Question for the Board

[eyefish]

I would like to know what everyones take is on this subject.

 

An angler's daily possesion limit on the rivers is 2 fish right. If One of the board members witnessed an angler catch 2 fish and keep them both..(which is entirely legal and I have no problem with I guess). Would you expect this angler to leave the river with fish in tow, or would you be ok with watching this angler continue to catch fish after fish. I personally would expect this angler to leave and go home with his 2 fish.

 

Any thoughts?

 

Todd Crowley

[walleyejigger]

i think said angler would be poaching as he would technically be in possession of another fish before he releases it ( if he caught another)

[DRIFTER_016]

By law you are supposed to stop fishing when you have retained your limit.

That is why when I am keep ing fish I don't fill out my limit until late in the day.

[kickingfrog]

By law you are supposed to stop fishing when you have retained your limit.

That is why when I am keep ing fish I don't fill out my limit until late in the day.

 

 

That's not the way the Ontario regs are written.

 

 

http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/198219.pdf

 

 

Fourth page top right.

Edited April 1, 2009 by kickingfrog

[walleyejigger]

thanx kicking frog, learn somethin new everyday

[Joey]

I see lots of people continue to fish after they have their limit. The do catch and release.

 

Some people never keep any fish all day doing catch and release, how is that any different?

 

I see no problem with it.

 

Joey

[Mike the Pike]

I see lots of people continue to fish after they have their limit. The do catch and release.

 

Some people never keep any fish all day doing catch and release, how is that any different?

 

I see no problem with it.

 

Joey

 

I agree with you Joey.But what would they MNR do if they caught someone.Big$$$$$perhaps

[eyefish]

The reason why it would be different is because the person that is practising catch and release only never has in their possesion more than than the limit.

 

WOW I'm with jigger learn something new everyday!

Edited April 1, 2009 by eyefish

[Mike the Pike]

Question is can you fish or are you allowed to fish for another species.But you can't control what bites the line.

[irishfield]

That's not the way the Ontario regs are written.

 

 

http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/198219.pdf

 

 

Fourth page top right.

 

Yah.. but you were there for the lecture Rob! Remember we have CO's that feel if you net or lift the fish out of the water you have possessed it and have not immediately released it. Take a picture of a zero possession fish and he'll charge you for sure... at least Bruce Ward out of Midland will if it's a Muskie ! So in this case his "rules" would apply to someone already retaining their limit.

 

Why many anglers live release in the hole on simcoe, when still fishing for the other species, after getting their two whities or lakers.

[kickingfrog]

Yah.. but you were there for the lecture Rob! Remember we have CO's that feel if you net or lift the fish out of the water you have possessed it and have not immediately released it. Take a picture of a zero possession fish and he'll charge you for sure... at least Bruce Ward out of Midland will if it's a Muskie ! So in this case his "rules" would apply to someone already retaining their limit.

 

Why many anglers live release in the hole on simcoe, when still fishing for the other species, after getting their two whities or lakers.

 

I wasn't there for that one, I think it was Glen, I missed the pm that day.

 

Just shows that the CO's don't read the regs either.

[irishfield]

I thought it was the day we were all together... guess it was just me and Glen. Asked the CO on Nippissing the same question last summer and he told me it was what they were being preached out of Peterborough.

Edited April 1, 2009 by irishfield

[fishboy]

I've been told by a CO as long as you immediately release you're ok...sounds like the problem is in how each CO views "immediate"...

[bigfish1965]

It is the same if you had 4 in the freezer at home. You can fish all you want, but the fish go back. Remember, these are possession limits, not catch limits.

You can also fish musky with a conservation license, you just can't keep one. Some say that is unethical..but it is not illegal.

Anyone telling you otherwise should be told to charge you or leave you alone.

There is nothing in the Act that defines immediately releasing..it is only in the summaries and even there it implies that taking a pic of a fish you cannot possess is fine. Otherwise pics of fish in the slot could not be photographed.

[BillM]

I've been told by a CO as long as you immediately release you're ok...sounds like the problem is in how each CO views "immediate"...

 

Yup, that's the prob.. It's up to the CO if he is going to charge you with possession if you take the fish out of the water for a pic, etc.

 

Personally I think if you catch your 2, you should be done for the day.

[GBW]

Question is can you fish or are you allowed to fish for another species.But you can't control what bites the line.

good point! Some person could be in the river looking for a steelhead or 2 and the change over to trying to catch suckers for pike/musky fishing but be seen by a CO with another steelhead on the line (that does get put back right away) and cause problems...

[xeon]

Your limit is 2, this doesnt include released. If your not going to be keeping anymore, keep on fishing unless it was illegal (which its not). If worst comes to worse just say your catching atlantics. No CO would ever charge you with being in possesion of a fish if its in your net, thats ridiculous. Its the same thing if you acidentially snag a fish and are about to throw it back. They are reasonable people. What if you catch a sturgeon and you throw it back, no way you can get charged for that unless it was caught on purpose.

 

And he can catch and release all he wants after, maybe he just needs to kill an afternoon. He payed $20 to go fishing for the year, let him.

Edited April 1, 2009 by xeon

[irishfield]

Exactly Rick... and Zero possession fish like Sturgeon.. I always ask the CO but what about that??? and they never answer that one. Just harp about how the Muskie better not be brought aboard or held for a picture if you only have a conservation licence. Then I go to the glove box and give them a copy of the letter I have from the CO's and biologist out of the North Bay office, for them to take home and read in the can, that states they'd never even think of charging someone for taking a picture of an OOS fish... or they'd have to charge the guy that catches and releases all day as it's no different.

 

Dang... here we are in this again... lol

[irishfield]

Yup, that's the prob.. It's up to the CO if he is going to charge you with possession if you take the fish out of the water for a pic, etc.

 

Personally I think if you catch your 2, you should be done for the day.

 

 

I presume you meant to say if you KEEP your 2...

 

 

... but what's the difference if you catch and release 20 all day... or keep the first 2 and release the next 18. Same mortality rate in either case..

[bigfish1965]

I'd ask the CO where in the Act it says what he is stating. The summaries are not the law, the Act is. The Act makes no reference to these situations. It merely says you cannot possess the fish and possession is loosely defined by case law as handling of the fish so that a reasonable person could determine release is not intended. Putting the fish on a stringer is an example...but with the new culling laws, as long as you have a livewell, you are good to go all day.

[DRIFTER_016]

I presume you meant to say if you KEEP your 2...

 

 

... but what's the difference if you catch and release 20 all day... or keep the first 2 and release the next 18. Same mortality rate in either case..

 

The difference would be if you already have two on the stringer you have no wiggle room incase you catch a bleeder. So yes you could release your dead bleeder but if you only had one fish on your stringer you could add that bleeder to your stringer and not waste a fish or be unspotsman like by releasing a fish that is for sure going to die.

[irishfield]

I hear ya Drifter, I'm just playing devils advocate..... but there's no law against that. In fact it's mandatory by law to shove them dead... co ck mouthed slot sized pickeral back down the hole in the winter.

[BillM]

I presume you meant to say if you KEEP your 2...

 

 

... but what's the difference if you catch and release 20 all day... or keep the first 2 and release the next 18. Same mortality rate in either case..

 

Whoops, yeah I meant keep.

 

How would the mortality rates be the same if you were never allowed to sink hooks into those 18 other fish?

 

The math doesn't add up.

[irishfield]

You telling me that after you catch and release 2 Bill you stop for the day?

 

Didn't think so..

 

So if you catch 20 and let them all go...statistics say about to 15% to 20% die... lets say 4

 

If you keep 2 and release the next 18... there may be 3 or 4 dead as well...heck maybe 5!

Edited April 1, 2009 by irishfield

[BillM]

Wayne, I think you missed my point.

 

I was saying if it was illegal to keep fishing after your limit of two, the mortality rates wouldn't be the same.

 

Hell, maybe I'd be killing more fish by NOT keeping any lol