Hidden Compartment Holding 11 Striped Bass Leads to Arrests at Cape Cod Boat Ramp

Two anglers returning to the Smugglers Beach boat ramp in South Yarmouth late Saturday night told Massachusetts Environmental Police they had caught and kept two striped bass. Officers found 13. According to a post from the Massachusetts Environmental Police, the boarding took place at 11:45 p.m. on Saturday, September 19. After the two fishermen declared their two fish, officers continued inspecting the vessel and located a hidden compartment beneath a storage box in the bow. Inside were 11 more striped bass.

What Officers Found

Officers measured all 13 striped bass recovered from the boat. Seven were longer than the 31-inch maximum, and one was shorter than the 28-inch minimum. With a possession limit of one fish per recreational angler, 11 of the 13 fish put the pair over the legal limit. The search didn’t stop at stripers. Officers also found an undersized cod in a bait bucket.

The Charges

Both men were arrested and taken to the Massachusetts State Police barracks in Yarmouth, where they were booked on five charges:

1. Possession over the recreational limit of striped bass
2. Possession of oversized striped bass
3. Possession of undersized striped bass
4. Failure to display catch upon demand
5. Possession of cod in Southern New England waters

They were released on personal recognizance and were arraigned Monday, September 21, at Barnstable District Court. Police confiscated the fish and disposed of them in the best interest of the Commonwealth. As the Environmental Police noted, all individuals are considered innocent until proven guilty.

A Reminder on the Striped Bass Slot

The recreational striped bass limit in Massachusetts is one fish per angler per day, and that fish must measure at least 28 inches and less than 31 inches. The slot is designed to protect both younger fish and the large, highly productive spawning females that the coastwide stock depends on for its rebuilding. Fish outside the slot go back in the water, no matter how many you’ve caught.