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When I have questions about the fishing regulations, I check the (incredibly detailed) official DNR fishing regulations pamphlet (paper copies where licenses are sold or online). Concerning the 3 issues being debated recently:
1. Regarding the new 3 walleye daily bag limit, on the back cover it states: "The new rule does not affect the total daily bag limit for walleye and sauger (five in total per day from all waters fished that day), nor the possession limit (10 in total)."
2. Regarding unhooking and taking a photo of a non-legal fish, on page 14 it states: "Fish you wish to release, and fish not meeting the legal length limit, should be played as little as possible and handled carefully with wet hands. The fish should not be held out of the water longer than necessary to remove hooks, take a photograph or measure the fish."
3. And regarding fishing for a species during the closed season, on page 10 it states: "It is illegal: • to fish for a species of fish during the closed season for that species (includes catch and release fishing)."
The DNR tries to translate some pretty detailed and complicated administrative code into understandable language that we anglers can follow. Certainly there are still gray areas and enforcement discretion is necessary, but hopefully they will honor what in printed in the official regulations summary!
1. Regarding the new 3 walleye daily bag limit, on the back cover it states: "The new rule does not affect the total daily bag limit for walleye and sauger (five in total per day from all waters fished that day), nor the possession limit (10 in total)."
2. Regarding unhooking and taking a photo of a non-legal fish, on page 14 it states: "Fish you wish to release, and fish not meeting the legal length limit, should be played as little as possible and handled carefully with wet hands. The fish should not be held out of the water longer than necessary to remove hooks, take a photograph or measure the fish."
3. And regarding fishing for a species during the closed season, on page 10 it states: "It is illegal: • to fish for a species of fish during the closed season for that species (includes catch and release fishing)."
The DNR tries to translate some pretty detailed and complicated administrative code into understandable language that we anglers can follow. Certainly there are still gray areas and enforcement discretion is necessary, but hopefully they will honor what in printed in the official regulations summary!
Gillespie that is correct. My dad doesn't waste any bait he pays for, so last year he was fishing the Oconto River after March 15th when Green Bay perch season closes and fishing for northern with his leftover crappie minnows. DNR hassled him for it but my dad showed him his cooler with 2 northern in it, but continued to watch him and warm him that if he kept catching perch that he'd fine him for fishing perch out of season. Who fishes northern with crappie minnows? My dad! He did catch a couple of perch but that was not his intended target that day so the warden didn't do anything about it. I fish the early season catch and release bass season and what I hate about it is I catch other species of fish while bass fishing. Some days I catch more northern than bass, but I can't help it the other fish bite too. Wish in some ways they'd just make it catch and release season for all gamefish cause it's hard to tell the walleyes and northern not to bite my lure, lol!
Agree FLM. But it probably also depends on your gear, location, and fishing method. If you show up fishing with heavy sturgeon gear, out of season, in a known sturgeon hole, and don't take action to change how you are catching a species out of season, you'll probably have some splaining to do!
DNR officer's discretion, I believe, whether or not to issue a citation regarding any of the rules. I've been told it's ok to take a fish out of the water, photo then release. The DNR certainly does not want a fish to have a hook in its mouth still and have you cut the line, so how else are you going to get the hook out of its mouth? Personally I'm not going to try and take the hook out of its mouth while the fish is still in the water. I lost a rod one time trying to do that, so the fish not only got my hook but my entire setup!
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