Monksville actually has fish!

[briansnat]

Planned on doing Merrill Creek today, but after a late start I went to Monksville instead. I thought I've give lake trout a shot there. I know they've been stocked over the years but I never saw, or heard of someone who went there specifically to target lakers.

Made a bunch of drifts with a herring on a 3/4 oz slip sinker in 60 - 80 feet of water. The wind was brutal and I think the 3/4 oz wasn't enough to keep it on the bottom in that wind (it was the heaviest sinker I had).

After half a dozen passes I was getting cold and hit a cove and fished the herring. I actually caught a bass! It is probably the third fish I've caught there in the past several years.
Went out after that and made several more passes over the deeps with the herring but nada.

While taking out I ran into a guy taking out a cool looking little boat and went over to chat with him. It was a home made plywood job, maybe 3 x 6 feet with a milk crate for a seat. He mentioned that he was out at Round Valley this morning and abandoned the trip because of the wind and showed me a video of the waves breaking over the front of his tiny boat. Heck, I've been on Round Valley in my 14 footer and was kind of worried.

Then he showed me his catch of the day. A smallie from RV and a LM from Monksville. I have no idea that the legal size for bass is in NJ because I never keep bass, but these were really small, maybe 9 or 10 inches. I guess I met part of the "white bucket brigade" or they now becoming the "plywood boat brigade"?

[buzzbaiter]

WTF? a) why keep something that small and b) why keep bass at all??? I release everything I catch so i have no idea what fish tastes better or is easier to clean but unless your desperate for food, no need to keep any fish let alone bass. Most NJ fish are contaminated with mercury and/or PCB's so another reason to release them. Geez if your that hungry, catch bluegills and be done with it.

[AndyS]

So you took a photo, got the boat registration number and called the game warden right ?

[briansnat]

So you took a photo, got the boat registration number and called the game warden right ?
Boat had no reg # , at 6 ft I don't think its required. I wasn't sure what the legal size was anyway, they may have been legal for all I know.

[Esox Luciano]

Talk about Top Flight Security! Haha! Less l3itchin more fishin.

[Eskimo]

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So you met a poacher and never called him out on his shit?

There was NOTHING legal about those fish. No bass can be killed until June 15 and the minimum size is 12".
http://www.eregulations.com/newjersey/fishing/freshwater/size-season-creel-limits/

What gives him the right to steal a public resource from ALL of us? He knew what he was doing. If he can make videos, he can look up the bass regulations. He just doesn't believe the rules should apply to him.

He can be reported at 1-855-OGT-TIPS

You should also take his picture for forum opprobrium.

http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/images/ogt_tips_logo.jpg

[briansnat]

I had no idea he was a poacher, or I would have walked over to the state park cop who was sitting in his car 100 ft away. I never memorized bass size limits or seasons because I never keep them. I knew there was a no kill season but I never imagined it extended until the middle of June. I just looked the regulations up and I see he was probably not only short but out of season. I honestly don't think he had a clue because he was showing them around within view of the state park police. Or he is beyond stupid.

[jimmythegreek]

For the record i dont think state park police have no authority on size and limits. Last thanksgiving I saw a bucketeer gaff a muskie on LH and park police was in the lot at lees. I went right to the ramp ans waved him down. Said only a warden can do anything but he actually called a local and to his credit he showed up at dows and waited for the rental boat to come back in.......on Tday no less. I gave my info for a witness but they pled guilty to the charges. I hate poachers]

[Delawareriver]

Bass are good eating. Smallmouth are better of the two in my opinion and can't blame him for keeping anything legal he chooses to take home but no excuse for under the size limit or out of season.
Yes park police or local police can not enforce any game and fish laws only the fish and game commission can.