Using shorts for bait and they wonder why there is a recruitment problem with Fluke
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August 20, 2009
Party boat crew accused of illegal fluke fishing
Officials: Crew used small fish as bait
By KEVIN PENTON
KEYPORT BUREAU
State wildlife officers working undercover as anglers have accused the captain and first mate of a party boat of illegally killing undersized fluke to use as bait to boost the chances of their customers catching bigger fluke.
Five customers on the boat, identified as the Big Mohawk, were issued summonses for what the officers said were fishing violations, according to a statement by the state Division of Fish and Wildlife.
The captain and owner of the boat, Christopher W. Hueth, 48, of Spring Lake; first mate James R. Dugan Jr., 50, of Belmar and another crewman, Michael A. Worrall, 32, of Hamilton face thousands of dollars in penalties if convicted of summonses issued for a variety of violations witnessed by undercover officers, the release said.
The division said that during a deep-sea excursion Saturday, the officers saw other fishermen keep undersized fluke — also known as summer flounder — and throw the short fish onto the fillet table, where the crew chopped them up for bait.
"The fish were then filleted while crewmen repeatedly bragged that the Big Mohawk caught more fluke than other party vessels because it used summer flounder as bait," the release said.
Officers counted at least 25 undersized fluke on the boat that were filleted for use as bait, the release said.
It said that in New Jersey, recreational fluke must be a minimum of 18 inches long, and only six are allowed to be caught by a person each day. The rules were implemented to ensure that the summer flounder stocks are not overfished.
Hueth received summonses for discarding fluke parts before docking and for filleting fish under the minimum size limit, state officials said. If convicted, his special permit that allows party vessels to fillet fish at sea may be suspended for up to for 60 days, the release said.
Dugan was cited for discarding fluke parts and filleting undersized fish, state officials said.
Worrall was cited for selling seven fluke to two patrons, the release said. It said that under state law, fluke can only be sold to an authorized dealer.
Each violation carries a fine of up to $3,000.
Hueth referred questions to his lawyer, Raymond Bogan, who could not be reached for comment.
The five people who were fishing on the boat and the summonses issued to them are:
Jung K. Cha, 56, of Wayne, possessing three undersized fluke.
Jong N. Kim, 56, of Palisades Park, Joseph V. Mercurio, 54, of Newton and Stephen J. Thomas, 56, of Hillside, taking five fluke in excess of the daily limit.
Scott S. Rever, 40, of Basking Ridge, taking one fluke over the daily limit.
The anglers face a $30 fine for each fluke they took illegally.
The conservation officers went undercover after receiving tips about the use of undersized flounder aboard the Big Mohawk, state officials said.
Source:
http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/art...=2009908200380
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