ODNR New Low for Revenue

[LOWE LIFE]

The law states that you can only take 4 fish per person..I have been fishing for 33 years. We always take the Boat limit.. I dont see a problem with that as long as you only take your boat limit not any more..So my question is after I put 4 in the box, can I catch and release???Or is that a crime too??

[ebijack]

The law states that you can only take 4 fish per person..I have been fishing for 33 years. We always take the Boat limit.. I dont see a problem with that as long as you only take your boat limit not any more..So my question is after I put 4 in the box, can I catch and release???Or is that a crime too??

If you put 4 in the box, your not supposed to fish anymore for that species of fish. If you put 3 in the box, then you can catch/release as long as you put them directly back into the water. I don't agree with it, but it's the same here in mich. Once you have your limit, your done fishing for that species. I've heard of guys being warned while trolling also. If you reeled in your limit, you are supposed to be done. ODNR is suppose to be cracking down on charter capt. also. No more giving the capt or mate's fish to the customers.

[walleyewhitetailpro]

I agree with Lowe Life. Boat limits don't bother me at all. But i'm not sure about stopping fishing once you have 4 walleye. I've never heard about that and have never read about it in the regulations. This doesn't mean that rule doesn't exist, but how are everyday fisherman supposed to know about this crazy regulation. If you limit out in 30 minutes or less, your supposed to just stop? What happened to enjoying the great outdoors. This would be impossible to enforce. After catching limit, all fisherman would have to say is there now fishing for sheephead, or white bass, or anything that swims in lake erie. But until then, good fishing to everybody. This spring rocks!

[wakina]

If you put 4 in the box, your not supposed to fish anymore for that species of fish. If you put 3 in the box, then you can catch/release as long as you put them directly back into the water. I don't agree with it, but it's the same here in mich. Once you have your limit, your done fishing for that species. I've heard of guys being warned while trolling also. If you reeled in your limit, you are supposed to be done. ODNR is suppose to be cracking down on charter capt. also. No more giving the capt or mate's fish to the customers.

So why do they allow you to fish for a species that you cannot even possess? Smallmouth bass comes to mind as you cannot possess them from May 1 to last Friday in June! They still allow you to target them and catch and release them during that time frame though. So continuing to fish after you have your daily possession limit already in the cooler would be no different as you just cannot possess anymore than the daily possession limit. You can continue to fish on a catch and release basis. What makes the difference if the limit is 4 or 0.

[Windyeyes]

That doesn't make any sense, what about bass tournaments? They may have there limit of fish but continue fishing and culling fish, so that they end up with the biggest 5 fish for the weigh in. I know that they release those fish after the weigh in but that shouldn't matter, because they still leave the lake with those fish. I agree with lowe life as long as you don't leave the lake with more than your limit whether it be 4 in Ohio or 6 in Michigan.

[LOWE LIFE]

I understand the need to have the ODNR. but with all these little BS regulations on fish, like leaving the skin on them and No more boat limits.Is getting a bit out of control...I never leave the skin on them and will continue to get our Boat limit.. I pay for both Ohio and Michigan tags, i don't take more then my legal limit, And the money i spend helps our local economy, Gas,bait, gear, Ect...When's the BS gonna stop?? their making rules just to give more tickets to the ppl who follow the fish limits and help the economy..Stick to finding the ppl who are using trebel hooks in waters where their illegal, and the guys fishing till their coolers are full..What's next??? every fish you catch you have to take a pic of it and send it to the DNR website??? If they need more money the they should have a car wash like the boyscouts do...Leave the good ppl who live on and love the lake alone..
LOWE LIFE

[fisheye330]

No such thing as a boat limit, the stated limit is a personal limit, once you have boated your 4 fish you can not keep fish if you do, your violating the law and will be fined. You can still fish, but you must release them. This is not complicated, new or a different interpretation of the law. It is the way it has always been. Follow the rules and you won't be fined, break them and they'll get you and rightfully so.

[Go-Time]

This has always been a law, Read the regs !!! Go to BINGO or something if you need to vent !!! or just keep doing what you have been doing and keep your mouth shut !!!!...........LOOSE LIPS SINK SHIPS !!!

[tbiser]

Well said. I couldn't agree more

[ebijack]

I've read the rules many times. But I sure can not find where it states in the fishing regulations where you can NOT catch and release. That type regulation would really have put a dampner on the hundreds of bass tourney's every year. Same for Mich. It is not stated that you cannot catch and release. I see where there was a reply to an e-mail and it stated you must stop fishing after boxing your limit. But I do not find that stated in the printed fishing regulations. If that rule is going to be inforced, then it must be printed in the regulations and not just an opinion by officials. May be I'm just not seeing it. As many others are not seeing it in the printed regulations.