Poachers Fines $3000

[Wes Bender]

A small blurb from yesturdays paper...

Too many fish costly for Nipigon pair

"Two Nipigon men were fined $3000 after pleading guilty to possessing 12 rainbow trout more than the legal limit."...

"Their fishing equipment and fish were forfeited to the crown."...

 

I can't believe this is still going on. When are people going to learn? I guess it is better for them and myself that they were caught by the MNR and not me. Holy smokes this makes my blood boil.

I just don't understand how some people can be so greedy. I am lucky when I keep more than 1 male steelhead in a season. (I am pretty picky when it come to taking steelhead for the table)

[Terry]

good to see them getting fined

[Fishnfiend]

Sounds like they got off too lightly IMO. At least they got caught, though.

[Wes Bender]

I forgot to mention they lost their fishing privilleges for 1 year.

 

I agree, they got off easy. $3000 is not enough.

Minimum $5000 and 10 years no fishing. Tarred and feathered, then paraded down the city street with a big sign reading. "I steal from everyone"

[BFSC Kevin]

i dont get it..

why do people take so much?

are they feeding a village or something?

[ADC]

Maybe they just didnt know?

Not everyone is versed with all the fishing rules/reg's.

 

However, Ignorance is no excuse.

 

I hear they can take your car as well as the hefty fines?

 

 

What would happen if you hooked a fish out of season(by accident), went to put it back but, because of bad luck the fish got hooked in a bad way and didnt survive and lay dead on top of the water.

 

Can they get you for that even though all intentions were good?

[Zib]

Nice to see them getting their due. The idiots will probably go out & do it again.

 

Here in Michigan the DNR can also impound your car & boat if you are caught poaching. You can also loose your fishing privileges for up to 10 years.

[Fishnfiend]

No, ADC, they won't charge you for releasing a dying (out of season) fish. It is your obligation to release it, regardless of condition.

 

And yes 'they' can take anything that aided you in poaching... boat, trailer, truck, car, all equipment.

[Wes Bender]

I think the only reason their vehicle was not taken was because they were fishing in a creek. So the only thing they lost was rods, tackle, waders, glasses. The vehicle wasn't used to pull a watercraft of any kind.

 

This is only what I think is the case. I don't know for sure.

 

Zib, unfortunatly you are probably right. I have heard of a few repeat offenders. Second time they were hit hard. I believe boats and vehicles were taken the second time. A big court battle ensued, and they lost.

 

This happens lost at the Border crossing as well. A friend wife is a customs agent. I call her up and put in my order and she 'takes' it..haha

kidding

She says there are numerious vehicle/boat seisures every summer. It is much more of a pain for the Americans because they have to catch the bus home and then find their way back to Canada to attend court in hopes of getting their stuff back.

 

Some nice boats go up for auction every year.

[keram]

What would happen if you hooked a fish out of season(by accident), went to put it back but, because of bad luck the fish got hooked in a bad way and didnt survive and lay dead on top of the water.

 

Can they get you for that even though all intentions were good?

 

Nothing will happen ( you won't be charged for anything ). You did the right thing.

[ADC]

thanks Keram and FishnFiend,

 

I wasnt sure and was a little scared.

 

Last weekend I went fishing and I hooked a bass (well 11 of them) but not on purpose. And one of them just got hooked too deep and didnt make it and was left on top of the water dead.

 

I felt really bad about it and wasnt sure if I would be in trouble.

 

And no, I didnt keep any of the bass and all but the one went back in the water safe and sound.

 

Thanks again for the clarification... I feel much better.

Edited June 8, 2007 by ADC

[bassmaster4]

This is kind of off topic but ADC said about taking ur car so i was fishing a while back and there were two men fishing and a conservation officer or whoever does the license checking checked for a license and i heard the guy say he was visiting from Europe but the guy took their car anyway. Do u need like a temporary license or soemthing if there is such thing if your visiting?

[Wes Bender]

Everyone with a fishing rod must have a licence to use it. (There may be age exemptions I am un sure of)

Non residents can buy a non resident licence.

[fishindevil]

Well i think the fines should be alot higher and put jail terms in there as well the more deterent the better,at least they are nailing some of the poachers 1 pair down another 6,000 to go.... .

[Rich Clemens]

Good to see they were caught and at least had to pay some consequences, albeit a small one. It's a shame this is only one small drop in a very large bucket.

[carp-starter]

ADC

 

You must release all fish that you catch out of season – dead or alive.

 

That you released 11 bass (??) but not on purpose (“I hooked a bass (well 11 of them) but not on purpose”) was good.

 

By releasing the 11 bass was good. But because you released 11 OOS bass, you were fishing illegally.

 

The law states that you cannot target out of season fish.

 

If I hook one OOS bass, one can consider that it was an accident. If I hook my 2nd OOS bass, I should move to another location where I think there are no OOS bass.

 

If I hook my 3rd OSS bass, one would consider that this was NO ACCIDENT. One would consider that I was TARGETTING OOS BASS and THIS IS NOT LEGAL.

 

You are doing harm by taking a OOS bass out of water because once you do, all the other fish will go after the baby bass that the bass you took out of water was protecting.

 

carp-starter