Lt. Lee Birge (foreground) and Officer Jim Adams Count fish seized from four South Carolina anglers. Photo by Gary Morse

A Friday the 13th to remember. Four Lake Kissimmee anglers had their entire freshwater catch of 1,264 shellcrackers, one warmouth, one spotted sunfish and two undersize largemouth bass seized by FWC officers after an anonymous call tipped them off.

Sam C. Shumpert, Daniel Shumpert, Richard L. Richenbaker, and Maura R. Richenbaker were visiting Grape Hammock Fish Camp in Polk County from their home state of South Carolina. The group of anglers told Officer Adams they "had been coming to Florida to fish every spring for a number of years and that fishing in South Carolina was never as good as it was here."

Anglers are allowed 50 panfish per day, with a maximum of two days' bag limit in possession. Each angler from the South Carolina group was nearly 300 fish (928 total) over legal limits. Possession limit violations are a second-degree misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $500 and/or 60 days in jail.

"The FWC depends upon partnerships forged with conservation-minded sportsmen to ensure the future of our freshwater fisheries," Adams said. "Reports to the Wildlife Alert Hotline of potential violations are a key component of that partnership." Call 888-808-3922 to report fisheries or wildlife law violations.

The FWC donated the entire seized catch to Natural Encounters in Lake Wales, to provide six months worth of food for the birds trained there for Disney Productions.