Environmental Conservation Officers patrolling Hempstead Harbor issued multiple striped bass violations during a late-night enforcement operation on April 16. According to officials, ECOs Franz and Pabes responded to reports of anglers allegedly keeping over-the-limit striped bass along the harbor shoreline and called in ECO DeRose along with K9 Finn to assist with the investigation in the heavily wooded area.
While checking a large group of anglers, K9 Finn located an oversized striped bass hidden near the fishing area and alerted officers to its location. One angler admitted to catching the fish and was issued a summons for possessing an illegal striped bass. Current recreational regulations in Nassau County marine waters allow anglers to keep one striped bass per day measuring between 28 and 31 inches.
As officers escorted the group back toward a nearby parking area, they noticed a pickup truck parked off to the side of the lot in an apparent attempt to avoid detection. After investigating, officers discovered the vehicle belonged to the same angler previously ticketed for the oversized bass. Inside the truck, ECOs located four striped bass, well over the legal possession limit. The angler received a second ticket for possessing more than the daily limit of striped bass.
Officers also ticketed another angler in a separate case that same night for keeping an oversized striped bass.
