Fishin' Canada

[Dustytwo]

Hey guys, had a fishing bud tell me that four friends of his got stoped in Canadian waters and fined $250. apiece for bringing live fish ( their minnows!!!) into Canada. They were asked where they purchased their bait and when they told them, they said it was illegal to bring in live bait from Michigan. Anyone out their ever hear of anyone ever getting finded for this before??? Thanks

[swamprat1954]

i was given a warning about 5 or 6 years ago,but no fine.:xzicon_sm where can you get minnows in canada by boat?

[Gone Fishing]

Holy crap, I know it is a law but I never heard of anyone fined for it. I can't imagine wanting to fish the Bassett area and having to run an extra 10 miles one way to get bait. That will add an extra $60 to the trip in gas alone not including the lost time! :rant:

[MUSHY1]

We should have a name we can all refer to when the Mnr ask that question!!! Lie to ya die, in that situation......sure beats a ticket....

Mushy

[Gone Fishing]

We should have a name we can all refer to when the Mnr ask that question!!! Lie to ya die, in that situation......sure beats a ticket....
Mushy
Yeah, but they expect you to have a sales receipt for your purchase. Maybe you could try saying you netted them yourself from LSC but I bet that is against the law over there as well. Do any of our Canadian members know what the law is on this? Sometimes I think they just don't want us over there. :( Unfortunately, that is where I like to fish on LSC 95% of the time.

[swamprat1954]

gf is right they told me i need to get a receipt from a canadian bait shop:mad: i don't perch fish over there anymore.:sad: :sad:

[lancerdad34]

Is it really worth what it costs in gas (especially now) to go over there and get hassled? :bash:

[PencilPlugger]

Maybe you could try saying you netted them yourself from LSC but I bet that is against the law over there as well.

You can't claim that you netted them yourself either. I remember reading in their regulations that non residents are not allowed to net their own bait.

[Mark-n-Fish]

Edgewater baits in canada by peche island sells minnows. They net the minnows right there and the prices are good. I never keep a reciept when I buy minnows anywhere.

[Dick Graves]

You guys are right, if you tell them you bought them in Canada, they will ask you for a receipt. You can't trap minnows in Canada, only there citizens are allowed to trap them. This may also apply to worms, nightcrawlers, etc. :dizzy: After all their government needs the loot, just like our's, in the end it will probably hurt their non-resident license sales in the future. :lol:

Did not purchase a non-resident license for my wife this year and will not in the future, I have not decided about next year for myself. Will see how they enforce this law this fall during perch season. :bash:

[spendit]

Yep, those Canadians :bash: will not be getting any more of my money or support :evil:

[Mark Sylvester]

We should have a name we can all refer to when the Mnr ask that question!!! Lie to ya die, in that situation......sure beats a ticket....

Mushy
I got a good name, when they ask...**** for brains

[five more casts]

I know this may not be the answer but.... what if I take a trip into canada, buy frozen shrimp, and save the bag and receipt? Every time I go to the Basset, get stopped and have to produce evidence I can tell em I've had the shrimp in my freezer. I'll just replace my supply over here but keep the original stuff. I know it's not the answer but may be the only way to get around paying fines. and I still want to fish over there. dave

[William H Bonney]

I've been stopped but never asked where I got bait, but this whole situation is so frustrating. Why can't they (USA/Can) come up with some type of simple agreement about the fishing laws?

[Gone Fishing]

:yeahthat: I totally agree. I buy my bait from a guy that traps them on LCS. No possibility of introducing anything foreign. :(

[Big Laker]

Well this sure puts a dark cloud on the upcoming Perch fishing. My buddies & I mainly got our Canadian licenses for the perch. Isn't 60 some odd bucks tarriff enough already? Who's going to travel to Edgewater & then to Mitchell to comply. I bet no one. The Ministry is constantly devising ways to keep US anglers out of their waters. Most of their inland lakes are all fished out. You have to fly in if you want to catch fish. According to the rules, looks like you can take all the perch eyes,dead minnows,pieces of perch you want & use for bait. Guess I will start pulling the eyes out & cutting body parts to use as bait. All thanks to our conservation minded neighbors. I'm right on the cusp as far as telling them what they can do with their license eh.

Dave

[Ed Michrina]

I' have never been asked and I wonder why they pushed this issue :rolleyes: possibly they were given a reason. I don't know that for a fact though.

Can we net them out or LSC American side same lake and use them?

[Leakypipe56]

I asked that ??? when i applied for my nexus card and they told me that worms had to be from can. or have the sticker on the container if in dirt. She said there was no problem with minnows because it was the same water.:yikes: I think we need to double check with the authorities. Thats my two cents worth:) .

[Can't Touch This]

Ummm, just tell them you got bait some place in canada, how will they know you got it in America????

[PencilPlugger]

Ummm, just tell them you got bait some place in canada, how will they know you got it in America????
They'll ask for your receipt from a licensed Canadian bait store.

And for those still wondering if it's legal to capture or import bait, check pages 5-6 here:

http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/pubs/fishing/fishRegs/2005/Info_fr2005.pdf

Capture of Bait by Anglers

Bait-fish

Only resident anglers with a valid Ontario fishing licence or

those who qualify to fish without purchasing a licence (see

page 1) may capture their own bait-fish for personal use, using

a bait-fish trap or dip net. Resident anglers may have no more

than 120 bait-fish caught under the authority of a valid fishing

licence in their possession at any time.

Note: Non-resident anglers cannot take bait-fish for personal

use by any means.

Import of Bait

• It is illegal to bring live fish, leeches, crayfish or salamanders

into Ontario for use as bait.

[Can't Touch This]

[QUOTE=PencilPlugger]They'll ask for your receipt from a licensed Canadian bait store.

And for those still wondering if it's legal to capture or import bait, check pages 5-6 here:

A receipt?? Do you even get a receipt for buying stuff at a bait shop??? BTW, I have never been checked, if they do, i will just say i bought in Canada and lost the receipt or something, that is rediculous.

[Whalers4me]

Thanks for the heads up on the enforcement of their law. When trailering to Lake of the Woods we are always asked if we have live or frozen bait along with the other usual questions. I just never thought about taking minnows or crawlers into their waters when on LSC. That being said, it is their country, their water, their resource and their laws we must operate under. We purchase their non resident licenses don't we? Why then should we try to find a way around their law regarding bait?


Gone Fishing, I am in a similar situation when fishing LSC as you. My Chris Craft is a thirsy beast but she raises fish. So, to go into, say Bass Haven, for bait may cost me the $60 you say, but it still beat the fine and the possibility they may ramshackle our boats while trying to find additional violations.

For my part, I plan on buying their bait and playing by their rules. Next time when leaving the dock without bait and my grandson asks why, it will be a good time to teach him a lesson about respecting other peoples property and rules. A lesson that, unfortunately for us all, a majority the younger generation has failed to learn.

[Mike Thomas]

FYI - recently I've received a couple questions/complaints from Michigan residents who have taken their boats across Lake St. Clair or the St. Clair River to fish for perch. They've bought minnows here in the US, taken them across in their boats and fished with them in Ontario waters...then were checked by OMNR law officers and recieved tickets for importing live bait into Canada. I reviewed the Ontario Fishing Regulations booklet for 2005 and sure enough it is clearly stated that it is illegal to bring live bait into Ontario (including minnows). Due to the large number of anglers who reside in Michigan, launch from Michigan ports, and fish in Ontario waters of the St. Clair River, Lake St. Clair, and the Detroit River this situation potentially affects many anglers in SE Michigan (including me).

To get more information about the Ontario enforcement stance on this, I called the London OMNR office and talked with James Smith, the area Law supervisor (519-873-4612). He indicated that although it is technically illegal for anglers to bring minnows across from Michigan ports in their boats, he has encouraged the area officers to use discretion in enforcing the law. Usually they won't write a ticket for this unless there is some other stuff involved, like possesion of gobies (also illegal in Ontario), or no Ontario fishing license, over limits of fish, uncooperative attitude from the anglers, etc. He is also aware of a couple instances where "land" officers have done some lake patrols and written tickets for minnows. He indicated that to be completely within the law, Michigan anglers on Lake St. Clair need to buy their minnows from an Ontario bait shop when they are going to fish in Ontario waters of the lake...and they should keep the receipt with them while they are fishing. Since this requires landing in Ontario to purchase the bait, this then gets into the whole border crossing situation. Jim did indicate that Ontario is looking into changing this law so that it only applies to inland waters, not Great Lakes (because they recognize the difficulty with this regulation on the connecting waters).

Mike Thomas
MDNR
Fisheries Research Biologist
Lake St. Clair Fisheries Research Station

[ted stehney]

Great update. I kinda figured there may be more to this story, and ticket. Although nothing surprises me anymore with MNR. I have been lucky to get guys on good days, and am complying with their regulations. As far as they are looking into revising the laws I hope they look at the number of lines an angler can use. On Erie I can fish two lines on St. Clair only one??

[five more casts]

If I launch my boat from the M-59 launch, does anyone know where I can get minnows from canada out that way? Can i get to the bait store on Harsens Island? I saw something in this thread about the use of dead minnows. can I take packaged frozen shiners? I can dip these out of a canal and I'll just freeze em in 25 packs.

[Bruce William]

I am fishing the streach in Algonac does any one know of a bait store on that side???

[Ed Michrina]

Great update. I kinda figured there may be more to this story, and ticket. Although nothing surprises me anymore with MNR. I have been lucky to get guys on good days, and am complying with their regulations. As far as they are looking into revising the laws I hope they look at the number of lines an angler can use. On Erie I can fish two lines on St. Clair only one??

I to would like to see the # of lines or poles go up to two. Ya never know they did drop that silly Walleye slot limit on their side of the lake.