“We Were Catching Everything” – Suffolk County
On Nov. 25, ECO Dickson received a complaint of a head boat keeping undersized striped bass in the back chest near the boat’s stern. ECO Dickson quickly boarded a patrol vessel to investigate the complaint and found the head boat in question returning from the inlet. The ECO boarded the vessel and immediately observed several striped bass racks (carcasses with the fillets removed) and whole striped bass in baskets in the stern. The biggest fish were only 26 inches in length; the smallest were 22 inches. Twelve fish were found aboard the vessel, all outside of the legal slot size of 28 to 31 inches. The ECO interviewed the captain and crew of the boat and when asked if they measured any of the fish, a mate on the boat said, “We were catching everything.” ECO Dickson contacted ECO Perkins for assistance in inspecting the at-capacity vessel. As the head boat made its way into home port, more fillets were found in the below deck freezer. The captain of the vessel was issued citations for undersized striped bass and possessing more than the legal limit of striped bass. The seized fish were donated to a local wildlife rehabilitator.

On Nov. 25, ECO Dickson received a complaint of a head boat keeping undersized striped bass in the back chest near the boat’s stern. ECO Dickson quickly boarded a patrol vessel to investigate the complaint and found the head boat in question returning from the inlet. The ECO boarded the vessel and immediately observed several striped bass racks (carcasses with the fillets removed) and whole striped bass in baskets in the stern. The biggest fish were only 26 inches in length; the smallest were 22 inches. Twelve fish were found aboard the vessel, all outside of the legal slot size of 28 to 31 inches. The ECO interviewed the captain and crew of the boat and when asked if they measured any of the fish, a mate on the boat said, “We were catching everything.” ECO Dickson contacted ECO Perkins for assistance in inspecting the at-capacity vessel. As the head boat made its way into home port, more fillets were found in the below deck freezer. The captain of the vessel was issued citations for undersized striped bass and possessing more than the legal limit of striped bass. The seized fish were donated to a local wildlife rehabilitator.
