Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2018 - 18

Embarrassing situation

While on boat patrol at the
Youghiogheny River Lake with
Deputy Waterways Conservation
Officer (DWCO) Donald Anderson,
we stopped the operator of a
personal watercraft (PWC) for a
wake violation. The operator was a
teenager, and the PWC was a stand up
type, which made it unsteady as the
operator was trying to show me the
items I requested. As I reached out to
help stabilize the PWC, the pull cord
on my inflatable life jacket caught on
the cleat of our patrol boat. I heard
the "pop" and immediately knew that
my life jacket was about to inflate. It
took everything I had to control my
reactions in front of the teen as my
life jacket fully inflated. I'm sure the
PWC operator will remember the
stop, hopefully for the violation, but
I'm sure the vision of the Waterways
Conservation Officer (WCO) with
an inflated life jacket will stay in
his memory, too.-WCO Daniel D.
McGuire, Southern Somerset County.

around 10-years-old, he had taken
two illegal pickerel, one Largemouth
Bass, two Brook Trout, two Brown
Trout and one Rainbow Trout. He
said that these illegal acts weighed on
him for all these years. He said that
he wanted to make it right. A week
or so later, I received a list of the fish
and a check from my friend, made
out to the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat
Commission, which was deposited
into the Fish Fund for a base fine and
costs and current replacement value
for all eight fish that he illegally took
when he was a child.-WCO David
G. Kaneski, Northern Wayne County.

Dedication

The longer I continue my job as a
WCO, the more impressed I become
with the dedication of anglers.
I was patrolling on a cold, rainy
day along the Lackawaxen River, Pike
County, when I saw anglers trout
fishing. On any other day, I wouldn't
have thought twice about this activity,
but it was cold and heavily raining.

The water temperature was around
50- to 55-degrees F. All of the anglers
were standing in the river, dressed
in waders and rain gear. I could see
that they all had fishing licenses
displayed. I applaud the anglers for
their dedication to fishing and their
determination when the weather was
unpleasant. I hope they caught some
fish for their efforts.-WCO Robert A.
Plumb, Northern Wallenpaupack.

Fifty pound double

While on patrol during the fall, I
witnessed something that I thought
was impossible in regards to fresh
water fishing. A local carp angler,
who shares his extensive fishing
knowledge on YouTube, was out
fishing after dark. I came upon the
angler while he was fighting a carp.
Then, his second rod got a bite.
Before I knew it, there was a second
carp on his line. After a few minutes
of skilled rod juggling, he was able to
land, weigh and release both fish. The
first fish weighed 26 pounds, and the

Cold cases solved

I received a phone call from
a friend of mine who is recently
retired. I see him several times a
year, fishing on local streams and
lakes. The phone call was confusing
at first. He asked me what the fine
was for taking a fish out of season. I
replied with information about the
fine. Then, he asked me what the
fine was for harvesting a fish that
was shorter than the legal length.
My response was the same. He then
asked me about taking fish over the
limit. Curiosity got the best of me,
so I asked him if he knew someone
who committed these infractions. His
response was, "it was me." I thought
he was playing a joke on me. He
explained that when he was a child,

18

Pennsylvania Angler & Boater * January/February 2018	

illustration-Andrea Feeney

www.gonefishingpa.com
http://www.gonefishingpa.com
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2018
