Owner of dive charter Goby charged with several counts of poaching

[red_instead]

I suppose HardCore Dive Team can support whichever charter they favor regardless of pending charges.

On one hand, it's innocent till proven guilty.

On the other hand, when there's smoke, there's usually fire.

I think they may be a sockpuppet for Adam James/Custom(ized) Scuba. But, regardless, if DFG is publishing about charging you, they usually have a pretty solid case. That means there's a good chance the State is going to win.

Personal disapproval of his conduct aside, from a practical standpoint would you want to be on a hunting trip captained by a guy with poaching violations when DFG stops by to do a check?

 

[Zog]

Wow, I always say poaching is only good for eggs. If the captain is proven guilty, this dive team owes red_instead an apology.

 

[red_instead]

Wow, I always say poaching is only good for eggs. If the captain is proven guilty, this dive team owes red_instead an apology.

You know, I'm going to reserve judgment on this, cuz this is the story the Capt. James posted on CalDFW's page:

"
Adam C James
posted to

California Department of Fish and Wildlife October 27

Last year I called Cal Tip four times to inform CDFW about poachers. Out of the four calls I made they caught two groups of poachers and I was real happy for helping my state. In the early winter of 2012 I wanted to start commercial fishing off my boat. I called California Department of Fish and Wildlife to find out what licensing i need to legally catch and sell fish. When i called, they gave me the information they thought to believe was correct for what licenses i needed to buy. When i went down to my local office to buy the licensing the people at the front desk had no idea on what i needed to buy so i told them what i needed based on the phone conversation i had. They issued me the licensing and told me i was good to go. I started fishing and believed i was on the correct path because fish and game told me directly i have everything i need. In June of 2013 i was questioned by a Warden at the docks. She said that i do not have the correct licensing and paperwork. She gave me her number to call her if i have any questions. Because i didnt have the correct licensing, i stopped fishing all together. Three months after i stopped fishing because i knew i was told the wrong information, i recieved in the mail,11 citations from fish and game because i had the wrong licensing.

I dont understand how fish and game can do this to someone. I was told exactly what to buy from fish and wildlife HQ. So i bought what they told me to buy. And now i have to sell my boat and businees to defend myself for the wrong information they gave me. I called fish and wildlife everytime i saw somthing fishy or if my divers saw something out of place to help them find the bad guys. I helped them, and now i sit here with 11 citations from them because they gave me the wrong information.

Adam c James"

1) F&G regulations are confusing.
2) If what he's saying is true, it looks like he just did some dumb stuff or was playing it fast and loose with the rules re commercial take of game.
2a) You shouldn't be messing around with laws that effect your livelihood if you don't understand those laws
3) I suspect in re (2) that he didn't just do some dumb stuff, because of the purported attempts to sell fish to restaurants without a receiver's license, which were not addressed in his open letter to DFW. And also there's been some scuttlebutt running around re him.
4) Like I said, I hope that Fish and Game is wrong about this, and I wish him the best of luck defending himself. But I suspect there's a pretty good chance that he was actually violating some laws.

 

[C.I. Dive Adventures]

Hi, I have been out with Selky charters and it is a good operation going to some places you normally wouldn't on a big boat and there is also the Giant Stride out of Marina Del Rey. I have never been on the Giant Stride but hear good things about them. As far as larger boats and well run trips to some different places Channel Islands Dive Adventures is another good option. Everyone on board are like minded divers and mostly advanced going to some cool places. CIDA actually are the 1st to run dive charters down the coast to places very few dive along with some wrecks and island offshore reefs. CIDA has a trip going down the coast this weekend (Nov. 17th) aboard the Peace. The Peace has never been down the coast and trips like this would never happen if not for CIDA doing them. We do allow hunting on most trips but only for those that are responsible hunters. Hope you can join us sometime!

 

[drbill]

Wow, I always say poaching is only good for eggs.

I hate poachers, but poaching is good for more than just eggs. I poach salmon, chicken and other yummies (mainly so if I forget to check the stove because I'm focused on video editing, my dinner doesn't burn)

 

[fnfalman]

Alas, this may very well have happened. Most state/departmental employees have little understanding of their own regulations, rules and policies.

Hence, my statement on innocent till proven guilty in a court of law. That's the American judicial process.

You know, I'm going to reserve judgment on this, cuz this is the story the Capt. James posted on CalDFW's page:

"
Adam C James
posted to

California Department of Fish and Wildlife October 27

Last year I called Cal Tip four times to inform CDFW about poachers. Out of the four calls I made they caught two groups of poachers and I was real happy for helping my state. In the early winter of 2012 I wanted to start commercial fishing off my boat. I called California Department of Fish and Wildlife to find out what licensing i need to legally catch and sell fish. When i called, they gave me the information they thought to believe was correct for what licenses i needed to buy. When i went down to my local office to buy the licensing the people at the front desk had no idea on what i needed to buy so i told them what i needed based on the phone conversation i had. They issued me the licensing and told me i was good to go. I started fishing and believed i was on the correct path because fish and game told me directly i have everything i need. In June of 2013 i was questioned by a Warden at the docks. She said that i do not have the correct licensing and paperwork. She gave me her number to call her if i have any questions. Because i didnt have the correct licensing, i stopped fishing all together. Three months after i stopped fishing because i knew i was told the wrong information, i recieved in the mail,11 citations from fish and game because i had the wrong licensing.

I dont understand how fish and game can do this to someone. I was told exactly what to buy from fish and wildlife HQ. So i bought what they told me to buy. And now i have to sell my boat and businees to defend myself for the wrong information they gave me. I called fish and wildlife everytime i saw somthing fishy or if my divers saw something out of place to help them find the bad guys. I helped them, and now i sit here with 11 citations from them because they gave me the wrong information.

Adam c James"

1) F&G regulations are confusing.
2) If what he's saying is true, it looks like he just did some dumb stuff or was playing it fast and loose with the rules re commercial take of game.
2a) You shouldn't be messing around with laws that effect your livelihood if you don't understand those laws
3) I suspect in re (2) that he didn't just do some dumb stuff, because of the purported attempts to sell fish to restaurants without a receiver's license, which were not addressed in his open letter to DFW. And also there's been some scuttlebutt running around re him.
4) Like I said, I hope that Fish and Game is wrong about this, and I wish him the best of luck defending himself. But I suspect there's a pretty good chance that he was actually violating some laws.

 

[red_instead]

Hi, I have been out with Selky charters and it is a good operation going to some places you normally wouldn't on a big boat and there is also the Giant Stride out of Marina Del Rey. I have never been on the Giant Stride but hear good things about them. As far as larger boats and well run trips to some different places Channel Islands Dive Adventures is another good option. Everyone on board are like minded divers and mostly advanced going to some cool places. CIDA actually are the 1st to run dive charters down the coast to places very few dive along with some wrecks and island offshore reefs. CIDA has a trip going down the coast this weekend (Nov. 17th) aboard the Peace. The Peace has never been down the coast and trips like this would never happen if not for CIDA doing them. We do allow hunting on most trips but only for those that are responsible hunters. Hope you can join us sometime!

Yeah, I was actually on the trip with you guys/Sole Searchers last weekend on the Explorer (and I'm pretty sure you and I had a conversation about Mr. James when we got back to the dock.)- heck of a good trip by the way.

I talked with Selky's captain- very nice, and very responsive. Says she's too busy to run the night dives that I was looking for but I will definitely use her for some day dives. Will definitely check out the Giant Stride. Would love to do the trip on the 17th with the Peace because that's an awesome boat and it sounds like a blast, and you guys are fun to dive with, but my girlfriend is my dive buddy and I don't think that day will work for her.

Thinking I might also check out the Riviera out of Dana Point and/or Westbound Diving, assuming they're still in business (I've had trouble getting ahold of them the last couple times I've called).

---------- Post added November 14th, 2013 at 11:00 AM ----------

Alas, this may very well have happened. Most state/departmental employees have little understanding of their own regulations, rules and policies.

Hence, my statement on innocent till proven guilty in a court of law. That's the American judicial process.

Yeah, I agree with you (and I'm in the legal profession, and F&G code sometimes confuses me). That said, I was curious, and I ran a defendant name search on him- he has a couple other citations from DFW (fishing without a license/bag limit), and another slightly bigger one still pending from February 2013 regarding I think operating a commercial dive boat for fishing without getting the appropriate license and also ensuring his passengers were licensed.

On its face, he could just be kind of dumb, but it's starting to look like he just ignored rules when it was inconvenient to follow them.

 

[C.I. Dive Adventures]

Christian owner of Westbound diving stopped doing trips for hire about a month or so back. There is also Daryl Walker with a larger inflatable than the one Adam had and he runs trips on his. I have never been on a trip with him but I have always heard good things about him.

 

[H2Ocean]

gotta do something constructive "LIKE DIVING AND HAVING FUN!!!"

 

[drbill]

Wow, I always say poaching is only good for eggs.

Actually I poach chicken, salmon and other food too.

If proven guilty (and looks pretty solid he is), I hope they throw the book at him.