Is it legal to target off-season fish with immediate releases?

[okumasheffield]

A coworker took me out on his boat to fish for walleye/crappie @ Rice Lake this morning.

 

while struggling to get hookups, I noticed couple boats were fishing heavy weeds with largemouth-specific equipments. Even though all bass they caught were immediately released by the boatside, I figure it would be against the regulation?

 

I mean, there is a difference between catching off-season fish when your setup is for other species & targeting off-season fish with immediate releases?

[bigredfisher]

this question has been asked many many times, the answer to your question is ........drum roll....... NO

[okumasheffield]

this question has been asked many many times, the answer to your question is ........drum roll....... NO

 

I should have reported them then.

Edited June 6, 2011 by Okuma-Sheffield

[aplumma]

Lets try it again please keep it in a positve direction.

[Terry]

it is illegal to target OOS fish

 

even if you are targeting in season fish, but keep getting OOS fish you can be charged..you need to move on to a new location

 

 

and if you take a photo, they have the right to shoot you right there

 

 

 

 

ok was kidding about the last part..

Edited June 6, 2011 by Terry®

[Lunatic]

They could have been targeting Pike. pike take bass baits and hang out in areas bass like. hard to tell sometimes.

[chris.brock]

If a bass is pulled off it's spawning bed, it doesn't take long for a rockbass/ perch etc to move in and eat the fry, even if the bass is quickly released the damage may already be done

[irishfield]

I was just hopin Art would stick with his original plan...

[Michael_Brown]

They could have been targeting Pike. pike take bass baits and hang out in areas bass like. hard to tell sometimes.

 

No pike in Rice Lake, possibly muskie but unfortunately some unethical anglers target OOS fish. That is why we like the CO's on Rice. They do a great job but always appreciate tips called in. Even if they can't respond immediately they will watch areas of concern.

[Grimace]

I was just hopin Art would stick with his original plan...

Yup. The Kawartha weed bite walleye is a lovely one. It makes people look bad at times I am sure. Especially when the hard up so called pros have no more articles to write except the "spinner bait walleye" bite. The area is grey. I hate poaching but the evidence you have laid forth comes up short. Way short.

[Pigeontroller]

Lots of boats targeting Bass on Pigeon Lake this weekend...

[Bernie]

There were guys casting for bass on Nipissing as well.

I gave up saying anything.

[jediangler]

Legalities have gray areas.

You should have asked "Is it ethical to target OOS fish?"

Answer: No it isn't.

[danbouck]

[eyefish]

FYI...while not abundant in Rice lake (yet) there are indeed pike in Rice lake..I myself have caught 2 in the last 4 years I've been fishing rice for about 15 years no pike before that though.

[singingdog]

I periodically flip jigs for musky when they aren't responding to faster presentations. Am I targetting bass? Absolutely not. Does it look like I'm bass fishing? Absolutely (except for the tieable wire leader). I do the same for walleye. On one lake I fish, the most productive method for catching them once the sun is up is to prowl a weedline in 8-10' of water and flip smaller profile "bass" jigs and tubes into weed pockets. In both cases, I am targetting one species, both of them in season.

 

I have been approached by folks slow-trolling for walleye and accused of OOS fishing for bass. If they are well-intentioned, I don't mind it (even though they could just as likely hook a bass with their presentation as I could with mine).

[corvette1]

great answer singingdog looks wrong but its not wrong

[Jer]

Lots of boats targeting Bass on Pigeon Lake this weekend...

 

 

How can you tell? How close do you need to get to see what someone is targetting? We were out on Pigeon on Saturday throwing big baits in shallow water. Were we targetting bass? Absolutely not. Even though the lightning shortened trip accounted only for a 3lb walleye, two 3lb bass & 0 musky.

[Roy]

How can you tell?

 

I guess they were in a bass boat wearing Bass Pro Shop apparel pitchin' Bassassassins on their flippin' sticks, Jer.

[Homer Is King]

The MNR website has a FAQ page on fishing regs.

 

http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/en/Business/Enforcement/2ColumnSubPage/198397.html#closed

 

Here is what it says on this very topic:

 

 

CATCHING FISH DURING THE CLOSED SEASON

Question Re: Catch and Release

I often see bass in the shallow waters early in the summer but before the season opens. Can I practice catch and release fishing during the closed season as long as I immediately return the fish to the water.

 

Answer:

The question is often asked whether or not a person can catch and release fish during the closed season. The answer is no, it is unlawful to target (fish for) closed season fish. Different fish species occupy different habitats and employ different feeding strategies; this is why fishing for bass requires different tackle and methods than fishing for lake trout. Fishers are expected to alter their fishing methods to suit legally targeted species and avoid out of season fish.

 

Occasionally non-target species are caught, when this happens anglers are legally required to release the fish immediately back into the waters where it was caught and in a manner that causes the least harm to the fish. When non-target fish are caught the angler should re-assess the location, tackle and fishing methods they are using. It may be advisable to alter one or more of these variables to avoid catching out of season fish.

 

 

[OhioFisherman]

If a bass is pulled off it's spawning bed, it doesn't take long for a rockbass/ perch etc to move in and eat the fry, even if the bass is quickly released the damage may already be done

 

One of my leading objections to the Bassmaster tour and them seemingly glorifying sight fishing. If they were actually so concerned about protecting the species? Or is too much money involved?

[Terry]

Legalities have gray areas.

You should have asked "Is it ethical to target OOS fish?"

Answer: No it isn't.

 

funny I see it differently then you

 

is it illegal..no grey area for me I say yes

 

Is it ethical to target OOS fish....

interesting question.....

 

many areas have year round fishing for the same species that in the next zone is closed for most of the year..so does an imaginary line change the ethics of a person

bass spawn when water temps are above 60 deg f

 

so when the bass are on a feeding frenzy in April and bite anything that swims is it illegal or unethical

well if you are in most of southern Ontario it is illegal much of northern ontario it is legal ...

 

so if it is legal it must be ethical...because your personal morals have nothing to do with the law, so it should not be part of the discussion

 

so the way I see it if it's legal and ethical to fish bass all year where TJ fishes ,then how can it be unethical to fish for them where I fish for them

 

however it is illegal to fish for them, when they are OOS here so I do not fish for them..but unethical.....don't go there

IMHO

[Guest ThisPlaceSucks]

so the way I see it if it's legal and ethical to fish bass all year where TJ fishes ,then how can it be unethical to fish for them where I fish for them

 

It has to do with angling pressure and population density, not "ethics". Imagine the pressure on spawning fish if the kawarthas for example, had a year round bass season.

 

I see your point, but there is reasoning behind the different seasons.

[mercman]

Terry makes alot of sense here. Ethics and laws are 2 completely different animals,and that makes it difficult to debate at the same time.

 

 

[manitoubass2]

Locally, I've seen CO's turn blind eyes to people targeting sturgeon here, even though it's closed ALL YEAR.

 

That had me confused, at first I actually thought a person could target them, based on what I had seen, Of course I have the regs so after I checked I knew better(this is when I very first moved here).

 

But still, right down from my house there is a place locally dubbed as "sturgeon alley", and it gets fished all year. A nearby tackle shop has literally hundreds of photos of sturgeon all caught in a small area here????

 

This has me more concerned then bass in all honesty, because sturgeon numbers are pretty low, and it takes along time for these fish to grow in comparison to bass.

 

The CO's come through frequently and seem to have a handle on people drinking in the boat or over limiting on walleye, I wonder why they don't enforce the rules in regard to sturgeon????

 

I should also mention that this happens on the American side as well

Edited June 6, 2011 by manitoubass2