Fishin’: Keep an eye out for the lawless

As a sportsman and resident of our community, I feel that it is my part to help observe and protect our resources.
I live by a few simple rules. First, make a situation or place I visit better when I leave it. This might include packing out more trash than I carry in.
Next, know that, as a sportsman, I need to pass along the proper safety and legal etiquette that is required while fishing.
As an example, some of our local waterways that are open to fishing need help from us to reduce pollution and poaching by keeping an eye out for illegal behavior.
CalTIP — short for Californians Turn in Poachers and Polluters — is a great resource for us all to use, with a toll-free anonymous number anyone can call.
Run by the California Department of Fish and Game, the CalTIP hotline is 888-DFG-CALTIP — that is, 888-334-2258. The line is open 24/7. CalTIP’s primary function is to help people report poaching or pollution.
Callers may remain anonymous, and a reward is available if a poacher or polluter is convicted.
It seems as though most callers have an intention to just help wildlife. Of the 3,000 calls that are made per year, only 1 to 3 percent ask for a reward. If a reward is requested, the money is administered by an eight-member CalTIP citizens review board, not the Department of Fish and Game. Rewards come from private donations and the Fish and Game Advisory Commissions.
John Robinson has been a local resident of Santa Cruz County for more than 48 years.
By trade, Robinson is a general building contractor, and his spare time is donated to CalTIP. For 16 years, he has been the main coordinator for Santa Cruz County.
“My main assignment is to promote, publicize, and generate support for the program,” he explained.
Sportsmen can help watchdog our resources while enjoying them. It’s nice to enjoy the outdoors and easy to keep an eye out for poaching or pollution, and a call to CalTIP is an easy anonymous solution.
At this time in fishing news, crabbing and fishing for perch along the beaches are the top picks in the ocean. The rivers have a few small steelheads, and river fishing will pick up through the New Year.
A 2011 fishing license makes a great holiday gift.
Mike Baxter has fished in the Monterey Bay Area since he was a boy and has been a licensed charter boat captain for more than 15 years. Contact him at

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. He also hosts a fishing show on radio station KSCO (1080) from April through September.