This browser does not support the Video element.
Men caught illegally spearfishing in Lady Bird Lake
Two people have been caught illegally spearfishing on Lady Bird Lake. Texas Game Wardens uncovered more than 75 pounds of unlawfully taken bass.
AUSTIN, Texas - Two people have been caught illegally spearfishing on Lady Bird Lake. Texas Game Wardens uncovered more than 75 pounds of unlawfully taken bass.
"I've never seen one this big with spearfishing largemouth bass," Texas Game Warden Major James Ranft said.
Major Ranft said on Dec. 30, a teen called one of his game wardens, "and said, ‘hey, look, there’s something going on down here, I believe is illegal.’"
RELATED: Suspect caught snorkeling & using speargun to fish in Lady Bird Lake
When the warden and captain showed up at Lady Bird Lake near the Barton Creek pedestrian bridge, they found two men. One was in the water fishing.
"He was totally submerged in the water with the snorkel. And here's the other thing. He was wearing a wetsuit," Major Ranft said.
The other man was on the bank.
"He was on the bank bagging up the catch as the guy would get a few, he'd bring them to him, they'd put them in a nice chest and keep going at it," Major Ranft said.
Photo courtesy: Texas Game Wardens
Inside the cooler, wardens uncovered 18 bass weighing more than 75 pounds.
"Those fish specifically came out of the Barton Creek arm, so that's only maybe 7 to 8 acres. It’s under 10 acres, so when you remove that type of biomass, that amount of bass from that, such a small area, especially those larger fish being 18 to 21-inches, it can have a drastic effect on that fish population in that localized area," Texas Parks and Wildlife Department District Supervisor Patrick Ireland said.
"You just basically wiped out a generation of fishing for Texans to not be able to take part in the future," Major Ranft said.
The fish were caught illegally.
"You cannot spearfish largemouth bass," Major Ranft said.
The suspects face multiple citations and restitution of more than $6,000.
"Looking at the amount of effort they went through with the snorkeling apparatus, the spearfishing device, this is not, I personally don't think it was something they just, 'hey, let's just go do this.' I would imagine they've probably done it before they just weren't apprehended. That's what makes that caller so important," Major Ranft.
It was just a teen being observant.
"If you can take a really bad situation wreaking havoc on resources, it is a good thing to see where our young people are looking for the future and protecting our resources," Major Ranft said.
Operation Game Thief is Texas' Wildlife Crime-Stoppers Program, offering rewards of up to $1,000 for information leading to the conviction of a wildlife crime. Begun in 1981 as a result of laws passed by the 67th Legislature to help curtail poaching, the program, a function of the Law Enforcement division of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, is highly successful, having been responsible for the payment of over $195,000 in rewards. Privately funded, the program is dependent on financial support from the public through the purchase of OGT merchandise and memberships, donations, sponsorships, and gifts.
If a violation is currently in progress, call 800-792-GAME (4263) immediately - 24/7.
The Source: Information from interviews conducted by FOX 7 Austin's Meredith Aldis