I guess it's not illegal to cull striped bass in NJ as it is in MD. People just don't think before posting on social media and it comes back to bite them in the ass. I wasn't impressed by his video. Reminded me of Capt Buddy!....... Gary
Not defending him, but looks like they hit a school of fish all at once. Bringing in 2 fish per rod, unhooking and then going to catch more. Who hasn't had that experience? The guy that threw them back was doing the right thing. I saw some say they were dead, not sure how you can say that with a short video clip.
Not all people think the same or do the right thing when you are on a school of fish. You fish while the school is still there. I guess they should have just stopped fishing.
Ah, no. They are bunker chunking. There is no "hitting the school", and only one bait. You go to where they are at, and (right now) catch as many as you want. It's been really, really good for a couple of weeks now, which is why all the internet heroes think they can fish. Not sure what he was thinking there, that's a no, no, as in NO cameras, and NO fish go back.
I think culling/high grading rockfish in NJ is illegal. Even if it wasn't...he's gonna get busted for being over the limit. If you don't immediately release a fish, you are in possession. He had his limit on the deck then landed 4 more and put them on the deck too...so not only was he over the limit...he was high grading too. He would have been fine in NC even with gaff holes.
He's gonna get off, maybe with a slap on the wrist if anything, and he'll become a more brazen and obnoxious douchenozzle than he already is.
Based on his ol man's comments in the article, he gets it honest.
His own professor is even saying that he was culling I hope he gets slammed, I am tired of seeing deep pockets evade the law. I hope he goes down Johnny bucktail style.
Guidos from Raritan Bay, Staten Island and thereabouts are the equivalent of MD Eastern shore SMIBS. Short of zip tying them to 12 feet of galvanized 7/16", and taking them offshore, there's nothing to be done...Hypothetically of course...
I saw on another page he was bragging on instagram that he got off. I also read that his dad is in the mafia. There was an article where his dad ( the owner of the boat) was interviewed. He cursed and talked the part so who knows maybe its true. Either way it was a very douchey video, poor fish handling and seemingly culling of fish.
Made me sick to see what he did on his video and don't care for his attitude, but I just saw this on his FB page.. Was probably forced to say something...
John Contello
35 mins
"As a 19-year-old who loves to fish (and who has been fishing every chance I can get since I can barely remember), I feel terrible about the backlash over my recent video. Despite what it may look like on the video, I want to be 100% clear in saying not one of the fish we threw back over the side was dead; yes, five fish in the cockpit (one per angler) were going home, but every other fish that came over the rail was unhooked and released – none floated, they all swam away as green as when they first came to the side. I know the video looks bad folks, but it’s not what it seemed – and forgive my excitement, it was a mad dog bite and we were all very excited. I’ve released a lot of big fish over the years and have taken great care in those trophy releases – perhaps I need to be more respectful for the teens and 20’s we’re catching and releasing too, I got the message. So maybe I have more to learn, and I’ve spoken to quite a few knowledgeable captains and anglers in the past few days who have offered a lot of good advice – to those who have reached out personally to offer guidance and friendly recommendations, thank you! To those who have threatened me, my family, my school, and anyone who has ever known me, much less fished with me, I hope you will consider what those actions mean to others. I’m confident that I’ve not done anything wrong legally (and welcome the discussion with enforcement folks monitoring this ongoing madness), but if perhaps if I’ve treated this great fish in a way other than with the great respect it deserves, I’m sorry – and I’ve learned a great deal from this experience."
Made me sick to see what he did on his video and don't care for his attitude, but I just saw this on his FB page.. Was probably forced to say something...
John Contello
35 mins
"As a 19-year-old who loves to fish (and who has been fishing every chance I can get since I can barely remember), I feel terrible about the backlash over my recent video. Despite what it may look like on the video, I want to be 100% clear in saying not one of the fish we threw back over the side was dead; yes, five fish in the cockpit (one per angler) were going home, but every other fish that came over the rail was unhooked and released - none floated, they all swam away as green as when they first came to the side. I know the video looks bad folks, but it's not what it seemed - and forgive my excitement, it was a mad dog bite and we were all very excited. I've released a lot of big fish over the years and have taken great care in those trophy releases - perhaps I need to be more respectful for the teens and 20's we're catching and releasing too, I got the message. So maybe I have more to learn, and I've spoken to quite a few knowledgeable captains and anglers in the past few days who have offered a lot of good advice - to those who have reached out personally to offer guidance and friendly recommendations, thank you! To those who have threatened me, my family, my school, and anyone who has ever known me, much less fished with me, I hope you will consider what those actions mean to others. I'm confident that I've not done anything wrong legally (and welcome the discussion with enforcement folks monitoring this ongoing madness), but if perhaps if I've treated this great fish in a way other than with the great respect it deserves, I'm sorry - and I've learned a great deal from this experience."
Looks to me as though he has a good speech writer. Kind like G.W. Bush after no proof of wmd's. I'm a republican so before you start turning this political, don't! Just seems like a speech like that makes you look even more guilty. All he had to do was video the fish swimming away after the high dive routine and all would be fine. The way those fish cut through the water they sure looked dead to me, looked as if there was no attempt by them to swim away. The way they hit the water they were in my opinion floaters! 30 seconds of more video of fish in water would have been icing on the cake. Sorry but the poor bastard is guilty! In my opinion anyhow.
There were other videos on his page showing floaters. And I thought the same thing with how they went through the water. A live fish doesn't banana back toward the surface.
He's probably learned not to post his dead fish on Facebook.
Collectively, rec fishermen are their own worst enemy!
And the internet has made the situation much worse, especially the chest-thumping, overcompensation need to demonstrate to others how "great" a fisherman someone is.
Collectively, rec fishermen are their own worst enemy!
And the internet has made the situation much worse, especially the chest-thumping, overcompensation need to demonstrate to others how "great" a fisherman someone is.
People in general are their own worse enimies........ Gary
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