Welcome back everyone. Today's video comes to us out of Florida where FWC contacted two anglers fishing in federal waters on the Gulf. Now, as they approached the vessel, they activated their emergency lights before watching an angler discard a red snapper over the side of the vessel. As you'll see in the video, the officers were not very happy with this, and that could actually lead to an additional criminal charge. So, let's get into it. Hey, hey, quit throwing fish. Fishing wildlife. >> You know, all these other >> How we doing? How you doing? How's it going? >> Good, man. >> Hey, why don't you throw that fish over, man? >> Yeah, I just pulled it up. >> Okay. Well, don't do that where somebody's pulling up. FWC, law enforcement, anybody's pulling up >> that we got to throw over, too. >> Huh? Huh? We got one more. We got to throw. >> All right. Well, let's leave him in the floorboard. >> How many fish y'all got? Anything good? >> Uh, couple red group drooper in here. >> Yeah. Make sure no more come off the deck, man. >> All right. You want to get on there? >> Yeah, I'll come back. Yeah, I'll come back. It's calm enough. I'll come back. That boat's too small. Where y'all out of? >> Indian Bass. didn't pass. >> Who's cat? >> Your boat. >> If you just step up here, you can't sit down. That will go in the water. Whatever. >> Back, too. We were just catching them. So we were We need to send him over. Oh shitty sh. >> Oh, what is that noise? Was that trolling motor? >> Motor. Yeah. >> Where y'all from? >> Niceville. Let's go. >> What y'all doing this way? >> Fishing. >> Fishing. Come over for y'all. Stay in the night or y'all drive all the way over? >> Drive all the way over here. >> This just leave him right there for right now. We're fishing to send him over. >> That one was 20. It shrunk. I'm telling you, we measured that. Unless this is off cuz we measured a mirror. >> Yeah. I'm throw that other one back. Okay. >> That one. >> Not that one. >> This one. >> The one that's still kicking so much. >> Get him live. [snorts] >> His stomach explode out. >> Was that the small one? No, that one was a small one >> right here. >> Okay. So, if you're going to be fishing offshore for reef fish, you are legally required to have a descending device or a ventilation tool. The descending device has to be rigged and ready to go. And without it, you're effectively releasing the fish to die. If you haven't already, be sure to check out return them.org. They have a free 15minute online training class, and qualified anglers can receive $100 worth of release gear for just the cost of shipping and handling. We're going to have we're going to have a link to their website down below. So, what's all this, man? >> Yesterday's. >> Yesterday's. >> Yeah. >> So, why do you bring yesterday's on the board on the boat? >> Just because we haven't got around and throw them in the fridge. We just iced them back up and came back out. >> Okay. Well, you cannot have fillets on board your boat while you're fishing. Even the day before? >> No. >> No. >> Really? >> Really? Really? So that you know what that looks like is that you've been catching fish and you played fish out here. Whether that's not whether or not that's what you did. That's what it looks like. >> I guess I can see that. Yeah. >> So anywhere in the state of Florida, most other states too, I can vouch for. You cannot possess fillets while you're on board actively fishing. What is all in there? I >> think that's it. >> No. What is it? Grouper or sniper or what? I know. Huh? >> More reds. >> More reds. >> I think fish. >> And a what? >> Amberine, I think. >> How many? >> Amberjack. >> Lesser amberjack. >> I think so. Yeah. >> You didn't catch a lesser amberjack out here. They're only You're not It's probably juvenile greater. What? >> That was definitely unintent. >> Okay. >> I fix these, too. >> Yep. Can you fix those? Got your fishing losses, guys. Yes, I do. Where y'all staying at when you're over here? >> The day we go back home. >> So, where'd you catch these yesterday at? >> Out here. >> So, y'all drove all the way back to Knoxville yesterday, then come all the way back over here. Give >> me first thing in the morning. >> Gotcha. P. >> All right. >> All right. >> I just pulled him in. You can bend him and throw him back for now. I mean, when somewhere when we're pulling up, whether you just caught him or not, leave him on the deck cuz we also have a charge cuz failure to allow inspection. >> I just I didn't even notice you guys had the little blue lights blinking on there and I just was kind of toss them over. >> Okay, >> you'll have your driver's license, guys. So, what's going to happen? Uh, we're in federal orders. So, we have a federal officer on board, but we will be documenting everything federally. Okay? Not issuing a citation. We document the violations, send it to those those guys, and they decide what to do with it. Okay? So, FAS cannot have those on board. Um, period. state waters, federal waters, any of it. When we're coming up, Noah's coming up, anybody stop you in the water. Do not throw a fish over when we're born. Yep, they do. >> Um, also, I mean, the red group is a little short. It's not in the world, but you also, um, make sure as long as we're not pulling up, make sure y'all are getting them fish back in as soon as you can. Not just I know you get hot on the catch, but the ones that you're not keeping need to be going back in the water because that also does not look good when you get checked. So y'all have your life jackets and all that stuff. >> Hey, what kind of fish you say in the the bag? >> Reds. >> What is it? >> Red groupers. I want you I want you to be >> Yeah, we're already to the point now where it's going to be better if you just be honest with when you called them. >> We can have it. We can take it, but it's not red. It's not red grouper. >> Yeah, there's a couple snapper. >> Okay. >> What's that? >> Couple snappers. >> It's It's pretty much all snapper. There's one little amberjack looks like in there. >> I thought that was the lesser. >> No, >> you're not going to catch a lesser, especially right here. Um, >> no. Anything you're probably going to catch are going to be juvenile graders. >> Now, when did you catch the sniper? Just now. >> Gotcha. Gotcha. Gotcha. You want me to board back or just stay where I'm at? >> Are you doing doing state? >> I was going to go. Do you want me to do federal? >> Yeah. >> Where we at? We're in federal waters, aren't we? >> Yeah. Yeah. >> But with it being snapper though, >> being that mix everything >> Mitchell says Mitchell says better. >> All right. >> Is there any red grouper um in that bag or what all in that bag? You know, >> just snapper and then the jack the amber jack. Gotcha. Man, y'all said send it today. An 18t boat offshore, didn't you? [laughter] >> Well, we don't have to send that stuff off to testing and you end up having to pay for it eventually in the long run. Would you like to provide a statement of what's in that bag? >> Quantities or just what's in there? >> What's in it? >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Yes. Hold on. That's wrong one. Yeah, that's not the the biggest thing is the snapper, man. Y'all got to cut up. So, the um I mean, we can we can get it all tested. We send it to their lab and then they test it. But what it'll come back down to possibly. I mean, you have to pay for all the testing. So, you tell us what it is and we just roll with it like that. But sure rights up top. I can read them to you. You have the right to mean silence and you say can be used against you. And if you consent to answer questions now without a lawyer present, you will still have the right to stop answering any time and that's up to you, ma'am. >> What we want to do with it? >> I probably >> Yeah, that and that's up to y'all. Like say if we were to ride it state, then we do seize it. But when we ride it federal, we don't. >> All right, guys. You're first. Like I said, this is all documented on one of our citation forms, but this is not a state citation. It's just these are the violations that were observed and go to the report to them. You'll be contacted by Noah. It could be a month, it might be 6 months. It just depends on their case load. They review the case and decide what to do with it from there. Um, I just need you to sign on there at the bottom. It's not a mission of guilt. Just saying you're accepting that paper copy. Like I said, guys, it is up to y'all what y'all do with them fish. Um, not telling you which one's way down the other. Uh, >> I do. >> Same thing. >> Where did I sign >> down there at the bottom? Not Mr. Gil that paper copy. Like I said, y'all um andgmail.com. Okay. They'll probably they're they're going to call you, but they they'll send you some stuff over email, too. Sometimes >> hopefully call them check. >> Yeah. Yeah. 95% of the time y'all call them like and it don't you Mitchell >> like about the case like y'all won't send them emails till like after you've been in contact. >> Will you find that? Did you throw that short grouper back? I just need to take a picture of it. Will you find it real quick? >> Back apparently a legal one. >> Okay. [clears throat] >> Well, if y'all he could find it. See a shrunk floating back there. All right. That's just a warning for the uh the horn and the flares. >> Horn not working. >> It's just a warning. Just get a new one. >> We'll do. >> I swear he was telling you, dude. I >> don't know if they really do shrink on us. >> We measured it on that side. Can we Can I see if that horn lines up with this? >> Yeah. >> I I just don't know. You know, I'd assume whoever made this >> was smart enough to correctly put measurements on it, but maybe not. >> He's put that his board. >> That's what we're going to do. Check because the small one was 20 in. It was right on 20 in. So, >> he's not terribly. >> You'd actually be surprised. >> She been pinching the tail. He's only a quarter inch. >> Nice. Really? can be >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> Granted, that is the least of y'all's worries with everything. >> Yeah, it's a it's about an inch off. >> That's no good. >> Yeah. That's what I always put when you get them seed decks on there. Um >> Yes, they can shrink it. >> They Yep. They probably contract and everything with the sun and they don't always put them on uniform. So, well guys, be careful going back in. >> Thank you. >> Yes, sir. >> Yeah. Hey guys, appreciate y'all's cooperation. >> Yeah, no problem. >> We might be limping back in with one motor or two ourselves. So, hey, if y'all need anything, we'll be on 16 monitor and help out if y'all get by. Take care. Now, since the violations took place in federal waters, the officers decided to refer the case over to Noah. With the charges being federal, we don't have access to the same court records like we normally would if this took place in Florida. Now, with that said, we do have access to the officer's report. The officer's report lists potential charges, including possession of an undersized red grouper, possession of an out-ofsized greater amberjack, two counts of finfish not being intact, and possession of red snapper during a closed season within the EEZ. As a reminder, the EEEZ line extends out to 200 nautical miles in most places with it being less in some areas like between Florida and the Bahamas. Now, according to Noah's fine schedule for illegal red snapper on the first offense is a base fine of $500 plus $50 per fish. Of course, this does not take into account the other fines the anglers were potentially facing. So, it's possible they were fined closer to $1,000. Anyways, that's it for today's video. If you like fish and wildlife content, be sure to check out our other channel. As always, thanks for watching.