A DEC ruling earlier this season created a bit of a stir among anglers as a result of a paragraph under General Regulations in the 2015/16 Official Regulations Guide which stated “A person may not fish for a species, even if immediately released, during the closed season for that species. Fish caught during the closed season must be unhooked and released immediately. They may not be handled for any other purpose, including taking a photo.”
It was that last sentence that raised the ire of many New York anglers who were faced with fines of up to $250 for posing on social media or in print with an out of season fish, even though it was released. In early May, a DEC spokesperson said that taking a picture of an out of season fish that was caught by an angler was a ticketable offense. The new regulation was in response to a growing number of anglers catching out of season fish and posting pictures of their catch on Facebook and other social media sites.
The regulation drew an outpouring of criticism and DEC has since backed off on this policy. On May 24th the same DEC spokesperson, Lori Severino, “clarified” the department’s position by stating “The DEC will not be ticketing anglers for taking pictures of fish.” So if you happen to catch a big largemouth bass or humpback sea bass while targeting other species, you can feel secure in knowing that if you share a photo of your catch with others, a DEC officer will not come knocking on your door.
