ODNR New Low for Revenue

[wakina]

The court system may take an entirely different view of the law and citation than the ODNR Officer, especially if you would be helping a child land their fish and garner their limit!

[LOWE LIFE]

I guess it's up to each ODNR officer to make a judgement call.. I'm NOT a pocher,I do NOT keep illegal gotten fish.. But I do like to get the boat limit, I'm not out spending money to not put fish in the freezer... I know the DNR reads these posts and they should.. But they need to know who's fishing by the rules and who's not.. I spend thousands of dollars every year to enjoy our Great lake..I'm not the guy who fishes the Lake 5-10 times a year.I'm out on the lake 3-4 times a week all Spring Summer and Fall weather it's fishing or recrational.. And in the Winter I'm out on my sled.. I love the Lake, born and raised on it. And I'm all for the DNR doing their job to stop ppl who are doing something wrong.. But I do believe they need to look at the Big picture.. We who take "boat limits" are not criminals.. We are just ppl who like to fish and enjoy feeding the family a one of a kind meal..I'm not trying to cross the ODNR... It's their job and I respect that. I've spent 33 years on the lake.. And when I'm long gone, my ashes will be in this great lake we call Erie..
LOWE LIFE

[ebijack]

I completely agree about fishing till there is a boat limit. I also know that there have been a few folks "warned". I've also asked questions of MI DNR about what if's. Depending on who your asking, you different replys. Iv'e met some great ODNR and Mi DNR officers, actually most. But I have had a couple for example, I asked one "may I ask you some questions about the regulations?" His reply was " I'm not here to answer your questions, I'm here to write tickets."
I think this is where you would run into a problem. If while trolling, say 2 guys, you get 7 fish in the box. Then you get a triple on. One of you has gotten their limit. Both of you reel in fish out of the triple, or double. If an officer was watching. And the bigger of the 2 fish brought in was thrown in the box by the angler who the officer saw already put his 4 in the box. That's where the problem lies. I would like the rules to read a "boat limit". As Charters and the rest of us could enjoy our trips out there alot more instead of trying to keep track of who has how many vs how many fish total. When your dealing with multiple lines going off ( when the bite is hot and it's the most fun) it is pretty hard to keep total how many fish you reeled in and made it into the box as I believe we work as a team in most every boat. Sometimes I'm the net guy, sometimes I reel em in.

[branhamautomotive]

I guess where I am confused is what defines caughting a fish....is it the act of the hooking the fish.....or is it actually the reeling the fishing and bringing it on board.........or is it the combination of both? Cause if I have my 4 and I hook one can I hand it off to let someone else bring the fish in? I don’t see this being any different as in trolling....because the person reeling the fish in is not the person who hooked the fish. I AM ALL FOR DNR DOING THEIR JOB, HELPING TO PROTECT OUT GREAT WATERS SO THERE WILL BE PLENTY OF FISH FOR US ALL THE ENJOY FOR MANY YEARS I would be heartbroken if my children and nieces and nephews could not have the chance to enjoy these waters as I have over my years of growing up on the lake.

I really don’t see the actual big picture difference if 3 ppl get 4 fish each for a total of 12 or if 2 ppl get 5 and the third gets 2 its still 12 fish. But rules are the rules and I will follow them....

also when it comes to fun fishing which I do not do, how can if I have 4 fish for me on board can I be allowed to have that 5th fish on board at all. even if I turn it back loose, for those few minutes I would had technically brought my 5th fish out of the water which by the way this rule sounds like it is going to be enforced I would had broken it?

I know stuff like this has the potential to really put a strain on the sport charter services, and I think a very clear explanation and definition to the rule and what is considered caughting a fish should be in place before the DNR starts handing out tickets for this.

I understand the need for the rules, just would like a very clear explantion of them. I feel most of us want to follow the rules, but hard to follow when there is not clear explanation of them

I know me like alot of other ppl spent alot of money here in the area to enjoy out sport and hobby. I never have really added it up before, but I know I spend well over 5000 a year in fishing, boating, boat repairs and maintance, upgrades, gas, insurance, safety equipment, etc. And I know there are ppl who spend alot more than I do, this money does help boost the local economy. And i am not out to take take more than allowed and risk being part of the problem that help damage or distroys the water so that i would not be able to use all i have invested into. I know that if I got a ticket it would definatly make me think twice about partaking so much in the fishing side of things....is the few hundred extra dollars from ticket worth loosing the more extra money that spent each year on the other things.

[Sleets]

why do some of us think it is ok to break this law but not to break another law? law is the law like it or not. if a guys gets to go to erie once a year and snags a fish and keeps it most want him to be fined. because he broke the law. but most guys feel it ok to brake this law because it "the boats limit" law states that each person my have daily bag limit. if i take my kid deer hunting should i be allowed to kill their deer for them? answer is no they must. This is no different just hasnt been enforced. now it is and be aware you may be held accountable for your actions if caught. don't get me wrong i blame no one for over harvasting fish. cant be to big a shortage if commercial fishing is still allowed. but i also dont look down on someone who snags one and keeps it either. i agree there are way to many laws right now, but we need to write our elected officials to make them aware of our thoughts. just my 2 cents worth.

[tbiser]

Sleets, your compasion is wrong. You can't relate a deer to the eyes. I see nothing wrong witha father hooking an eye and giving the pole to his kid. This is what a father and son should be doing instead of the father hanging in bars and the kids running the streets. I see nothing wrong with boat limits. In fact i will only charter with captains that i know fish and give the eyes to the clients. This is how its been and should continue.

[ebijack]

From what has been explained to me is, You can catch and release till you box your limit. I know, the bass fisherman do the catch/release all the time and it is a common practice with full limits in the box. But this year it seems you can be fined if caught still fishing after you have your limit in the livewell/box. I don't like it, but it is what is it. I was a bass guys for 20 yrs till switching to walleye. I'd bet they will be watching the perchers also this year. Limit and quit or you could be fined. So just don't keep that last one till your ready to quit.

[miso_ohio]

why do some of us think it is ok to break this law but not to break another law? law is the law like it or not. if a guys gets to go to erie once a year and snags a fish and keeps it most want him to be fined. because he broke the law. but most guys feel it ok to brake this law because it "the boats limit" law states that each person my have daily bag limit. if i take my kid deer hunting should i be allowed to kill their deer for them? answer is no they must. This is no different just hasnt been enforced. now it is and be aware you may be held accountable for your actions if caught. don't get me wrong i blame no one for over harvasting fish. cant be to big a shortage if commercial fishing is still allowed. but i also dont look down on someone who snags one and keeps it either. i agree there are way to many laws right now, but we need to write our elected officials to make them aware of our thoughts. just my 2 cents worth.

As the poster above you put it, the question a lot of us want answered is what is the actual definition of catching a fish? And also are all officers aware of this definition or is it determined by the individual officer?

1. Putting or casting the line out?
2. Playing the line in if casting or jigging?
3. Hooking the fish?
4. Reeling the fish in?
5. Netting the fish?
6. Taking the fish off the hook?
7. Putting the fish in the live-well/cooler?

I am sure you can see why some of the above may not be performed by the individual who is taking credit for the fish, especially on a charter or headboat. In a trolling situation it is even harder since everybody normally works together to get all the lines out, and some people are not too comfortable in releasing the line from the clips so sometimes somebody else does that for them.

In the situation that brought this all up, a dad on a head boat was hooking the fish and then handing the rod to one of his kids to reel in. I don't know if you remember some of your first experiences fishing but I would bet for most of us it started pretty similar to that. What if your child gets tired on a big fish you can't help him at all? In the case in question last weekend I guess the definition was "3. hooking the fish", just something to think about. Granted there may be more to the story then what I read on a message board.

As for the hunting analogy, it sort of works but is way too easy since the act of shooting a deer is very definable. I am sure someone could break down each step of the act but I think most people would agree that pulling the trigger is the actual harvest.

[Gettin Jiggy]

As the poster above you put it, the question a lot of us want answered is what is the actual definition of catching a fish? And also are all officers aware of this definition or is it determined by the individual officer?

1. Putting or casting the line out?
2. Playing the line in if casting or jigging?
3. Hooking the fish?
4. Reeling the fish in?
5. Netting the fish?
6. Taking the fish off the hook?
7. Putting the fish in the live-well/cooler?

I am sure you can see why some of the above may not be performed by the individual who is taking credit for the fish, especially on a charter or headboat. In a trolling situation it is even harder since everybody normally works together to get all the lines out, and some people are not too comfortable in releasing the line from the clips so sometimes somebody else does that for them.

In the situation that brought this all up, a dad on a head boat was hooking the fish and then handing the rod to one of his kids to reel in. I don't know if you remember some of your first experiences fishing but I would bet for most of us it started pretty similar to that. What if your child gets tired on a big fish you can't help him at all? In the case in question last weekend I guess the definition was "3. hooking the fish", just something to think about. Granted there may be more to the story then what I read on a message board.

As for the hunting analogy, it sort of works but is way too easy since the act of shooting a deer is very definable. I am sure someone could break down each step of the act but I think most people would agree that pulling the trigger is the actual harvest.

Great points. And as far a live wells. How does the game officer know if your upgrading your fish? A lot of unknown.

[tbiser]

It's going to be up to the officer and how many citations he needs to get to look good for the month. Thats all it is. I'm good friends with a state highway patrol commander and he said DNR officers are required to write a number of citations. Some are going to be pricks