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Slot limit enforcement - Nipissing


Jonny

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Just found this out today...

 

A friend of mine was out this past week and a CO stopped his boat when he was on his way home. He had a limit of pickerel but one of them, when the tail was compressed, was inside the slot. The CO confiscated that fish (but not the others) and slapped him with a $180 fine.

 

That's an expensive fishing run.

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What do they gain, the fish is already dead, unless it was in the livewell. You would think the locals would care about obeying the slot size.

 

And all the while those km long gill nets trap anything from dinks to spawners... Pretty sad if you ask me.

 

Most of the eyes we pulled last fall were in the slot. Tempting, but not worth the risk.

 

And I'm sure the enforcement probably only catches a fraction of those keeping slot sized fish.

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That sucks about the ticket. I believe the regs say all fish are to be measured with the tail pinched.

 

Yes, it does. He should have known better. Expensive lesson on how strict the slot limit is. He says the fish was about 1/4" inside the slot with the tail pinched.

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I think that lodge owners should also inform fisherman that measurements are to be taken with the tail pinched (I didn't know this either), and it should be required by regulation to have a tape measure on board.

 

 

It says how to measure em in the regs. The only way to do that is with a tape measure.

I don't need another regulation that says I gotta carry a tape measure. I would just forget it and get busted for that.

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Jocko - thanks for sharing that info. As an annual visitor to your Lake Nipissing, my friends and I take no chances during our spring trip, and release all Walleye that are "close" to the lower or upper slot measurement. The lodge where we stay has ruler-stickers on their boats that show the slot clearly and also how to measure the fish, so there are no excuses.

 

I am surprised that the CO would bust your friend, if in fact as he says the "illegal" fish was only 1/4" over. Given rolling seas, and a flopping Pickerel, measurement can be challenging to nail it exactly. I always figured they would just warn a person if it was that close. Guess not.

 

This spring (Week 2) we were faced with very challenging conditions, high water, cold water, NE winds that wouldn't stop leading to muddy waters in all our favourite spots in NW Nipissing. So six guys fishing for most of the week caught zero Walleye under the slot. In 13 years this was a first. We had one day where we lucked out with some large Walleye, and even though we were wanting a feed, my buddy and I each returned one that we measured at just over the 23.5in top limit, when we (gently) compressed the tail. We felt good about it, as these big females would likely spawn again the next year, even though their best years were behind them.

And of course, we didn't want to risk what happened to your friend.

 

Our reward came late that same day, when believe it or not, my buddy and I each landed 25+ inch Walleye. We did keep these and were able to make a nice meal for all six of us at camp. As it turned out, it was the ONLY taste of Walleye we got for our week, and $1800 vacation dollars. :-)

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Regardless of water conditions, or waves, or whatever I can't see a good excuse for not getting an exact measurement on a fish. If it's close and you are unsure, throw it back.

 

He got what he deserved.

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I am surprised that the CO would bust your friend, if in fact as he says the "illegal" fish was only 1/4" over. Given rolling seas, and a flopping Pickerel, measurement can be challenging to nail it exactly. I always figured they would just warn a person if it was that close. Guess not.

 

I guess, like you do Jim, it's best to play it safe. I try to do the same. I try to tightly compress the tail of a pickerel that looks under slot and not so hard on one that looks over slot. If it's close, back she goes.

 

Too bad you didn't get more eating-size under-slot fish, but it sounds like you had a decent catch anyway. Hopefully a few pike and bass too to liven things up. But it sucks that the weather is so unsettled this year.

 

He got what he deserved.

 

Yeah, I guess so, but if it's as close as he says it was, well, he's not too much of a criminal. :D

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Too bad you didn't get more eating-size under-slot fish, but it sounds like you had a decent catch anyway. Hopefully a few pike and bass too to liven things up. But it sucks that the weather is so unsettled this year.

 

My buddy is a die-hard Walleye fisherman, so we never gave up targeting the 'eyes' back trolling on the bottom, even though we were pretty sure we could have got into some nice Pike if we through in a spoon or Rap, near the surface. In fact, a bunch of guys came into camp the day before we left and did just that ... and caught a mess of Pike. Unfortunately one of them caught a nice Walleye right beside us, and kept it, even though we were dam sure it was smaller than the two we had released one day earlier. Back in camp, this dude didn't even want to let the camp owner see it, or us. we got a look at the fish hut, and it was CLEARLY in the slot ... nice 22in. fish ... if that. It's people like that who know full well what they are doing, that really pissed me off. where is the CO when you need him.

 

Although this year sucked overall, just like same time prior year (with near identical conditions). we still had a blast, and over the years have often been able to 'limit' on those little 14" - 15" buggers. haha

We shall return to try again.

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If the guy was that desperate for some good eating he could have done up one of the pike, instead of being an ass, as well as illegal, by keeping a slot fish and sneaking around with it.

 

Some people...

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Make no mistake about it. They will get you Every chance they get.

no they dont! i know all of the co's in the north bay district as i work with all of them and most of them are understanding depending on circumstances not all but most then again we all agreed the fish was in the slot whether it was a mistaken measurement or not therefore a fine is given rules are to be followed i suppose.

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I agree with those who say a regulation for a tape measure is too much.

 

As for CO's, I've met some straightforward ones while fishing and hunting; I've also met some sly and nasty ones.

 

Here's a tip. NEVER volunteer information to a CO. Many of them will approach you in a very friendly manner and just kind of "shoot the breeze" with you. But they're looking for you to say something suspect. Keep it simple and truthful - show them what they want to see, answer direct questions, and leave it at that. They can nit-pick enough without you helping them by raising red flags about stuff you may not even know about.

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Well you can call it the way you see it, but I wouldn't "mess" with a CO. Keep it simple and courteous. He can write you a fine, or confiscate, and it can be a hell of a lot of trouble to fight it, even if you're right and you win. Not much skin off his nose but he can make it so you have to jump through some hoops.

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I think that lodge owners should also inform fisherman that measurements are to be taken with the tail pinched (I didn't know this either), and it should be required by regulation to have a tape measure on board.

 

 

and not only that, but, we have no slot here...so why do I need a tape measure

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