Trout Poaching

[jbosco1]

I was out today on a stretch of river under WTS regulations, and had the unfortunate task of pulling down 3 long lines set across the river for trout. I was sad to see that someone would do something like this in the first place let alone on a stretch of river that has naturally reproducing trout (a true gem in a polluted and congested state like NJ). I informed the CO and took the lines down but I wouldn't be surprised if they are back up next time I am there.

 

Has anyone else ever experienced something like this? If so what are some safe and legal actions you took to prevent it from happening in the future. CO's are stretched thin enough as it is.

Edited March 19, 2018 by jbosco1

[Live to Hunt]

Yes I have but don’t know if it was just for trout

[rgw]

I wish we could float bottles with lines for catfish in the Delaware river during the summer. That would be fun

[BowhunterNJ]

Are you serious?  Long lines set in a river here in NJ?

[jbosco1]

100% serious. It was about 200 yards upstream of a beautiful 8 point buck dead in the river (looked like a gut shot of some sort). There is no public or private land anywhere near this stretch of river open to hunting BTW

[Bonefreak]

Let me guess.....North Branch of the Raritan??!!??  Used to be a lot of post St Paddy's Day shenanigan's going on round there by the foreign nationals out of New Brunswick.....they all had the same 3 names.....and no one ever paid their tickets!!

[jbosco1]

Not the North Branch. It was in Passaic county. It's a quite spot so I don't want to blow it up. Its a little too off the grid for the foreign national crowd. I hear they don't like to hike too far

[Buck154]

I'd call a CO for that

[JHbowhunter]

definitely call CO... thanks

[toxo]

The only thing that I would do if the stream isn't too far,is go there often and keep removing the lines.Hopfully they will give up doing it there.

[hammer4reel]

I wouldn't have removed the lines,. would have left them and called the CO .

now he will just find another spot to do the same thing.

Would have been better for him to get caught there where they were 

[Bucksnbows]

1 hour ago, jbosco1 said:

Has anyone else ever experienced something like this? If so what are some safe and legal actions you took to prevent it from happening in the future. CO's are stretched thin enough as it is.

Unfortunately, it is highly common here in NJ and it is done often for the NY restaurant marketplace.  Completely illegal and often done by Eastern Europeans that have a mafia-like existence and fish poaching is one of their things.  Best to leave the lines and get the local CO involved so he can place surveillance of some sort on the site.  I have seen it done only on the medium to smaller wild trout streams (WTS).  Sickening, isn't it?     

[_X7]

Poachers are poachers. Fill in the CO's and let them deal with it. There is more of that going on than people realize.

[hunterdan199]

Like hammer said I would have left them and contact fish and game 

[rgw]

next time leave them, now they will know someone is on to them and move  to a different section of river and rape the water and may not get caught