Spring fever brings anglers out in droves, sadly, it also seems to inspire some to engage in unscrupulous fishing behavior. At the end of March, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) found themselves writing an inordinate number of tickets to fishermen who let the intoxicating air of early spring cloud their judgment. The bulk of these infractions (several-thousand dollars in total) were issued to fishermen possessing undersized, oversized and over-the-bag-limit catches of striped bass. Current regulations dictate that anglers may keep one striped bass per day between 28 and less than 35 inches—all fish falling outside the ‘slot limit’ must be returned to the water immediately.
The uptick in violations has inspired DEEP to step up their game. Their officers have scheduled more patrols and plan to conduct these patrols at all hours of the day and night. If you fish in Connecticut waters, make sure you have all the proper licensing and that you are up to date on all current regulations. If you’re fishing a tidal river, for example, make sure you have your freshwater license as well as your marine fishing license, or, at the very least, check to see where the line is the requires anglers to carry a freshwater license. Remember, these officers are not out there hoping to catch you breaking the law, they want to see that everyone is following the rules. These officers are doing their part in helping us protect the many awesome fisheries that residents and visitors of the Nutmeg State waters enjoy.
