Float Tubing Newport Harbor

Did the circuit of Balboa Island in the float tube and did OK. I caught 16 fish total, all dinks except this guy.

I've never been a fan of Newport. It's crazy busy on weekends and gets a ton of fishing pressure.

And I got hassled by a cop. I was hoping to launch out of a place called Channel Park. It was about 5:00am and I was looking for a parking spot and a cop cruised by me and saw my fishing gear and turned on his lights. He backed up to my window...

"You here to go fishing?"

"Yes, I was hoping to launch my float tube from Channel Park there."

"This is residential area here and these people don't need to be disturbed. Visitors need to park in the public parking lot over on 15th street."

I'm aware of my surroundings and I'm always quiet and respectful of the fact that I'm in a residential area but he has no way of knowing that and even though I have just as much right to park on the street as anyone else, there is certainly no percentage in arguing, so I left. First time I've ever been run off by a cop simply for being a fisherman. It left a bad taste.

I went to the Coast Guard Station, parked on the street, and launched from there.

I think I will need some serious motivation before I go back to Newport.

Attachment 50138

That cop is so full of sh-t , there very very few restriction in New Port for parking . Unless posted its wide open , he just didn't want you there . The CC-Station is a long kick , I was there yesterday in the Camo Hobie . Your parking on the street is your right , not to be determined by the police . You should make a complaint to his Sargent . There are no time limits or restriction for hitting beach or bay . Christ the loudest thing in the bay is Horn-Blower Cruise Boats . I would believe you are respectful and quite .

Sorry you had to go through that with that officer,maybe he lives in that area,regardless not very cool,nice spottie by the way!

Cya Tuna Vic

Getting lied to by law enforcement, is sickening . I wonder what cop would said ,if the tuber turned out to be a HOME OWNER . And what home owners reaction would have been . I would have been hard pressed not to ask for his badge number . I have been stopped by Marine Police /Harbor Patrol /Coast Guard . When I asked why >> please note << have and had seen them at least once a week while fish LBC harbor Alamitos Bay . I was told they had nothing better to do . I am law and order guy , but I hate liars .

It's been a while, but we used to launch my 12 foot aluminum boat in the early morning at daylight right there next to the public dock at the east end of Park Ave.. It was a "car top" boat and took some ingenuity to get it quietly off the metal boat rack and down onto the sidewalk. Then we had to put it up and over the bayside storm wall and finally down onto the little beach area to put the outboard motor on and load all the gear in the boat. We did this many times and we never had any trouble with the residents or the police. We just had to respect the fact that was nearby people sleeping in homes, so we made as little noise as possible.. even talking softly

[QUOTE=Ornery Bob;789308]Did the circuit of Balboa Island in the float tube and did OK. I caught 16 fish total, all dinks except this guy.

I've never been a fan of Newport. It's crazy busy on weekends and gets a ton of fishing pressure.

And I got hassled by a cop. I was hoping to launch out of a place called Channel Park. It was about 5:00am and I was looking for a parking spot and a cop cruised by me and saw my fishing gear and turned on his lights. He backed up to my window...

"You here to go fishing?"

"Yes, I was hoping to launch my float tube from Channel Park there."

"This is residential area here and these people don't need to be disturbed. Visitors need to park in the public parking lot over on 15th street."

I'm aware of my surroundings and I'm always quiet and respectful of the fact that I'm in a residential area but he has no way of knowing that and even though I have just as much right to park on the street as anyone else, there is certainly no percentage in arguing, so I left. First time I've ever been run off by a cop simply for being a fisherman. It left a bad taste.

I went to the Coast Guard Station, parked on the street, and launched from there.

I think I will need some serious motivation before I go back to Newport.

Attachment 50138[/QUOTE

[QUOTE=RocFish;793920]

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ornery Bob

Did the circuit of Balboa Island in the float tube and did OK. I caught 16 fish total, all dinks except this guy.

I've never been a fan of Newport. It's crazy busy on weekends and gets a ton of fishing pressure.

And I got hassled by a cop. I was hoping to launch out of a place called Channel Park. It was about 5:00am and I was looking for a parking spot and a cop cruised by me and saw my fishing gear and turned on his lights. He backed up to my window...

"You here to go fishing?"

"Yes, I was hoping to launch my float tube from Channel Park there."

"This is residential area here and these people don't need to be disturbed. Visitors need to park in the public parking lot over on 15th street."

I'm aware of my surroundings and I'm always quiet and respectful of the fact that I'm in a residential area but he has no way of knowing that and even though I have just as much right to park on the street as anyone else, there is certainly no percentage in arguing, so I left. First time I've ever been run off by a cop simply for being a fisherman. It left a bad taste.

I went to the Coast Guard Station, parked on the street, and launched from there.

I think I will need some serious motivation before I go back to Newport.

Attachment 50138[/QUOTE

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Wow!!! Instead of being racially profiled, you were profiled as a visiting fishermen and not a resident. He might as well said, "Locals only in this here part of the city!!!"