Tournament rules question.

[Bgjig]

We finally got a chance to go to Amistad for the long weekend. On Sunday after fishing all day we had taken the boat out of the water when a friend and his girlfirend came into the ramp. A Border Patrol Agent approached them about where they had been fishing blah blah blah. I had walked down and so he asked me the same questions. I told him we had been in Mexico cking in a cove but we did not stop and do any fishing and then we came on in. He proceeds to tell me "legally" we should have to go through customs or some sort of check upon reentry in the US. I was not looking for an arguement and did not want the hassle so I sorta ignored him and went on about my business and helping my friend get out of the water.

The question is if this is true? 1. and 2. How would it effect any tournament rules if you fished or even motored across the international boundries and did not report, declare, or show citizenship upon reentry? Would you be breaking any laws? May not be any big deal but it got me thinking.

[Bryanmc57]

Yes... it is a violation of the law to enter the United States without reporting. Crossing the border in a boat is no different than crossing it on land.

http://codes.lp.findlaw.com/us.../1459

These are the penalties

http://cfr.vlex.com/vid/123-fa...49420

[RonC]

Yea they enforce that on the thousands of mexicans then I'll worry bout it.

[Dbl00CustomBaits]

Place is full of illegals and the Border Patrol is questioning bass fishermen?

[BoatBuggy]

<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by Dbl00CustomBaits &raquo;</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">Place is full of illegals and the Border Patrol is questioning bass fishermen? </td></tr></table>

Yeah that seems a little strange.

[Bryanmc57]

What makes bass fisherman different than anybody else? It's a customs violation, not an immigration violation. Obviously the OP didn't know it was against the law... did you?

[n.m.basser]

OK.I know the rules may have changed;but I have always been told that as long as I did not set foot on Mexican soil that by treaty I did not need to check in on return to the U.S. This means not even a potty break or a lizard hunting foray on the Mexican side.There are no provisions at any of the Amistad ramps for a border check in ;so until they provide check points there is no way bass fishermen can be expected to hunt up an agent to self report.This is as stupid as saying that if you break the speed limit you must find a cop and turn yourself in.This is another case of a highly trained federal employee doing his own interpretation of the law.Don't get out of the boat in Mexico and ignore dumb butt government agents.

[TR21Bassin]

<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by Dbl00CustomBaits &raquo;</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">Place is full of illegals and the Border Patrol is questioning bass fishermen? </td></tr></table>

Exactly. Quit worrying about Fishermen and get back to checking for illegals.

[TNT]

<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by Bryanmc57 &raquo;</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">Obviously the OP didn't know it was against the law... did you?</td></tr></table>

reminds me of an old quote : "it's not what you say, but how you say it"

[20_lb_sack]

<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by n.m.basser &raquo;</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">OK.I know the rules may have changed;but I have always been told that as long as I did not set foot on Mexican soil that by treaty I did not need to check in on return to the U.S. This means not even a potty break or a lizard hunting foray on the Mexican side.There are no provisions at any of the Amistad ramps for a border check in ;so until they provide check points there is no way bass fishermen can be expected to hunt up an agent to self report.This is as stupid as saying that if you break the speed limit you must find a cop and turn yourself in.This is another case of a highly trained federal employee doing his own interpretation of the law.Don't get out of the boat in Mexico and ignore dumb butt government agents. </td></tr></table>

Ever think maybe you'd been told wrong, it's crossing the border not setting foot that constitutes a violation. They have the same laws on the Canadian border on the Great lakes.

[Mini]

The way it has been (up to two years ago) around here if you travel into Canada and do not stop, anchor, moor to another boat, or touch land you do not have to report to Canadian customs. Since you have not reported into another country, you do not have to report back into the US and go through Customs. It was generally accepted that fishing was not considered an activity where you stopped. Unless anchored.....even then they relaxed to allow people to anchor. Again, up until two years ago.....

With all that said, in the past two years (I am sure some have read about it) you need to report into Customs if you stop to fish (even if you are trolling). Once you report to Customs of another country you have left the US and are required to report back into the US.

There are various ways to report into the US and different steps one can take to make teh process faster and easier. i wont get into all of them, but things have changed around here ALOT. I used to fish Canadian waters of St Clair almost exclusively past July 1. Last summer I only fished Canadian waters approximately 10% of the time because of the reporting hassles.

[BoatBuggy]

<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by Bryanmc57 &raquo;</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">What makes bass fisherman different than anybody else? It's a customs violation, not an immigration violation. Obviously the OP didn't know it was against the law... did you?</td></tr></table>

Actually I did know that.

[Bryanmc57]

I won't argue with what you were "told". So, by your thought, someone should be able to fly into Mexico and as long as they "say" they didn't land they shouldn't be subject to inspection. When you enter the country, you are required to be inspected. When you cross the border on a lake, whether you exit the boat in the foreign country or not, you are no longer in the United States and are subject to inspection upon reentry. You and your vehicle (boat in this case) are also subject to search under the Border Search Doctrine.

[Mini]

<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by 20_lb_sack &raquo;</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">

Ever think maybe you'd been told wrong, it's crossing the border not setting foot that constitutes a violation. They have the same laws on the Canadian border on the Great lakes. </td></tr></table>

The rules USED to be relaxed. These days it is like that now on the Great Lakes. the only exception being that if you leave an American port and your destination is an American port AND you travel part of your trip through Canada without stopping (fishing IS stopping) then you are ok. Once you stop, you must report.

[Bryanmc57]

<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by Mini &raquo;</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">The way it has been (up to two years ago) around here if you travel into Canada and do not stop, anchor, moor to another boat, or touch land you do not have to report to Canadian customs. Since you have not reported into another country, you do not have to report back into the US and go through Customs. </td></tr></table>

The law was always on the books, but pre 9/11 it wasn't regularly enforced on the Northern Border, it was more regularly enforced on the Southern border.

[teeboy]

I here ya' Mini!
Used to go to the Island when fishing Pelee and off the boat...10 minutes later back on the boat with your lisence. Not now.....too much hassle.
Sucks too! Good SM fishing to be had;(

[20_lb_sack]

<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by TR21Bassin &raquo;</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">

Exactly. Quit worrying about Fishermen and get back to checking for illegals.</td></tr></table>
Since when did WE (BBCer's) start having a problem talking to any law enforcement types, aftter all you might need to report something you saw.

[Dbl00CustomBaits]

<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by TNT &raquo;</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">

reminds me of an old quote : "it's not what you say, but how you say it" </td></tr></table>

Ummm.......yea

[Gambler Bob]

Where i go, you always have to check into Canadian Customs when entering Canada to go fishing, and on the way back it is as easy as just calling American Customs by phone to check back in.

[Toptiger]

The Border Patrol officer informed you of the law. It doesn't sound as though he really hassled you. Part of any cop's job is to inform the public. Don't come down on the guy for doing his job. He didn't know your level of ignorance. I would be ignorant of the laws for any specific lake that is on a national border. Then I got to thinking, what's to stop some person in a fishing boat from going into Mexican waters, get 15-20 kilos from an offshore GPS number and putting it in the live well. I would hope the authorities are keeping an eye on the boat ramps.