Recently I have had some bad encounters with some poachers. Not that I am racist or anything but needless to say they did not come from this county. I am fishing one of my favorites spots and notice that there are a few c\guys on the other side of the bridge cathing some small schoolies here and there. Not paying much attention to them I keep on fishing. Got a few small schoolies 18"-22" and start to head home. As I am walking over the bridge to the truck I notice on of the "fishermen" put a schoolie in a bucket. I mean this thing count have even been 16" at best. So now I have to ask the guys what that was that they caught, knowing full well that it was a striper. "Hey buddy, dont youthink that fich was kind of samll to keep?" His response..."What?" Like I said"dont you think that fish was kind of small to keep?" His response...."I dont speak english"....Atthis point I am pretty pissed off seeing the mound of trash that they have scatterd about there "camp" and to top it off this guy
says he doesnt speak english. So I tell him "Maybe you should go back to your own country and fish there!" Needless to say he responded in english this time with "There's only bait in the bucket" So I ask him "Well lets see the bait" He "buddy" (probably some direct family member) responds with a bait knife in his hand " Why dont you come down here and check it out for yourself"
If I hadn't noticed the knife in his hand I would have surely gone down there. But seeing that I was alone and it was close to eight o'clock with not alot of light in the area I hesitated and headed for the truck to see a Mitsubishi Mini Van with a multi-colored sticker across the windsheild saying " I Love Puerto Rico"
Need I go on?
What to do in a situation like this? How long does it take the DEM to respond to a call? I mean is it really worth calling them? I have met up with the men in the green trucks on numerous occasios ( all being positive ) but have never seen them stop and check out the other "fishermen"