Striped Bass:

[AndyS]

Set all the rules you want:

[Broad Bill]

Andy any idea where that's at? There's 62 fish in that pic plus two fillets. There's no ethics in fishing anymore so I agree without enforcement, rules and regulations won't get it done. Maybe it's only 10% who do the damage but these scumbags impact the other 90%.

Quick story, went to a well known lake that gets Landlock salmon about six weeks ago. With the drought conditions stocking this fall as most know was delayed. I went every day until I saw signs the lake was stocked as it's from the same location every year and there's obvious indications. The day they were put in, I gave it three days for the fish to acclimate themselves and went back the following morning.

What I witnessed and experienced was unbelievable. The fish in this lake congregate in the shallows for at least a few weeks until the deeper waters get colder. Got to the spot where they dropped them in, you could see fish swimming all over and there's three guys literally fishing with a weighted treble hook and three hooks tied above it just like Salmon River fishing used to be years ago. Called NJF&G, no luck. Saw these three scumbags snag 9 fish between them, throw them into a plastic bag and take them back to I assume their car only to return for more. It takes New Jersey with their bartering arrangement with Massachusetts significant time and effort to raise these fish from fry at the hatchery before they release them into the four lakes in New Jersey so we can develop and enjoy a trophy landlocked salmon fishery in the state. And *******s like these will destroy it for everyone.

This went on for about an hour until I finally had enough after telling them multiple times what they were doing was illegal. I told them I called NJF&G and local police at which point one of them pulled a knife on me. It's amazing how quickly they learn our language when it benefits them. They don't buy licenses, they don't give a s*** about the resource or nature or anything but taking as many fish as possible illegally and if you speak up you put your personal safety at risk.

Our Country is absolutely out of control when you have to be concerned about your own safety fishing or doing anything for that matter. Until we have adequate enforcement of the laws and regulations and support our law enforcement officials, it's going to get worse. Absolutely true story in an area I never would've expected something like this to happen.

[AndyS]

I would just keep throwing rocks.

[Duffman]

BB……a perfect example of what I’ve been chirping on the forum about FOREVER!!!!

I don’t give a flying eff about whatever stupid ass misguided regs the gov puts out there. If there isn’t anyone to enforce the rules, wtf is the point of having them?

That pic Andy posted……..everyone who has fished the Raritan bayshore in the spring has seen that DAILY. Nothing new. But ya know what? Change the regs…..the guys doing the illegal shit will fall in line and obey the laws. Lmao.

Ok Rant over. Been cooking for 6 hours for NYE guests coming. I’m beat. Gonna have a Basil Hayden’s and disappear to the garage

[bulletbob]

sadly,the SOB that pulled the knife on you can get away with that in NJ, as they took away your 2A rights.. Up here he might have had a pistol aimed right at his nose for doing it, as in many upstate counties the 2A is still respected, and many of us avail ourselves of that constitutional right.

The kind of crap you guys are discussing does not happen quite as much here but it does happen. Not so much by the " no hablo ingles" crowd, but more among the rural types that believe anything that moves is fair game.. We have midnight deer jacking, all sorts of off season meat hunting for deer, turkeys, small game, illegal commercial fishing for panfish,and lots of taking over legal limits of all edible fish species,

Its not as out in the open as NJ, and the faces and lifestyles of the perps are different.. In NJ its more an urban/suburban problem, up here its more a rural issue, and the "harvesters" are actually VERY efficient ... also we have some massive problems with fish populations being devastated perfectly legally.. Tournaments out of control here, and they are year round.. Perch tourneys, Trout tourneys, Walleye tourneys, Bass tourneys, catfish tourneys, even friggin' ROCK BASS tourneys which have devastated populations of panfish, all so sponsors can make a few bucks.. World class fisheries wiped out in some of the giant lakes here.. There's a "Crappie Derby" up here on a reservoir called Whitney Point.. Its an ice fishing derby, and draws THOUSANDS of people some years.. Can you imagine a couple thousand people ice fishing on a lake only about 600 acres bigger than Hopatcong? For an entire weekend?.. every year?... So yes resources are being decimated illegally everywhere.. However, a lot of times it happens with smiles, pats on the back, and prize money..

[Broad Bill]

It's sad because it seems to get worse every year. Best we can do is keep your eyes open and call the right enforcement agency if you see something not right. Don't do what I did and intervene, only take getting into an argument with the wrong person once.

[WhaleFart]

So let me get this straight you had a knife pulled on you and didn’t call the police to report that but instead reported them poaching fish?

Pulling a knife, on anyone, results in immediate arrest. You could have gotten this animal arrested and maybe deported (assuming they are not here legally).

My brother and I beat the living shit out of some poachers in the point pleasant canal a few years ago who tried getting physical when we confronted them poaching schoolies. When we were done rearranging them we just tossed all their gear into the canal. Highly don’t recommend doing this as you never know what someone may have on them.

[Broad Bill]

No you have it wrong. It was early morning. When I realized how these guys were fishing, I called NJFG without luck and no one returned my call. At that time, nothing had happened. After an hour of watching them snag and keep landlocks, I confronted them and told them I called NJFG and local law enforcement to report them. That's when one of them pulled the knife.

As soon as it happened, I left and so did they. Unfortunately they were parked in a different area so I didn't get their license plate number(s) or see what car(s) they were driving. So no, I didn't have someone pull a knife on me and call NJFG for a poaching violation, the call I made to NJFG happened before the incident actually occurred.

And before you ask, I never called the police. I told them I did hoping they'd stop snagging and leave. No pictures, no license plate numbers and the guys took off after the incident. The only thing I cared about was getting the hell out of there. You're last comment was why I didn't wait around, three on one and I wasn't about to risk them driving by and the problem re-escalating. In hindsight I should have called local police later to report it and regret I didn't but I will tell you local law enforcement know they have problems at this particular impoundment.

[birddog]

Calling f&g is a waste of time. I called once to report guys trout fishing the day before opening day and the co was pissed off at me because of the amount of paperwork he now had to complete because I called operation game thief. The other time I called to report 7 deer carcasses that were dumped with only the back straps removed. I was told if I didn’t like seeing that then I probably should be hunting. Can’t tell you the last time I’ve even a co and haven’t been checked in over30 years!

[Broad Bill]

I've actually had pretty good results over the years with call backs and follow up.

[duranautic al]

what lake/reservoir are we talking about?...waywayanda,aeroflex,tilcon or merrill creek res?

[Broad Bill]

Tilcon, same place that's had a rash of catalytic converters cut off cars (on both Waterloo and Kinney Roads) while people were fishing and scumbags cast netting fish from the banks after stocking. If you're fishing from shore, which I do, that place went from a gold mine to the equivalent of fishing in an urban s*** hole. It's off the beaten path, not patrolled and if you happen to run into the wrong people and confront them about illegal activities as I did you're exposing yourself to a risk you're going to regret. As I said, this s*** is completely out of control and if you try protecting yourself you'll be the next Daniel Penny. This country needs to get their s*** together and reinstate the values we used to have, just ask the victim's families of the tragedy in New Orleans. We've lost our way and the animals are running the zoo. And I don't really give a s*** if anybody takes exception to my perspective, just go fishing, have somebody pull a blade on you and tell me there's not radical changes needed in this Country.

[bulletbob]

I once called NY DEC F&G over a bunch of people in a van clubbing carp with baseball bats in a flooded K Mart parking lot adjacent to a creek where the Carp had run up from the lake to spawn.. There were lot of them in the shallow flooded lot, and these idiots were running around clubbing them to death to take and eat.. I called the NYD DEC , and was told-"thats a legal way to take carp", and that they didn't need to come.. I DEMANDED they show up in no uncertain terms, because I knew these guys had no licenses, and I was pissed even though it was "only" flood stranded Carp.. They did eventually show up, and sure enough none of the "clubbers" had licenses.. Those DEC guys did NOT want to be bothered, and only me screaming for them to get their asses to that lot and check for licenses made them come out. I get it, understaffing and all, but that IS their job, they are state law enforcement officers,and we are taxpayers.... bob

[bulletbob]

Tilcon, same place that's had a rash of catalytic converters cut off cars (on both Waterloo and Kinney Roads) while people were fishing and scumbags cast netting fish from the banks after stocking. If you're fishing from shore, which I do, that place went from a gold mine to the equivalent of fishing in an urban s*** hole. It's off the beaten path, not patrolled and if you happen to run into the wrong people and confront them about illegal activities as I did you're exposing yourself to a risk you're going to regret. As I said, this s*** is completely out of control and if you try protecting yourself you'll be the next Daniel Penny. This country needs to get their s*** together and reinstate the values we used to have, just ask the victim's families of the tragedy in New Orleans. We've lost our way and the animals are running the zoo. And I don't really give a s*** if anybody takes exception to my perspective, just go fishing, have somebody pull a blade on you and tell me there's not radical changes needed in this Country.

Thats really sad, but its everywhere these days, and its the reason that I started to carry everywhere I go.. something I NEVER thought I would need to do. NJ is worse than upstate NY, but evil and moral degradation is everywhere today... Read the Book of Revelation sometime, and you'll know where we are in history... I have very little hope things will get better anytime soon... What we are seeing in our tiny little "sportsman/outdoorsman" bubble is just a byline for society at large. The world has become a very sick and dangerous place, and evil is rampant.... bob

[AndyS]

I was unaware that you needed a fishing license to club carp in a WalMart parking lot. I thought you only needed a license if you were "angling" ie: rod and reel, trot line, hand line or bow and arrow.

[bulletbob]

I was unaware that you needed a fishing license to club carp in a WalMart parking lot. I thought you only needed a license if you were "angling" ie: rod and reel, trot line, hand line or bow and arrow.

KMart actually, over 25 years ago.. They were spawning in a slow muddy stream, and the flood water carried them into the lot.. a LOT of them... I don't believe any type of killing fresh of water fish is legal without a license.. I do know the "club crew" got tickets when the F&G finally showed up.. They could have easily been trout.. Lots of those came into the streets/parking lots during that flood as well..

[AndyS]

I'm new to Instagram but there are a lot photos, raped_stripers.