Smallies on the Big D tomorrow?

[Eskimo]

.


I was on the Delaware up at the Delaware Water Gap last Sunday. I watched a Conservation Officer bust a bass poacher. Someone must have dropped a dime on this guy because as soon as he and his buddies landed their kayaks at the boat ramp the CO came running up to them and asked them what they caught.

The poacher stalled a while and offered up excuses like he was on a float trip from NY. Eventually the poacher reached down into the hold of his kayak and pulled out an enormous stringer of Smallmouth Bass. (All Bass fishing is catch-and-release until June 15.)

The Conservation Officer wrote the poacher a ticket, but let him keep the bass. As the CO was walking back to his truck I stopped him and thanked the CO for busting that guy. I think the CO was a little embarrassed that I thanked him right in front of the poacher's buddies, but these Conservation Officers are the reason we have a sport fishing.

I took pictures of the whole encounter with the intention of making a thread about it here, but I changed my mind. I don't want to open up NJfishing to liability and I am apprehensive the poachers will retaliate against me for posting the pictures of them getting busted. Since this happened in "my spot", I'm easy to find if they want to beat me up or vandalize my car.

I'm not familiar with the Mercer County stretches of the river, only the Warren and Sussex County sections. If you ever plan to launch at the Gap, I recommend you get their super early because it's crazy tourist season and the parking lots fill up fast.

.