South Carolina Game Wardens

Case Highlight: On January 30, 2025, Region 1 Officers Webb and Officer Wilson acted on a tip and were stationed at Hartwell State Park when they stopped an individual returning to the boat ramp. After speaking with him, they inspected his boat and discovered 27 Crappie (a game fish species) in his live well. Additionally, they observed a cooler in the back of his truck, which contained another 37 Crappie.

The individual admitted to returning to the boat ramp earlier in the day to drop off the first 37 Crappie before heading back out to continue fishing. The daily limit for Crappie is 20 per person per day.

As a result, the individual was charged with three counts of exceeding the crappie limit and operating with an expired boat decal, in addition to receiving warnings for not having a fire extinguisher and the required Type IV throwable device on board.

The fish were seized, photographed for evidence, and donated to the Fair Play Camp School, where children will learn how to clean and cook them.

We are continually grateful for our officers who work to protect our natural resources.
Attachment 499969Attachment 499970


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I wish the Indiana game wardens could practice this. There is plenty of this going on right here around my home.

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Good job. Glad they were donated to a school camp

I've witnessed something like this. Saw some guys bring a limit to the ramp and pass them to a lady who left with them. My partner and I were heading back out later that evening and passed the same guys. My partner overheard them say they had three more limits. I don't claim to be a mathematician... but three limits of 20 x 2 you get the idea of how many fish that is in a day. I'm all for keeping some in the freezer but I wouldn't need to keep any fish for a while.

Foreigners.... deport!!

Should have seized their boat and equipment.

Here in Arkansas last I heard you can be charged per fish over the limit and restitution for the value assessed the fish.

Thanks for sharing this

Throw the book at em Judge!

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A few weeks ago a couple of guys got caught spearing bass at a lake near Austin. If I remember correctly they were caught with 17 large mouths.

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Originally Posted by NIMROD

Here in Arkansas last I heard you can be charged per fish over the limit and restitution for the value assessed the fish.

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Yep here as well , about $125 to 150 per fish is the “ recreational fish” unless it’s trophy quality.
If it swims off unharmed you only have to pay the fine for whatever you did wrong .
Hear tell some fellas a few years back here locally ran up a $ 15,000 tab on 54 undersized fish in a basket . There was 3 involved, so they got to pay the bills times 3 ,Supposedly the game warden got a tip about it and never even asked a question, just walked up and cuffed them and took them , the fish and their truck downtown :yikes

If they were caught jack-lighting deer, they could have taken their guns and truck. Should be the same penalty here. Throw the book at 'em!

Or, maybe they should have to post their fishing coordinates here on Crappie.com!! :biggrin Glad they got them!!

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Originally Posted by NIMROD

Here in Arkansas last I heard you can be charged per fish over the limit and restitution for the value assessed the fish.

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same here in Texas


MO

That's a lot of crappie for one day. He deserves whatever punishment he gets tho.

Some people are just greedy outlaws.

Did you see them out of state duck hunters recently that came to Texas and were poaching bigtime ? they were way over the limits and broke about a zillion different waterfowl laws and only got a $ 7,000 fine …..
Us Texas folks think that is insanity, they should have gotten it was worse than that ….:banghead:mad:

Doesn’t mean crap to hear or see it unless you have the nads to get pics of their boat numbers and call F&W!


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South Carolina DNR website has a number to call [emoji638][emoji640] hours a day and l have it in my contact list if l’m certain of a violation that should be investigated. All states should have this information l would think.

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Originally Posted by M R Dux

Doesn’t mean crap to hear or see it unless you have the nads to get pics of their boat numbers and call F&W!


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Gotta be able to prove it too I guess.:dono

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Originally Posted by M R Dux

Doesn’t mean crap to hear or see it unless you have the nads to get pics of their boat numbers and call F&W!


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I got 4 different game wardens in my contacts
One for each county I frequently visit
Trust me , I will call it in without hesitation

When Jordan Lake (N.C.) was being filled in 1981, they stocked so many bass that it was easy to catch 100+ undersize bass on a fishing trip. Every angler was allowed to keep 2 bass any size, but the rest of the limit had to be over 12". A couple buddies and I drove down an old road that ran into the water and saw a guy with 2 bass and a couple small bream on his stringer. Every time he caught another bass, he'd carry it to his car, pop the trunk, and toss it in one of the several buckets he had in the trunk. We ran into the game warden up the road and let him know what was going on. The game warden parked away from the lake, walked down the road and watched the guy put bass in his trunk, then drove his vehicle down to do a license check. He had the guy open the trunk and busted him for WAY over the limit. The guy lost his license and had to pay restitution for every one of the dead bass.

Jim

Here in Louisiana one can legally have 50 any size per day. I believe that is the reason we don’t get the Biggens here.
I wish they would lower the creel limit and enforce a 10 “ size limit.

BON TEMPS!!