Multiple striped bass poachers in the Empire State went to great lengths to hide their crimes—but were caught, anyway. According to a recent New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) press release, the first notable striped bass poaching bust took place on Saturday, April 6.
That evening, Environmental Conservation Officer (ECO) McCarthy witnessed several people illegally catching and keeping stripers near Caumsett State Park in Suffolk County; the season opener for the species was on April 15. McCarthy immediately sprang into action and attempted to locate the illegally kept fish but was unable to do so. He called in a fellow wardens for support, who brought a trained dog to the scene that quickly sniffed out the fish.
“K9 Cramer alerted [the officers to] multiple fish buried in the sand and hidden behind logs and brush piles,” wrote a DEC spokesperson. “Officers recovered a total of 16 striped bass, measuring from 25 to 35 inches, and ticketed seven subjects for taking striped bass during the closed season.”