Summer brings striped bass to the Seacoast, and striped bass bring poachers.

Every year, the New Hampshire Fish and Game Bureau’s conservation officers patrol area salt water fishing grounds, looking for people who are not following bass-fishing regulations. According to the state, anglers may keep two striped bass per day, each of which must be a minimum of 28 inches in length, and only one of which may exceed 40 inches. Recently, Fish and Game has increased their enforcement efforts, supplementing local conservation officers with officers from across the state. In the past two months, conservation officers have apprehended more than 20 poachers for striped bass violations and seized more than 50 illegal fish.

Bass poachers are issued a summons that works much like a traffic ticket, according to Lieutenant John Wimsatt, supervisor for Fish and Game law enforcement in the Seacoast. Poachers do not have to go to court, and, in most cases, are fined $120, although fines can go up to $1,000, depending on the nature of the poaching.

Bass come to the area starting in mid-May and stay through September, Wimsatt says. The poachers keep to the same schedule.

“It’s a yearly problem,” Wimsatt says. He acknowledges that the number of arrests this year is higher than usual, but says this is due mostly to Fish and Game’s increased surveillance. Also, this has been a particularly good year for catching striped bass, which brings more anglers to the region.

Fish and Game officers have caught poachers in the Piscataqua River as well as along the coast in Rye, New Castle and Hampton. Wimsatt stresses that the vast majority of fishermen obey regulations and do not cause any problems.
For more informaiton about striped bass fishing, visit www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Fishing/fishing.htm.