The four men drove an hour south from Worcester, Mass. and cast their lines off the side of the Warren River Bridge.

In time, they would catch dozens of striped bass, each one under the minimum size requirement of 28 inches in length, and by 1 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 13, the men had piled back inside the 2004 Acura MDX and were heading home to central Massachusetts.

The trip and the money they stood to make selling the undersized stripers caught a snag, however, when a Barrington police officer clocked the Acura speeding along County Road. 

Officer Nathan DaCosta ordered the SUV over to the side of the road, and later, while standing at the driver's side window, smelled the odor of fish. He looked into the vehicle and saw fishing rods piled up; a subsequent search revealed the illegal catch — between 30 and 40 undersized striped bass.

Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management Law Enforcement Division Chief Dean Hoxsie said that each illegal fish carries a $100 fine, a potential penalty of between $3,000 and $4,000 for the four Worcester men. Chief Hoxsie praised the work of the Barrington police officer who discovered the undersized fish and filed a complete report.

DEM is now working with Massachusetts authorities to track down the Worcester residents responsible for further depleting the striped bass fish stock. Chief Hoxsie said the local officer's work, thoroughly documenting the crime, will help his department prosecute the case.

It will not, however, repair the damage done by the poachers.

"Striped bass are definitely on the decline," Chief Hoxsie said, adding that state officials may have to place a moratorium on keeping any stripers caught. 

Years ago that was the case, but more recently fishermen have been permitted to keep one striped bass of legal size — longer than 28 inches. Recreational fishermen who catch stripers longer than 34 inches much clip the right pectoral fin, so the fish cannot be sold.

Chief Hoxsie said the penalties for poaching could, should, be much greater. We would love to see where we could seize the boat, all the poachers' fishing tackle, said the chief. 

In fact, members of the Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association are hoping legislation will be passed in Rhode Island that does just that. Chief Hoxsie said something needs to be done to deter the illegal fishing activity. Each year, DEM nets poachers who catch undersized or too many fish, but far more escape with their illegal catches. They sell the fish to restaurants or their neighbors. 

"We find that a lot of them are not doing it to feed their families," Chief Hoxsie said. 

And many of the culprits are not from Rhode Island, he said.

"We see a tremendous amount of them from out of state coming in to fish Rhode Island waters," the chief said. "These people are well aware of the laws."

Sometimes the poachers target striped bass, just like the four men from Worcester. Other times they cast their lines for black sea bass or scup. Chief Hoxsie said DEM recently nabbed two men who had caught 31 undersized tautog off Sakonnet Point.

"This is common," he added.

Caught

RIDEM Law Enforcement Division Chief Dean Hoxsie praised the work of the Barrington police officer who caught four Worcester, Mass. men with 30-40 undersized stripers in their vehicle earlier this month. Chief Hoxsie said RIDEM often relies on municipal police departments to assist with enforcing the environmental laws, and he encourages residents to keep an eye out for potential violations. The chief said people should call their local police (401-437-3930) or DEM (401-222-3070).