Louisiana has been nicknamed The Sportsmen’s Paradise and for good reason, Nowhere in the world will you find a more readily available supply of the finest fishing grounds. This is most prevalent in Southeast Louisiana and the enforcement areas of Region 8. Delacroix Island located in St Bernard and Plaquemines parishes is the premium destination every year of thousands of anglers eagerly anticipating the endless possibilities that await them for fish.

However these endless possibilities also attract people who often feel they can get away with breaking the law. Throughout the summer of 2002 Agents with the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries received numerous complaints of people double-tripping the daily limit of speckled trout.

On November 4,2002 Agent Jason Gernados and myself Agent Adam Young as well as Sgt. Scot Keller, Senior Agent Mike Garrity, and Senior Agent Roy Pier arrested two men, Robert Crowe, 6 1, of Pearl River, and Sammie L. Davis, 5 8, of Surgoinsville, Tennessee for allegedly taking over the limit of spotted sea trout. Throughout the day agents conducted surveillance of both subjects catching a steady amount of trout. Agents then witnessed the same two sub jects leave the fishing area, off load an ice chest of fish and return to the same area and continued fishing As the subjects returned to the dock later that evening they were found with another ice chest of fish and total of 90 spotted seatrout. The 90 trout were seized and donated to charity. Their boat, a 21-foot Cajun bay boat with a 150 H.P. Mercury outboard motor was also seized as well as a 120 Quart ice chest.

If convicted for the violations the subjects could face fines of $100-$350 or jail not more than 60 days or both plus court cost, plus $25 per fish over the limit. Both subjects also received civil citations for restitution for the number of fish over the limit, which exceeds $ 100.