I guess the only good news is that there are lots of nice bass around RI already. How do I know? Well, 19 of them were illegally taken somewhere off Point Judith. The resulting fine was nothing more than a wrist slap and if he makes another haul like the one he got busted for he will cover the cost of the fine...an inconvenient cost of doing business.

Read the whole story at Massachusetts Man Pleads to Illegal Striped Bass Fishing in Point Judith - Narragansett, RI Patch (http://narragansett.patch.com/articles/massachusetts-man-pleads-to-illegal-striped-bass-fishing-in-point-judith)

How much is 400+ pounds of bass worth?

who's Job is it to ramp up the fines ?

It reads like the incident was from last summer but the case just closed this month...

It is incredible to think that poaching like that is only a thousand dollar fine. Especially when there's clear intent to conceal your actions from the authorities.

It's also surprising to see how he almost got off when they found the first 8 fish by simply saying he was fishing with three friends. Is that how the code works?

-spence

Hes one of those loosers that goes to Block during Ma com bass season :smash:. They need to nab all the others that can't catch bass in MA that do the same.

Old news. There was a thread here already on this. This was the guy with the hidden switch that raised some panel..

Hope they took the boat from him......

I saw too the guy has a nice new Yellowfin center console.

Yeh, this happened last year. Interesting to see he plead guilty - does this mean they will have cut some bargain?

They had a meeting in PVD a few weeks ago that discussed increased penalties.

Previous related threads: Possibly seized boat (http://www.striped-bass.com/Stripertalk/stripertalk/65880-update-mr-reeves.html)

Arrested (http://www.striped-bass.com/Stripertalk/stripertalk/65707-risaa-re-reeves.html)

Poaching (http://www.striped-bass.com/Stripertalk/stripertalk/65542-poacher-caught-again.html)

Fines for fishing illegally for striped bass should be in the high thousands something like 25,000 for keeping short striper's to maybe 5,000 for each fish sold illegally. The dragger's years ago would fish inside the three mile limit make ten thousand for the trip and only pay a 100.00 fine now them fines are in the high thousands making it not worth the effort.

Down south fishing in one state the striped bass party boats fish in the EEZ. They contribute monies to a slush fund to pay their 100.00 fine if caught outside the three mile limit. Make the fines where it will hurt them in their wallet and even confiscate a boat or two.

Here when you have ten commercial striped bass boats fishing in the EEZ getting their 30 bass behind a dragger hauling back they scatter when the enviromentals show up and the cops only nab one boat and they get a slap on the hand.

I use to live and hunt in Texas. Those boys know how to deal with poachers. They would have taken his boat and truck....at the ramp.

Well at least they got him and if caught again its a second offense. Yes a $1000 for a large amount of poaching is pretty low. Trouble is as the fines get big these guys will hire lawyers and find some way out. Seems to me though that a hidden compartment , etc means he's really "in the business" of poaching.

Guy was bringing the fish back to ma and selling them.....to bad they did not follow him to the state line and pull him over right after he crossed the line.....The ma epo's would have been able to cite him as well.....435 pounds @ $2.75 a pound = $1196.25

if I remember correctly, this guy is a multiple offender, and then some

Well at least they got him and if caught again its a second offense. Yes a $1000 for a large amount of poaching is pretty low. Trouble is as the fines get big these guys will hire lawyers and find some way out. Seems to me though that a hidden compartment , etc means he's really "in the business" of poaching.
Let them hire a lawyer. Those costs will probably be a hell of a lot more than the actual fine.

Bonus points if these scum start hiring lawyers and still lose.

$100.00 per pound...........$43,500.00 SHOULD STOPPED HIM FROM DOING IT AGAIN.

IMO, he should lose his commercial license for 5 years for a first offense, and permanently on a second offense.

Get caught driving with a BAC of .08111111 and you lose your license.

Loss of license is a much bigger hurt than a fine he can recoup in a good day.

But clearly, he was only bending the rules in order to feed his family. Isn't that the argument? Kinda like how the drugs belonged to Ty Law's cousin? Petite only did it once? Roger misremembered?

I heard the recommendation going to the Director is 100 per fish .

Mike P ,, FYI he doesn,t have a RI commercial license ><><

The fine should be 5 times the retail value of the fish.. Plus confiscate the boat.
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In CT a few years back the fine was 50 bucks for an undersized bluefish. I watched 2 guys load a bucket and bring it to their car and put it in the trunk. An EPO asked how those guys were doing? I said " a hell of a lot better than me". I think i caught about a half dozen that day. They were leaving with their second bucket and the EPO's moved in, they told me after they left that it would be 50 bucks a fish. They had 30 over the limit.
Not that it really matters though, by species. I figure 250 a fish, rec or com, over the limit, undersized for stripers. Thats a good chunk of change for the state, so they would be happy and enough to really discourage poaching. Thats for the first offense. If you get caught again double it, and take the boat/vehicle. They knew better. Enough with these fines that are a joke. Make it hurt to really discourage it. Make signs at the launched stating the penalties for infractions. Maybe a nice diagram, kind of like a cartoon so everyone gets it no matter of the language they speak.

IMO, he should lose his commercial license for 5 years for a first offense, and permanently on a second offense.

Get caught driving with a BAC of .08111111 and you lose your license.

Loss of license is a much bigger hurt than a fine he can recoup in a good day.

You don't need a commercial license to sell fish.All you need is a place to sell them.In RI,where corruption is rampant,if you ask enough people you will find a buyer.Tough to take away somebodys livelihood in this economy but a BIG bite out of the wallet will discourage black market activity.You see a lot on the water including captains filling their boat with anglers just to get 2 fish per.Fishing is fun but greedy pigs will ruin it.

It shouldn,t start & stop with bass .

It should for any infraction of the state law for any species .

When I dug full time /all the time ;; there was alot pirating going on .
without getting deep into it . it was basically the same , until they started taking boats ... then some switched to not using boats ..

no license ..no problem / they couldn,t revoke what you didn,t have .

Another problem [issue] was then & still is ............many of the judges see it as >>>>>> Oh its just a fish .

A few months back I saw a lists of arrests one DEM officer who was actually doing his job .On the east bay .
They had listed the name , violation & fines ......... most were court cost or a donation ;; :wall::wall:

you know what we need.... A celebrity like micheal vick to get pinched.. Think about it Tom brady poaches striped bass on weekend trip..
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The fines need to be much higher or he will do it again and again.