Violations of Pier Rules and Alabama Fishing Regulations

I too witnessed "the pompano bust" on the pier Monday.
Two officers (a MR and GS Park) checked every angler they came across (license, pier pass and catch) while working their way out the pier.
There were well over a dozen pompano laid out in a row, and photographed.
It was a couple fishing together (limit 6).
I have seen them fishing on the pier before and the guy at least is well experienced enough to have been aware of the limits.
First he claimed the excess fish were from the day previous (that did not 'float'),
then they claimed three of the fish belonged to another angler (???).
In the end, a citation was written and (I believe) 9 pompano were placed in a bag and confiscated (to be donated to the Boys Ranch).

When the officers checked me (my first time EVER on the pier) I asked about the fines.
One said it was something like $352, plus court costs and a $50 fine for the fish (not sure if that is for each over the limit but it usually is).
Then I thanked the officers for doing their job so well (they were professional and friendly, even admiring my catch).

As I was leaving @ 3 I saw the same couple had returned and were fishing south of the mid platform.
I hope they learned a lesson (albeit an expensive one ;-)

Glad to hear they were professioal and friendly, they will accomplish alot more with that additude than being overbearing like some i've met on the water up here

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Originally Posted by Pier#r

Every fish you catch (land) counts toward your limit whether you keep it or give it away.
If someone gives you another fish then you are over the limit.
Fish 'given to you' also count toward YOUR limit (it's all about possession ;-)

Outdoors Notebook: Alabama's Marine Resources Director says 'double dipping' is illegal | AL.com

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If there is such a thing as “The Good Ol’ Days” on the NEW pier, the M.R. Officers would have needed a bus to haul away the creel limit violators during the multiple 100+ King days and the daily afternoon “Running of the Bulls”.
People were catching on almost every cast and not considering the limits of 2 King or 1 Bull Red per day. Some days there would be King and Reds stacked up like cord wood baking in the sun. A lot of groceries went to waste to become Photo Ops for the anglers.
Some of the biggest offenders were pier regulars, but plenty of vacationers were making memories too.
If you are fishing and your family and/or friends are just sightseeing, you cannot say that part of your catch belongs to them. If you give a fish to someone else, it still counts against your limit.

At the risk of sounding stupid...I get to fish the pier maybe once a year on a four day trip to the beach. The other days I surf fish. Is there such a thing as catch and release for the pier and the surf? I want to catch fish but not necessarily keep any and then deal with cleaning, transport, etc...am I OK just letting them go?

ABSOLUTELY!
I commend your ethic!

A lot of bull reds are released from the pier (by lowering the net). Some fish are given away and some simply tossed back.

It's much easier from the beach ;-)

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Originally Posted by snakeeater

At the risk of sounding stupid...I get to fish the pier maybe once a year on a four day trip to the beach. The other days I surf fish. Is there such a thing as catch and release for the pier and the surf? I want to catch fish but not necessarily keep any and then deal with cleaning, transport, etc...am I OK just letting them go?

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As long as they are alive and kicking.
The only why to release a King is to pop it off at the pilings, they won't survive being hauled up for a photo.
When you catch a Spanish, you should just put it in the cooler, or give it away. Somebody will always be happy to take an unwanted Spanish off your hands, but it still counts against your limit.
Bull Reds can be pulled up in a net, photographed and then immediately lowered back into the water in the net. This also works with Jacks.

Now it gets weird...so Angler A catches a Spanish and gives it to Angler B. Angler B proceeds to catch a limit of Spanish so he is now one over the limit in his cooler...B then gets checked by the warden, who says, "Tut tut my good man, verily thou art a lawbreaker and a plague among men". Will Angler B not get a ticket? Somehow, I can't see the warden believing Angler B when he says A (who has already gone home by the way) gave him the over limit fish...help me, I wish to be enlightened.

What is so hard about the term in-possession.

The law only cares about what is in your possession, they don't give a rat's ass how it got there unless caught via illegal method.
So somebody gave it to you, great, it's yours now and counts for your creel limit.
They don't have time for Abbot & Costello.

Joe Schmoe can catch 50 and give them away and unless witnessed by the law they can't do anything.

And it is correct that Joe Schmoe can't catch and count fish in his cooler to another's limit, the fish has to be caught by the angler it is counted against.
So if his wife is crocheting at the picnic table, odds are he's getting a ticket.
Or they'd better be able to convince the officer that she caught them.

Anybody know what the actual possession laws are or where i can find them, i usually come down for a few days to a week, clean my fish on the pier, and store on ice until i go back home, like to know what the limit is for actual transportation since im from out of town.

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Originally Posted by fishingjunkie84

Anybody know what the actual possession laws are or where i can find them, i usually come down for a few days to a week, clean my fish on the pier, and store on ice until i go back home, like to know what the limit is for actual transportation since im from out of town.

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http://www.outdooralabama.com/sites/...%20B%26W_1.pdf