Well, they can't be everywhere all the time. Certainly isn't enough of them that's for sure. And when you seen an infraction, do you call and report it?

I Agree!!

If he does get awarded Angler of the Year.....I will boo him right there at the Banquet!

I said "most" and it is from personal observations. When you see entire fleet of boats running as fast as they can from the enforcement officer it is a safe bet that "most" are breaking some law.

there are over 7000 striped bass permits issued in massachusetts.

when you see that fleet, i bet you could pick out which guys are actually commercial fisherman, and which guys are weekend warriors looking to play commercial fisherman and trying to line their pockets.

and there's more
 

rumor has it, guess who hit a 58# fish last night. Poacher(?) if said unconfirmed story be true, yeah he is. One hell of a fisherman if the 58+ be true, unquestionably. If you think you can cull through fish until you catch the numbers he puts up I think your dreaming. Most comm are not "cheats": poaching, fishing the eez, fishing out of state. And lastly who said that a sometime comm can't "line his pockets".

If the rumors are true, I will be right next to ya big guy!:rude:

:wave: that would be me.
i say, they should stick with their desk jobs. if you want to be a commercial fisherman, put your money where your mouth is and go full time. part time fisherman don't have the obligation to the resource like full time guys do. if times get tough, they don't have to go, they'll just stay at their desk.

True, partially - to be able to catch a 58# bass means you are both lucky - the 58#er had to be there and Good - you had to know based on experience where that fish is likely to be, able to fool it, and get the fish into the boat. I don't think many are doubting the skill of someone commercial fishing for bass. Most of us cannot get out with anything approaching that kind of frequency, both to take a crack at that fish and to develop all of the skills.

As for the EEZ part, I firmly recall going to to an Amendment IV hearing a couple years ago at the Holiday Inn in Dedham where both of the Mass Commercial Bass fisherman said to Paul Diodati and the rest of the panel that they do in fact go well into the EEZ, beyond 12 miles if necessary, to catch all the fish they can sell.

Now as far as what comms do what and how often, I don't know. Half the time we find out because they get caught, how many don't get caught??

what's wrong with that?

the 50's he caught are still quite an accomplishment

How did he catch them?:hs:

on a rod and reel from a boat supposedly

I think I know where too, but I am not a spot burner.

Been saying this for year's:

x number of lisc. sold divided into total #'s....your aloud say 2000#'s..your done for the season,,but the fisheries folk's just want the season over with as fast as possiable.again no man power to check on the who's got what.

fishery folk's say open the eez because we don't have the man power to cover the state water's .one more thing off their back.again no man power.

epo's say get 10 call's per day...if you talk to them [on the side] they'll tell you they can only check out 2-3 of those call's..epo is at the ditch,,get's a call from someone in ptown. has a trunk load of short's..sorry can't get there in time to catch them.again not enough man power.

charter boats shouldn't be aloud to sell sb. period.

SM<It's not only comm.fisher's that cull bass...you should have seen the floating dead at the end of monnomoy long after the selling season was over...all by the rec. boat's culling their catch. You wouldn't have needed to wet a line to bring fish home.//Comm.'s and rec's,,I put them all in the same boat. No one is beyond cheating.

saltwater tournament's have and will alway's be nothing but fish killer's... in this day and age none are needed to prove one's catching abilities to other's.One's own worth should be prize enough.

Big deal the guy caught a 58 lber. That means he is a great fisherman and he can do what ever the heck he wants. I don't really care if he was catching 16 lb fish he was caught breaking the rules. Just because it was a large fish we should be in awe of the guy. As far as lining my pockets I pay for my license and follow the rules and until that changes that is all that counts. Besides I am far from lining my pockets. P.

My Fish
 

It is true I caught another nice fish last night and I would like to defend my self as the one everyone hates so much

one of the reasons I have grown sour on fishing tournaments over the last few years is because of cheating. The day I saw a 5 pound largemouth weighed in and "released" was a day I cant get out of my mind when I think of tournaments. The 5 pounder was "released" right into the livewell down at the docks when they thought no one was looking :eek:

Is it you Bill?
 

If so lets hear it. Did you get caught poaching?

Mike

For one, I'd like to hear what you have to say. Rumor mill has both that you were paoching and that this information will come to some sort of official light. Please tell us what happened and why you did it.

Thanks,

John

Most of us hate poachers, yes it's true.
Go ahead and defend yourself if you are who you say you are.

One question from me, did the EPO's make you put the 4 fish back in the water to feed the crabs, that were above the legal limit?

Here's an idea, how about if an "actual commercial fisherman" (who is one of the honest ones) or even a "weekend warrior" get an EPO on his boat so they can easily motor up to the fleet and start checking fo short scup etc. ? Cops get to ride in unmarked cars, why can't the EPO's?

I think the bottom line is, stiffer penalties are needed to discouraged unethical and illeagal fishing practices.

I have been advised to not say anything yet by my attorney just give me the benefit of the doubt

whos stopping you from doing that?


Majyaday...i doubt you are going to find many people will be giving you the benefit of the doubt.

All as I can say at this point is that I live to fish stripers.I fish for them 5 days a week when there in wheather its comm or Im just having having fun catch and release when I have a couple of buddies on the boat and I am out trying to catch a big fish sometimes I catch upwards of 50 Bass a night and if I don t catch a big one I will come in without a fish in the boat.When everything is final I will explain my situation it was a bit of a miscue on my part but in know way am I a poacher and I do not want to be known as one.I hope you all have a safe fishing and everyone get an opertunity to catch a big fish.
Bill Major

clambelly :)
nobody is stopping me, but I am not an epo, not a comm fisherman either.
and I doubt any epo would want to go anywhere in my 11' garvey.
It's just a suggestion to something sandman brought up is all.

Bill, good luck trying to explain your situation, and welcome to S-B.com
most recs. don't take miscues like yours lightly, especially those of us who fish from shore.

I understand its nice to meet you

Bill,
Don't know you, but am impressed at your standing up to face the music on this board with your first posts. You obviously know how to catch and find large. You're in a pickle and it's become a public one. Been there.... Is why I think it speaks volumns that you signed in, admitted a 'miscue' without trying to beat your own drum. So I will have no further comment until the process is complete.

Thank You

I can't give you the benefit of the doubt as I don't know you nor can I - at this time - villafy you without knowing more of what is going on (yet). As for "miscue", if you are such a live for stripers kind of guy that you state then you surely know what the rules are. I've made a handful of "miscues" in the past when young and dumb but not since learning the rules and becoming old and dumb.

But don't listen to an attorney on this, there are no good attorneys ('cept for those angling brethern here on S-B that are lawyahs).

I have to believe the epo had probable cause to cite the guy and summons him to court. But in Massachusetts nobody is ever guilty of anything. All the attorneys went to school together. They all go to the same monthly bar association meetings. They all want to be judges to get the $112,000.00 dollars a year. And none of them rock the boat. And all of them do whatever is necessary to get thier client off, because the LAW protects them in that endeavour.

Bill,

Whatever happened or whatever you`ve done, as others have said, I`ll wait to see the outcome.

Some nice Stripers you`ve caught by the way.

Mike

Personally having come from the freshwater bass fishing tournament scene and seeing what the pressure for success did to the Mass bodies of water, I'm not surprised. I didn't sign up and don't plan to support saltwater tournaments. Maybe I've mellowed with age, but I can't see promoting killing the resource for bragging rights.

I can't speak for what actually happened, but if officials inspected the boat and found 4 additional or even 2 additional bass, that's not a misque; it's poaching. It's only a misque if you can't add one striper and one striper = two stripers and the rest are released; even then it's poaching. I have no problem with people taking their legal limit, I love a good striper filet on the grille, but raping the resouce because you have no respect for the law warrants serious ramifications.

I am not privy to the facts, so I'm not casting judgement, but if the numbers are true; I say throw the book at him.

If it was a miscue why lie to the EPO's and tell them you only had 2 fish. If it were a time related mistake you'd have said "I have 6".

How bout the miscue of not having the boat registered? You told the EPO's you "Just bought it" Funny I saw you in that same boat when you showed me the 56#er on Devils Bridge a while back.

Was it also a miscue bragging that you left the EPO's and moved to the back of the islands and continued fishing?

Word travels fast and you never know who your talking to.

MA EPO telephone number is 1-800-632-8075. If your a MA tax paying resident give the EPO a call for them to prosecute poachers to the full extent of the law.

If what is alleged to have happened - that you were caught before 07/12/06 with more then 2 bass in your cooler, then it seems pretty cut and dried that you were poaching and not having a 'miscue'. Not hard to count to two, and pretty easy to know when you have gone past it. You obviously are an accomplished angler, and know how to take huge bass, but that should not allow you to keep above the limit. If you are out 5 days a week and know how to catch them, then why would you feel it necessary to put some extra away in preparation for the opening of the season? I don't fish the tournament, and don't know how this ties into the tournament directly, but I am sure that this will put a dent in whatever reputation you had enjoyed.

Pete

Bagged Tagged & Processed
 

Goodbye Bill :fishslap:

Thanks Terry :musc:

Sounds like u put urself in a unfortunate position.Contest or not, all we have is are integrity.It appears u are drivin by fishing an u seem to be pretty good at it.Ur the top gun right now the man to beat.It's a shame ur rep will be tarnished whether u straighten this out or not.
I hope it all works out for u an u can have peace of mind.
It's a good lesson for everyone one,
One oh sh!t whipes out ten attaboys.

In our system of justice, EVERYONE is innocent until proven otherwise. Let's give Mr. Major his day in court before all of us hang him. By the way John R, there are alot of honest, great lawyers out there. Get in trouble sometime and see how quickly your opinion changes towards these professionals.

i,ll wait to see the propper justice,, bm your ass is on the line right now all around ...if u r innosent good for u . if not ,,your screwed.. lies n stories will hurt u ..b ready to defend your self

I f you do not have integrity...you have nothing! Honesty and integrity are nothing you can get back once lost....folks will always look at you in that light.:hs:

Steve - don't misinterpret something that was tongue in cheek