According to the DEC, fishermen in the Hudson Valley and across New York State got "greedy" and got "caught" for illegal fishing.

On Thursday, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation released its weekly Police on Patrol. Among the new items were a number of people ticketed for illegal fishing

Ulster County, New York

On April 20, DEC officers decided to conduct a check of a fisherman taking trout and keeping them on a stringer. The fisherman was in possession of six trout, with three more than 12 inches in length, according to the DEC.

DEC
DEC
loading...

The DEC states you are only allowed to take five total trout with no more than two fish over 12 inches in the area of Rondout Creek.

"The unlawfully taken fish were seized and the fisherman ticketed for taking trout in excess of the limit and taking trout out of slot size. The tickets are returnable to the Town of Wawarsing Court," the DEC said in a press release.

Nassau County, New York

In Nassau County, officers responded in the early morning hours of April 21 to reports of multiple anglers keeping excess and undersized striped bass in the village of Great Neck.

DEC
DEC
loading...

"The caller claimed they observed the fishermen placing bags of fish into the back of a vehicle. When confronted by other anglers about these illegal fish, the fishermen left the scene and went to a nearby gas station on foot. ECO Pabes met the caller and the suspects at the gas station where they denied any wrongdoing and had no fish in their possession," the DEC stated. " ECO Pabes noticed that one of the suspects had car keys on the table next to him, but claimed to be getting a taxi home. Suspicious, the Officer waited next to the vehicle reported by the caller."

A few minutes later two suspects jumped into an SUV and sped away, officials say. Pabes followed. Following a high-speed chase, the driver confessed to illegally taking striped bass and driving without a license, according to the DEC.

Five undersized striped bass were seized and donated to a wildlife rehabilitator. The driver was given tickets for undersized and excess striped bass, failure to stop at a stop sign, and unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.

Suffolk County, New York

DEC
DEC
loading...

Then on April 25 in Suffolk County, an officer patrolling Caumsett State Historic Park Preserve noticed a fishing party from a distance. Officer DeRose and his partner K9 Cramer went to search the area.

The men claimed they only caught porgy and turned over their cooler for the officer to search.

"ECO DeRose, suspecting there was more to the story, deployed K9 Cramer to take a closer look. K9 Cramer showed a lot of interest in an area thick with vegetation," the DEC stated in a press release.

Thanks to the K9 the DEC officer allegedly found three undersized striped bass in a black plastic bag, buried in the sand under the vegetation.

DEC
DEC
loading...

The three fishermen were removed from the beach and issued eight tickets for violations including possessing undersized striped bass and taking striped bass unlawfully using J-hooks. J-hooks make it easier to catch fish, according to the DEC.

On Friday, April 1 a number of new fishing regulations took effect in New York State.

Some of the changes include:

Creatures Emerging From Hibernation in the Hudson Valley

There are many different creatures that hibernate during those colder months, like other mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and insects according to New York State Parks Department.

See what sort of animals could be waking up in your Hudson Valley neighborhood in March and April.

25 Most Instagrammable Places in the Hudson Valley

Here are the 25 most Instagrammable places in the Hudson Valley that will sure to have people hitting that like button.

25 Best Coffee Shops in Dutchess and Orange County

We've put together a list of 25 best coffee shops located in the Hudson Valley

More From WIBX 950