Catch and Release - any species

[The Whale]

OK, careful on this thread please.

For Boehr - if I'm out fishing for walleye and when/where dictates five (5) possesion limit, I have five fish in the well, is my fishing is DONE for the day ? Or can I continue to fish and "sort" my fish through looking for larger keepers ? ( I would think my fishing is done)

Or, can I continue to fish, catch and release all ?

Next question - same scenario as above, however I only have four (4) fish in my possesion. Now I can continue to fish until I place that fifth fish in the cooler, correct ? "Sorting" until I keep my five limit ?

Thanks for your insight.

[SpareTime]

Great question.....

In my opinion, if you already have your 5 limit - I see nothing wrong with catch and release and sorting the sizes....As long as the fish you sort and put back are still alive and healthy.

Correct my way of thinking if I'm wrong.

[WALLEYE MIKE]

Or how about this: you got your five and strictly C&R after, no sorting.

Or C&R for a while then keep the last five you catch.

Seems legal and the end result is the same.

Speaking of sorting. With walleyes I would sort downward. I would rather keep 15-18" than the 20-25". Perch I would sort up and other panfish. Don't keep anything else.

[Gone Fishing]

The way I understand it, once you have your 5th in the box, your done with that species. Put 4 in, have fun catching, sorting and releasing and when then fun is done, put the 5th in the box and go clean them. :)

[Ed Michrina]

Thats why I like those tournaments where you have 2 guys in the boat and only weigh in 5 fish for Walleye or 50 fish for perch with 4 guys in the boat. It makes it easy to pick the largest fish and put them in the prize cooler.

[shametamer]

Limits?..lol..gee i wish I had those type of dilemmas! Wench and I have always stopped when we reach the limit, return to base , clean them, then trek out after trout. If we caught more limits i'm sure we would be better trout fishermen!..lol..........but you guys keep limiting out, it gives me lots of friends to brag about around the V.F.W.!!!!!!!!.......................p.s. Theres an idea, which one of you guys is gonna be the first to post a pic of a limit of warm water gamefish,trout and panfish on the same day? Anyone ever done it? Tried for it?

[Gone Fishing]

Not many trout in my stomping grounds. We’ve pulled off a limit of Perch, Walleye and Muskie in a day but of course the Muskie were released. You sure get some looks when you head out with 24 rods standing looking like a porcupine. :p ;)

[FishTales]

I emailed Michigan DNR and asked these questions:

When your out walleye fishing and you have your limit in posession, can you continue fishing and practice culling ?

Second scenario: Your out walleye fishing and you are 1 fish short of your limit, are you allowed to practice culling ?

I just got this reply:

Response (Lynne Thoma) - 04/22/2005 09:18 AM
Possession limits require anglers to stop fishing after keeping a specified number of fish. Culling is legal in Michigan as long as the angler does not have an over limit of fish. Any fish the angler throws back must be in good health, and not weak or dying. The key issue here is that the angler cannot exceed the daily possession limit. The same rules apply to tournament anglers.

Hope this answers the questions.
Rich

[WALLEYE MIKE]

Rich, only one problem with what they told you. "daily possesion limit". I wish they would eliminate the word "daily". Confuses alot of people. When they read that they think every day they can take a limit. I know alot of guys on the Detroit river are doing that now and all summer.

Doesn't seem that hard to write a law which everyone with half a brain can read and understand.

On the part of the ruling about stopping after 5(or whatever the limit) I would like to see it read "you can catch as many as you like but only "take home" or "keep" 5 (or whatever the limit is.) Much easier to understand.

[hunting man]

I agree Mike.
Catch and release fishing can make for a great day on the water. However not everyone stops at the daily limits. Many take a break at their private launch and then change coolers and take to the water again. All summer long they can and do this almost daily. It must have some kind of impact on the fishery. I dont think it would be a good impact either.
The river rats go out and take a limit before midnight and then return at midnight to take another limit. All legal I might add under the daily limit rules. When the fishing or hunting is great. Many of us look for a legal loop hole to get what we can, when we can.

I have caught some flack from the members of this site for my feeelings about this. Am I the only one that this is a concern of? After over 30 years of walleye fishing the area I see the huge drop in numbers caught. It cant all be the DNR's fault that this is happening to the world class walleye fishery we all know and love. If we dont take care of it who will?

Go ahead and unload on that statement. I can take it. LOL

[Wallywalleye]

Don't. try to keep fishing in canadian waters if you have your limit on board. A friend of mine got checked with a limit on board and was read the riot act because he still had lines in the water.Then they proceeded to check his entire boat for more fish or any other violation they could pin on him. Let him off with a stern warning.

[FishTales]

Rich, only one problem with what they told you. "daily possesion limit". I wish they would eliminate the word "daily". Confuses alot of people. When they read that they think every day they can take a limit. I know alot of guys on the Detroit river are doing that now and all summer.

Doesn't seem that hard to write a law which everyone with half a brain can read and understand.

On the part of the ruling about stopping after 5(or whatever the limit) I would like to see it read "you can catch as many as you like but only "take home" or "keep" 5 (or whatever the limit is.) Much easier to understand.
Mike.
This might have been one of the first posts I seen on culling. I asked the DNR for a ruling and the answer they sent is what they said.
I don't think there is anything you or I, or anyone else on this site is going to say or do, that is going to change the wording, so I guess we just have to live with it.

The next part has no regards to Mike's question or statement.

I knew if I were to just get the answer and put it here, this thing would turn into the same as any other one in regards to the law.
There will be 100 and 1 different "what if's" following this reply.
I won't bother going into this any further, because I can see it coming.
Just take it for what it's worth.
Rich

[WALLEYE MIKE]

Like I said before. Catch your first four and continue fishing. When you think your about done catch and keep your fifth. Thats earier said than done for most of us. :lol:

Rich, they should have said "daily OR possesion limit" and not "daily possesion limit".

[Splitshot]

A couple of years ago a fish biologist told me that sport fishing in Saginaw Bay, the Detroit River and Lake Erie has no impact on the fishery.

They are more concerned with commercial fishing and forage and other natural phenomena that effect year classes and that is why Ohio's limit was reduced to 3 until May 1st and why Michigan's Lake Erie is closed until May too.

I'm not sure I buy all that, but then again I'm no expert.

Not all fisheries are that healthy, but limits are mostly set in order for us to harvest the excess including trout and steelhead. It makes sense to release fish that will not be utilized.

Enjoying fresh caught fish is a tradition and one of the most important aspects of the entire fishing experience. Only take what you use and return the rest is good advice, but to release them so someone else can catch them is an idea that has gone to far.

In some circles keeping fish has turned into a bad thing and some people act as though they are somehow supreior because they release all the fish they catch. Let the experts decide if fishermen are keeping too many fish and let them set the limits as necessary to protect the fishery.

If you see someone breaking the rules, call the poaching hot line.

[WALLEYE MIKE]

Just wondering...Walleye and Bass tournaments.. do they follow the limit rule and stop (in this case 5) or do they cull for bigger fish here in Michigan once they reach 5? Are they exempt from this rule?

[FishTales]

Just wondering...Walleye and Bass tournaments.. do they follow the limit rule and stop (in this case 5) or do they cull for bigger fish here in Michigan once they reach 5? Are they exempt from this rule?
Mike,
That was answered in the letter, it applies to Tournaments too.
Rich

[WALLEYE MIKE]

Thanks Rich. How much you want to bet they don't do it?

I know this is getting real nit picky, but a nice discussion all the same. I think we all have a better chance at winning the lottery than having a CO spying on fisherman in general to see if all are following the letter of the law. After all 10% of the fisherman catch 90% of the fish right?

[hunting man]

You can cull in Michigan water of the Detroit River during the tournaments but they will ticket you in Canada for that. They made my partner stop fishing during the MWT tournament. We had 7 in the live well. They saw us pull in a nice fish then quickly shook us down before we could cull one of the smaller fish. They told us you cant cull in Canada. The officer had a problem with how long the fish had been in the live well.They informed us we had enough fish to get about a $800 ticket before they started looking our papers over. They told us "We know this is the first tournament of the year and we know we will catch someone". Some of the tournament boats would run to Michigan water, cull a couple fish then return to Canada water to resume fishing for the bigger fish. A team could only weigh 5 fish. So most of the fishermen culled during the tournament. I only saw 4 fish being kept during the weekend by the teams fishing the tournament. They were very large females they planned to mount. 2 were $1050 big fish pot winners. 12.2 lbs and the other was like 10.4lbs. The other 2 were fish a team caught that weighed about 10 lbs each. The only 2 fish that team caught for that day. They planned to mount them so they kept them.

[WALLEYE MIKE]

You can cull in Michigan water of the Detroit River during the tournaments but they will ticket you in Canada for that. They made my partner stop fishing during the MWT tournament. We had 7 in the live well. They saw us pull in a nice fish then quickly shook us down before we could cull one of the smaller fish. They told us you cant cull in Canada. The officer had a problem with how long the fish had been in the live well.They informed us we had enough fish to get about a $800 ticket before they started looking our papers over. They told us "We know this is the first tournament of the year and we know we will catch someone". Some of the tournament boats would run to Michigan water, cull a couple fish then return to Canada water to resume fishing for the bigger fish. A team could only weigh 5 fish. So most of the fishermen culled during the tournament. I only saw 4 fish being kept during the weekend by the teams fishing the tournament. They were very large females they planned to mount. 2 were $1050 big fish pot winners. 12.2 lbs and the other was like 10.4lbs. The other 2 were fish a team caught that weighed about 10 lbs each. The only 2 fish that team caught for that day. They planned to mount them so they kept them.

So your saying you can't cull in Canada at all even before a limit is in your livewell. For instance you got one fish in the live well (lets say a 2lber) and catch a 5lber. Throw back the 2 and keep the 5'er. Interesting. I don't fish over there anyway.

[hunting man]

Thats what the man with the badge told me on the 10th of this month. I dont have enough experience with them to know for sure. All I know is I didnt want to argue with them when they are on a mission to catch someone doing anything wrong. They said you put it in the live well. Thats it no culling in Canada. They said you cant cull over there. It must be their rules/law or something. I didnt get any paper work to veiw their laws with my license. I'm not positive but am sure of what they made very clear to us. Do not cull on the east side of the river. After that a culling sized fish didnt even come into the boat. We unhooked it still in the water. We didnt even use a net so they couldnt mistake what we were doing. They hid on the corner of the river and watched us for a while with the binoculars. I kept giving them a little wave every once in a while to let them know we saw them hiding there. LOL

[hunting man]

Dont any of the Canada gang post on this site or was Ontario Gunner the only one available to ask?

[Ed Michrina]

I heard that long ago about Canada. I don't know it for fact. The funny thing is, I'll throw back the 5 lb'ers and keep the 2 lb'ers. yums for the freezer. Kinda like tournament fishing in reverse.LOL

[FishTales]

So your saying you can't cull in Canada at all even before a limit is in your livewell. For instance you got one fish in the live well (lets say a 2lber) and catch a 5lber. Throw back the 2 and keep the 5'er. Interesting. I don't fish over there anyway.
Mike,
I said I wasn't going to continue with the nitpicking, but with all due respect for you, I continued my research on this subject,

From what I read in the Ontaria MNR fishing regulations:
Your fishing for walleye, Canadian side of LSC, 6 fish limit, no size limit, open all year.

If you catch a walleye and place it in the livewell or put it on a stringer, it is part of your daily limit. Your choice is simple there, If you catch a walleye, you decide then, either you keep it or release it. If you keep it, stated above you may not release it later "No Culling". If you catch one and decide you don't want to keep it, it has to be released immediately.
If you do release a fish, it has to be able to swim away. If there is any doubt whether or not the fish will make it, your better off keeping it.
They frown on releasing fish that are going to die.
Once you have your limit in the livewell or on a stringer, any more fish of that species must be released immediately and not exchanged for one in the livewell.
So in a sense what they are saying is when you have your limit, your done fishing that specie's, remember this fine point,,,, if you have your limit and catch one more and can't release it because it is going to die, you could have a problem. I don't think I would want to be caught swapping a dying fish for one in the livewell (culling), and I wouldn't want to be caught overlimit, and I wouldn't want to be caught releasing a fish that won't make it.
Rich

[WALLEYE MIKE]

Rich, sound the same as our law reads. I am not arguing with you Rich,(incase you think I am) just want to know the facts and not hearsay. Information and education is always helpful.

Ed, I'm with you on wanting the good eaters. I'll throw back a 5lber in exchange for a 2 any day.

[FishTales]

[QUOTE=WALLEYE MIKE]Rich, sound the same as our law reads. I am not arguing with you Rich,(incase you think I am) just want to know the facts and not hearsay. Information and education is always helpful.[QUOTE]
Mike,
I know your not, but I was just trying to inject a little humor here,
:lol: :lol: :evil:
We both know, it doesn't matter who says what, some people will always contradict anything they read. Then, even when a question is answered, you will see a lot of "what if's".
Then the next thing you know, all the arguing starts, and the thread gets locked. :bash:
When I first signed up, you didn't see that kind of behavior, but lately I have seen a lot of it.
I can see where Boehr must get frustrated, :( When he quotes the laws or rules right out of the book and people try to twist the words around to their advantage. :rant:
Anyway, I'm getting too old to argue, just want to have fun. :lol:
Rich

[WALLEYE MIKE]

I think this is good discussing this. Because I know for a fact alot of people don't really know daily limits from possesion limit to not culling......

[FishTales]

I think this is good discussing this. Because I know for a fact alot of people don't really know daily limits from possesion limit to not culling......
Mike,
I forgot to mention, when reading Ontario rules, you are only allowed one days limit in posession.
For anyone going across the border and staying there a few days, you are only allowed to bring back one days limit.
Rich

[Ed Stringer]

There must be something with the 10 th and the man. I think this good to hash out cuz I did'nt know a thing about culling and this maybe the best highway for onfo as long as the MS cops don't beat ya up on every post. I for one will not twist any rules, I know the info in the DNR hand book is only a summary of the law and it can be confussing . Thank You borh for clearing things up in the tread that was closed. Sorry somethings just need to be b**ched out to get to the real facts.

[Slimshady]

In all the tournaments that I have seen, including the PTW on the Detroit River, they caught their 5 and then culled. However, they had two guys fishing and could only weigh in 5 fish, so they never got to the 10 fish, two person limit. However, I have also watched many bass tourneys, including the FLW on St. Clair, where the 1 pro in the boat, caught his 5 fish in the first 30 minutes and continued to cull all day. In my opinion, the DNR's answer is confusing. They said that it is a daily "possesion" limit, however, once you catch your 5, you are supposed to stop fishing. However, in the next breath, they say that culling is legal. If, you catch 5, then cull from then on, you are never over your "possesion" limit. Besides, we all know that we catch sheephead, catfish, white bass and other fish while jigging on the river. How can they prove that I am still fishing for walleyes.

I agree with Walleye Mike. Make it simple. You are allowed to "keep" 5 fish. You can "catch" as many as you like, before, or after you have "kept" your 5.

[FishTales]

Just wondering...Walleye and Bass tournaments.. do they follow the limit rule and stop (in this case 5) or do they cull for bigger fish here in Michigan once they reach 5? Are they exempt from this rule?
Mike,
I made a slight mistake on the reply for this question the last time, I just noticed you threw in a twist and added "bass" to the scenario.
First, the rules do apply to tournament fishing.
In your question, you asked about "walleye" and "bass" tournaments and a limit of 5.
I believe 5 is the limit for bass, and usually all they can weigh in.
But with walleye tourney's if they can only weigh in 5 fish and the limit is 6 in LSC, they are allowed to cull the fish, as long as they do it by the book.
Fish they are returning have to be alive and healthy (Mich side of the pond)
If they are fishing the other side of the pond Ontario MNR rules say if it's in the livewell you keep it, no culling regardless.
Rich

[Leakypipe56]

In order to cull ,you have to catch you limit first:bash: ..........so I won't have to worry about it.:lol:

[Quadd4]

Question -

In Canada, I believe that if you have a child fishing with you, you have to split the daily limit between the two of you. Is it similar in Michigan or can each child under 17 possess the same amount as the license holder parent?

[WALLEYE MIKE]

Anyone under 17 can have thier own limit. Word of caution: they must be able to tend thier own lines. Don't expect to tell a CO that your 2 year old has a limit.

[kcud rellik]

But what if your 2 yr old eats wheaties and all his vegetables and exercises daily? Or, what if hes trolling for bluegill while your targeting walleyes?

:lol: :lol: j/k j/k:lol: :lol:

[Wirepuller]

http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/fishing/oc3a.html

There is no need to share your take with a young fishing partner in Canada. Under 18 and over 65 do not require the purchase of a license and are subject to the same bag limit and rules as a paid up license.

I would check into non residents under 18 or over 65. The way it reads I would think they will need to buy a license?????

[Ed Michrina]

The way I understood it in Canada, if you have an under age person fishing with you it gives the boat an extra rod to fish (the kids rod)-- but the kids fish would go on your tag. So if you take JR. out in the lake you can use one rod on your license and JR. can use a rod but your limit still is 6 walleye or one limit on one license. I could be wrong the that is the way I read it.

edit: after reading the Ont. rules I'm not sure. looks like I'll have to dig into this a little deeper. You may see me out with 5 neighbor kids on my boat ;)

[Quadd4]

This is the way it reads for Canada,
Page 7
Non-residents under 18 years of age may fish without a license if accompanied by an adult who has a valid Ontario fishing license. Any fish caught are part of the catch and possession limit of the adult who holds the license. As another option, non-residents under 18 years of age may purchase a license and any fish caught apply to the catch and possession limits of that license.

Ed - you better keep your new day care business on this side of the river :lol:. (Just Joking)

Which brings me to another question. If I hook them and then hand the rod to my kids to land, who legally caught them?

Please don't let this get into a hate debate. It's just a interesting point to ponder. I seriously doubt that this is a real problem just an interesting question.

[Quadd4]

Sorry guys, I just noticed the other Forum titled "Questions on MI hunting and fishing laws" Probably should be asking the questions there.

[WALLEYE MIKE]

Your right Quad, I wouldn't worry to much about it. A CO would probably think its great you are taking a kid fishing, strike up a small conversation and be on his way. (at least I would if a CO) Unless you are blantantly over limit.

[Wirepuller]

You are absolutely right Mike. Dumb rules come into play when people do dumb things.

[TBone]

I wonder if the Cold water (steelhead) guys know about the no culling rule. Seems like people routinely fish past their limits around Erieau when the fishing is on fire. Seems like the CO's could write a small fortune in tickets if they wanted.

[ArrowFlinger]

Which brings me to another question. If I hook them and then hand the rod to my kids to land, who legally caught them?


If is not the one who lands them, then all those Charter Captains(crew) are are over limit.