Northwest Fishing Reports

This was a good question raised to day, as we are discussing summer fishing. As we were discussing boat rules with some friends this morning, it came up why it was that no one but myself or my usual fishing partner were to be at the helm. Well cause there are a pair of guns right underneath it... Stemming from that discussion came my question of does anyone else boat/fish armed?

In the industry that my fishing partner and I am in, we are armed, and we are armed off duty, on board we usually stow our off duty guns in a map shelf right under the helm. This practice of being armed comes from both training, but in my case a personal experience on the sound.

When I was about 17 we used to go from Fauntleroy over to Blake Island and camp. One evening we got a late start for a 3 night camp out and it was too rough to go to shore so we decided to lay out on the floor of the boat. That night around 330am to men motored up and tried to board. They woke us up, when they got into the boat, we startled them, and they were more startled, when I came up with a small crossbow. We had brought it to fool with at the campsite. 3 male teens, and a crossbow was plenty to get them to leave. From what we heard them talking about before they climbed onboard they were taking electronics and trolling motors, they headed back toward Southworth was the last we saw of them. Real Puget Sound Pirates!

We've been stopped by the Coast Guard, (kinda funny cause my fishing partner outranks them every time, things get very polite after his ID comes out) we've really only had one inspection that they really didn't like the guns being present even in the map box and well away from us at the aft of the boat. They wanted to secure them, yet didn't want to get on our boat because its so small 17', yet didn't want to leave, yet wouldn't let us show id til they figured what to do with the guns. Blah Blah Blah circle conversation for 10 mins. Again it was quickly resolved when we FINALLY were allowed to produce ID, Concealed permits and the Coast Guard ID. It was a California team that was visiting up here apparently they had never run into this in California.

I believe that the boat does constitute a 'vehicle" by definition and there for requires the carrying of a Concealed pistol Permit here in Wa. Or that the gun be locked out of reach (kinda hard on your average boat and kinda pointless)

Just curious if anyone else carries aboard.

I always roll armed. If they don't like your guns on the boat, tough titties. That's their problem, not yours. More often than not our folks in blue (or what ever color) need a refresher on what is legal and what is not. I was harassed for almost an hour a few months ago because I had a spent shell casing in the bin on my dash. I will bet the office in question will not make that mistake again.

There is also a funny story from being armed aboard from a couple of years ago.

We snagged a crab pot, but got it shut down quick enough to wrap but not tangle bad, the prop. I than had to hang off the back with the 90hp honda raised, and unloop it. Got it down to the last two loops and just couldn't get the leverage to yank it loose from the gap between the prop and lower. Mind you my entire weight is out over the water on the port side of the Honda braced only by my left hand on the Dolphin while the right is untangling. "Turn it left!" (so the prop would face towards me more) He turns right, taking with it my hand hold on the Dolphin. "Left D*ang it! Left! The Other Left D*ng You*" SPLASH!!!!!

After finish the untangling from the water while driving off any other fishing boats with my cussing, I got back onboard, and stripped out of my wet cloths, thankfully the g rl friend had sweats (pink) over her two piece I was able to put on and borrowed the Buddy's shirt (he's a good deal smaller then me). The question came up "Well what about the gun" "Act if you belong and no one will care."

And he did, we pulled in and off loaded, he climbed in and out of the boat several times, while I got quite intimate with the heater in the truck, he had my piece tucked in the back of his belt and his holstered, with no shirt on, Des Moines PD officer patrolling the lot didn't look twice, just asked how the fishing was. "Fine till I got dunked..." "Yeah I didn't really think pink was your color, or that you wore a shirt too small to button... stay warm. and off he went.

We then had a long discussion of how a ranked Coast Guard member could screw up left from right!!! Over all a fun time and a funny story, once it was over. Oh and we've added a dry bag with 2 sets of cloths and towels that are always aboard.

Yeah, I always carry spare cloths in the boat. They come in real handy when you need them.

Always armed, in the boat, in the car/truck/horse/dog sled/walking. Sometimes at home next to me, otherwise always easy to get to, 3 of them are very easy to get to, 2 more are ok but not REAL easy to get to, but I can before a person can break into the house, maybe.

I'm usually armed while fishing the rivers but rarely bother when taking out the boats, unless a flare gun counts. Own seveeral guns but never got in the habit of packing heat. Haven't had a problem with anyone since middle school before I out grew most people.

triehl27 wrote:In the industry that my fishing partner and I am in, we are armed, and we are armed off duty, on board we usually stow our off duty guns in a map shelf right under the helm. This practice of being armed comes from both training, but in my case a personal experience on the sound.
I believe that the boat does constitute a 'vehicle" by definition and there for requires the carrying of a Concealed pistol Permit here in Wa. Or that the gun be locked out of reach (kinda hard on your average boat and kinda pointless)

I most always carry, never had an issue. When I do have the opportunity to make contact with the folks in uniform I always start the conversation with the words "I'm armed" as a courtesy to them. The guys really like to know ahead of time and things tend to be more relaxed from there. I’ve been thanked several times and let off with a warning for crazy speeding on I-90 one time because he was happy that I let him know that I was armed. Be careful when placing a loaded weapon anywhere within reach. It could cost you your weapon and lots of hassles. The law in Washington states that to carry a loaded weapon in a vehicle under a concealed weapons permit that it must be carried on your person. You can store a loaded weapon in your vehicle while you’re away, say like going into some place that doesn’t allow concealed weapons like a court house, bar, post office, school or any place that’s posted “no firearms”
But under Washington law a concealed weapon in a vehicle must be carried on your person.

I carry while on the river or on my boat. Im not so worried about the two legged animals as I am more scared of the 750 lb sea lion or the 100 pound halibut or the extra big shark you sometimes see. I wouldnt shoot anyone for stealing my gear. Id be more likely to cripple their boat or vehicle. While on the rivers Ive seen bear and cougar tracks. In Ea wa Ive walked up on snakes.This is why I pack.

...

My xds is in holster on my hips at all times. Never know when a crazy is gonna appear.

I never leave home without one, and since most incidents with crime and fishing are vehicles being broken into at the boat launch, it doesn't make sense to leave it in the truck. And theses days it is always better to have and never need, than need and not have. Personal responsibility plain and simple.

Big D wrote:

triehl27 wrote:In the industry that my fishing partner and I am in, we are armed, and we are armed off duty, on board we usually stow our off duty guns in a map shelf right under the helm. This practice of being armed comes from both training, but in my case a personal experience on the sound.
I believe that the boat does constitute a 'vehicle" by definition and there for requires the carrying of a Concealed pistol Permit here in Wa. Or that the gun be locked out of reach (kinda hard on your average boat and kinda pointless)

I most always carry, never had an issue. When I do have the opportunity to make contact with the folks in uniform I always start the conversation with the words "I'm armed" as a courtesy to them. The guys really like to know ahead of time and things tend to be more relaxed from there. I’ve been thanked several times and let off with a warning for crazy speeding on I-90 one time because he was happy that I let him know that I was armed. Be careful when placing a loaded weapon anywhere within reach. It could cost you your weapon and lots of hassles. The law in Washington states that to carry a loaded weapon in a vehicle under a concealed weapons permit that it must be carried on your person. You can store a loaded weapon in your vehicle while you’re away, say like going into some place that doesn’t allow concealed weapons like a court house, bar, post office, school or any place that’s posted “no firearms”
But under Washington law a concealed weapon in a vehicle must be carried on your person.

You can keep a loaded gun in any vehicle with a CCW

2)(a) A person shall not carry or place a loaded pistol in any vehicle unless the person has a license to carry a concealed pistol and: (i) The pistol is on the licensee's person, (ii) the licensee is within the vehicle at all times that the pistol is there, or (iii) the licensee is away from the vehicle and the pistol is locked within the vehicle and concealed from view from outside the vehicle.