Can I get out of a citation for fishing without a license in Illinois?
I went fishing with my family yesterday to the Kankakee River State Park and when we purchased bait we saw a sign that said we needed to get a fishing license. So we had my father purchase a fishing license just in case. When we were already packed up and leaving an officer showed up and asked us for our license. Well it turned out each of us needed our own fishing license so me and my boyfriend got a $75 citation for not having a license. She could tell we were serious when we told her we were unaware that we each needed a license(You would think she would let us off with a warning). Is there any way I can fight this in court. She didn’t actually physically see us fishing, we didn’t even have a line in the water, she just saw us carrying a fishing pole and tackle box back to the car. Can I argue that? Do u need a license to carry a fishing pole and a tackle box to the car? We didn’t even have any fish on us. Please help, I just really need to get out of this ticket cause I don’t have $75 to spare.
did you have any ID on you when you got the citation. is that thing even traceable back to you? sometimes when i go fishing i don’t even have a drivers liscense on me so there is no way they can actually tell it’s me.
Well first off if you wanted out of it you never should have admitted to fishing. If you hadn’t you could have just said you were helping your dad.
Your probably not going to get out of it, just consider yourself lucky they didn’t take the rods, tackle and car as evidence.
well that def. sucks and that’s illinois for you trust me i have also gotten the same ticket almost in the same citation from a illinois cop! But to your answer, there really isn’t much you can do because its really the cops word over yours if you decide to fight it and if so it will def cost you a lot more then $75! It suck but just keep your head up and just bite your tongue and just pay it because you’ll have more headaches if you try to fight it trust me!
Could the officer have been watching you for a time before she approached you? In court the officer would have to prove that you were fishing for the citation to hold up. So far as I know it’s ok to carry tackle even if you don’t have a license.
I am sorry that happened but I think you aare stuck with it. If you are at or near any public fishing waters and in possesion of any fishing equiptment and you are of age then you have to have a fishing license. The same thing happened to my younger brother years ago. That is why they have those signs posted. sorry!
You’re busted…quit whining…pay the fine…lesson learned. You break the law and then complain because you got a ticket, wtf.
No, you cant fight it in court, its her word against yours. Also, they sit in there car at a far distance and use binoculatrs, and some cars are equipped with cameras. So you are probably caught. One year I went fishing and didnt have a liscense and a fish and game warden pulled up and wanted to see my fishing liscense. I knew I didnt have one so I started to play dumb, and acted like I was franticly looking for it. He ended up writing me a ticket for ” fishing liscence not in posession “. After I packed up and left I went right away to get a 1 day fishing liscence. I then went to court, showed the judge and the ticket was thrown out. But you can still try to argue your case. If you plead not guilty and the officer dont show up to the next court date, the case will be dismissed.
Problery not. You should have spent the 20 on a license.
you should always have a fishing license when fishing and it should be carried on your person. I doubt you will get out of this fine. let it be a lesson to you because you could have lost all your fishing equipment and still may