Live Bait bought in one BMZ and transported to an adjacent BMZ

[RickOnt]

With the new rules is this allowed?

I have read and reread rules and still unclear?

I asked in a local bait store and they said no while another said its OK.

So whats right or is this a mater of interpretation

Thsnks

[Big Cliff]

These new regulations are becoming so complicated it's almost impossible to understand them. We have been trying to figure out FMZ 10 and the changes and even the boundaries. One of the places we fish is VERY close to FMZ 11 and the regulations are quite different but we can't find a map that clearly shows which zone we are in.  There are so many exceptions for so many bodies of water and a lot of it would be up to the CO to determin what's what. 

As far as transfering live bait between BMZs my understanding is you are not supposed to. 

[porkpie]

38 minutes ago, Big Cliff said:

These new regulations are becoming so complicated it's almost impossible to understand them. We have been trying to figure out FMZ 10 and the changes and even the boundaries. One of the places we fish is VERY close to FMZ 11 and the regulations are quite different but we can't find a map that clearly shows which zone we are in.  There are so many exceptions for so many bodies of water and a lot of it would be up to the CO to determin what's what. 

As far as transfering live bait between BMZs my understanding is you are not supposed to. 

Hi Cliff,

Here is a link to a zoomable copy of the FMZ legal boundaries if you have not already found it. 

https://files.ontario.ca/mnrf-en-2_0/Fisheries-Management-Zone-10-BB13.pdf

[RickOnt]

I hear ya Cliff  It does make things more challenging

Especially for us more mature guys  LOL

I am goona try to talk to a CO and see what he says.

 

[AKRISONER]

honestly, this crap is so confusing ive basically given up trying to understand if what I am doing is wrong or not. I know not to take bait from down in southern ontario and use it on back lakes up north...thats about my interpretation of the rules.

Case and point, we recently did something unintentionally "psuedo illegal" but literally got stopped by the MNR and they didnt even care, or maybe the rules were unenforceable because of our physical location? Seems like unless you egregiously attempting to transport bait to use in an innapropriate zone, you may run into an issue...but my most recent trip and stop by the mnr...no problem at all. 

We bought bait in zone 16 and brought it up to our place to fish with it on Georgian Bay...totally legal, except for the fact that we were staying in zone 15. The funny part though, once we are in the boat back in georgian bay fishing, what we are doing is 100% legal, but taking the bait into zone 15 is illegal. At least I think so?

Now, yes, if I were to go fish in zone 15 lakes with zone 16 bait...thats a pretty straight forward issue, and I get the idea of protecting zone 15's lakes from problems that exist in zone 16 lakes, but the idea of me launching my boat in in penetanguishene vs launching in honey harbour suddenly making me a law breaker is outright funny. 

[CrowMan]

Nothing much has changed for 2024. It would seem you can now transport the bait through an adjacent BMZ, but you still can only use the bait in the BMZ it was acquired in..

I guess if you bought minnows in Ottawa, you could now legally drive through southern Haliburton to get to Owen Sound and use them there...yeah crazy 

[AKRISONER]

I’m still confused by “direct through”

but I believe what it is attempting to resolve is my very predicament regarding using bait in the Great Lakes in a legal bmz purchased from an appropriate bmz but needing to travel through a bmz where it would not be legal to use the bait.

what I alluded to in my post, that somehow launching in honey harbour instead of penetang would make you a criminal if you had live bait lol.

knowing how regulations are written, the purpose of the direct through term, ensures that there is no ability to stop and camp in a different bmz but claim that you have no intent of illegally using your bait. Otherwise you could clean your hook off as the MNR runs up on you and claim that you’re only carrying live bait to keep it alive.

Pretty sure that one’s going to be up to the CO’s discretion, either way I don’t intend to stop legally purchasing bait and using it in an appropriate bmz just because I have to drive into an “illegal” bmz before I can put the minnows in the minnow bucket at the dock.

Edited January 26 by AKRISONER

[pics]

I fish lakes along the King horn road in Greenstone. Unfortunately, one side of the road is 7 and the other 6 and we have had to switch to artificials due to the difficulty of obtaining live bait since we aren't even supposed to trap our own... outfitters are few and far between..

[CrowMan]

Maybe I'm missing something but aren't 6 and 7 in the same BMZ ?

Edited February 1 by CrowMan

[pics]

10 hours ago, CrowMan said:

Maybe I'm missing something but aren't 6 and 7 in the same 

I guess it would be.. 

[misfish]

Lots of changes. Just received this. Maybe old news.LOL

Here are just some of the highlights:  

• helpful changes to provide anglers flexibility when transporting baitfish and leeches 
• new slot sizes to promote the conservation of walleye and sauger on Lake of the Woods 
• updates to zone-wide seasons and limits for northern pike, walleye and smallmouth and largemouth bass in FMZ 10  
• alignment of FMZs 10 and 11 seasons and limits in the French River for northern pike, largemouth and smallmouth bass and walleye to make the rules easier to follow
• additional fishing opportunities for brook trout and lake trout in FMZ 8 and FMZ 10
• modifications to fish sanctuaries in FMZs 10, 11 and 18 
• removal of single-line exceptions in FMZ 9 (Lake Superior) and FMZ 19 (Lake Erie)