Can't drink a cold one on the Sylvan Beach fishing pier - whattt! Got popped $150

[finfisher]

Do they know the 18th Amendment has been repealed? I don't understand the Temperance people and their issues in Texas (or other states for that matter. Not to give one denomination a buncha heck, but it seems that wherever Baptists are the majority, you have a bunch of silly laws about alcohol. In Brazoria County I can't buy beer after midnight, nor can I get it before noon on Sunday. Is there really any good reason for this? Why do bars have to close at 2am? Christ's first miracle was turning water into WINE! At the Last Supper, he served WINE! How an entire denomination of Christianity got so tangled up in the Temerance movement is beyond me. You won't find this sort of thing with Lutherans, Catholics, or Episcopalians. No alcohol on a fishing pier? Absolute and total BS. I would understand NO GLASS BOTTLES, but no beer????????? It is absolutely beyond me.

Sandy for President!!!!!
Well... maybe..... alright generally good guy?
GREAT post Coach!!!

[007]

Back growing up me and my dad used to fish exclusively fishing piers. Mainly San Luis Pass and 61st street.

Haven't been to one in ages since I've been doing a lot of wading. Took a good friend and girlfriends younger brother with me since they don't wanna wade so I figured I'd just bring a 6 pack in the cooler so me and my good friend could catch up. Wanted to catch up and bs about high school and college days with my good friend.

Anyways long story short two guys in black jackets come storming the pier checking everyone's ice chests and some guys next to us warned us about the beer. I should have listened right then and there but just couldn't fathom them actually holding it against us. I mean, isn't that what I grew up seeing all my life? Old salts drinking a cold one and throwing out dead bait and waiting for fish? I figured they were just checking fish sizes and such.

Anyways, the officers come down and pull out our ice chests and threaten to write all the surrounding kids MIP's for being in the vicinity of this ice chest. At one point they even threatened to arrest anyone who was too close to it.

Long story short my friend decided to take the fall and own up and so they popped him with a $150 ticket. Two of them. One for glass bottles which got dismissed when my friend pointed out they were plastic (suckers! LOL) Apparently there is a sign on the pier - must be pretty small I sure didn't see it - saying no drinking.


Seems nowadays I only feel safe drinking a few cold ones in my living room because of this type of thing. There's a lot worse stuff going on out there than a few fellas trying to relax on a sunday and enjoy a moment! Lol.


A few questions for those who didn't wanna read the cool story ^^:


1) Does anyone know the actual law on drinking on fishing piers? The ticket says it's for possession on a public pier (wtf?).

2) Do you personally feel it's right (or wrong) to have beer on a pier? I always assumed fishing and drinking went hand in hand!


I'd like to hear everyone's thoughts and opinions! Good luck and tight lines fellas!

I'm about 15 minutes from that launch and I run out of there 80 percent of the time. I'm kinda glad that they focus a little more on the beach side vs. the boat side. I've never been issued a ticket while launching from there but, I've been boarded enough by the CG that when we see each other on the water that we rotate buying lunch.

[MrBrown]

Me and my friend take his kayak out wadefishing just so we can carry enough beer. Shirt pockets are a must when fishing and drinking too.

[B&P]

Phuck the man! There aren't enough good LEO's to make an exception.

[plugger]

I'll get busted....i never think about my anchor porter in a glass bottle being against the law ...... "come and get me copper" .

[MrBrown]

I'll get busted....i never think about my anchor porter in a glass bottle being against the law ...... "come and get me copper" .

Ahh, a fellow real beer drinker. Try anything from Oskar Blues and Southern Star, craft beers in a can. My favs are mommas little yella pilz, dales pale ale, and pine belt pale ale.

[corndog]

The world is shrinking. But do understand taking your family out and having a drunk next to ya and exposing your kids to it!! I can do that on my own!!! Tight lines!!

[Swells]

The world is shrinking. But do understand taking your family out and having a drunk next to ya and exposing your kids to it!! I can do that on my own!!! Tight lines!!

I never expose myself to kids when I'm drinking ... only the saggy old ladies.

Just kiddin'. But I do drink beer 'n' water when we move the boat to another drift, or I'm driving down the surf line looking for something fishy in the guts.

Ya know you can get a open container ticket or even a DWI while driving on the beach? BUT, if you are drunk as Cooter Brown in the water, you are technically not "on" the beach, so they don't care. In fact, if you're on a boat one foot off the beach, you can drink all day long - at least if you're not BWI and only a certified marine safety officer can arrest ya for that.

It's just like the leash law for dogs - the sign says all dogs must be on a leash. So I hook up three dogs and we hit the beach. The cop tries to tell me "you gotta hold onto the leash, boy!" I didn't want to disagree with the young hothead, but that ain't what the sign said - I had them puppies on a leash for darn sure, nice ones, even ones with day-glo reflective colors for at night. I was too busy with two beers and a fishing rod in my hands - gimme a break!

Nope, none of these laws, ordinances, and regulations make much sense - maybe there just ain't no common sense no more. Some of us can handle a six-pack just fine, and others turn into freaking monsters, can't handle the fire water I guess. Be careful out there, it's a big ole crazy world. Oh and sorry your party got busted for a beer on the pier - what a buzzkill.

[single prong]

"It's just like the leash law for dogs - the sign says all dogs must be on a leash. So I hook up three dogs and we hit the beach. The cop tries to tell me "you gotta hold onto the leash, boy!" I didn't want to disagree with the young hothead, but that ain't what the sign said - I had them puppies on a leash for darn sure, nice ones, even ones with day-glo reflective colors for at night. I was too busy with two beers and a fishing rod in my hands - gimme a break!"

Leash law for dogs, means you must have your dogs on a leash and under your control at all times so that another dog or cat or individual gets bit, scratched, jumped up on, etc. by your dogs running around on a leash and your hands are not controlling the dogs actions. Not a single court will let you slide on that one.

If you do not like the law or ordinance, then go to city hall, county court and protest, get petitions signed and fight it to have it changed, otherwise, don't work against it. It is there for a reason, just because you drink in moderation or excessively, doesn't mean it must affect others on the pier or other area it is prohibited.

Laws, regulations, rules and restrictions are set for a reason, it is your choice to obey them or pay the consequences. No different than catching and retaining an undersized or oversized fish or over the daily bag limit, there are regulations which state what you may and may not do or have, if you do not adhere to them, that is your choice, but be prepared to be cited and pay dearly.

[lurefisher]

my Taaka comes in a plastic bottle

[Swells]

What's wrong with Single Prong? No sense of humor, probably doesn't drink beer, hates dogs, doesn't sound like a feesherman liar, and acts all high and mighty about some really goofy laws. I WAS JOKING, FELLA! IT'S ALL GOOD NOW.

[single prong]

Not a single thing wrong with me - have a great sense of humor, don't drink much at all since I'm a dual transplant patient of 1989, but will drink a beer 2 or 3 times a year during the Holidays, always had dogs, especially labs. Some start throwing out crud as you have done to me regardless of who you are...if you are unable to say something nice, don't say anything at all, my grandparents and parents both taught us that growing up.

High and mighty, no, but I do obey rules, regulations, restrictions and laws - like I mentioned, if you do not agree to the city ordinance, state law, regulation or restriction, there are ways to get those changed. But to complain and gripe about it, be proactive and do something about it.

[Curmudgeon]

Single Prong is right. The only way to make things better is to change the laws.

[Robalo]

Aw, Swells is just messin with ya some. He does it to me about Obama and his gang of spend-crazy, drunken sailors at the house of ill-repute. Sometimes folks like to be a little fun poking and aint really being meant to be mean or abrasive-just pot-stirring.

[Swells]

Of course he's right. I do know of some towns that have leased out their piers, though. This means you have to pay a few bucks to fish (seniors and children free) and often the rules are written so you can drink beer - as long as you buy it from the bait shack. The amount of beer sold at one of our now-privatized piers is incredible (and the bait ain't cheap). The town or city gets to make a piece of the action (money) and everyone is happy. The only downside is that the operator/leasor has to come up with a pretty hefty insurance policy - it's all about liability. But such public/private ventures often work out for the good, and the guv'mint will often grant some concessions if the bottom line and the public safety works out. Call me a dreamer ......