If you like fish and wildlife content, be sure to subscribe so you don't miss out on future videos. A plainclothes officer with the Missouri Department of Conservation was on patrol at Bennett Spring State Park when he observed a group catching multiple trout. The officer did not observe a female in the group catching any fish, but when she went to leave, she had her daily bag limit. Another officer nearby made contact. How's it going? Hello. Hey, conservation agent. All right. Hey, uh I see you look to take a look at your fish. I guess you guys had a bunch of luck today? Yes, we did. All right, let me take a look at fish and permits. >> Yes. Do we have ours on our phone? >> Yeah. Yeah. Uh so, there's five. I guess let's hold them up. You got those. This one is I don't know. Oh, uh four. Sorry, meant five. >> Yeah. Daddy. They're not swimming. And then >> This one is way heavier than the one that's over there. This is And this is This is me, and then one more for dad. Not sure how that This may be his. >> so who The problem is there's nothing labeled here. So, who caught what fish? Do you know which stringer belongs to who? >> Yes. Yep. So, actually This is Kyle's. Yeah, that was wrong. Yeah, this one is This one is mine over there. So, how how do you know that? By the markings. You were stringing them You were stringing all of them? Yep. Okay. Yeah, and I kept them in a on a pole Oh, that's my She kept She kept track of it. Yeah, so his has His is the big fish with the with the mutation looks, and he's got a small fish with like some skin look He caught the big He caught the bigger one. He got the biggest, and then I caught How many did you catch? This little sparkled guy. I caught four. You've caught four? We caught a lot more than that, but we Yeah. We only kept four. >> Yeah. All right, so All right, let me take a look at your permits real quick. Yeah, sure. Mine Mine's here, but I got my my license. Yeah. You guys all got your daily tags? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I got mine. I got them wet. I fell in. This is my me here. I think you could put it back there. I think Just the day one. Non-resident day. Where you guys from? Arkansas? Arkansas, yeah. And then this is my wife here on this one. Okay. Yeah. And that's me. And that's my son. He's 14 and Okay. He's 14. >> is Caleb. Okay. And he's 14 15 yeah. All right. So, here's the deal. Like we've got undercover officers out here watching. How many fish did you catch? Uh I think well I Like I said, we've got people out here watching. So, now's the time to come >> I caught five and then like she only caught like three or something. So, how many fish did you catch? You caught three total? Yeah. So, you caught five and gave her one? Yeah, I just caught with the reel that she was using all day. Yeah, okay. So, that That's the problem. We can't party fish in Missouri. You catch your four, you're done. So, you guys were all fishing after you caught four fish. Okay. >> And so, then we can't you can't do that. Okay. >> And so so I didn't know it was just cuz we had each had like four but >> Yeah, no. Once you catch four, you're done. Okay. >> However, you caught five, you can't give her a fish. Okay. And so, you're over the limit Okay. >> because you can only catch four fish. I didn't realize that. I thought it was just cuz we were here together. Yeah. >> In Missouri, like cuz I know you're I don't know how they do it in Arkansas, but in Missouri, you have to catch and keep it belongs to you. >> Okay. So, you can't party You can't party fish. >> That's what it's called, party fishing. Yeah. So, you you have to catch your own fish. So, just because she only caught three, that means you can catch one more. >> Okay. I just thought cuz we were here together like everyone just like four each. Yeah, no. It's you have to catch your own fish. Okay. And so, uh do you have your driver's license with you? >> Yeah. Oh, he's got it. Is there five limits in there? Yeah. >> Yeah. And so, which And here's the other issue, none of them are I mean, you guys said all this belongs to me, this belongs to me, but nothing's labeled. They're all thrown in there together. They're on stringers, but which it's going to be impossible to tell which fish you gave her. That's your problem. But you see what I'm saying? >> Right. Yeah, it's just like that. It was the last one on the ring on the string, so I can tell you that. >> Well, can you pull it out for me? Uh okay. Yeah, they're all nice. Yeah, so Make sure they're all rainbow. Okay. >> Yeah, there's no browns. No browns? Not that I know of. No. So, this would be yours, Kyle. About that big old guy. So, that was one. Uh yeah, that one's yours. Have you guys fished here before? I've never been. I have not. I fished here last year with my son, but Yeah. We just first time. Everybody's got permits? So, this last one was our last catch. Yeah. Okay. All right. Well, it sounds like he's going to get you squared away. >> Squared away, yeah. And he caught one over limit. >> Yeah. He caught one and gave her the one. >> Gave her one. Okay. Yeah. All right. You can put them back in there. All right. I mean, I yeah. That's yeah. >> Okay. We'll take that. You guys leaving for the day or Yeah, we're done. Okay, you're you're done. All right. All right, you can go ahead and keep packing up, and then Matthew, I'm parked right over here. Once you're done, if you just walk over there. Okay. Or I'll come back over here. What's the fine here? So, he will give you um I don't know the fine. So, he's going to give you you can pay for it online if you plead guilty. Um they don't give us the amount because there's we we write there's so many violations. We can't say fishing without a permit is this much and then it'll depend on the court. >> Yeah. So, what he's going to give you is a is a blue sheet that explains how to take care of it through the >> mail if you want to do that. >> Yeah. Or there'll be a court date if you want to plead not guilty and come back to court. Yeah, that's fine. And you're in Laclede County right here, so it'll be Yeah, it'll be Lebanon. Okay. You need to like label the stringers and just Yeah, so there's a separate identifier. What you had the stringer separate, but but it's not labeled who's who and passing around and try to see. But what you catch has to go basically kind of like I explained over there. You caught five. >> Right. Keep all five of them. Hey uh Hey, will you send me a court date for Laclede County? May 12th. May 12th? All right. What are you guys using for bait? Uh it's like a little putty or something. Yeah. It's got scented and it's got Oh, it's like glitter or something in it. >> Yeah. He said maybe like cheese flavored. Oh, yeah. Maybe. Yeah, you guys done good. Yeah. Is that more than other people are doing like yet? Uh no, usually usually they a lot of people I mean I'm not going to say a lot of people. Some people limit out. Some people don't catch anything. It's just how they bite sometimes. Yeah, I think they got here at 4:00 a.m. to pick a spot on the bridge, so Oh, yeah. >> that was part of the magic. Yeah. Were you guys right over here? Yeah, we were at the end of that yellow cone on the left. >> On the left side, okay. All right. Yeah, that's a that's a popular spot year round. All right, Matthew. Uh so, what I have here is uh just basic citation for taking over the limit of trout. Uh court date of May 12th, 2025 at 9:00 a.m. in Lebanon. Uh and what I need you to do is to sign by that X. Mhm. It's not admitting guilt. It's just saying everything's correct and you take care of the citation. So, I'm just going to pay it online then? >> Yeah, um let me uh let me see if I have the form in here. I don't have a new ticket book yet. Um but, you can go to casenet Okay. and uh look it up that way. And then uh but, let me see if I have a form for the Cleburne County in here real quick. Uh but, it'll show you uh give it about 2 weeks for it to get in the get processed. Okay. So, here's a a form. Uh you go to this website. Don't worry about this down here, but if you have a question, there's the prosecutor's office number and there's the court. But, you can go to this website uh and look it up by your citation number or your name. Okay. So, it takes like 2 weeks to Yeah, I guess 2 weeks for them cuz I got to do the report, uh submit it in, and they got to go through it, process it, and then it gets put on. And so, if they ask you your citation number, it's this number right here at the top. Okay. Uh but, you can look it up by your name and it should pop up. Uh and then there'll be a button on there that says plead or pay, and uh it'll tell you exactly how much it is, and if it says plead and pay ineligible, that means you got to show up for court. That's all. But, stuff like this, they usually don't make you show up. Okay. Uh I just have a question just from a point of like the education background. How were So, when we signed up, there was a limit of four, I saw that. I didn't see on the sign up specifically the group conservation statement. So, is that on your sign up and if not, why not? >> what sign up are you talking about? >> for a license. >> Okay, so we don't have every regulation on the like the sign up sheet, but our there's fishing pamphlets and the code book, it all lists every rule all the rules and stuff in there. I feel like that is a little misleading because it should at least be No, I'm just I'm I'm just saying from a point of education. Like shouldn't that be a a note because I I understand >> fishing law I I I get it, but if we were to list every fishing rule for each specific fish, for each specific part, there'd be signs all over the place. Just cover all the walls just on the rules. Yeah. And so but by getting permits and stuff, it's I mean it's your responsibility to know the rules before you go out. It's like with anything on speeds, not just hunting and fishing, it's any law that's on the books, it's it's your responsibility to know the law. And so but I mean they got pamphlets up there, they've got the code books. So, like I said, it'd be you'd have signs just plastered all the walls on all the rules on it. Yeah, I'm just wondering cuz it was a trout license specifically, right? So, every trout license there's a four limit permit on it. >> So, those those are your daily tags for this park. Yes. >> So, to fish inside Bennett Springs, you get a a limit of four. Okay. And those are two parts. The the actual fishing permit covers anywhere in the state, but to fish inside Bennett Springs State Park, you need your trout permit, which is either your daily tag Okay. >> and then a fishing license is the two things required. Okay. Uh and then if you fish outside the park and want to keep trout, there's also a trout permit that's not a daily tag and that's to possess trout outside. So, for people that are not fishing inside Bennett Springs, uh just right along the river, they can keep keep trout, but they need a different permit. >> Yeah. My only just beef with it cuz I I'm big on conservation. So, my thing is like not knowing this ahead of time because it was clearly stated that it should be four fish, but the rest wasn't communicated. So, that just leads me to feeling like disappointed for not following that. Yeah, I get it. >> And then also like you're not setting me up for success. Yeah. But and then like I said, it's it's it's on you to read the rules and know what they are. >> Yeah, but when they're not presented to me in a clear manner. Like when I get a license, they tell me the rules of the the law. But the rules are there. I I saw on my in my I gave you an understanding. I'm not I'm not trying to argue with you and stuff, but if you go get your driver's license, do they tell you every rule on the on the highway? >> They test me to make sure I know it. >> They tell you every single rule that's a a violation on the highway. No, but they test me to make sure I know what I'm doing on the road. So, that's that's important to me. Okay. >> That's what I'm saying. >> If you have an issue with that, you can call Jeff City the department of conservation and let them know that. >> but I'm just saying that's a that's a policy problem. No, but you know, I will say you this. You know, I watch a lot of podcasts and stuff, and I always hear the conservation department asking this question, what do we need to get more hunters and fishermen in into the into the And when it when it becomes Now, this isn't you. You don't take this personally. And I fished the flowing river called I don't know what it was. And I've seen before, I mean, for instance, you know, just the way they were moving with the where the where the the guy shot the mountain lion and it was descending away from him, and they gave him a $150 fine for that. But what the deal is, people hear all these pod- podcasts talking about Drury Outdoors, all of them, why hunting numbers, you know, are going down. And my my opinion on that is is not for you. This isn't for you. I just want you to tell your boss or whoever this is, Conservation Department is one of the wealthiest agency in the state of Missouri. By far over Transportation Department because I worked for Transportation Department. But what I'm saying is is that you would think, you know, that like this instance, if that fine is 2 As soon as I asked, $200. And to me, I mean, 50 bucks, yeah. That's ridiculous. For 200 for that thing? I don't set the fines. >> No, I know No, I'm not I'm just telling >> have to go talk to the judge. You're the one that picked the fine. I just want you to tell your boss. The reason my opinion is that's why a lot of it you're you're seeing a decrease in in hunting license and deer population. The amount of deer was down like 20,000 this year. Yeah. You know what you know what I'm saying? And that's not my first right in tickets. No, no, no, no, no, but but but what I'm saying is is the the revenue is there. You know, and it's it's actually doing away with a lot of publications and stuff. You know, those two magazines we used to get in the mail. That really used to be better. Cut back. And the stocking fish like like Arkansas. Arkansas does nothing like that. >> Yeah. You know? But I just want I'm not I'm not upset with you. I just want to get my two cents worth. If I got I'm going to pay that fine for you. Yeah. But I'll tell you that. I just want to get my two cents in worth. I think someone needs to hear about it. Okay. >> Not you. Like I said, if you have any issues, you can contact the super like >> They wouldn't listen to me anyway. I understand. When they have a a round table meeting, and you're the one of them who I fish with, is going down. That's just my opinion. Maybe they pay you. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? I I know you get an earful, but Yeah. That's what really irks me about the whole thing. I understand me and him made a mistake. You know, and that we got to pay a fine. Yeah, I will say though, like you take a permit test, you take a driver's test. That's my one thing about getting a fishing license, why isn't there a preliminary test so that you're educated when you go out? >> have your permit on you? He has it. He has it. Oh, you don't >> He does on his phone, sorry. But, I'm going to get that number for the office I can call to make that complaint cuz I work in education, so I just feel like education is the forefront of all this. >> So, I'm going to get my phone number. You got my phone number? It's not I'm not screaming, don't worry. That's the frustration I have is like we were catching them and people were catching them, putting them on the chain, and releasing them. And I had a problem with that, right? But, so they were doing what? They were catching the fish, then putting them on the chain, then releasing them as they all came along, right? >> Yeah, yeah, they can't do that here. Well, they were doing that right beside us. Yeah. So, my problem is like I don't know, I I see people around me doing things wrong. Yeah. Like obviously not. Yeah. I don't know. Yeah, uh 573 Thank you. >> That's the number for the Jeff City office. >> Thank you. In the end, the suspect was charged with taking or possessing over the daily bag limit of trout in a trout park. He later pled guilty to the charge and paid $110.50. If you like this video and want to see more like it, subscribe to Arrest Cam. As always, thanks for watching.