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Johnnybear
04-18-2006, 07:11 PM
Well I had an interesting Monday to say the least. I went out prawing off Nanaimo out by the five fingers and drove up to one of my good spots and set my gear down a couple hundred yards away from some other floats that belonged to a boat that was anchored just behind the last finger. I've seen this boat before and it has a charter name written on the side with a phone number. I left the area and booted down south to Northumberland Channel to meet up with some buddies down there. I talked to them for a couple of minutes and said I'd be back and booted back to check my gear. 45 minutes max went by by the time I left and got back to my gear. The charter boat was just leaving the area and there was no floats to be seen. I use the large orange commercial style floats that you can see miles away with my name and number clearly marked on them and not one in site. I went up to the boat and I grubby looking guy that seem to have had a little to much to drink came out back and I asked him if they had seen my floats, they said no (lying ******* I thought). I gave him the benefit of the doubt and made one last circle of the area and no floats. I quickly caught up to them in Departure Bay and came right up behind them and looked up the ladder way to their covered command bridge and saw my gear!. I was pretty mad by now and I didn't bother with bumpers or anything I just rammed up the side of them and tied off to their vessel and started screaming at them "give my my sh*t back before I call the cops you f*&$ing a**h*&es". They were a little shocked to say the least and quickly came up with a B.S. story that some guy had called them and said he lost his traps and they thought they were his. I was the only other boat out there and they damn well saw me put those traps down. I asked them why they lied to me in the first place and got my gear into my boat. I untied from them and said that's how boat's get sunk you f*&$ing thieves. I drove around in my boat for a while to calm down. I'm glad I don't have a shotgun on board otherwise that vessel might have joined the Titanic. I'm reporting them to the cops and the harbour commision. Word to all the honest fisherman out there, don't leave your gear even for a minute!!!

BlacktailStalker
04-18-2006, 07:38 PM
I can relate, I lost my strings earlier this year.
In all honesty I would have broken his jaw, then he could think about it for 6 weeks as he was eating through a straw.
At least you got them back!
A guy I know paints his floats black, they dont stand out as well for guys cruising around looking for traps to rob or steal. He marks them on his GPS so they are easier to find. I don't leave mine out of sight any more.

MB_Boy
04-18-2006, 08:15 PM
I can relate as well......it's garbage when that happens. I had a crab trab poached about 3 weeks ago......and it is getting bad over here. I hear of a number of guys having their traps stolen.

We were over at a friends cabin in Howe Sound and we had thrown the traps down on a Friday night. It is an annual wood chopping trip we do for the family to "pay our dues". Anyhow, I popped down to the cabin to stoke the airtight stove as we were working up in the bush and saw a boat suspiciously cruising around way out by our traps (bright orange floats as well).....then I see them pull up to one of the traps and start pulling. Well to say we put it into high gear was an understatement. It was a rented boat from Sewell's that let's say.....in the boat we were in......it definitely left them all soaked as we did a fly by and came back and proceeded to yell at them and ask what the f&%$ they thought they were doing. Their english was certainly not very good and I had to point out that there was no way in hell due to their nationality that the name on the traps was theirs. I realize anyone can poach traps but this is not the first time we have had problems with rental boats from Horseshoe Bay trying to lift our traps.

So after the heated exchange we sent them on their way, and the thing that just blew me away was how pissed they were about the "fly by soaking" and how we approached them.

I just shook my head and gave them a very polite...."go f*** yourselves" and we are watching the traps all the time with a spotting scope if they were thinking of coming back.

It's brutal......but I do like the idea of painting the floats black and marking them. I may have to give that a whirl.

Johnnybear
04-18-2006, 08:37 PM
Your right BTS at least I got them back. Sorry to here about your gear. I'm still pissed off at those guys. I work bloody hard for my money to buy my stuff and when sh*t like that happens I just go bonkers.

mrdoog
04-18-2006, 09:24 PM
Johnnybear, hats off to for not going totally physco on the scum sucking thieves.
Good to hear you got your gear back, everything involved with boating is worth a pretty penny.
We used to have one trap outside of Pender Harbour, same as you described, commercial sized ball, labelled with our name and phone number, as per the regulations. It lasted on set, found the ball a week later while goofing around in the cartopper looking for cod. Rope was cut. Never again.

Thunderstix
04-19-2006, 06:09 AM
Crab trap and prawn trap raiding seems to be a National Pastime. Most times your trap just gets raided of its treasure, but sometimes it is the whole thing. I have found my traps empty except for empty beer cans and actually found full beer in it once...guilty feeling thieves! For years now I have been looking for either an unbelievably authentic looking fake severed human head or a fake half eaten baby to put in my trap and then wait for the fun to start. The thieves would get the trap to the surface and then freak out and drop it back in as fast as possible. Then they would frantically call the Coast Guard and/or RCMP who would come and read my name on the trap float and call me. I would then have to ask the question of why someone was pulling my traps????? I had them nailed!!!!!!!! Hmmm, since the RCMP is already on the scene, they could charge the theives with theft.

jakerazer
04-19-2006, 06:52 AM
Hmmmm.....
I seem to remember that when elemental phosphorus is exposed to air it bursts into an extremely hot flame. In fact they used to use it in incinderary bombs in WW2.
A little chunk of phosphourus a little magnesium flake for added heat in a mesh bag in the trap. If joe thief lets it dry out poof! :eek: Burning boat!

Of course I would never consider doing such a terrible thing:grin: :twisted:

Bow Walker
04-19-2006, 07:58 AM
J-bear.........
If you have the "numbers" for the scum, i.e. phone, boat, name of the charter company,etc. How about posting them so that others can keep an eye on them when they are out there at their (seemingly) favorite pastime?

Johnnybear
04-19-2006, 08:23 AM
The boat is about a 30 foot older wooden boat like a Chris Craft or Monk, all white, and the command bridge looks redone and not original. The name on the side was in baby blue and said Popeye's Charters.

mark
04-19-2006, 08:28 AM
J-bear.........
If you have the "numbers" for the scum, i.e. phone, boat, name of the charter company,etc. How about posting them so that others can keep an eye on them when they are out there at their (seemingly) favorite pastime?

thats the best thing to do, let everyone everywhere know who the !@#$%^& theives are! tell everyone you can, maybe paint it on the side of their boat! A bad rep has a way of hurting someone in more ways than one. a couple gallons of gas can #$%^ up a deisel engine too, so dont do that! I like the spotting scope idea, accompanied with a good sniper rifle! Oh ya, i hate theives too! :twisted:

MB_Boy
04-19-2006, 08:41 AM
J-Bear.......as mrdoog said.....good for you for keeping your cool. We got a little bit hot headed but we would always ensure that we don't cross the line in that the police would be called for something done by us to a prawn thief. Giving them a good scare will help them remember, but I don't think it is worth 'crossing that line' to get yourself in trouble over some prawns or a trap.

T-Stix.......I like the ideas!! :grin:

BlacktailStalker
04-19-2006, 08:56 PM
reminds me of a story I heard of a guy who always had cut firewood stolen from his property after he'd buck up a windfall. He left it out to dry usually and somebody always found it and stole it as it was on a huge pice of land. He was so tired of buckin and choppin for someone else, so he cut out a plug in a few pieces and pack er full of gun powder. Ironically a neighbor a km or so down the road had a huge chimney fire later that same winter. Needless to say he never lost any wood again.

Fred
04-19-2006, 10:36 PM
I heard a similar story but dynamite was used. Tough luck, thief!!! :wink: Fred

LUCKY
04-25-2006, 10:49 AM
Johnnybear,

Sounds like you handled things well.

How was the report handled by the authorities?
Did they give you a case file #, any follow up?
If you have the time and resource please follow up and let us know what the result is. It would be very interesting to know.


Thieves should be shot with a ball of their own shit!!!

I will cut and paste the boat details on some fishing sites and e-mail it to a few people. I am fairly connected in the fishing scene. We will make sure it is known.

It is not often that you catch someone red handed.

Good on ya!

Mr. Dean
04-26-2006, 10:58 AM
Johnnybear,

Sounds like you handled things well.

How was the report handled by the authorities?
Did they give you a case file #, any follow up?
If you have the time and resource please follow up and let us know what the result is. It would be very interesting to know.


Thieves should be shot with a ball of their own shit!!!

I will cut and paste the boat details on some fishing sites and e-mail it to a few people. I am fairly connected in the fishing scene. We will make sure it is known.

It is not often that you catch someone red handed.

Good on ya!
DITTO!!

This should be put out there.

Johnnybear
04-27-2006, 05:22 PM
The authorities said that they can't really do anything about it now and there is no point in opening a claim because I got my stuff back.They told me I should have radioed them or called them to the sene especially if the situation was dangerous (the dispatcher said if it was them personally they would have done the same thing I did). Friends of mine have boats at different marina's in the area and spread the word around the docks, local pub's, and the commercial guys. I've told many sportfishing friends and family and I think these guys are going to have a lot of eyes on them from now on. The police said this is the best thing to do, put the word out on the street. I told some business contacts at the PBS and they said I should get a card from some of the DFO officers that keep a Zodiac there most of the time. I can guarrantee that these guys are prawning with more traps than they are allowed and probably over limit too. I posted the wrong name in my origninal post and the name on the boat is Pobey's Charters not "Popeye's".

Mr. Dean
04-27-2006, 05:48 PM
Thanks for clearing up the name.
Sorry to here that the cops didn't get involved. That just doesn't seem right.

Karma is an interesting thing though. :shock:

LUCKY
04-27-2006, 07:31 PM
Thanks for the feed back.

I did not expect much from the authorities.

I have passed the word the best I could.

Tips.

Johnnybear
04-27-2006, 09:07 PM
One guy I talked to said his buddy embedds tiny trout hooks into the trap line for the first 5 feet or so............ouch!!!!. That'll teach em. They'd probably cut the floats and your out some gear but at least you'd draw blood.

LUCKY
05-01-2006, 02:32 PM
I clipped this from another forum. Wonder if it is the same guy??!!
I hope so and I hope there is serious consequence!!

Finally !!!!


http://web.bcnewsgroup.com/portals-code/list.cgi?cat=23&paper=50&id=638136 (http://web.bcnewsgroup.com/portals-code/list.cgi?cat=23&paper=50&id=638136)




"Prawns safe; Navy displays colours"

Prawn fishers in Nanoose Bay are breathing a little easier this week after a joint RCMP and Canadian Coast Guard operation nabbed a suspected prawn poacher in the Nanoose Bay area.
Oceanside RCMP Corporal Greg Cox says a resident of the area got suspicious while observing a boat prowling around prawn traps and called the police. The witness called police and then kept an eye on the blue and white private vessel from shore.
Cpl. Garry Cox says the complainant called in to say the suspect boat was headed offshore.
“The guys went down there and one stayed on shore and called the Coast Guard, who tracked the boat down and boarded it,” Cox says.
The Coast Guard personnel found some allegedly stolen prawn traps on the boat and arrested two suspects, who now face charges of theft, mischief and possession of stolen property.
Coastal Watch programs are in effect for the summer and Cox says all available resources will be used to track and prosecute any illegal activity that occurs at sea.
Anyone who sees anything suspicious on the water is asked to contact the Oceanside RCMP at 248-6111 or call Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
• The HMCS Ottawa was decked out in full colours on Friday in Esquimalt to celebrate the 80th birthday of Queen Elizabeth II.
In accordance with Navy ceremony, operational ships of the Canadian Navy do what is called dressing overall with the national flag at the masthead from 8 a.m. to sunset. The ships were decorated with signal flags over the mast from bow to stern, with the national flag at the masthead.
Do you have a nautical story to tell?
Contact Shipping News at 248-2545 ext. 219.

LUCKY
05-01-2006, 02:32 PM
I clipped this from another forum. Wonder if it is the same guy??!!
I hope so and I hope there is serious consequence!!

Finally !!!!


http://web.bcnewsgroup.com/portals-code/list.cgi?cat=23&paper=50&id=638136 (http://web.bcnewsgroup.com/portals-code/list.cgi?cat=23&paper=50&id=638136)




"Prawns safe; Navy displays colours"

Prawn fishers in Nanoose Bay are breathing a little easier this week after a joint RCMP and Canadian Coast Guard operation nabbed a suspected prawn poacher in the Nanoose Bay area.
Oceanside RCMP Corporal Greg Cox says a resident of the area got suspicious while observing a boat prowling around prawn traps and called the police. The witness called police and then kept an eye on the blue and white private vessel from shore.
Cpl. Garry Cox says the complainant called in to say the suspect boat was headed offshore.
“The guys went down there and one stayed on shore and called the Coast Guard, who tracked the boat down and boarded it,” Cox says.
The Coast Guard personnel found some allegedly stolen prawn traps on the boat and arrested two suspects, who now face charges of theft, mischief and possession of stolen property.
Coastal Watch programs are in effect for the summer and Cox says all available resources will be used to track and prosecute any illegal activity that occurs at sea.
Anyone who sees anything suspicious on the water is asked to contact the Oceanside RCMP at 248-6111 or call Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
• The HMCS Ottawa was decked out in full colours on Friday in Esquimalt to celebrate the 80th birthday of Queen Elizabeth II.
In accordance with Navy ceremony, operational ships of the Canadian Navy do what is called dressing overall with the national flag at the masthead from 8 a.m. to sunset. The ships were decorated with signal flags over the mast from bow to stern, with the national flag at the masthead.
Do you have a nautical story to tell?
Contact Shipping News at 248-2545 ext. 219.

Johnnybear
05-01-2006, 08:47 PM
Great post Lucky. I don't know if it's the same guy. We saw him out on Friday afternoon though and he took the sign off his boat! As soon as he saw my boat he pulled up his gear and got out of there. Another boat was following him in this time. I wonder if he did it to the other guy.

I have added the RCMP and DFO numbers to my emergency number list next to my VHF and cell phone holder on my boat so they are right handy in case I need to call them quickly.

Blktail
05-03-2006, 09:43 PM
Do you think a guy stealing traps would call the police if somebody put a few holes in his boat from shore?

It would sure be sad if it came to this.