NJ Saltwater Fisherman Forums
NJ Saltwater Fisherman => News and Information => Topic started by: Hotrod on August 20, 2009, 02:41:24 PM
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Undercover New Jersey conservation officers caught the captain and first mate aboard a Belmar party boat deliberately killing undersized summer flounder and filleting them for bait to boost patrons' chances of landing the popular fish. They now face thousands of dollars in penalties for a variety of marine fish violations. Five patrons also were hit with summonses.
For detailed information on the operation, including identities of the violators and the penalties they face READ MORE HERE (http://njsaltwaterfisherman.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=359&Itemid=1&mosmsg=Item+successfully+saved.)
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Oboy............. ::)
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Ouch!!
nosmly
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You know.. 5hrug Be it wrong.. and you know a lot of captains are probably doing it.. trying to put food on their table with the regulations they were dealt the past few years.. IMO.. I think the only thing different about the Mohawk.. Is they got caught... pretty risky to do.
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Wow...Sending in undercovers?
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I know the pain the Captain has to go through with customers not catching a "legal" fish.
I get plenty of dirty looks having my customers throw back fat healthy 17 3/4- 17 9/10" fish only to come back to the dock to see people in rental boats unloading short fish.
It is a decision we all have to make, everything has a consequence.......You have to measure what you have to gain by what you have to lose............
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Wow...Sending in undercovers?
That's a very popular tactic the NJCO's use.
TT^
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and you know a lot of captains are probably doing it
I find it hard to believe there are a lot of captains doing this. Maybe I'm naive. But I would hope most of them would not stoop to intentionally break the law.
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Unfortunately,these darn rules and regulatuions,that we all must abide (based on mis-informatiom)have caused some people to do strange things.I hope things improve for the entire situatuion and issues.We must never stop trying.Stay well.
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I know for a fact this occurs on some other boats too. But rules are rules.. If all the boats obey them the customers will not favor one boat over another because they let things like this slide. I think the captain and crew are responsable for enforcing the rules on the vessel. How many times have we come back from a trip one or two keepers and threw back countless numbers of 17 1/2" fish?
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Eddie, I think the captain and crews responsibility falls into knowing and advising the customer of the rules. No way should they be directed to enforce them.
They do not have the ways or means to do so. Imagine a belligerent 6'5", 250# guy breaking the rules. Can the state expect a 5'7", 150# deckhand to force a guy like that to abide by the rules? That would be impractical and dangerous.
The CAPTAIN AND CREW should abide by the rules themselves and not encourage the violations of them.
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good for them
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Sorry guys had to edit the title in all the posts.. it was too long..
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for the most part,I believe most of us try to abide by the rules or regulations,I try to, 5hrug but believe it's like the speed limit on the interstates are 65 MPH,but how many are riding along a little faster,you could get a ticket if stopped,be honest how many have at one time or another may not have been completely in compliance with regulations. Kez
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They should take the boat from them to send a message to the rest of them. All of us here spend countless hours and money to catch legal size fish
and these jerks cut up illegal ones for bait!! nts
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It's hard to see the line going down the Reach Channel seperating NJ from NY.
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I have been on several head boats from Atlantic Highlands and Belmar and found that the Captain and Crew enforce the regs religiously on Fluke. All of them had measuring boards and the mates would immediately measure a customers fish. They would give condoldences to the customer but they did enforce the regs. I have also seen customers on bottom fishing trips that asked to have short fish filleted and the mate refuse and again explain the regs. We need to not blame the whole fleet for what a few do.
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Taking the boat away? I know it's your opinion, but I think you're going way over the top. How about we take your car away if you go over the speed limit, or if you're not wearing your seat belt, or if you run your car at the gas pump? Get real people!
These regulations are such b/s and i'm sure you all agree. There is such a healthy population of fluke and especially 16-17" fish. We have all had those days where catching that 18+" fish just seemed to be impossible while 17" fish were the rule of the day. Imagine spending hundreds for a day of fishing and not being able to take anything home for the family.....that sucks and forces some of the casual fisherman to hit the market instead! There should be a slot implemented for fish in this range which are much better for the table than larger fish.
I don't agree with breaking the regs but something has to change
That's a great boat that i frequent quite often and I have never seen them encourage that behavior.
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They must be repeat offendors if the F&G got wind and committed resources to go undercover.
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they are always undercover 65% of the time those weird looking guys on shore that ask you if your catchin anything are undercover. They also ride party boats when they want. I still know some of the guys for F&G ill ask them whats going on.
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Eddie, I think the captain and crews responsibility falls into knowing and advising the customer of the rules. No way should they be directed to enforce them.
They do not have the ways or means to do so. Imagine a belligerent 6'5", 250# guy breaking the rules. Can the state expect a 5'7", 150# deckhand to force a guy like that to abide by the rules? That would be impractical and dangerous.
The CAPTAIN AND CREW should abide by the rules themselves and not encourage the violations of them.
Sounds good Joe. t^
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Used to fish that boat in the past and yeah seen them do that, they arent the only ones that do it, havent fished with them in about 2 years for that reason....
as for the fish in peoples coolers the mates job is to put out the measuring boards and advise people of the regs, it is not their job to check every cooler,
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Taking the boat away? I know it's your opinion, but I think you're going way over the top. How about we take your car away if you go over the speed limit, or if you're not wearing your seat belt, or if you run your car at the gas pump? Get real people!
I've fished in Canadian provinces where the Canadian CO's have the power to impound a boat for fisheries violations....if you don't think its fair, don't go to Canada and get caught with over limit or undersized fish! Compliance is very high.
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having worked as a deck hand on a few party boats, i will say this....2 deck hands to 50 or 60 people on a Saturday is very hard to manage...you cant see who is doing what at all times....it was our policy to advise patrons of the regulations and monitor what we could. Where we used our power was at the filet table by measuring each fish as we cut...if it was illegal the customer was given the option...discard it or back in their cooler whole and they take the chance and pay the consequence....it is not the mates job to enforce....thats what the C.O.'S ARE PAID TO DO.
But dont get me wrong....i go by the old rule....at sea, the captains word is law....and on my boat, if i say that fish goes back, it goes back....like it or not. i think the captain should be held more liable than the mates....they work for him and obviously, he didnt lay down the law
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... as for the fish in peoples coolers the mates job is to put out the measuring boards and advise people of the regs, it is not their job to check every cooler,
grtn On Ye Ole Pirate (not a head boat), it is the Mate's responsibility to check every fish in every cooler for any 'illegal' fish before heading in! 'Stuff' happens in the heat of battle. The Captain and the Mate cannot see every fish being put in a cooler. However, the Captain is held accountable and he is responsible. Captain Steve does not want the illegal fish nor the fine. Not an holier than though post, just say'n. I assure you, I do not desire to pay any fine, especially one as a direct result of some one else's action.
"Book 'em Dan O!" rofla
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I am not in favor of breaking the law. I understand there are penalties for doing so. Having said that, why so hard on recreational fishermen and not commercial fishermen? Take a look at the filets inside the supermarket. Most seem to be taken from fish that are 12-14 inches.
A few years back I was fishing from the beach in Beach Haven NJ. I had 9 flounder in less than an hour. All were short by 1/2 to 1 inch. Most were just under. A gentleman walked by and said, "I've been watching you. Seems fish are short only by an inch or two. You throw them back. Why not keep a few. I won't say anything." I just laughed. Still 'till this day, not sure who he was (and really don't care). Bottom line, don't break the law and you won't get caught.
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The Captain of this boat brother is a major player in SSFFF .. No Good
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The Captain of this boat brother is a major player in SSFFF .. No Good
This from less than 24 hours after this story was released:
"As a result of allegations originating from the Enforcement Office of the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife, Save the Summer Flounder Fishery Fund (SSFFF) has asked for, and received, Capt. Chris Hueth's resignation from the Board of Directors of SSFFF.
SSFFF is a new, non-profit organization made up of Party and Charter boat owners, Tackle and Bait Store Owners, Tackle Distributors, Bait Wholesalers, Fishermen, and others whose livelihoods are dependent on a healthy and vibrant recreational fishing industry. All of these business owners, professionals and recreational fishermen realize the importance of an equitable and scientifically accurate management strategy for Summer Flounder."
As to the "brother", Greg works in Human resources in Manhattan and has no ties to party or charterboat fishing whatsoever. He neither owns, operates or works on any boat nor does he have any job or financial ties to the fishing industry whatsoever. Last time I checked you can choose your friends but you cannot choose your family.
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Sad really... It's a shame a lot have been brought to this..
Fishing my last day yesterday.. in Barnegat inlet with about 70 boats.. you could see them coming over the rails and 80% of the time not going back.. 5hrug
It's life.. Rules are made and people will break them. I don't think it makes them bad people.. Just bad rule followers ;D
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whs