CT Striped Bass Poachers Busted

Canine patrol dog sniffs out poachers haul.

On December 17, 2024, two officers with the Connecticut Dept. of Environmental Conservation were patrolling the Housatonic River when they located a group of six anglers engaged in fishing along the bank. As the officers watched, they observed one of the fishermen carry a large object into the nearby woods and return empty-handed.

Contact was made with the anglers, two of whom had no fishing license. A subsequent canine patrol soon located four bags in the nearby woods containing a total of 34 striped bass buried in the ground and covered with leaves. The fish ranged from 12.5 to 25 inches in length, well below the current 28- to 31-inch slot limit.

As a group, the anglers were cited for 64 striped bass violations and two license violations, and were issued fines totaling $4,974. All fish were seized and donated to a non-profit group.