I was stopped a few years back now early in the morning heading out to my grounds after a quick KG session half way out. Only had one KG onboard at that time in the morning.

PS: It was a week day too.

I've never seen them out there on a weekend, when 90% of the fleet is out there. But then again its a BIG ocean.

Hi Kal - sure they weren't the marine section of DPI (now Dept of Transport) and not DOF checking on catches, bag limits and sizes?

I've been checked by Tony at DPI for safety gear tickets etc the last 4 times I've been out because he worls with my wife so he ALWAYS pops over to say hello. Or at least he did until DOF took they boat back! Overall about 8 times.

As for DOF down here NEVER - never seen them once.

Never by the Fisheries. I was checked on only about 1&1/2 months ago for the first time by the water police out from Mandurah. Safety gear Skippers ticket etc but was more a general chat once they got there info.

Checked once offshore about 18 months ago and checked at Mindarie boat ramp once last summer.

I would be happy to be checked every time I go out.......... nothing to hide and am generally in no danger of exceeding limits.....bugger it:)

At the ramp in the river after chasing prawns.

I've been checked at least 5 times in the last year. Redshirts at East Freo, woodies and hillarys a couple of times. Fisheries at Hillaries and Two Rocks. Water cops down at Dunsborough.

Had the boat for six months and never been checked by fisheries. Did have a check by the water police, they only checked flares and PFD's, but they didn't ask to see skippers ticket.

never have we been checked off shore or inshore by Fisheries at Leeman.  We have heard of them at the ramp checking but we have never been bailed up.  Water Police we have been checked for safety equipment etc (before RST's came in) Once 7yrs ago going to the Club by Water Police checking for stolen motors/equipment (We have everything marked via the HIN)etc.  Once at the Club about 8yrs ago by Fisheries Officers.  Plenty of chit chat with the red shirts though, always down at the Public Ramps (Woodie ) and Club Ramps (CPBA). 

It seems Fisheries Officers are as scarce as hens teeth.

9 to 5 to busy checkin cray boats never seen them checkin recos anywhere even after calling them about the foriners catching buckets full of under size pinkies we chated to them they told us to f off so we thew there buckets in they were pissed but alot of them swam away

Been checked once by fisheries at Mindarie ramp....and about 6 times out on the water by  Department for transport.

During the Carnarfin they did daily checks on nearly every boat for gear and fish.
Now things have quietened off a bit we see the inspectors on the average 1 in 6 trips.If they are just doing gear checks they some times wave you through because we get to know them and they recognise the boat but if there are other boats around they will do the check as not to show favouritism

probably been checked 7 or 8 times at woodman point boat ramp this year but before this year had never been checked.

got checked once at ocean reef ramps. just for safety gear and lights before we went out

Never been checked by fisheries while on the water checked once at the ramp by them first time in years been checked once by water police on the water got booked for having the wrong epirb in the small boat thats about it

havent been checked by fisheries in years,but have been checked by water police for my skippers ticket aswell for life jackets,epirb,and offshore flares,thats all people

more checks at sea now three times in the last 6 months ive had them along side.If you get checked in the morning dont be surprised if they check again later in the day and the last time they came on board because they said a spotter had counted us taking two dhuies and we told them we only had one that had not survived release (bleeding from the arse)no boats close to us so not sure how they had their info.They got a radio call while searching our boat and took off at a rate of knots back south then later in the day came back past to check the boat north of us .So if you think it wont happen think again.

once in the river, once at Woodmans point. Probably not enough given I have been boat fishing for about 4 years now.

...in the last five years, up until this year, and that's probably launching/retrieving the boat around 150 times. BUT, since the beginning of this year, once at Mandurah Ocean Marina, twice at Pt Peron (all DOF) and once at West End by water police...but that was Easter weekend.

Oh, and for the first time in about a hundred trips down to the Mandurah Old Traffic Bridge, I was checked by fisheries about a month and a half ago (landbased). Also Busselton Jetty March 2008, but I reckon it'd be pretty hard NOT to get checked there.

By my experience, I reckon they are increasing their patrols and becoming more of a presence.

In 9 years i've been checked 5 times.......once at seas behind garden island, twice at the palm beach boat ramp and twice at the Point Peron Ramp and 4 of those in the last 2 years.

In 9 years i've been checked 5 times.......once at seas behind garden island, twice at the palm beach boat ramp and twice at the Point Peron Ramp and 4 of those in the last 2 years.

ab season when you get checked at least twice a year and last year when they landed a helicopter near our marron camp and went trough all our gear at about 8am on opening day.It is all good to keep everyone honest as they can.I think they need to start throwing the book a little harder until a small few get the message.Has anyone heard if the laws are changing at the same time as the license or is it just a ticket to say i can go on a boat too sea and catch bottom fish?

Wow, I really much look dodgy =)

you have been flying Till (Lol).

umm how bout each and every post on a fishin related website? They are watching and researching everything...the field based guys are just the obvious front line.

In 20 years commercial and recreational once south of rotto and once at woodies by fisheries. Dept of Transport have checked maybe 6 or 8 times.

Only ever had the DOF research guys doing the survey both at Two Rocks and Woodmans on several occasions and had the water police come over for a look about 2 years ago, do a quick circle around the boat and give us a wave - didn't even say a word !

And that's over nearly the last 3 years.

First time was at Tantabiddi boat ramp at exmouth 1997 DOF checked our esky and catch. Then not again until January this year off Cape Naturaliste, had a big fisheries boat with 2 DOF officers, 1 DPI officer and One water police officer. They just drove up and said hello and asked if we had caught anything, unfortunatly for us we hadnt so we asked them if they could give us some coord's they had swiped off other fisho's. They laughed and said thats for them when they come back out in their private boats. They continued up the coast and we saw them chat to another boat, then continue north.

Also had 2 DOF come aboard our dive charter boat at the Abrolhos in February this year to have scones and coffee with one of the boats deckhands who was a former Fisheries Officer and friend of theirs.

Only other DOF encounter was at Horrocks Beach in June this year had a volunteer(red shirt) come up and ask us for data. Thats it for 15 years fishing.

Honestly even though i haven't seen them often i love seeing Fisheries Officers out and about and having a yarn with them. Better than not seeing them at all.

Twice back at the ramp fisheries have done a survey on what I caught and where I'd been, but when I asked them if they wanted to see my catch, they said no! What a joke! I hope some of these new fees go towards employing more Fisheries inspectors as I shiver to think how many people don't do the correct thing.

I have been half way to the monts and have the navy with a 50cal on front do the same ,We all shit our pants

fish from?

Sorry Kal I always give them a call when your heading out fishing just to give them a heads up. They said if they can stop you fishing we wont need the new fishing regs to protect vulnarable species. lol

once with Colin Hay on board out the back of the five by the large police boat checking everything offered then Colin as a bribe but they would not be in that  , Once in the point peron just out from the marina they let us go but my sister got stung by the fisherys boat for letting there rego run out opps . Got checked out in tandabidi also leaving Exmouth this year fridge freezers the hole nine yard and oh yeah got the once over fish only mind you by Adams Girlfriend Renae *LOL* in coral bay (all was good of cause)

I would be happy to be checked every time I go out.......... nothing to hide and am generally in no danger of exceeding limits.....bugger it:)

If they were really smart they could put a 30 foot pole with a 360 radial remote camera central to most metro boat ramps.  They could have one guy checking all the ramps on screen at any one time.

Ok maybe they wouldnt be able to see in the eskys but they would get an idea of who is doing what at any time.  They could do spot checks or stops on anything that looked out of the ordinary.

What about swipe your card at a machine next to the boat ramp machine?

From a safety perspective they may be worth their weight in gold too.

75% of the time I went fishing in South Aus id be checked at some point either out at sea or back at the ramp.

Im yet to be checked in WA...

Bad experience!!

I got checked while squidding in the sound.. and the numb nut fisheries officer dcided to pull up just off the side of the boat, down wind of me.

With the wind pushing me a little he tried to get out of the way, and cleaned up my bow spit on the side of his cabin.

Can tell you i was not impressed, and he copped a mouth full for it.

Luckily my anchor did all the damage to his boat rather than any to mine, but wasnt the point.

Besides that probably get checked maybe once every 10 trips.

If at two rocks, almost every trip at the ramp when getting back in.

Always get the research officers at woodman point

checked 3 times last summer by marine & fisheries division of DPI. Once at Mindarie and other time 22nm & 15nm offshore from Mindarie. Checked catch but not safety gear. They were in the new 12m vessel out of Hillarys. Obviously new fees are to cover fuel cost etc to come out that far.

landbased only once in 20yrs!

Rang them many times and never managed to get them out

checked once recently around Feb since then nothing, and one time last year. Don't mind them at all, beleive its a good thing

Sadly only a few times!

Been checked once at Tworocks (land), once on FWA boat filming (water), once at Woodies (land), twice at Exmouth (land).

So thats 5 times only in 15 years that i can remember. I'm on the water on average 2-3 times a week/every year......not enough!

Hopefully this money they're trying to extract from us (license) actually goes to more Fisheries enforcement/compliance not just Infrastucture!

I reckon Kal is just you, shaddy character thing.... LOL

Got checked this afternoon out the back of garden island.........must have thought i looked lonely....i was the only boat out there?? got a good bag limit of fat sand whiting....yumm

i have been checked twice once 12 years ago   and the second time was this year at exmouth,  another time about three months ago ,on a blown out day at ocean reef marina mid week i took my boat down and dropped it of on the ramp to do maitenece and repairs on my trailer , i was the only boat in the carpark,  while i worked on my trailer the fisheries came down in force and tried to indicate i had been out diving and had taken crayfish illegally, they had watched me for an hour working on my boat trailer on the side of the  ramp and thought  i was involved in some big scheme going on then they decided to do a complete search of my boat and car , my boat tied up on the jetty was totally empty and car was full of trailer springs and nuts and bolts, grease and grease guns etc, they were not impressed and left me alone  

Its good to see that they are making the're presence known, and hope that they will increase the're spot checks ,not just in daylight hours but after hours as well.

Hope the money from our fishing licences goes to increased checking ,but in saying that ,The fines should be high enough to be the real deterent.

 JMO

Kal

i got checked yesterday...3 times! ridiculous. once out on the water squidding in the sound by the water police, then once we got back got checked by some fisheries research officer, then again by 2 fisheries officers. I figure they're just doing their job...but...seriously...it seems a bit much.

It would be nice if they kept a record on computer and then just checked the catch.