Shake down town😮... Personally I would not be chatty Kathy with them.
That is a lesson learned for me after this stop. Thanks for your comment.
I think that because you have a popular TH-cam channel it was the perfect time to educate many people at once so yes it was an inconvenience but worth it in the end imo. Ps great videos
Thanks! I agree with you. This video will be a great help to those who visit the Keys and show them what to expect if stopped and what safety equipment they should have on board. Appreciate the comment!
😂
too much, too thorough.... #'s over being thorough would be more prudent. Also why can they check all coolers and hatches, they can't in a car or truck without permission and/or reasonable cause.
That is my exact point!!
That looked like a new officer in his FTO phase being trained and showing that he can do the job on his own and going through all the motions during a stop.
agree
Your lucky only too walk away with a warning those FWC cops especially in Key Largo are ready too make your life impossible tickets probation might even lose your boat . When in reality, they can just give you a warning like those two did.
Nope, I agree. I did learn about the 2 fire extinguishers that day and now have them both on board. Appreciate your comment. 👍
Great video. This has been a typical experience for me out on the water. Yours went very well. Stay safe
Thanks, you too! Appreciate the comment!
it seemed pretty lax. They usually are so fast to jump right on our boats and start looking for themselves reguardless of what we tell them we have caught. they atleast gave you that courtesy. One time we were out on a buddys 39 and FWC stopped us just out front of the island in key west and they greeted us the next morning at my friends Doorstep to make sure the boat was actually his and he actually lived there.They and even wanted to check around for fish on his property lmao XD. don't doubt those guys man they deal with poachers and criminals day in n day out there always suspicious of everyone
You make a very valid argument and I have learned a lot from this video and Al of the comments. Thanks for your perspective. 👍
To me what would be the most agitating thing is they stopped you not becuase you where suspicious or doing something wrong, but just because they could. Which I know is within maritime law but the law that allows them to do that is from the 1700s and was intended for commercial use
That my issue here. Not with the officers but with a law that allows for American citizens to be subject to search and seizure without probable cause a crime has or is being committed. Can’t do that on land, why can it be done in the water?
If that were the case on water, then wouldn’t many (maybe most) take undersize, oversize and exceed the limit knowing there’s no good way to develop suspicion or reasonable cause of a boat running across the water. This is not analogous to land. Most criticism of marine patrol that I see is from people wanting a better chance to get away with something illegal. I think what we have here is nice boat with a crew of people full of themselves. Officers were entirely professional and respectful.
@@FloridaFishingCoupleThey do it on land to. I got pulled over 30 miles from the gulf pulling my airboat. Did the same search on me. We had out limit of trout . One was over 22 inches which your allowed one oversize. They questioned me about how I caught it due to they didn't see any hook mark in it's mouth. They went through every compartment even every tray in my tackle box..I was a law enforcement officer at that time. I'm retired now.
If you don’t like the law you are free to leave.
@@michaelroberson319 Oh wow amazing argument. How about having an administrative police state which is what we have, kind of like a dictatorship actually. How about the intent of the law isn't being used properly but law enforcement like always push the limits and do what they want. If you're only argument is "you are free to leave" then you don't have an argument.
They are pros and 99 percent of the time they do a great job protecting boaters and our fisheries. Not like normal beat cops. Most of them love and enjoy boating and our fisheries equally.
Yes, we agree. There are both good and bad in every profession. Thanks for watching and commenting!
You can be 110% supportive of Law Enforcement, that does not mean you have to put up with bullshit though. Just as in every profession, there are idiots that are in Law Enforcement. This was a bit excessive, and this is a perfect example of what contribues to L.E. personnel having a poor reputation and poor credibility. NOT ALL ENCOUNTERS WITH L.E. ARE LIKE THIS. Most of the time, encounters are reasonable and not excessive.
That has always been our experience in the past. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Seems like one of the officers is going through training.
That may have been. Good thought!
Law bidding citizens always seem to get the brunt of these checks.The criminals or people that are breaking the rules are too sneaky and seem to get away too easily.The FWC was doing their job but they seem to have little concern with navigational safety.Stopping you in a channel putting other boaters as well as themselves and you in potential jeopardy when visibility is getting low and creating an environment that causes other boaters to be put in jeopardy is something I do not agree with.This happens in other states also. I do not know if this is a training issue or lack of concern.Your guess is as good as mine.Be safe out there!
Thanks for the comment! Appreciate you and your support of the channel! 👍
Didn’t see anything wrong with the stop. 37mins. is really not that long and you learned you were not compliant per FWC, but only received a warning😊
Okay, thanks for the comment and for watching!
Ok here’s the deal, are they excessive? Yes and no… in the south region its training grounds, especially the keys.. if you notice the one guy is conducting the wildlife check, the other guy is the senior training officer, but as for what they did, it completely legit
That seems to be the going consensus. I wonder however why is the public so ready and willing to accept this type of behavior in the water but on the roadways? Isn’t it basically the same? Would you tolerate being pulled over by law enforcement on the Highway and searched? And if not, why do we accept it on the waterways in our vessels? I believe the officers acted in accordance with the law. It’s the law I question as being overreach. Just my .02 🤷♂️
If you aren't a business engaged in commerce, i dont understand how any of these 'Routine safety stops' are even legal. Without probably cause of a crime. Why would anyone cooperate in any way shape or form with them.
If you don’t they can take your boat…
@@FloridaFishingCouple i live in PA, and have had those types of run ins with coast guard auxiliary n the fish and boat commission. And i refuse to even talk to them.
@@shanestamball1886 the CG Auxiliary are not law enforcement. Not sure about the boat commission….
@@FloridaFishingCouple yeah coastguard aux, thinks they are law enforcement. But there isn't coast guard inland. Fish n boat are law enforcement, but they act very tyrannical here. Deputies are volunteers and typically the ones who write the most tickets are then selected for full time positions
12:38 so what crime are you suspected of committing? For them to ask for your registration. Looks like a clear 4th Amendment violation.
The safety inspection and checking for licenses I get. But the rest of it is a violation of their civil rights.
Totally agree with you!
Dan, you did everything but drop your underwear for those guys. If they want to look at the lobsters and measure them shouldn't they board your boat and have their own bucket? Plus, they stopped you right in the middle of the channel entrance. Maybe you should have put the hazard light on. So much for them being for safety.
What is a boat hazard light?
Yes, we thought the whole ordeal was a bit over the top. Stopping us in the channel as it was getting dark was ridiculous and unsafe at best.
Heiko got stopped after you guys!! I am a law abiding citizen as well and walk a straight line but there are some over the top cops out there not all of them just some that are trying to make a name or just getting into law enforcement. They just need to slow down and get some more training not saying all of them just some and I am not. Allung them bad just need to step a ND take a breath or 2. Great Video captain Dan
Yes, we heard he got stopped after us. I understand his stop didn’t go too well either. Was a bad day for the locals! 😂🤣😂
I think the fish police should head to the marina and hand out updated regulations before people head out for a day of fun. It would help keep boaters safer and save them money avoiding fines.
That is a nice idea. Wish they would do that too!😀
Dan, love the videos! They definitely went full force on you. I think y’all handled it great.
Man, thanks for that comment. Felt like I was getting beat up by most of the postings! 👍👍👍
I’d say that they were doing as they were trained. One FWC could have gotten on board and check your catch rather than you struggling
The FWC officer should have just gone ahead and boarded your vessel when performing such a comprehensive inspection(search). Sergeant Major, perhaps those years serving in the Army with all of the "hurry up, and wait" SOP, made the FWC inspection "somewhat" less annoying. Have to give you a big thumbs up for maintaining your sense of humor.
I'd have to agree with this statement. If you're going to search and be that thorough, a boarding should be SOP
Nope less work let them do it all for them very smart work smarter not harder dookie
I doubt they care if your annoyed or happy or sad
I thought they were fine although one should have jumped in boat to search himself. You could’ve had stuff underneath the other stuff. Lol
As much as it sucks being held up they seemed professional with a sense of humor. Look at that amazing dinner I want to try to FL Lobster soon.
I just realized why they searched you, you know Heiko !!!!!! :)
Yup! That’s the reason for sure!!
Justified...Just doing their job...You can tell you were a little annoyed by your demeanor and jokes. I always just do what they ask, no joking and yes sir no sir. Show them respect and the process will go pretty quick. Not their fault you where coming in late and in a hurry..The end of the day is the best time to stop someone coming in from offshore for many reasons. Your video title could have been a supported one..maybe "Local Keys Marine LEO doing their job" Thank You for your service...Anyway just may opinion..SEA Ya
No worries, I appreciate your opinion and your comment made we laugh as well. I agree they were doing their job. It was the intensity that they did it that was a bit annoying I guess. Thanks for the comment and for “Following Us!”
Trying to pass training specs, obviously. At least they were cordial doing their inspection.
That’s most probably the scenario here. Agree they were cordial.
Ya, was it an over the top boat inspection...think so...but is a good refresher on what FWC is looking for. Commend you on staying patient. In May of this year (Marathon) we were stopped and the focus seemed to be safety gear, registration, fish in the box, etc. Was issued a warning due to expired (1 month!) flares. Also have the FWC mobile app to purchase and store licenses. In my case, FWC crew was friendly and one of the crew was new so I suspect it was more of a training exercise for them. Remember, you don't get a pass if you are good at conversation so just follow instructions, yes/no responses, and have a good evening ; ).
Great advice and worth listening and abiding by. Thanks for the comment!👍
Wild amount of boot licking in the comment section
I've received the full inspection from USCG, the US Army Marine unit (Aberdeen Proving Grounds) and MD Department of Natural Resources in a period of 3 hours.
APG didn't like one of my flare guns, (Mossberg Marine 12 gauge and the 20mm). They called for USCG as they were out of their element. USCG didn't know squat about the Chesapeake Sport Fish License for the boat, so anyone fishing from the boat is covered, so Maryland DNR to the rescue. 2 hours later, good to go.
The military needed better training on where their property is located, CG Curtis Bay learned about the Sport Fish License. DNR were the most professional of the bunch, they knew the regulations, and I was cut lose 3 hours after the stop.
Continue to video everything Dan. It keeps everyone honest. There is their story, your story and video evidence. And video doesn't lie.
That big spiny lobster looked amazing. I'm accustomed to the 1/2 pound cooked weight spiny lobsters, almost not worth eating at the table.
Having to empty the bucket was uncalled for. Let them do their own investigation. They did what they're getting paid to do but they were very lazy about it. They made you do all the work.
They were probably new and just wanted to be thorough put it seemed to take for ever. I think they just wan people to be safe.
We agree, they were probably new and inexperienced. Thanks for the comment.
I feel like they were doing their job and we both learned something’s and maybe some day what we learned will save ourselves lives. Great video, thanks
It seems to me that they were looking for ANYTHING to burn your asses with... Really searching your freaking cabinets and drawers?
Y'all did look like a bunch of criminals 😂
Yup, our attitude, dress, and mean looks got them worried we were escapees from a nearby penitentiary!! I appreciate your humor and sarcasm! 👍👍👍
@@FloridaFishingCouple BTW the skin looked much better on her, if you shaved your legs you might be a close runner up 😂
Truly they should have left you guys alone, go get the damned criminals right? I just watched it again and it still makes me sick 👍
Love y'all's videos
Dan, great educational video to show others what is needed when boating and lobstering (nice behemoth lobster). I was confident that you would pass without any issues as you are a responsible steward of our fisheries and always encourage others to do the right thing. It's never a comfortable feeling when the USCG, FWC or Park Rangers conduct their safety checks, eventhough you know your stuff is tight. At least they were polite and professional, it looks like it's a field training exercise for the younger officer. Like you, I don't keep barely legal fish and don't limit out so that there are more for tomorrow. Oh, I was an 11B20 in the late 70's and also a retired LEO. And yes it's a pain to go through these full body searches, but I understand it has to be done. Congrats to you and Elizabeth for the excellent content on your channel, and thank you for service SGM. Verdict: Standard Thorough Search
Thank you for your service and special thanks for the comment and for “Following Us!” We are proud to have subscribers like yourself! 🫡
dan as new lic six pack cpt I thought you and fwc both handle your self with respect.And also when i get my l the saltwater plastic I will send you some home made saltwater lures to use next summer @@FloridaFishingCouple
That would be awesome! Thanks!!
These were the coolest FWC i have seen on video but the Capitan and passengers i am sure set them at ease as well with their interactions. All in all great respect from both party`s involved and I want at least two of those monster lobsters shipped to me in Michigan on my dime. End of this video has me drooling for lobster on my grill.
You have had the best comment so far out of hundreds! May people felt very strongly one way or another but you seem to give credit to both sides. Well done!
Thank you
Worked in law enforcement for 30 plus years. All in all I think they were training. The second boat that pulled up was observing the whole thing. You guys were very professional.
Thanks for commenting and giving us your honest opinion. Now that you mentioned it, the younger officer did seem inexperienced. I think you are correct. Thanks! 👍👍👍
@@FloridaFishingCouple you’re welcome 😊. Tight lines😊
Might be time to get your boat wrapped like heiko’s so they know who you are and you’re legit so they won’t do that again..lol
Well, we got the boat wrapped last year. Should be able tell in an upcoming video coming out soon!
With as many people that travel to your area not surprised by the thoroughness of the stop. Im In Clearwater Fl. Our stops are much quicker and like posted below if they wanna start checking coolers. they can do it themselves.
Thanks for commenting and adding to the conversation. Seems there are many different perspectives here and I appreciate the diversity of ideas and approaches. Thanks! 👍
Yes this is an overreach. This are a natural resource provided by God almighty. It even says in the Bible to eat the birds and fish. No man should govern your food!
I am a law enforcement officer in Florida. This definitely seems like it was done for training purposes. Also I can say supervisors and uppers will always want officers to be proactive. Love the videos and keep up the great work!
What does proactive mean in policing?
@@Southern_Taurus_they're both law enforcement
@@arnoldjohnson3317 It’s the exact opposite of reactive policing. Not even sure if your question was sarcasm.
It seemed like they were hoping to get you for something, as far as needing to have 2 regular fire extinguishers or one ++ one for a boat over 26 that was news to me.
PS that was one hell of a monster lobster, congrats
I am an ex wildlife officer and trust me when I say they are pushed real hard for ticket quotas! So many of the guys I worked with had the attitude if you can write 1 ticket you can write 2 tickets! I didn't play that game!
Thanks for the comment and the transparency! Really appreciate that!
The problem is so many people try to beat the system any way possible. Keeping illegal size lobster, too many fish, etc. I'm sure they see it all and hear it all. Persona;lly, I am glad to see them out on the water doing their job as they are supposed to do it.
Thanks for the comment and for joining the conversation! 👍
Holy hell, if they stopped me I would have either gotten 20 tickets or they would have impounded my boat and locked me up. Way too much time especially that late in the evening. It made it more dangerous for you to drive home in the dark.
My brother in Christ perhaps you should look into the negative effects on your own safety if you've got that much wrong going on with your boat. If you mean wildlife violations then I can only hope you've already found out how karma works.
I think Heiko got hassled by the same guys, either the same day or the day after your encounter with them.
I would say this was a very professional stop. I have been stopped many times by the FWC and they are always very professional. I was once stopped 4 times on the same day, twice by the same officer (early and late). At his second stop, he laughed and just asked me to show him what I had kept since he first stopped me. I am very thankful those guys are out there doing their job!
I was checked 3 times once by two different wardens. They have always been courteous but to stop someone to check fishing licenses when they are not actively involved in fishing is a violation of the law.
To stop someone with a properly registered vessel committing no violations is wrong.
They must have a clear reason for the stop.
They seemed very respectful I don’t see and issue with em they was just doing there job!
Agreed! Just a little surprised by the vigor with which the stop received, but def agree they were doing their jobs! 👍
I am law enforcement and I agree with the one comment. It seemed like this was possibly a training video, and the FTO usually let's the trainee run the stop/call/ investigation 99%. They make sure they don't violate anyone's rights and or SOP. Training by the book. Once released, he/she can use discretion and judgement on how far they think they need to go. Good job on both parts during this encounter. Nice video, and yes, what a monster lobster.
As law enforcement you have failed to protect our good citizens from real crime, while generating revenue for the gang responsible for it!
Thank you God that they didn’t check your gas tank. He probably had six illegals hiding in there. This is a shame that’s all I can say. I’d like to say some really bad things right now for what I’m thinking about this it’s called overreaching your authority. I think the law was that they had to board your boats. Do you don’t have to unload your boat. This is a shame.
"It's for your safety " as a looming thunderstorm approaches. Seems to me to be a little excessive. The government will regulate us to death if allowed. Your probably lucky they only gave you a warning, SFFC wasn't. But they are just following orders, it's their job right? BTW Elizabeth you are a natural beauty ❤. Love watching you fish together.
They were 5 minutes from the harbor - Thunderstorms need not apply
Well to me that was pretty much a standard inspection you know I heard horror stories that they have dogs that they bring on the boat to sniff out lobsters that people are hiding and everything but you know I didn't see any of that and a lot of people probably don't have the proper equipment On board so it will help somebody like that did they give you the report so you don't have to go through that again maybe you want to flash your PBA card next time let us know how that works😂
Thanks for sharing. What they were doing (and even more so with your video) is extending the perception of "omnipresence". Other boaters see the stop (myself included here) and it serves as a reminder to check my gear for compliance because I might be stopped too. Everyone was professional and compliant. No issues with the stop.
Hoping this video will help others who are coming down to boat to remember to bring and have all their safety gear serviceable and on board. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.🤣
Boy that was more like a cavity check..😁 I have never in my life heard of a daytime distress flag I myself do not have one now I’m probably gonna have to get one… but they were pretty professional..I back every law enforcement of all kinds..
That’s BS about a distress flag
Do you back them when they send them after your guns and closing fishing?
Shame on them this is what they’ve become. I’m sorry to see this is disgusting.
I am pretty sure the officers just wanted to see themselves on your channel...
Mmmmmmmm, now that makes sense!! 🤔
As a retired LEO, and a boater, I have to agree with some who said the small talk makes you look nervous. Once the camera came on, they were almost obligated to go by procedure in checking everything. As it was you learned some things you need to take care of the they could have cited you for, but didn't. You didn't get a citation, you didn't get arrested and you survived with a learning experience. Good thorough stop. I am a hunter and I fish, when checked by the Game Warden, I keep the conversation to a minimum. Helpful hint.
Good info. I have heard that quite often from a lot of LEO on this post. But surely as a professional LEO did you or anyone really think we posed any type of threat or had broken any laws here? As a retired military member, a current active duty Air Force colonel, and Elizabeth; did anyone in the law enforcement community watching this really think we posed some type of threat here? We are obviously locals, they ran our licenses and found no outstanding warrants or open tickets, our fishing licenses were current. Did they really have to go through all the motions here? As Clarence Thomas of the Supreme Court said “any American citizen in the U.S. with all the current laws we have in effect could be guilty of at least 6 broken laws at any time”. We were having a nice day on the water on a Sunday afternoon before my friend had to report to a new duty station. Hardly a group that posed any threat to the national security of of our wildlife here in Florida. 🤔 Overreach? Yes, I think so for sure….
Arrested? For what??? And if this guy can’t talk, what is he a retired first Sargent? Who can?? They just want a BUI, he ruined their day by being sober. They could care less about a 2nd throwable. They are looking for signs of intoxication, for promotion.
well they went full program and will certainly check sooner or later if you get what you missed, second extinguisher and day time destress flag. so all that info is in system now, when they check you next time and you are good, they will just make surface checks in the future for certain time. and than again full check if everything is up to date.
Captain Keith here, Captain Dan we did basically the same thing while I was in the Coast Guard with our small Boston Whaler, (14'), and all we did was do a safety check in the marinas. Our three rescue boats were out doing their thing. Er, Dan, don't be afraid to do some modeling with the skins, let your subscribers figure out the best ones for you ! Have a nice Day.
Aw, your making me blush! 😊
Safety equipment is for your safety not theirs.
From experience, you cannot have too many fire extinguishers. When you are out there, you only have what you have with you and if that is not enough, there may be nobody else there to help you. We had an engine expextinguisher
i wish people respected the law to make it uneccessary
Good Monday morning. Quick comment on your stop by FWC. I heard you talk about the time they kept you during the stop being long and excessive, possibly even overreach. The reason they dug so deep on all safety equipment, catch, and compartments is that you were in violation of the fire extinguisher. If they find one violation, that is a red flag that there could possibly be more, hence the full inspection. On another note, your throw cushion should have some line tied to it to aid in pulling the person in distress back to the boat. One more thing is that your horse collar life vest is no good in a heavy sea. Anything over 3 ft sea will rip those clean off of you. Safety in paramount on a boat. I'm sure you are aware of that. Be safe and happy boating. CaptainTing
Thanks for the good advice and words of caution. We are always trying to get better and think this video will help a lot of good people who come down to visit and need to know what to expect and how to remain safe on the water. Thanks for posting! 👍
Great observations Captain.
Professional pirates or fwc, same thing!🙏👨👩👦👦🇺🇸
I had a 36' Tollie cabin cruiser in Puget Sound Washington. We , 2 adults and 2 children on board , were stopped and inspected by Coast Guard and the Washington Fish & Game, in the same day.
Coast guard came on board and did an inspection. They checked the head, fire extinguishers, radios , lifejackets , and E- purb. Took about 45 minutes.
Fish & Game stopped us and checked for licenses, fire extinguishers, and all the paperwork that the Coast guard did. That took about 30 minutes also.
I found out later if you have a coast guard inspection on The dockside they will give you a sticker to put on a window.
The Coast guard came on board and did a physical check. Fishing game stayed on their boat and we just hand it off paperwork.
Sometimes it seems excessive but they are protecting our Waters and our fisheries.
The bigger the boat the more fire extinguishers you have and I found it's best to have extra everything
Instead of trying to curb fentanyl smuggling by illegal aliens they harass honest fisherman enjoying the few things we have left!
Grow a pair.
@@COWBAYOUBADASShaha
@@jackspinner4727 For real, this dude worried about catching on fire when he surrounded by water.
USCG is only agency that can board your vessel without permission, on or off the water. No other state or fed agency can do so legally.
They are just doing there job to make sure every one is safe