Gregoire

Seeing as the angler was using multiple lines I would suggest that he was trying to catch a large amount of fish. If he he could prove that the fish he was catching were being used as food for his family I could see leniency, and no fine. Given the consequences and the fact that if he is caught again he will face jail time I would guess that he was profiting in some way. That is pure conjecture on my part.

Nice catch.

Some really good answers have already been given. Another thing I think should be considered are the light conditions of the previous day. If it was overcast and dark all day the day before I would consider going out first thing in the morning the next day as the light transition may trigger fish to feed, however if the opposite were to occur I would not rush to the water.

I think it's important to point out that this was his 5th violation. I like to think that all members respect the regs and would not need to worry about getting their license suspended yet alone banned from fishing for life.

They sell ray bans at costco

Once again a great read. Thanks for sharing.

Wow that is a huge brown, congrats!

Will do...to bad I won't be in town for the next tackle swap, sounds like there are some good deals to be had.

Where in Lachine did you get these baits, if you are willing to share. I am heading to see my parents next weekend in Montreal, and will b pretty close to Lachine.

I'm confused too...if you think it's been discussed enough already why do you keep opening this thread and adding comments?

I'm asking the same question because it has not been answered in my opinion. I share the opinion, as others do as well, that the discretion given to CO's in this instance is unnecessary. If you grow tired of this thread than stop opening and reading it. Do not make inflammatory remarks in an attempt to get a similar response. I will not respond in a similar fashion as I would like this thread to stay open so that those still wanting to discuss this issue can. Thank you for adding nothing.

Wow...I'm seriously jealous.

Again I'm not worried about getting charged, as I realize the chances are slim, it just irks me that theoretically a CO could potentially charge me for taking a pic of a 40" musky if he saw me in the act, or theoretically saw a pic of me holding one. Something about the smells bad to me.

I started this thread not because I am worried about getting charged by a CO, as I realize the chance of a CO coming up on you as you hook and land a musky is very low. It just bothers me that the regulations in Ontario leave room discretion on this issue. Why can't it be clearly stated that the angler is allowed to take pictures and measurements of a fish that is under the slot limit? (As is the law in some states) That would stop a "rogue" CO with an agenda from charging someone for taking a picture with a fish, which may occur after the fact. I understand the frustration that some people have about this issue, but I think it is worthy of discussion.

Wow...way to avoid answering the question.

In my opinion you did the right thing by cutting the hooks and releasing the fish quickly. I could see a CO coming over and asking you about your target species if he saw you using musky equipment while targeting Pike. I wouldn't think that you would have a problem though. To be honest I'm a little jealous as I have a buddy heading to Cave Run soon, and I won't get a sniff of a musky until the opener.

The message that should be sent whenever someone has a message about regulations is "read them yourself". Do not rely on someone else, as they may be basing their knowledge on bad information (maybe last year's regs). I was a bit of a jerk about it, but that was the point I was trying to make. In my opinion all responsible anglers should check the regulations at least once a year in order to stay up to date. I do not think that a CO would accept the excuse "but officer I read on a fishing forum that you are allowed to use two fishing rods from shore in this area".

The legend extreme is a sweet rod. St. Croix has one of the best, if not the best warranties in the business.

Custom rods can be great ways to go, but as Mike mentioned I think he is looking for an off the shelf model so that he can get a lifetime warranty, something that you cannot get from a custom build. With the amount of time he spends on the water, and the possibility that a client would use the rod I think off the shelf may be a better option. You mentioned getting recoil guides. A few of the people that I talked to about rod building have not had a high opinion of recoil guides. I have heard that they are noticeably louder and not worth the extra money. Hopefully someone with more experience and knowledge can chime in and give a more informed opinion. I've always love the look of the Cumara rods from Shimano, but if I had the money I would love to own a loomis nrx. Since loomis blanks as no longer available to builders this is also blank material that you would not be able to get custom made. Congrats on the wedding, remember happy wife, happy life.

I totally get what you are saying, and agree that one of the main reasons I keep coming back to OFC is to learn more about all things related to fishing. The point that I was trying to make is that the regulations are easily accessible online. I could understand if the original post was about a clarification of the regs, but that is not the way that I read it. One of my pet peeves is people who are lazy and want others to do simple things, like a google search, for them. I also would not want someone to base their knowledge of the regs based on a post in a forum. They are better off going to the original source, and as I just mentioned ask for clarification if they are confused.

There is this incredible website that was recently created to answer this and many more questions. www.google.com. Just don't tell anyone I told you about it.

Pike are closed so you would have to target trout, and it is a bit late in the season.

Kinda wished I read to comments or there was a warning attached to this thread. I found it very disturbing as well.

I'm seriously jealous of these reports. I only got out twice and never to my hotspots and I missed that really warm window. Nothing but lure washing for me. Hopefully when the season opens up again there are still some big girls hanging out in the shallows.

Hopefully the Jays will shock the league this year. It looks like they have the bats the pitching just needs to come along