Huskerrod and the Perris fish of epic proportions.....and jail time. (8-25)

Hey gang,

Hit perris thursday with a buddy for some bassin. Was doing real good on the bass and then "it struck". At first it felt like a snag and then it moved. Seconds moved to minutes, minutes to hours and time seemed to stop. The battle started at 630 pm and by 830 pm the war was still on. My pole was buckling, my line screaming, a tug of war ensued. The problem is 830 is closing at perris. I became concerned at about 730 of the time issue, but at 830 as a fisherman i just couldnt give in. Would you??? I was two hours into the fight and whatever it was kept it going making long runs and just muscling its way to the lake bottom. The lifeguard got on the speaker from shore, "You need to get off the water. Lake perris is closed to private boats". I tried responding back, "im fighting the fish of a lifetime..please". At that point he just gets in his truck and speeds off towards the marina and his patrol boat. I wasnt trying to be hospitable, abrasive, or challenging. I had a once and a lifetime fish hooked. Should i have broken him off and gone in? Would you have?? By 850 im winning line on the beast, but the patrol boat is bearing down on me. He is coming in hot so i reposition my pole to not get my line run over by the patrol boat motor as he motors up to me. Politely i explain to him the situation. I am two hours into the fight for the ages and winning. He wants to hear nothing of the circumstances. He asks me if the fish is worth a $400 fine. I dont respond as im not sure what to say. Politely i ask him if i can finish the fight. He in an abrassive tone explains to me the budget situation in California and how me being on the lake is requiring the quagga mussle inspector to work extra. And why should the taxpayers have to pay for me to fight a fish. I ask politely if the inspector at the launch ramp can just go home and I wont get my boat banded tonight? No response. I then explain to him Im a regular at the lake. He explains bluntly since I am a regular I should know the rules. The officer does not seem happy and makes me forfeit my license as he runs my information like a regular criminal. I hear my data recited over the radio: height, weight, eye color, license number, etc. At this point I begin to hoarse the fish. I know when he is done running my info and writing the ticket its either head in or be arrested for insubordination. This guy is treating me like he has just taken down the leader of the "Lake Perris Bass Cartel". The fight of my life continues. My information comes back. No priors, no warrants, nothing on me, but why do I feel like I just broke into Fort Knox. Im winning line, but wenching the fish in. The officer is not happy. He continues writing. I know the end is near for me as he repositions his boat to give me my license back. I wench. The line gives. I know the dream has ended. Time has simply ran out on me. I lose. If you not a fisherman or outdoorsmen you wouldnt understand.

In the end, I understand an officer had a job to do. Would it have been to much to ask from one human being to another for him to let me finish the fight? What about from one fisherman to the next? What would you have done?

So as it looks now I have a court date for August 4th at 1220 p.m. (I think). I can wav the court date and just pay the infractionm but what about my story. Actually it is difficult to read the officers writing. On the back of the "Notice to Appear" it says for this violation (non traffic) I will receive something in the mail in 4-6 weeks and I can pay the fine This is not a misdemeanor, just a nontraffic infraction as specified on the front by the check. Is anyone clear on the fine. I understand it will be in the $400 range. Can I go to court date and have it reassigned as community service versus a fine? Will being honest and telling the judge the situation even make any differene what so ever? Does it pay to be human anymore??

Ill sleep just okay tonight. I did all I could. I just ran out of time. Ill get another chance.,,,someday. But part of me knows I did the right thing AS a fisherman you understand. Others, including the ranger probably not. And thats okay to.

Passion aint for everyone.

So Ill probably end up paying my ticket or going to court and trying to plea the fine to community service. I cant really plea down an "infraction" down to anything lower like one does a felony. But if my "medince" is to pick up trash at Lake Perris or DVL Id go for that. Plus you never know, might pick of a few fishing tips.


Hey Perris Ranger, how much of a fine is this one. (THr Bass was successfully Cpred so I can catch him again some day, No, this wasnt the big one. Just another perris bass the big one could have eaten) The big one is still out there. And if you catch him. Thank the ranger.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by HuskerRod

Hey gang,

Hit perris thursday with a buddy for some bassin. Was doing real good on the bass and then "it struck". At first it felt like a snag and then it moved. Seconds moved to minutes, minutes to hours and time seemed to stop. The battle started at 630 pm and by 830 pm the war was still on. My pole was buckling, my line screaming, a tug of war ensued. The problem is 830 is closing at perris. I became concerned at about 730 of the time issue, but at 830 as a fisherman i just couldnt give in. Would you??? I was two hours into the fight and whatever it was kept it going making long runs and just muscling its way to the lake bottom. The lifeguard got on the speaker from shore, "You need to get off the water. Lake perris is closed to private boats". I tried responding back, "im fighting the fish of a lifetime..please". At that point he just gets in his truck and speeds off towards the marina and his patrol boat. I wasnt trying to be hospitable, abrasive, or challenging. I had a once and a lifetime fish hooked. Should i have broken him off and gone in? Would you have?? By 850 im winning line on the beast, but the patrol boat is bearing down on me. He is coming in hot so i reposition my pole to not get my line run over by the patrol boat motor as he motors up to me. Politely i explain to him the situation. I am two hours into the fight for the ages and winning. He wants to hear nothing of the circumstances. He asks me if the fish is worth a $400 fine. I dont respond as im not sure what to say. Politely i ask him if i can finish the fight. He in an abrassive tone explains to me the budget situation in California and how me being on the lake is requiring the quagga mussle inspector to work extra. And why should the taxpayers have to pay for me to fight a fish. I ask politely if the inspector at the launch ramp can just go home and I wont get my boat banded tonight? No response. I then explain to him Im a regular at the lake. He explains bluntly since I am a regular I should know the rules. The officer does not seem happy and makes me forfeit my license as he runs my information like a regular criminal. I hear my data recited over the radio: height, weight, eye color, license number, etc. At this point I begin to hoarse the fish. I know when he is done running my info and writing the ticket its either head in or be arrested for insubordination. This guy is treating me like he has just taken down the leader of the "Lake Perris Bass Cartel". The fight of my life continues. My information comes back. No priors, no warrants, nothing on me, but why do I feel like I just broke into Fort Knox. Im winning line, but wenching the fish in. The officer is not happy. He continues writing. I know the end is near for me as he repositions his boat to give me my license back. I wench. I know the dream has ended. Time has simply ran out on me. I lose. If you not a fisherman or outdoorsmen you wouldnt understand.

In the end, I understand an officer had a job to do. Would it have been to much to ask from one human being to another for him to let me finish the fight? What about from one fisherman to the next? What would you have done?

So as it looks now I have a court date for August 4th at 1220 p.m. (I think). Actually it is difficult to read the officers writing. On the back of the "Notice to Appear" it says for this violation (non traffic) I will receive something in the mail in 4-6 weeks and I can pay the fine This is not a misdemeanor infraction, just a nontraffic as specified on the front by the check. Is anyone clear on the fine. I understand it will be in the $400 range. Can I go to court and have it assigned as community service versus a fine? Will being honest and telling the judge the situation even make any differene what so ever? Does it pay to be human anymore??

Ill sleep just okay tonight. I did all I could. I just ran out of time. Ill get another chance.


Hey Perris Ranger, how much of a fine is this one

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Great story; much better than my nazi joke. :Smile:

Why is there daylight? Did you figure: WTPH, I'm just gonna stay overnight now!

*I could be totally off, I'm just throwing another spitball. lol




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That striper pic is an old pic.

You got a good point there. After I was issued the fine I guess I had free run to fish all night. I mean, he cant fine me twice for the same thing, right???

By the guys tone, he would have handcuffed me and had me locked up had I stayed a minute longer Im sure of it

HuskerRod,

I think they moved some of the "Hard Cases" down from Lake Silverwood to Lake Perris. Years ago, I had a female ranger at Lake Silverwood pull her hand gun on me for making waves in a 5 mph zone. All I had done was asked her "what had I done wrong"! Lucky the older ranger with her convinced her my offense wasn't worth shooting me over, especially in front of my wife and two kids!!

A real bummer on losing the fish. Did you get a chance to see the species of the fish? Striper, Cat, LMB?

Well Rod, that's quite an interesting dilemma. If that fish you hooked two hours before closing was a world record LMB, I think the $400.00 fine would justify the approximately $2,000,000.00 reward you would have received had you boated it. But with that said, IGFA rules state that all local laws and rules must be followed in order for that record to be certified. Since you hooked it during legal hours, but the fight lasted past closing time, would they have certified it? That's the two million $$ question. Sad they didn't let you finish the fight, a record like that at Perris would be priceless PR for the lake. As for the infraction, I'd wait and receive the courtesy notice that will tell you the exact fine, then I'd go and weep before the judge and beg for forgiveness. But I do have one question for you, what lb line were you using?

Hard cases at Silverwood were informed to be "nicer" and at least one was relocated but not to Perris, at least not initially, don't know if he's there now but I actually miss him, Silverwood needs a bit of hard core Rangers based on the weekend crowds. The girl was and still is pretty new and was very hard core initially, don't screw up if she pats you down she'll break your legs kicking them out, she's still there.

I don't think you can fault the Ranger in this case, a few minutes late ok but you were well past boating hours. But I certainly understand your predicament would have a hard choice to break off a fish like that. Bummer on the ticket, would probably been worth it had you landed the fish. Sure wish Silverwood allowed boaters on the water till 8:30pm!

Ranger IS a jerk .

The fish was on 6 pound line and at the end was beaten. But between the rangers commands, godging his outboard, and wenching the fish it was done. The fish was a huge catfish.

Now their has been a lot of news lately on police and the public. Hey, im guilty i admit it. I was never challenging or abrasive to the ranger...the ranger was To me. Isnt that the sort of community policing we are getting away from ? I essentially got yelled at and overrun by his boat as he stone cold me. But im guilty, i admit it. Do i have to get reprimanded on the state of californias budget??? Do i have to get rubbed in my face the fact that its $400 dollars the fine and the worthiness???

If you weren't rude he shouldn't have been but as far as the ticket goes I think you rolled the dice and lost.

But really a catfish? That would have made my decision a lot easier, cut the line.

Yup, I would've cut it too. Ain't worth a $400.00 fine and getting abused by a Ranger. But this is one of the reasons I stopped using 8lb test, too easy to bust off. Had that been a record bass, you wouldn't have had to fight it so long if you were using at least 10lb line which is the lightest I go these days. I caught many on 8lb but I lost a couple of huge pigs to breakoffs due to structure. I'd still go to court and beg for mercy, the judge MIGHT cut it in half. Just don't tell him it was over a kitty...