Six local anglers say a misunderstanding with fishing regulations has them on the hook for $48,000, but officials in Ohio say their story doesn't hold water.
The men pleaded guilty last week to 30 charges stemming from a fishing trip to Lake Erie in late April when authorities say they reeled in 141 more smallmouth bass than they were allowed.
Those pleading guilty include Freelan Leffew, 66, and Herbert Stephens, 58, both of Soddy-Daisy; Samuel Carroll, 65, and Charles Burkhart, 67, both of Ringgold, Ga.; Michael Leffew, 38, of Hixson; and Freddie Warren, 63, of Wildwood, Ga.
The plea means authorities will keep the three bass boats, two freezers and 155 bags of frozen fish they confiscated from the fish camp on South Bass Island. The fishermen also will have to pay fines and can't get a fishing license in 34 states for the next three years.
Ohio regulations allow anglers to catch five smallmouth bass per day, but Gino Barna, supervisor of Lake Erie law enforcement branch for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, said the men were "triple-tripping" or returning to camp to unload fish before wetting their lines again.
"They would go out in the morning and catch a limit, clean the fish and go back out," Mr. Barna said.
Mr. Burkhart said he and the other anglers thought the fishing limit was five fish per trip onto the water and were surprised when officers told them they had been under surveillance for three days.
"The aggravating part is they sat up there and watched us for three days without saying anything," said Mr. Burkhart, who acknowledged the group should have checked the guidelines.
Attempts to reach the other anglers were unsuccessful and messages were not returned.
The longtime fisherman said he couldn't remember fishing anywhere that had "trip limits" rather than day limits, but said they were going off what locals had told them.
Mr. Barna thinks that's a fish tale.
"They knew better than that," he said.
Mr. Burkhart acknowledged the mistake, but said the officers should have notified them on the first day they noticed violations. He also said confiscating the boats and suspending the licenses was too severe.
"Three years when you're our age makes a big difference," he said. "We might not be able to get back and do it."
Mr. Barna said the limits are important because they ensure the lake's ecosystem remains in balance.
"These guys are the exceptions to the rule," he said. "The vast majority of anglers abide by the limits."