Striped bass busts:

[AndyS]

As anglers take advantage of the ongoing striped bass run, New Jersey’s Conservation Police Officers have been busy enforcing the size and creel limits for this popular game fish. Calls to the 877-WARN-DEP line concerning violations have directed the officers’ attention to individuals whose illegal activities did not go unnoticed by law-abiding sportsmen and women. The officers have also been checking in on past trouble spots.
Between April 8 and April 11, Conservation Police Officer Robert Driscoll and Lieutenant Joseph Kuechler, with the assistance of Deputy Chief Frank Panico, continued their enforcement efforts of the striped bass regulations along the Hudson River and Newark Bay Complex in Hudson and Union Counties. They issued a total of 67 summonses for violations of undersize and over the limit striped bass with potential fines amounting to over $15,000.
Meanwhile on the Raritan Bayshore, Conservation Police Officers Robert Henderson, Ed Klitz, Christopher Moscatiello and James Woerner patrolled the evening hours of April 9 and apprehended five individuals with multiple striped bass violations. In total, more than 20 sublegal striped bass were seized for undersized and overlimit violations.
On the evening of April 10 and into the early morning hours of April 11, seventeen Conservation Police Officers from across the state participated in an overt and covert operation focusing on the harvesting of illegal striped bass along the Raritan Bayshore in Middlesex and Monmouth counties. Nearly 100 inspections were made resulting in over thirty summonses issued for a variety of striped bass-related violations. The possession of undersized fish was the most common violation.
The Division of Fish and Wildlife’s Bureau of Law Enforcement plans to continue targeted enforcement of striped bass fishing activity as long as the schools of “linesiders” continue to tempt unethical anglers.
Striped Bass regulations can be found in the Division’s free New Jersey Marine Digest available at many sporting goods stores and online here: www.njfishandwildlife.com/digmar.htm
Anglers may catch and keep one striped bass per day. The striped bass must measure between 28 and 38 inches. Recreational anglers aged 16 or older must obtain a free annual Saltwater Angler Registry certificate if they are fishing in the marine or tidal waters of the state. Additional regulations apply. The fine for possession of undersized or overlimit striped bass is $100 per fish plus court costs.

[tunajoe]

Good read here. I was impressed by their swift actions earlier this week. My fishing buddy noticed a guy was keeping multiple bass and hid them in the sand behind him on the banks. He called the number that you listed - officer answers, says he's in the Highlands and would be down to the back bay as quickly as possible. The officer approached the fisherman and he denied it all. The officer then set up in an inconspicuous place and watched from binoculars for about an hour until he figured out where the guy was hiding the bass. He went back, issued him a summons. What I was most impressed about is that my buddy received a call back from the officer thanking him and updated him on what the situation. That call back from enforcement is key in my opinion. The more we know they take action the more apt we will be to call in violations. I would suggest everyone keeps their phone # in their cell as a contact. Glad to see these dirt bags are getting busted.

[wyldbillnj]

I appreciate their efforts to crack down on those who take undersize and too many. We need to keep them so we still have something in the future.

[Jigman13]

They should have responded to my emails a few weeks ago when the poaching in South Amboy was SURREAL. Same as in New Brunswick along the Raritan River. I saw guys keeping 20" bass and/or 4, 5, 6, 7 fish. Burying them in the sand, or walking them up the beach and stashing them away from where they were setup. 90% of them have glow sticks and bells on their rods.

You tell them they cant keep the fish b/c they're not legal size or they have too many and they curse you out or pretend they cant speak English. And its great they're giving fines and all, but the cost is too lean & the undocumented folks aint paying that ish. Levy heftier fines AND confiscate their gear. At least then, without gear, it'll keep them off the water for a day or two until they can scratch up some sheckles for a new Wal-Mart combo. Its disgusting.

Some were filleting the short fish right there on the beach, leaving the carcass, etc in plain sight not giving a flying you know what. I even sent the conservation folks pictures of the short, filleted fish. No response. It's great they caught SOME people, but SOME is not enough. They couldve easily sat on a rock or on a bench in South Amboy, Laurence Harbor, Perth Amboy and along the Raritan River from Edison to New Brunswick glassing hundreds of offenses take place and taking gear.

[Merle31483]

They should have responded to my emails a few weeks ago when the poaching in South Amboy was SURREAL. Same as in New Brunswick along the Raritan River. I saw guys keeping 20" bass and/or 4, 5, 6, 7 fish. Burying them in the sand, or walking them up the beach and stashing them away from where they were setup. 90% of them have glow sticks and bells on their rods.

You tell them they cant keep the fish b/c they're not legal size or they have too many and they curse you out or pretend the cant speak English. And its great they're giving fines and all, but their cost is too lean & the undocumented folks aint paying that ish. Levy heftier fines AND confiscate their gear. At least then, without gear, it'll keep them off the water for a day or two until they can scratch up some sheckles for a new Wal-Mart combo. Its disgusting.

Some were filleting the short fish right there on the beach, leaving the carcass, etc in plain sight not giving a flying you know what. I even sent the conservation folks pictures of the short, filleted fish. No response. It's great they caught SOME people, but SOME is not enough. They couldve easily sat on a rock or on a bench in South Amboy, Laurence Harbor, Perth Amboy and along the Raritan River from Edison to New Brunswick glassing hundreds of offenses take place and taking gear.

Well said most of the times these people give bogus names knowing they ain't paying the fine anyway so at least taking all their gear slows these poachers up for a bit its still disappointing and disgusting to say the least

[shrimpman steve]

Legal to open carry while fishing in Florida

That cuts down on poaching :D

[bulletbob]

I despise rampant poaching of course, but this is a double edged sword... Squealing on other fishermen?... When is it right, when is it wrong?
Remember, on these very pages, many many times, members here complaining strenuously against restrictive Fluke regs, both size and bag limit.. Many of us here saying they regularly "go rogue" and make sure they take a limit each day they go fluke fishing , even if they don't catch an 18 incher that day.. LOTS of similar comments to that effect.... I understand both sides opinions, but it is a slippery slope... bob

[Jigman13]

I despise rampant poaching of course, but this is a double edged sword... Squealing on other fishermen?... When is it right, when is it wrong?
Remember, on these very pages, many many times, members here complaining strenuously against restrictive Fluke regs, both size and bag limit.. Many of us here saying they regularly "go rogue" and make sure they take a limit each day they , even if they don't catch an 18 incher that day.. LOTS of similar comments to that effect.... I understand both sides opinions, but it is a slippery slope... bob

I dont poach and will report poachers. No slippery slope for me. Considering how far stripers have come since the 80s where they were damn near non existent to being in a much healthier state now, I'm dialing and reporting.

I helped get some fluke poachers caught in the back bay last summer. I'll continue to do so.

[bulletbob]

I dont poach and will report poachers. No slippery slope for me. Considering how far stripers have come since the 80s where they were damn near non existent to being in a much healthier state now, I'm dialing and reporting.

I helped get some fluke poachers caught in the back bay last summer. I'll continue to do so.

understood... Just mentioning that on this forum, we have those that report poachers, and those that freely admit they poach regularly when fishing for a different species, and feel perfectly justified with that position because the regs are unjust in their minds.... bob

[NoLimit]

They should have responded to my emails a few weeks ago when the poaching in South Amboy was SURREAL. Same as in New Brunswick along the Raritan River. I saw guys keeping 20" bass and/or 4, 5, 6, 7 fish. Burying them in the sand, or walking them up the beach and stashing them away from where they were setup. 90% of them have glow sticks and bells on their rods.

You tell them they cant keep the fish b/c they're not legal size or they have too many and they curse you out or pretend they cant speak English.

Some were filleting the short fish right there on the beach, leaving the carcass, etc in plain sight not giving a flying you know what. I even sent the conservation folks pictures of the short, filleted fish. No response. It's great they caught SOME people, but SOME is not enough. They couldve easily sat on a rock or on a bench in South Amboy, Laurence Harbor, Perth Amboy and along the Raritan River from Edison to New Brunswick glassing hundreds of offenses take place and taking gear.

That’s right! Maybe the Coast Guard should run up the river instead of hanging out in Sandy Hook, boarding the same boats multiple times a year. Our priorities are totally unfocused away from the problem.