Thousands of Californians spent opening weekend of trout-fishing season breathing fresh mountain air and trying to catch their five-fish daily limits.
But on Sunday, a day after the official opener, wildlife officers chased down a suspected poacher and found him to be in possession of more than four times the legal limit.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced Thursday that it had received a tip on its hotline about a man who seemed to be exceeding his limit near Antelope Lake in eastern Plumas County.
Two officers responded and one of them was first to spot a vehicle matching the description left by the caller.
The vehicle was “leaving the area at a high rate of speed,” CDFW stated on Facebook. “The officer followed and observed several vehicle code violations. He had to drive about 1.5 miles with his emergency lights on to close the distance and conduct a vehicle stop. ”
The other officer arrived shortly thereafter and both officers searched the suspect’s vehicle after he had claimed to have only five trout in possession.
By law, he could have had 10 trout in possession – five for Saturday and five for Sunday. But the officers discovered 54 trout, averaging 2-3 pounds apiece, stored in the angler’s ice chests.
He was cited for “gross overlimit of trout,” according to the CDFW, which is still investigating. The angler faces a possible fine of up to $1,000 for each of the 44 misdemeanor overlimit violations.
–Image courtesy of California Department of Fish and Wildlife
