Retrieving Stolen Fishing Gear 2025
You_Only_Live_Once_Fishing reply :
I recently had a nice setup stolen, I suspect that it is the lake's fish and game warden, he is not a pleasant person. Is there anyway to get it back
P.S. I know where he lives
wnspain reply :
Is there anyway to prove it's yours? Do you have serial #, any distinguishing marks, receipts, anything?
everythingthatswims reply :
If it is the lake's fish and game warden, you have bigger problems to deal with than getting your fishing rod back!
iiTzChunky reply :
Wow, what an ass. Good luck getting that back.
scaleface reply :
You suspect ? Proof enough for me .
Tracker22 reply :
A rogue warden would be difficult to deal with. They have a lot more power than people suspect. I would let it go.
Fun4Me reply :
Why do you suspect is was the Warden?
A-Jay reply :
Sounds like a job for Deputy Dawg ~
A-Jay
geo g reply :
Where was it stolen from? What makes you suspect him.? What state was this in? Sounds like your going to have some solid proof. Getting it back by going to his house is a bad idea!!!!!!!!!!!!!
lo n slo reply :
call the cops?
Josh Smith reply :
On 7/24/2016 at 11:07 PM, Tracker22 said:A rogue warden would be difficult to deal with. They have a lot more power than people suspect. I would let it go.
What the hell??? You never knuckle under to bullies! It only encourages them. Could it be that someone with your attitude "let it go" and so the suspect was free to steal the OP's setup?
On 7/24/2016 at 12:27 PM, You_Only_Live_Once_Fishing said:I recently had a nice setup stolen, I suspect that it is the lake's fish and game warden, he is not a pleasant person. Is there anyway to get it back
P.S. I know where he lives
Doesn't matter much if you know where he lives. Gather your evidence. Present it in writing to your local police force detective, to your lawyer, and the game warden's boss.
If you only "suspect" without proof, then don't bother, especially if it was a combo available at WalMart etc.
You need to present details.
Josh
Tracker22 reply :
On 7/25/2016 at 2:13 AM, Josh Smith said:What the hell??? You never knuckle under to bullies! It only encourages them. Could it be that someone with your attitude "let it go" and so the suspect was free to steal the OP's setup?
We're not talking about bullies! We're talking about someone that can legally kill you. Not knowing the whole circumstance, it's best not to become an "unfortunate hunting accident" over a stupid fishing pole. Besides, if you don't have adequate evidence, you may find yourself under constant harassment by his fellow law enforcement agencies. All over a fishing pole? I don't think so. Some people can talk the talk, but can't walk the walk.
Josh Smith reply :
On 7/25/2016 at 2:45 AM, Tracker22 said:We're not talking about bullies! We're talking about someone that can legally kill you. Not knowing the whole circumstance, it's best not to become an "unfortunate hunting accident" over a stupid fishing pole. Besides, if you don't have adequate evidence, you may find yourself under constant harassment by his fellow law enforcement agencies. All over a fishing pole? I don't think so. Some people can talk the talk, but can't walk the walk.
As I said, evidence is key.
I can legally kill you and you can legally kill me, but not over anything trivial. Police officers of any sort are held to a higher standard than the rest of us and there's an escalation of force that must be followed.
You sound as if you think the game warden can just haul iron and shoot you dead because he feels like it. Surely this isn't what you think..?
Abuse of power gone unchecked only encourages abuse of power.
As I said, if he has any evidence -- not just a feeling, but evidence -- he needs to write it down and submit it to the state's game commission, local law enforcement, and his attorney.
Gundog reply :
Just from the OP's original post it doesn't sound like he has any solid evidence, just a hunch. You need more than that. I would not recommend going to his home. This could be seen as a provocation. If you don't have proof you can't simple accuse someone just because he is not a pleasant person. Unfortunately too many people now-a-days don't think before they act. Think and be reasonable.
Josh Smith reply :
On 7/25/2016 at 3:07 AM, Gundog said:Just from the OP's original post it doesn't sound like he has any solid evidence, just a hunch. You need more than that. I would not recommend going to his home. This could be seen as a provocation. If you don't have proof you can't simple accuse someone just because he is not a pleasant person. Unfortunately too many people now-a-days don't think before they act. Think and be reasonable.
Excellent. Liked.
Further North reply :
On 7/24/2016 at 11:07 PM, Tracker22 said:A rogue warden would be difficult to deal with. They have a lot more power than people suspect. I would let it go.
While I agree that it'd be a bad idea to try to up against the guy directly...if I was certain about it, an anonymous call to the cops reporting you'd seen him stealing fishing equipment wouldn't be out of line.
Hint: Don't use your cell phone...
On 7/25/2016 at 1:21 AM, geo g said:Getting it back by going to his house is a bad idea!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Agree. Good way to get shot.
Josh Smith reply :
Just so I'm not misunderstood, I do not advocate going to his house either. A name, his AO, and agency is plenty.
Not sure why you'd want to go to a guy's house on a chance.
Josh
You_Only_Live_Once_Fishing reply :
when we first bought the lake house, my dad uncle and i were fishing, my uncle, a nj resident without a fishing license in pa hooked a massive pickerel. I walked across the 12' by12' dock to get a net. state rules say a help angler can't be more than 10 feet away with a fishing rod in hand. anyway, my uncle got a 375 dollar ticket because the game warden was watching us from a half a mile away with binoculars. other people have similar stories, such as a foreign, non english speaking elderly woman fishing with her grandson.
When the rod was stolen, i left it on my neighbors lakefront property with their permission, along with 2 ugly sticks. as a safety measure, i buried the expensive rod under ground, hidden from sight. a placed a lite rock over the line, left the ugly sticks in plain sight. bottom line is you'd have to be watching me to have found it. This was at 10:00 in total darkness. I noticed the warden drive by as i was leaving, and thought nothing of it.
8:00 next morning...
i walk to the spot, no fish on any rod. the two ugly sticks are still there. bait on too. i dig up the rod covered in moss and stones... its gone! line is still in the water, clearly cut with bait, recovered the hook. looked all over for it... no luck. i contacted lake security and friends to look out for it.
In retrospect, i am at fault for leaving it out and i shouldn't have done it. but who steals the rod of a kid who saved for years to buy this rod.
P.S. he also stole my fish trap 5 years ago
Catch 22 reply :
Well,I`ll be darned. I always bury my good rods in the dirt too. Who knew
You_Only_Live_Once_Fishing reply :
On 7/25/2016 at 10:30 AM, Catch 22 said:Well,I`ll be darned. I always bury my good rods in the dirt too. Who knew
yeah i didn't know better
IndianaFinesse reply :
On 7/25/2016 at 10:31 AM, You_Only_Live_Once_Fishing said:yeah i didn't know better
On 7/25/2016 at 10:18 AM, You_Only_Live_Once_Fishing said:when we first bought the lake house, my dad uncle and i were fishing, my uncle, a nj resident without a fishing license in pa hooked a massive pickerel. I walked across the 12' by12' dock to get a net. state rules say a help angler can't be more than 10 feet away with a fishing rod in hand. anyway, my uncle got a 375 dollar ticket because the game warden was watching us from a half a mile away with binoculars. other people have similar stories, such as a foreign, non english speaking elderly woman fishing with her grandson.
When the rod was stolen, i left it on my neighbors lakefront property with their permission, along with 2 ugly sticks. as a safety measure, i buried the expensive rod under ground, hidden from sight. a placed a lite rock over the line, left the ugly sticks in plain sight. bottom line is you'd have to be watching me to have found it. This was at 10:00 in total darkness. I noticed the warden drive by as i was leaving, and thought nothing of it.
8:00 next morning...
i walk to the spot, no fish on any rod. the two ugly sticks are still there. bait on too. i dig up the rod covered in moss and stones... its gone! line is still in the water, clearly cut with bait, recovered the hook. looked all over for it... no luck. i contacted lake security and friends to look out for it.
In retrospect, i am at fault for leaving it out and i shouldn't have done it. but who steals the rod of a kid who saved for years to buy this rod.
P.S. he also stole my fish trap 5 years ago
This story doesn't add up at all. I mean really, why would you bury a rod in your neighbors yard underneath "moss and stones" that are going to damage or break your rod. And most people are going to notice a seven foot long strip of ground where something was buried, unless you found a "lite" seven foot long stone to cover it with, so if it really was stolen it could be someone else.
Tracker22 reply :
The warden may have thought it was stolen gear some kid was trying to hide.
Gundog reply :
I'm pretty sure its not legal (in any state) to leave a rod & reel with fishing line and a baited hook in the water unattended. If it was in Pennsylvania the fish commission warden would have every right to take the rod and reel but he definitely would not have left the fishing line in the water.
Torn Thumb reply :
I smell Bologna.
Master Bait'r reply :
This thread is delivering big 
IamNewbie reply :
Why would a warden steal it? If it was the warden he would of taken everything... not just your one setup lol. Also he would probably have no reason to unless you've violated regulations and laws and rules, in which case legally he has to collect your fishing gear.
He's the Game Warden, so I would go up to his house and report it to him and see what he says. We need more info to get our totally unbiased opinion on the matter that lead up to you finding out it was missing and where it was located at previously before being stolen.
You_Only_Live_Once_Fishing reply :
On 7/25/2016 at 10:56 AM, Tracker22 said:The warden may have thought it was stolen gear some kid was trying to hide.
thats a good point, except the line was in the water and there were other rods too.
You_Only_Live_Once_Fishing reply :
On 7/25/2016 at 11:06 AM, Gundog said:I'm pretty sure its not legal (in any state) to leave a rod & reel with fishing line and a baited hook in the water unattended. If it was in Pennsylvania the fish commission warden would have every right to take the rod and reel but he definitely would not have left the fishing line in the water.
good point, i realized afterwards, that it wasn't the best idea. it is my responsibility to know the laws and stuff, but i didn't know better.
As i look into this topic, i don't have much evidence to support the idea. he is my main suspect because i am an active member of the lakes fishing club, they are all very friendly and i wouldn't think of any of them to take it. I suspect the warden, because he has proven to many people throughout the years that he is not a good person. If it i were the warden, i would have waited to see the person return. i would not have taken one rod without the line, preferably the nicer one. i am not sure if he could have legally gone on their property without a warrant, not sure though. the only thing suggesting it wasn't him is that he didn't seize all "evidence of overnight fishing by an unknowing little boy"
On 7/25/2016 at 10:52 AM, IndianaFinesse said:This story doesn't add up at all. I mean really, why would you bury a rod in your neighbors yard underneath "moss and stones" that are going to damage or break your rod. And most people are going to notice a seven foot long strip of ground where something was buried, unless you found a "lite" seven foot long stone to cover it with, so if it really was stolen it could be someone else.
If you read it, it makes sense, but there isn't enough proof, i can't do much about the past, what i can change is the future, i have since made sure i am knowledgable of the rules. I pride myself in being a rules follower. I don't do illegal things on purpose.
I placed the rod on the ground, covered it with moss, there isn't grass in the woods near the lake, but moss and shrubs. i also placed stoned the size of my fist, not large or dense ones near it, unless you were there, you wouldn't have found it. I lastly put a small rock to cover the line.
geo g reply :
This whole thing smells!
Josh Smith reply :
On 7/25/2016 at 11:51 AM, You_Only_Live_Once_Fishing said:I placed the rod on the ground, covered it with moss, there isn't grass in the woods near the lake, but moss and shrubs. i also placed stoned the size of my fist, not large or dense ones near it, unless you were there, you wouldn't have found it. I lastly put a small rock to cover the line.
But... why? What possible motive could you have for doing such a thing?
BassThumb reply :
I'll play along.
OP, what makes you think that confronting an "unpleasant" game warden at his home is going to end well?
roadwarrior reply :
Enough of this, let's move on.
Goodnight Irene.
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