The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Police: Fishermen fined for catching too much carp from Connecticut River
CROMWELL — Three fishermen are facing fines totaling more than $4,200, after state environmental conservation police say they were found with dozens of carp caught from the Connecticut River.
The river is considered a “trophy carp body of water,” the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s Environmental Conservation Police said in a statement posted to Facebook, meaning anglers have a daily limit of one carp under 26 inches in length.
The agency said over the weekend an officer was called to the river after a report of “three males over bagging on carp.”
When the officer arrived, police said they found a “a large carp hanging out of a cooler” while the three men fished nearby.
“The three men were cited for having no fishing license, over the daily creel limit on common carp and exceeding the amount of rod and reels being used per person,” police said. “Overall, over $4,200 in fines were given to these men.”
A photo shared by the agency showed 32 of the fish lined up on the
grass. The agency said the fish were seized and donated to an animal rehabilitation.
Long considered a nuisance fish or undesirable catch for anglers, carp fishing has gained popularity in Connecticut, according to DEEP. The fish, which are a less colorful version of ornamental koi fish, can grow to over 40 pounds in the wild. Unlike “Asian carps” found in the Midwest, carp are
not considered an invasive species in Connecticut.
With fishing for carp gaining popularity, the state instituted daily creel limits for anglers in 2018. The rules limit anglers to five fish per day in most areas, with only one fish over 30 inches in length allowed. The one fish under 26 inches rule applies to all trophy carp waters. Those areas include all of the Connecticut River, Batterson Park Pond in New Britain, Squantz Pond in New Fairfield, and West Thompson Lake in Thompson.