Pond Boss Forums Thread Like Summary - Fish poachers

I believe the neighbors have caught nearly all of my CC and likely many bass. 100 CC were initially stocked. Some probably flooded out but earlier this Spring over a dozen were actively feeding. Slowly fewer and fewer. Now only 1. I lost a lure a couple months ago and Sunday it was on the stump where I feed. Someone has deleted game camera pictures twice that I know of. Its really easy. Had a pic of 2 flashlights one night and a camera was left open with a boot print in front of it. Two people live next door and one of their trucks always has poles with bright orange bobbers. I don't live on the property and have to drive past the house when I leave. I suspect they jump the fence and fish at night. I will try moving the game camera again or get a locking case....I've tried talking to them about unrelated stuff but they claim not to speak English.

I am on my property about 2 to 3 days a week. It had trespass signs, but my cameras picked up two people checking the ponds out and some of my equipment onsite. The next week installed high tensile electric fencing, flood light cameras, and put an attack llama on site. When I tell you the one person that was stupid enough to cross the fence, was harassed by the llama for 50 yards and knocked down at least 5 times. It was worth every penny.

I like the idea of leaving the old camera there and hiding another one. Do you have cell service there? If so, I also like the idea of investing in one with cellular. That way they are busted whether they find the camera or not.

I suspect Texas pondmeisters will run into more problems with poachers as the borders remain open. Not a political comment, just a realistic one. Many folks coming in view fish, including large bass, purely as food, plus they know the rules don't apply to them.

ShortCut, Don't you have a mountain lion roaming those parts? When you going to set a 14" bear trap for it?

If all else fails a good ass whopping goes a long way. Some poeple can only learn respect the hard way.

Just Google translate some common Spanish phrases pertinent to your situation, and stick them on a small piece of paper in your wallet.

This is private property = Esta es propiedad privada.
You need to leave now = Tienes que irte ahora..
I will give you a free subscription to Pond Boss if you never return = Te daré una suscripción gratuita a Pond Boss si nunca regresas.

You know, normal things like that.

I'd leave the cameras where they are and set up another very well hidden camera that watches the other one. They won't be thinking to look for another camera.

Keep in mind if you intend to confront a criminal that there are no rules - be ready and use every advantage and precaution available.

I am plus one on multiple cameras pointing at the crappiest cheapest camera you can find as a decoy, but make it difficult to remove so that they will be occupied for a slightly longer period of time with a couple cameras with cell service pointed at them from a different vantage point, keeping in mind that night time pictures with black flash do not take the best pictures in the world, along with a sign, in spanish or otherwise that they are being recorded off site.
I just purchased some cuddelink cameras that have an actual strobe flash that is very apparent after dark but they take full flash pictures after dark, and then they send the picture to another camera, you dont even have to have cell service, you can have the home camera hidden to the point where they cant find it and it will have all the pictures on it. and with the flash they will know they will be seen on the camera. hang them in a high elevation so they would have to have some kind of climbing ladder to get to them, they would take multiple pictures before they could get to them, all recorded on another camera.
The fed catfish are like fish in a barrel as far as catching them, I am catching mine as easily as ever close to the feeding area. without a doubt they can clean a pond out quickly.
It could be some fun tho to think of ways to mess with them, I can imagine the frustration tho. Good Luck, keep us posted.

FishinRod,
Plus one on what gehajake said. I also have the Cuddeback Cuddelink system for security. The home camera is the only one that has to be in a location to get a cell signal(in my cabin). The other Cuddelink cameras do not use cellular to get pics back to the home camera. They use a rf signal to transmit the images to the home camera. I have not run an update in a while since we installed a 2x4 1/4 thick steel gate 16 foot wide with a Medeco lock. This has stopped my problems considering there is only one way in and out. I have the g models with black flash elevated and no one has seemed to bother them over the past 2 years. I will tell you that the images transmitted to the home camera sd card are 5 megapixel and the ones in the remote cameras are I think 24 megapixel for even crisper pictures. I do recommend them as long as you have one spot on your property where you do get a good cell signal for the home camera. I hope this helps!