Fishermen get booted from New Haven's Grand Ave. bridge in flap with boaters
Published: Tuesday, July 13, 2010
By Abbe Smith, Register Staff
asmith@newhavenregister.com
New Haven police have cracked down on people fishing from the Grand Avenue Bridge over the Quinnipiac River. Fishermen Arsenio Rivera talks about encountering police.
NEW HAVEN — When the fishing was good, you could see a dozen fishermen leaning against the railing of the Grand Avenue bridge in Fair Haven watching for a tug on their line.
It’s a fishing culture that is driven by a love of the sport, but it’s also a way to put food on the table. And people in the area say fishing on the bridge and at nearby Quinnipiac River Park is a tradition that goes back decades.
But recently, complaints emerged from boaters who say some fishermen are less-than-courteous about lifting their lines to allow boats to go through.
Plus, fishing from the bridge is illegal; there are even signs on the bridge prohibiting it.
Several weeks ago the city began cracking down on the fishermen.
The problem was aired on the website SeeClickFix, where boaters complained of hooks flying past passengers’ heads and the occasional beer can being tossed their way.
“In the beginning, they used to be courteous,” said boater Daniel Kay. “They would lift their lines if you honked your horn.”
But recently, Kay says he has had negative experiences with some fishermen when he tried to pass under the Grand Avenue bridge.
In one instance, a five-inch lure with triple hooks bounced off his windshield and flew between his face and another passenger.
“I don’t have any ill will against people who are fishing, but at least be courteous,” he said.
And if people insist on fishing from the bridge, Kay wishes they would do it somewhere other than the boat channel.
Kay said he has called police, the state Department of Environmental Protection and the city’s Public Works and Parks departments to complain.
“It’s a huge problem. I’ve had beer cans thrown at me,” he said.
Another local boater who declined to give his name for this story described similar experiences when he tried to pass under the bridge.
“Their bait is hanging over your head and dripping on you, but what’s worse is the hook I had bounce off my windshield last year,” the man said, adding: “Someone is gonna lose an eye. It’s a matter of time.”
But fishermen in the area describe the scene as laid back with boaters and fishermen acting courteous to each other.
Arsenio Rivera, 66, has been fishing the Quinnipiac River for 45 years. He was fishing on the bridge a couple of weeks ago when police came and told about 15 people to reel in their lines and “get out of here.”
“They chased the people from the bridge,” he said. “We are all good people. We try to have a good time, catch a fish.”
On a recent day, Rivera fished from the shore of Quinnipiac River Park, with the expanse of the Grand Avenue Bridge in the background. He said the fishing is better from the bridge, but no one will go back there for now.
From the bridge, Rivera caught a 32-inch striped bass – a keeper, he says. Anything over 28 inches is allowed to be kept. Rivera has his fishing license and says he tries to follow the law. He says he never saw the kind of negative behavior described by boaters.
Leotha Joyner recently fished from the shore of Quinnipiac River Park, the same place he usually fishes.
“This is my sport. I’m not into football or basketball,” he said and laughed.
Joyner has seen people fishing from the bridge, but not recently. Not since the city cracked down. He and others who fish from the park try to arrive when the tide is flowing or ebbing. That’s when the fish are most active active. When it’s low tide, the water is too warm for striped bass to be out looking for food.
Before police clamped down on the no-fishing-from-the-bridge rule, fishermen could be seen hanging out there from dusk long into the night. The crowd has been conspicuously absent for the past week or so.
City Public Works Director John Prokop, who oversees care and management of the bridges, said the “no fishing” rule serves to keep the right-of-way open for pedestrians and keeps debris off sidewalks. The rule is also meant to ensure safety of boaters in the waterway beneath the bridge.
“Last year, we seemed to have more complaints on the Grand Avenue bridge than we are experiencing so far this season. However, after receiving a number of complaints two weeks ago, we did notify the police and asked for their assistance with the bridge activity and it appears to have subsided,” he said in a statement.
Contact Abbe Smith at 203-789-5615.
Published: Tuesday, July 13, 2010
By Abbe Smith, Register Staff
asmith@newhavenregister.com
New Haven police have cracked down on people fishing from the Grand Avenue Bridge over the Quinnipiac River. Fishermen Arsenio Rivera talks about encountering police.
NEW HAVEN — When the fishing was good, you could see a dozen fishermen leaning against the railing of the Grand Avenue bridge in Fair Haven watching for a tug on their line.
It’s a fishing culture that is driven by a love of the sport, but it’s also a way to put food on the table. And people in the area say fishing on the bridge and at nearby Quinnipiac River Park is a tradition that goes back decades.
But recently, complaints emerged from boaters who say some fishermen are less-than-courteous about lifting their lines to allow boats to go through.
Plus, fishing from the bridge is illegal; there are even signs on the bridge prohibiting it.
Several weeks ago the city began cracking down on the fishermen.
The problem was aired on the website SeeClickFix, where boaters complained of hooks flying past passengers’ heads and the occasional beer can being tossed their way.
“In the beginning, they used to be courteous,” said boater Daniel Kay. “They would lift their lines if you honked your horn.”
But recently, Kay says he has had negative experiences with some fishermen when he tried to pass under the Grand Avenue bridge.
In one instance, a five-inch lure with triple hooks bounced off his windshield and flew between his face and another passenger.
“I don’t have any ill will against people who are fishing, but at least be courteous,” he said.
And if people insist on fishing from the bridge, Kay wishes they would do it somewhere other than the boat channel.
Kay said he has called police, the state Department of Environmental Protection and the city’s Public Works and Parks departments to complain.
“It’s a huge problem. I’ve had beer cans thrown at me,” he said.
Another local boater who declined to give his name for this story described similar experiences when he tried to pass under the bridge.
“Their bait is hanging over your head and dripping on you, but what’s worse is the hook I had bounce off my windshield last year,” the man said, adding: “Someone is gonna lose an eye. It’s a matter of time.”
But fishermen in the area describe the scene as laid back with boaters and fishermen acting courteous to each other.
Arsenio Rivera, 66, has been fishing the Quinnipiac River for 45 years. He was fishing on the bridge a couple of weeks ago when police came and told about 15 people to reel in their lines and “get out of here.”
“They chased the people from the bridge,” he said. “We are all good people. We try to have a good time, catch a fish.”
On a recent day, Rivera fished from the shore of Quinnipiac River Park, with the expanse of the Grand Avenue Bridge in the background. He said the fishing is better from the bridge, but no one will go back there for now.
From the bridge, Rivera caught a 32-inch striped bass – a keeper, he says. Anything over 28 inches is allowed to be kept. Rivera has his fishing license and says he tries to follow the law. He says he never saw the kind of negative behavior described by boaters.
Leotha Joyner recently fished from the shore of Quinnipiac River Park, the same place he usually fishes.
“This is my sport. I’m not into football or basketball,” he said and laughed.
Joyner has seen people fishing from the bridge, but not recently. Not since the city cracked down. He and others who fish from the park try to arrive when the tide is flowing or ebbing. That’s when the fish are most active active. When it’s low tide, the water is too warm for striped bass to be out looking for food.
Before police clamped down on the no-fishing-from-the-bridge rule, fishermen could be seen hanging out there from dusk long into the night. The crowd has been conspicuously absent for the past week or so.
City Public Works Director John Prokop, who oversees care and management of the bridges, said the “no fishing” rule serves to keep the right-of-way open for pedestrians and keeps debris off sidewalks. The rule is also meant to ensure safety of boaters in the waterway beneath the bridge.
“Last year, we seemed to have more complaints on the Grand Avenue bridge than we are experiencing so far this season. However, after receiving a number of complaints two weeks ago, we did notify the police and asked for their assistance with the bridge activity and it appears to have subsided,” he said in a statement.
Contact Abbe Smith at 203-789-5615.
