# 3 rod question



## adjusted (Jan 30, 2001)

Boehr, 
This question may have been asked and answered in prior posts but I cannot seem to find it. 

The other day while fishing Lake Michigan trolling we had 9 rods in the water between 3 people. So far so good. The question came up as what to do and what should be done once we had 13 fish in the boat. Everyone pools the lines and the fish so too many rods in the water up to that point would not be a problem. However, once we hit that 13 fish mark, one of us would be at a limit of 5. the other 2 would still be at a limit of 4 fish each. 

I would assume that we would then need to pull 3 rods out of the water and another 3 once we hit the 14th fish to keep with in the law that you are unable to continue targeting fish in which you are in possession of that species daily possession limit. If we kept the rods in that water after the 13th and 14th fish, and were checked, would we be cited for too many lines in the water? I ask the question because there are several times that we have taken 2 or 3 limits of fish with 2 or 3 people fishing. I assume this happens frequently on charter boats. 

I would appreciate your comments as to this scenario.

Mark


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## FishTales (Feb 13, 2002)

It's just my thought, but you probably won't have this problem on a charter boat because the capt. and his helper would both have a license and that would allow them to keep the extra rods in the water. I am sure there have been occasions where a charter boat will have 3 clients on board and will be running 12 or more rods, think about it.


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## boehr (Jan 31, 2000)

Iterestesting scenerio. I don't know of any of my officers that have ran into that before. At least that they knew of because much of the time with trollers on the big water it's difficult to get close enough to actually check fish unless it's obvious to officers that a lot of boats are taking limits.

It would be my interpetation that the possession limit is the 5 fish. There is nothing to prevent a person to continue fishing as long as they don't keep the fish. So it would be my answer is that you could continue to use the 9 lines.

I think it would be a fisherman's ethics that would dictate more on that situation than the law would. If you got lakers from deep down would the fish die when released? Would you take a smaller fish from from the live well and release it just to keep the bigger fish (I know that happens for bass tornaments)?


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## adjusted (Jan 30, 2001)

I would think that fishing the great lakes would be a little different in the cull department. Once a salmon is caught and placed weather in the live well or in our case on ice in the cooler, release is not an option. If we were filled on lake trout, or any other species, I would make sure we would not be targeting for that species of fish. Would and could we still catch that species, it happens, yet on my boat we make every effort to return them unharmed including netting the fish at boat side and keeping them in the water. 

Back to the original question and a clarification as to your response. If I am fishing the pier with 2 rods and I have caught my limit, can I assist my fishing partner in concluding his limit? Once I have caught the fish, even giving it directly to my fishing partner, have I violated the law in keeping more than my limit? Basically, its the same thing on a boat trolling. I have seen citations issued for attempting to take more than ones limit as in goose hunting. I know that the laws for fishing are not the same but I am wondering if the principle is the same. 

I have never heard of any citations given for this scenario and quite honestly I doubt that any would ever get issued. This simply came up in one of those conversations during a slow period on the lake. I guess my next comment would be that if we ever did get checked and were in this scenario, If I told the officer that Ray said it was O.K. what would happen? 

As always, I appreciate all you do with this forum. 

Thanks

Mark


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## boehr (Jan 31, 2000)

As to the scenerio of helping someone else catch their fish yes, that would be a violation. Once you have your limit you can not keep anymore. Obviously, in a boat it's harder for the CO to watch but on a pier it's not as hard. Tickets have been issued for that, including by yours truely, for taking over limit.


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## Guest (Jul 22, 2002)

You could also latch on to other non-targeted fish. Catch and release fishing is legal.


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## STEINFISHSKI (Jan 30, 2001)

Are you saying I can posess my limit and continue to catch and release?


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## boehr (Jan 31, 2000)

I think that's what I said above. Providing you release the fish you catch and not just keep fishing and keep a bigger fish then release one that's been in the well or stringer etc. It would be no different that taking your limit home then go back and catch and release. You have to answer the question of what kind of ethics you have, I can't answer the question of ethics for you.


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## uniborn (Aug 30, 2002)

Ok I think I got my answer here. I just had to dig a bit. I take it pooling fish limits is a no-no no matter where your fishing. Just wanted to know the law, I already know my ethics. 

Hey I got to check these questions about the law out. Sometimes my ethics are more liberal than the law, so better safe than sorry. 
uniborn


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## beer and nuts (Jan 2, 2001)

IF it were me, if I had a limit already on the boat the 9 rods would still be used but the guy that hasn't got is limit is the one that reels the fish in or "catches it". Same could be true for the pier, but the problem is if you let the guy without the limit of fish reel in the fish and its not his pole, he might be considered fishing with too many lines!?!?!? Where on a boat most guys don't really have "designated" rods. Its a call the CO makes on the pier and its a ethics part on the boat. No clear cut answer but a ticket will be based on what the CO saw and the situation.


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