New York DEC Fines Four Men For Illegal Fishing

It's fishing season for many across the state of New York ,though there are a lot of ever-changing guidelines to remember before casting your rod. A lot of it could depend on location, species of fish, or how much catch you're planning to bring home etc.

This could potentially save you thousands of dollars and your maybe your fishing license.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation reports that they busted several men for fishing violations that occurred at one of the state's most "popular and productive freshwater fishing destinations."

The DEC says the illegal fishing incident happened in late May, which involved four men catching 71 fish unlawfully.

Four Men Caught Illegally Fishing  

The DEC posted on their Facebook that they got a call from a local business owner in the town of Perrysburg saying that four men were using cast nets to take fish from Cattaraugus Creek May 23. Two DEC officers say they saw four men emerging from the Cattaraugus gorge, each "struggling to carry large, waterproof, survival-style backpacks and cast nets."

See Also: New York DEC Rescues Hikers Crossing Swollen Stream [VIDEO]

The officers say they counted a total of "71 unlawfully taken fish, including 21 trophy-sized smallmouth bass, a brown trout, suckers, and carp". Smallmouth bass are currently spawning in water bodies around the state.

The DEC says they issued 13 tickets for charges including taking fish by means other than angling, taking fish out of season, and unlawfully possessing protected fish. The DEC says that the four anglers reached agreements with the Perrysburg Town Justice to pay penalties related to fishing violations on June 8.