Facebook bragging

[Andrushkin33]

WTF?

http://munchies.vice.com/articles/facebook-bragging-about-your-fishing-trip-can-put-you-in-jail

From the article:

Although it’s not quite the same thing as being outed as a hypocritical “top,” there’s a crackdown underway in the fishing world—and its new turf is Facebook. The Department of Environmental Conservation is on the loose, having learned how to use social media from their 14-year-old children, and if they see you posting fish that you caught out of season, they’re gonna get ya.

According to Syracuse.com and the Watertown Daily Times, even just photographing yourself with out-of-season fish and posting it on your Twitter or what-have-you is now a ticketable offense, punishable with fines of up to $250 or even 15 days in the clink. Catch and release is permitted, but the whole “release” part can get muddled by the need to land the perfect shot for your Instagram.

“It’s all because of the social media thing and people posing with the fish for pictures,” DEC spokeswoman Lori Severino told Syracuse.com. “They often spend too much time dilly-dallying and don’t return the fish immediately to the water.”


Andre

[Eskimo]

.


Posting anything illegal to social media is grounds for a search warrant. People who have posted pics of bags of weed or plants they have growing have found that out the hard way.


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[Andrushkin33]

I still don't get how posting a picture of the bass I caught and released is illegal.

Andre

[Heronimo42]

It's not illegal to do so and they're going to have a hard time winning if you take them to court. Unless you do something stupid like time stamp the picture, say when and were you caught the fish or are holding a copy of that days newspaper along with the fish, they can't prove when and were the picture was taken. Not advocating catching fish out of season at all, but this is more bark than bite.

[buzzbaiter]

I kind of like this rule:

During the closed season, it is unlawful to target or attempt to catch a bass. A bass that is accidentally caught during the closed season must be immediately released unharmed without being removed from the water. It is unlawful to possess bass in, on or along these waters.

I'm one of the few anglers who specifically targets Pickerel but end up getting quite a few bass. Accidentally caught on purpose. lol

[Andrushkin33]

LoL,

Same here. Don't target them but keep on getting them. Whats funny to me with this rule is still having bass tournaments during the close season.

Someone care to explain that one to me because I cant seem to understand it.

Andre

[jimcnj]

I kind of like this rule:



I'm one of the few anglers who specifically targets Pickerel but end up getting quite a few bass. Accidentally caught on purpose. lol

That's not a NJ regulation, right?

Last nite a talked a kid into releasing a bass that his buddy told him to keep.
I told him that he had to release it.That other kid told him "f*ck that, keep it". I told him it was illegal to keep it. The fish was only a foot long anyway. The boy thought about it and came over to me and said " Mister, I'm going to put it back in the water". I thought the fish had it. but it managed it swim away.

[AndyS]

What about all those bass tournaments going on in New Jersey in April and May :confused:

[jimcnj]

During the closed season, it is unlawful to target or attempt to catch a bass. A bass that is accidentally caught during the closed season must be immediately released unharmed without being removed from the water. It is unlawful to possess bass in, on or along these waters.

Looks like a PA regulation.

A worm under a bobber pretty much anywhere can catch a bass

[bassnblues]

This is a bunch of bull. Tracking you down would be a huge effort and there's no way to prove when or where you caught the fish or even if it's you in the picture.

I think some writer was looking for something to write about and dreamt up this issue.

BELIEVE NOTHING YOU READ ON THE INTERNET.

[acabtp]

i don't see what the problem is; this is nothing new. it's always been technically illegal to photograph closed season fish. the regs clearly state that the fish must be returned to the water immediately... not returned to the water after a quick pic or two. those are the rules, they print a digest of them every year that you can get for free at any place that sells fishing licenses.
it's asking for trouble to post pictures of any kind of illegal activity on social media, no matter how frivolous.

[Chrisper4694]

and yet bass contests are everywhere during 'closed' season for bass...go figure. maybe they release them immediately and at weigh in they just take everyone's word for it haha. I'll never understand the logic behind that.

[CabesaRoja]

It honestly makes sense to me. If they can prove without a strong doubt when the photo was taken, you should be able to be fined. I don't think they'd use it for a lot of people though. This is probably in place for the guy that decides to post a picture of the broodstock rainbow he caught in the Pequest the weekend before opening day.

[Andrushkin33]

i don't see what the problem is; this is nothing new. it's always been technically illegal to photograph closed season fish. the regs clearly state that the fish must be returned to the water immediately... not returned to the water after a quick pic or two. those are the rules, they print a digest of them every year that you can get for free at any place that sells fishing licenses.
it's just plain stupid to post pictures of any kind of illegal activity on social media, no matter how frivolous.

My main problem would be the fact that there is a bass tournament almost every weekend during so called closed season.

Andre

[CabesaRoja]

My main problem would be the fact that there is a bass tournament almost every weekend during so called closed season.

Andre

New Jersey doesn't have a "closed season" for Largemouth Bass. When the regulations talk about a closed season, they are talking about when a species is entirely off limits to fishing, like trout in most bodies of water the few weeks leading up to opening day. Trout season is the only closed season for freshwater fish in NJ that I'm immediately aware of. Sure, there is a period of time where bass need to be released when caught, but fishing for them isn't off-limits.

[Andrushkin33]

New Jersey doesn't have a "closed season" for Largemouth Bass. When the regulations talk about a closed season, they are talking about when a species is entirely off limits to fishing, like trout in most bodies of water the few weeks leading up to opening day. Trout season is the only closed season for freshwater fish in NJ that I'm immediately aware of. Sure, there is a period of time where bass need to be released when caught, but fishing for them isn't off-limits.

You are correct sir.

But also regulations state that during trout stocking period (from March to April) the trout stocking waters are closed to all species with some bodies of water being exceptions.

Just confused on why posting a picture could become a problem while tournaments can go on.

Andre

[buzzbaiter]

Not to mention that most states(like Pa) conduct fish population surveys via electroshocking AND trapnets between April and June - peak bass spawning time(and for nearly every other species). Fish are collected, measured, weighed and some photographed. Talk about disruption of the spawning process!