Big catch, bigger fine

A Kingston resident is facing 32 misdemeanor charges and thousands of dollars in fines for being greedy. At the beginning of August, Shannon Newsom was caught with his hand in the fishing bucket, so to speak.

Newsom is a fishing guide, and was the guide during this particular event. He had three people on the boat with him for a fishing tour. Unfortunately for him, two of his guests were undercover game wardens.

By law, a single fisherman is only allowed two striped bass — 20 inches or longer — per day. This limit is for regular or hybrid striped bass.

Oklahoma Game Warden Trey Hale said in a press release there is a specific way of doing things to keep the natural order in place. If a fisherman catches more than the limit, they must throw the extra fish back in.

There is a reason for the limit, and it’a a biological one. The bigger fish are needed to reproduce to keep the lake a prime location for striper fishing.

A representative at the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation said they could not discuss the case because it is still under investigation. He also did not give his name.

An online search shows Newsom faces 32 charges of Overlimit 20 inch Striped Bass. This carries almost $8,000 in fines. He is also facing a Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor stemming from the same incident. This carries a fine of almost $300.