Incident at Monksville....Good Information For Us All

[catfishonthelake]

I just wanted to share something that happened at Monksville yesterday so that people can be on the lookout for stuff like this and know that the state will respond. My buddy was out on Monksville yesterday when he saw a large group of people on shore near a raft and in front of them in the water were 3soda bottles holding up a 100-foot gill net. He called me up and I looked up the number for the DEP. When I contacted the DEP, they immediately sent someone over. It took them a few minutes to get there, but by that time the group was freaked out enough to hop in raft and paddle back to the North Launch, leaving the net. The CO called me back and said it was alright for my buddy, who had some help at this point, to retrieve the net and bring it the launch where they were holding the people. My buddy set free a 5 pound walleye that had become ensnared in the net (after only an hour or so of the net being in the water) and then brought the net to the launch area. They could not prove the net belonged the the group (even though they knew it was), but they gave them a bunch of tickets for not having life jackets and hopefully scared them enough to not do it again.

Very big props to my buddy for taking action and a very big thank-you to the NJDEP for responding. This should be a lesson to everyone to keep your eyes and open and to call the state, as your calls will not be disregarded.

Here is the number for DEP Hotline 877-927-6337

[Eskimo]

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That's so bizarre.
What kind of people would run a long gill net through a reservoir?

I ALWAYS keep my digital camera handy when I'm fishing. It's not only for taking pictures of exceptional fish, but to document anything strange or illegal I see other people doing when I'm out on the water.

[AndyS]

I think a lot of people fishing in New Jersey are starting to get discouraged and are giving up on the sport.
Again I saw people taking cooler loads of pan fish out of Split Rock Res yesterday.
I saw people pulling a seine net across the North Branch last summer, spanned the entire width of the river.
Last fall I saw people cast netting the deep pools on the Raritan river.
Thanx for making the call.

[FASTEDDIE29]

Good stuff!!!

[Big Steve]

Write them up. It only takes a few jerks to ruin it for the whole fishing community.

[Skunk City]

Wow, what a bunch of disrespectful morons. The quality of scum we have in this state never ceases to amaze me! Glad you guys did something about it, as I hope EVERYONE on here would. That being said....

....Why the hell would they choose Monksville??!! A'int no fish in that lake!!!!

[njbassman]

nice to hear about the quick response... one question, where the walleye come from? Ain't no fish in that reservoir... skunksville!!!!

[Eskimo]

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Apparently, people used to be able to volunteer to be a Deputy Conservation Officer up until 2009. But for some reason, the state did away with that.
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/200...ty_conser.html


I used to see Conservation Officers working the Delaware Water Gap in the summer when the teeming hordes of city folk are there, but I haven't seen them in a couple of years. I often see the Park Rangers there, but I don't know if they can enforce game laws.

The COs would either pull up in a jon boat or walk up behind you and check your license and look around for booze and stuff. Normally, I would hate that kind of intrusion, but you have to see the amount of nonsense that occurs up at the Gap in the summer to appreciate some well-timed law enforcement.

Checking the NJDEP's website, it appears they only have 55-60 COs. I guess that's why i don't see them very often.

The Division of Fish and Wildlife now employs 55-60 Conservation Officers statewide...

http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/lawhome.htm

[Eskimo]

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I stated this in another thread, but I'll repeat it here.

One way to report wildlife crimes is calling 1-855-OGT-TIPS

OGT is "operation game thief" and then TIPS