DEC: 11 Illegal Bass Seized in Hudson Valley

Two Newburgh fishermen are accused of illegally possessing 11 largemouth bass. Recently, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation was contacted by someone who reported he saw two people on Lake Washington in the Town of Newburgh taking "buckets and buckets" of fish, including largemouth bass, which are out of season until June.

The caller also provided officers with a detailed description of the suspects' vehicle and license plate. Officers soon found the car and allegedly noticed a bucket inside containing a large amount of fish.

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The officers began searching for the fishermen and soon located two people who matched the description provided. As the ECOs watched, one person received a cell phone call and the two men proceeded to nervously pack up their equipment, according to the DEC.

The fishermen allegedly hid a bright orange bucket behind a bush which contained a large number of legal crappies.

However, the ECOs also found a stringer nearby with five largemouth bass on it, police say.

The fishermen later admitted to having six more largemouth bass in the back of their vehicle, the DEC said in a press release.

The 11 illegal bass were seized and the fishermen were issued several tickets for possessing largemouth bass out of season and fishing without a freshwater fishing license.