# 2,700 Pounds Of Rockfish



## rarod58 (Jun 24, 2010)

Arrested With 2,700 Pounds Of Rockfish In His Boat
Friday, November 26, 2010
Scott Wykoff and Associated Press 


Natural Resources Police have charged a Tilghman man with numerous striped bass, or rockfish, violations.

Authorities say on Nov. 10 they saw 55-year-old Jerome William Janda Jr.'s vessel leave the Kanpp's Narrows without using navigational lights. Officers confronted Janda, 28-year-old Jerome William Janda 3rd of Tilghman, and a third man on the craft.

Officers seized *2,731 pounds of untagged rockfish*.

Jerome Janda Jr. was charged with 21 counts of using striped bass allocation permits assigned to another and other offenses. Jerome Janda 3rd was charged with one count of aiding and abetting exceeding seasonal allocation limit of striped bass.

A court date of Feb. 17 has been set.


----------



## turboandy (May 30, 2000)

IHO, if they catch a poacher they should ban them for life from fishing.


----------



## RuddeDogg (Mar 20, 2004)

rarod58 said:


> Arrested With 2,700 Pounds Of Rockfish In His Boat
> Friday, November 26, 2010
> Scott Wykoff and Associated Press
> 
> ...


GOOD!!! I hope they fine his a$$ into oblivion.


----------



## hengstthomas (Mar 11, 2006)

Here's more in depth ..
http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/spor...ed_with_1.html


Commercial fisherman are allowed to catch striped bass by using three gear types: hook and line, drift gill nets and pound nets. Each gear type has specific poundage of fish that can be caught by each gear during specific periods of the year. A striped bass pound net and striped bass drift gill net license can not be held by the same licensee at the same time. All commercially taken striped bass must be tagged and checked into a designated check-in station.

Janda Jr. has a pound net license with a 3,760-pound quota. Reviewing his allocation card, it appeared to officers as though the waterman was 1,784 pounds over his seasonal quota.

However, a subsequent investigation found that Janda Jr. was illegally checking striped bass caught in a pound net as fish caught by hook and line. That meant Janda Jr. exceeded his quota by 7,568 pounds (2,273 fish). If the catch had been legally checked in, Janda Jr. would have reached his limit on Oct. 6, NRP said.

The pound net and hook and line seasons run from June 1 to Nov. 30.

On Wednesday, officers charged Janda Jr. with 21 counts of using striped bass allocation permits assigned to another, 19 counts of using striped bass tags assigned to another, 14 counts of exceeding seasonal allocation limit of striped bass, one count of possessing striped bass greater than 36 inches commercial size, one count of possession of undersize flounder and one count of possession of untagged striped bass. He also was charged with one count of operating a vessel at night without proper navigational lights.

Jerome Janda III was charged with one count of aiding and abetting exceeding seasonal allocation limit of striped bass and one count of possession of untagged striped bass.

A court date has been set for Feb. 17 in Talbot District Court. The maximum penalty for each count is $1,000, plus $1,500 for each striped bass. The investigation is continuing and additional charges are possible, NRP said."


----------



## hengstthomas (Mar 11, 2006)

RuddeDogg said:


> GOOD!!! I hope they fine his a$$ into oblivion.


I doubt it happens but I will have "Faith"

MD always seems to slap them on the wrists so they can do it again and again .. Dam shame !!


----------



## dudeondacouch (Apr 6, 2010)

turboandy said:


> IHO, if they catch a poacher they should ban them for life from fishing.


how would that help? if he's willing to break the law, a ban on licensed fishing is completely pointless. i think everything being used to break the law should be seized. boat, gear, truck, trailer, waders, gloves, hat, eyeglasses, EVERYTHING. and THEN he should be fined.


----------



## RuddeDogg (Mar 20, 2004)

hengstthomas said:


> I doubt it happens but I will have "Faith"
> 
> MD always seems to slap them on the wrists so they can do it again and again .. Dam shame !!


Then he needs to come up here and try that. A while back, a commercial boat was caught with a Hold full of Winter flounder by NJF&G. I was in court the day their case was heard. It worked out to be $725.00 fine per fish. They were asked by the judge when they could pay the fines, The Captain said that their boat was in dry dock being repaired and with 2-3 more trips they coukd pay the fines. Judge said that was NOT good enough and had their EMPLOYER pay the fines. Needles to say, when they went back out they fished for free becuase their employer held their paychecks.


----------



## thaimonkee (Oct 2, 2010)

$1000 for each count and $1500 for each striped bass? DAMN he is gonna go broke paying those fines...


----------



## French (Jun 18, 2005)

Not to be crass, but he should be fined, have the boat and car towing it confiscated (with no return) and be sent to become the girlfriend of a skinhead named "Tiny" in a Federal getaway. And, if he is ever so much found on a boat, it would be a parole violation. One fish over is an accident. 2000 over is flaunting each and every person who utilizes rockfish as a resource, both commercially and for sport.


----------



## HuskyMD (May 19, 2000)

Gonna have to agree - that man should never be allowed on a boat in MD...


----------



## SNDFLEE (Sep 8, 2010)

I HATE THEIVES AND POACHERS!!!!!!


----------



## SevernaParkFishH (Mar 29, 2005)

They should ban him from the bay period of any water activity recreational or work and take his boat in payment for the fish. or maybe even keelhaul him for the length of the bay, if he survives let him go!


----------



## sinisterfins (Sep 20, 2007)

He should be mounted on the wall of some office .


----------



## NTKG (Aug 16, 2003)

its MD. and he'll get if anything a slap on the wrist and maybe lose his license for a couple years? Look at the guys they caught a while ago..... sick

I bet if one of you guys is at the narrows at 1230 with a fish you'll get a hell of a fine..... Unless your an illegal immigrant who wont have to pay the fine if they even get cited.

The courts up there are just not very practical it seems. I'm sure its much more complicated than I'm making out to be, I'm sure someone sees a return on something..........


----------



## map120277 (Jul 17, 2008)

rarod58 said:


> Arrested With 2,700 Pounds Of Rockfish In His Boat
> Friday, November 26, 2010
> Scott Wykoff and Associated Press
> 
> ...


What is absolutey unbelivable? That this isn't his first time being busted. Freaking unreal :--|


----------



## thaimonkee (Oct 2, 2010)

NTKG said:


> its MD. and he'll get if anything a slap on the wrist and maybe lose his license for a couple years? Look at the guys they caught a while ago..... sick
> 
> I bet if one of you guys is at the narrows at 1230 with a fish you'll get a hell of a fine..... Unless your an illegal immigrant who wont have to pay the fine if they even get cited.
> 
> The courts up there are just not very practical it seems. I'm sure its much more complicated than I'm making out to be, I'm sure someone sees a return on something..........



You tellng me an illegal immigrant will not get fined? If thats true then thats completely messed up.


----------



## earl of DC (Jul 7, 2007)

we shouldnt be surprised, the govt hav been lettin the comm. fisherman get over for decades & you all wonder why fishin in the bay is a far cry from 10yrs ago.


----------



## Lipyourown (May 11, 2005)

So if this was in another state, they would have taken this guys boat?

At least they busted him. The penalties have been weak over the years in MD because local judges haven't had the balls to punish these guys. Backwoods politics. There is one group I know of that is pushing for harsher punishment and taking the cases in front of a federal judge who are not scared of the local watermen poachers. CCA. I do think penalties have gotten harsher in MD because of this. Let's see what happens with this latest bust.

I guess there is no poaching in other states around the bay because enforcement and penalties are so great in those states? Maybe we don't hear about the poaching because of a lack of enforcement in the first place?

Some can't even get the reduction fishery out of their part of the Bay.


----------



## hengstthomas (Mar 11, 2006)

Lipyourown said:


> At least they busted him.


But they have done that before and it didnt change anything . MD is a Greedy State thats run by lots of Crooked people that care nothing about "You or I" or the fisheries for that fact ... There are Comm's in MD for everything .. Crabs , SW and FW fish , Oysters ect .

I think IMO that all Comms should be paid for their gear and boats and be done with them all .. No more Comms . I am sure they will cry the blues but I be more folks are singing those same blues from the layoffs that followed 2009 .

No Comms makes everything EQUAL so no more blaming one group or another cause it will be ALL our faults should a fishery die .

BTW MD really needs to grow a set


----------



## hengstthomas (Mar 11, 2006)

thaimonkee said:


> You tellng me an illegal immigrant will not get fined? If thats true then thats completely messed up.


Read it again ..


NTKG said:


> Unless your an illegal immigrant who wont have to pay the fine if they even get cited.


Most times they do get cited but they never pay unless its stipulated right there and then BEFORE they leave the courtroom .. Delaware does this .


----------



## dirtyhandslopez (Nov 17, 2006)

hengstthomas said:


> But they have done that before and it didnt change anything . MD is a Greedy State thats run by lots of Crooked people that care nothing about "You or I" or the fisheries for that fact ... There are Comm's in MD for everything .. Crabs , SW and FW fish , Oysters ect .
> 
> I think IMO that all Comms should be paid for their gear and boats and be done with them all .. No more Comms . I am sure they will cry the blues but I be more folks are singing those same blues from the layoffs that followed 2009 .
> 
> ...


Agreed they need to grow a set.
But, you stop all the comms, where are all the restruants and seafood markets and baitshops going to get their fish from?


----------



## hengstthomas (Mar 11, 2006)

dirtyhandslopez said:


> Agreed they need to grow a set.
> But, you stop all the comms, where are all the restruants and seafood markets and baitshops going to get their fish from?


Maybe they need to catch their own  They could also sell "Poached" Fish retained from busts .. About bait .. learn to throw arties 
Seriously there isnt a median in this war so whats worse .. Eating Steak and NO Comms or Eating Fish until there aint no more .. We all know what gets killed as bycatch not to mention Comms do take A LOT (Many take more than "just their share") .. Lets also not forget the gear left and abandoned by Comms that continue to kill sea Life .
With better restrictions and guidelines we could all get along but its strayed too far off track with Greedy Arse people so now some serious measurements NEED to be taken .
I'd rather ban Saltwater Fishing ALL together for a year or 2 than to keep up with this BS ! 
The love of money is the root to ALL evil .. I am getting off my soapbox now .


----------



## Lipyourown (May 11, 2005)

dirtyhandslopez said:


> Agreed they need to grow a set.
> But, you stop all the comms, where are all the restruants and seafood markets and baitshops going to get their fish from?


I'd say MD DNR has just a good a set as the bordering states, if not more of a set in regards to busting poachers. Still weak though I agree. Take the theives boats!

Where will we get seafood: 1/2 the seafood consumed in the U.S. is farm raised now and alot comes from over seas. The writing is on the wall. Some will adapt, others will look for handouts. I'm not sure buying seafood from the bay is even the safest thing to do anyway.


----------



## Fishwander (Jul 2, 2010)

They ought to *impound * the boat.( Let them work off the expense of the boat to their employer )

At the current going rate for striper fillets in Baltimore Maryland, if it is $10.oo per pound, that means that their haul has a value of $27,310.oo.

The fines add up to $21,000

That means that if they poach another one night catch like this tonight, they would still have a surplus, and made $7,310.oo profit . 

They should add the value of the fish they caught to the fines,* after they impound the boat!!!* Maybe the employer would reconsider * ALLOWING the poaching *. The ships owner should bear some responsibility for their actions ($$).

Fishwander
If this story doesn't get you upset , remember that these guys are catching *our fish !!! *


----------



## hengstthomas (Mar 11, 2006)

Fishwander said:


> They ought to *impound * the boat.( Let them work off the expense of the boat to their employer )
> 
> At the current going rate for striper fillets in Baltimore Maryland, if it is $10.oo per pound, that means that their haul has a value of $27,310.oo.
> 
> ...


You got it 
Stripers here are 15 to 18 per POUND as of 3 days ago .


----------



## surfnsam (Apr 28, 2008)

what a disgrace and a slap in the face of every honest fisherman in MD


----------



## Fishwander (Jul 2, 2010)

Somebody ought to find out who the judge/ magistrate is who is going to determine the $$fine/jail time of the "perp".

Offer to take the judge/ magistrate out on a charter on a nice day : let him enjoy all the fun of striper fishing along with seeing all the work , bait preparation , etc. That way the judge / magestrate would know of what all it takes for a successful day .

I beleive that after a fun-filled, successful day of fishing , the judge wouldn't be quite so inclined to adminster merely a "slap on the wrist" penalty .

I just find it difficult to understand that a peoacher could be fined, poach for an additional night and pay his $21,000.oo fine , and still have a $7,300.oo profit to show for one night of poaching. 

Fishwander 

*The fines should be sufficient to pay for at least one Envireo. Police officer to frequent the poaching area. *
The ships owner ought to be fined for allowing poaching !
The purchaser / retailer of the illegal fish should be fined as well !


----------

