Cue the "Bad Boys" song from "Cops." At least, that's what was playing in my internal soundtrack today. Not that everybody was bad, but after 30-something years of programming it's kind of hard to watch the police work without the Cops theme song playing in my noggin. And today, the cops were working, and working hard. There were at least six CDFW wardens on site today to check on everybody, and as it was a low tide, they found a lot of issues to ticket. I asked one of the wardens what they were mostly writing tickets for, and he said that the two big ones today were for not separating limits (when clamming, everybody needs their own clams in their own separate container) and for "helping". 

     The "helping" rule, as interpreted by the men in green, is basically that you can't help. Do it yourself or don't do it, I think is the mantra. Now, it may be legal to help if two people collectively catch one limit between them, as one person could claim them, and it seems fair to me, as a legally uneducated fool, but please don't take that as legal advise. It feels pretty arguable, though. But don't help, until you talk to a CDFW employee for better knowing. Just saying. I don't know what constitutes too much "help", but I would find out from a CDFW employee before engaging in any such "help". Forewarned is forearmed. Take notes. I'm not saying that assisting people should be or is wrong, but I'm saying that it is way more complicated than it should be, and you should check, first. It may not even be considered legal to help each other for one limit between the two people. I don't know. The law, and its interpretation, gets more and more confusing. We live in a land ruled by lawyers who find it more profitable to confuse us than comfort us. So call ahead. Assume that everything that you want to do is illegal. Because probably, yes.

    

   The Tomales Outlaw sent over this report today: "Hi Willy. The crew of the Tomales Outlaw went fishing for sardines on Thursday. Sardines, not halibut. We came home with a few beauties. This is how we treat the leftover bait. Thanks for a great week," Well, first, thanks, but second, you made your week, so congrats to you. And third, those sardines look really, really good. As someone who has enjoyed grilled sardines in the past, I can't disagree with your report. Those greasy, smelly things should be avoided by everybody. Please allow those if us that know to eat them in peace, and hopefully, in plenty. They aren't for everybody, but for those that like them, damn, they're good. Nice job on the so far this year, difficult, sardines. The ocean seems to be shifting from an anchovy format to a sardine format. Not good for salmon or anchovies, but yum for those of us that have learned to love the Mediterranean diet. Grilled sardines are GOOD. Outlaw knows.