Due to the increasing trend of fishermen catching “out-of-season” fish and posting pictures of their catches on Facebook and other social media, the state Department of Environmental Conservation has put a new fishing regulation in effect (Source: Syracuse.com) that makes the practice a “ticketable offense.”
The new regulation, which took effect April 1, is listed in the new DEC fishing guide that one gets when he or she buys a fishing license. It’s listed on page 52 under the “General Take and Possession” heading. According to the fishing guide:
“A person may not fish for a species (even if immediately released) during the closed season for that species on a given water. Fish caught during the closed season must be unhooked and released immediately. They may not be handled for any other purpose, including taking a picture.”
Taking a picture of an out-of-season fish can result in a ticket from an environmental conservation officer. The resulting penalty can be a fine of up to $250 fine, and/or 15 days in jail.