From FWC

This report represents some events the FWC handled Aug. 23-29 in the Northwest Region. (There were no cases reported in Wakulla County.)

FRANKLIN COUNTY

  • Officer Hartzog was patrolling the Apalachicola River and observed a vessel with two individuals on board returning from the bay with fishing gear. The officer stopped the vessel to conduct a resource and boating safety inspection. During the inspection, the officer observed multiple boating safety violations and the individuals possessed undersized tripletail. The violations were cited accordingly.
  • Officer Hartzog was conducting night water patrol on East Bay and observed a vessel with one individual on board flounder gigging. The officer conducted surveillance on the subject and observed him come under power on his vessel without navigation lights. The officer stopped the vessel to conduct a resource and boating safety inspection. The individual was identified as a commercial angler with an extensive history of resource violations. During the inspection, the angler was observed to be in possession of 19 flounder and four of them being undersized. The angler also did not possess any current recreational or commercial saltwater license. The violations were cited accordingly.
  • Officer Hartzog was patrolling East Bay and observed a commercial fishing vessel with three individuals on board and gear consistent with net fishing. The officer stopped the vessel to conduct a resource inspection and while initiating the stop the subjects attempted to discard a net overboard. During the inspection, Officer Hartzog observed the subjects to be in possession of a monofilament gill net over 2,000 square feet and three seine nets over 500 square feet. The subjects were simultaneously in possession of the illegal nets as well as being in possession of a commercial quantity of mullet. The individuals were identified as commercial anglers with an extensive history of resource violations. All three individuals were arrested and transported to Franklin County Jail. The individuals were cited accordingly.

WASHINGTON COUNTY

  • Officer Homan and Lieutenant Allen responded to an early morning search and rescue in Econfina Creek Wildlife Management Area regarding four individuals who were stranded on tubes in the dark on Econfina Creek South of Walsingham Bridge Park. They had used up all the lights they had and only had limited battery life remaining on a cell phone. Using the Washington County Sheriff’s Office drone, the officers located the individuals near Blue Springs on Econfina Creek. Officer Homan walked through the woods and waded in the water to reach them and bring them safely back to Blue Springs Recreation Area.