Catch and release

[observer135]

Here is something for you to ponder about...

If you are not keeping any fish, simply catch and release, do you still need a fishing tag on your outdoors card?
Each type of tag determines how many of each type of fish you may keep, thus if you do not have a fishing tag, you can not keep any.
Well, if one is simply releasing them and not keeping, is he/she still breaking the law?

Cheers

[zippyFX]

Yes. you need to an outdoor card and fishing licence when attempting to catch a fish even if your goal is catch and release. You can save money by buying a sports licence.

The only exception is if you are under 16 or 65 and over. Or fish on "free fishing day".

If you have questions or concerns please consult Ontario fishing regulations or contact the ministry of natural resources.

[observer135]

Thank you.

[Giuga10]

(07-19-2016 08:09 AM)zippyFX Wrote:  Yes. you need to an outdoor card and fishing licence when attempting to catch a fish even if your goal is catch and release. You can save money by buying a sports licence.

The only exception is if you are under 16 or 65 and over. Or fish on "free fishing day".

If you have questions or concerns please consult Ontario fishing regulations or contact the ministry of natural resources.

Sport fishing licenses are more expensive than Conservation.

[tweedwolfscream]

The whole idea of the Conservation license is it's for people who will be releasing more of their fish. So if you release all of your fish, that is the license you should have. The very act of fishing is what requires a license. It also requires you to know the seasons, because it is illegal to target an out of season fish even if you'll be releasing your catch.

[observer135]

See, that is what I could use a ton of help with, targeting...

I am a total idiot when it comes to selecting the right setup/bait to target a specific fish, so I could get in lots of trouble catching the wrong kind of fish, combine that with my next to non existent ability to identify the fish, it is the perfect recipe for disaster.

Twenty years ago a buddy and I were fishing in Creditview River and it just happened there were some small dead fish some one had caught before we got there. The officer shows up and gave us $hit for catching the wrong fish, out of season.
We explained that was not us and we would have not kept 5 inch fish, he looked again and realized they were not fresh so he believed us and moved on.

Now I try to learn about targeting and I have to do some homework, just when I thought school was over, guess again.

[tweedwolfscream]

The ban on targeting OOS fish is difficult to enforce, because there's no legal definition saying for example that casting a twister on a jighead means targeting bass while drifting a worm and float means targeting trout. Nor should there be, since part of the fun of fishing is coming up with non-traditional ways to get a fish to bite, sometimes using tactics traditionally associated with other species. The expectation is that if you catch an OOS fish, you'll release it without even pausing for a photo, and if you find yourself consistently catching a species that's OOS, you'll change your tactics or location.

In other words, don't worry -- you're not going to get a fine just for using tackle that's thought of as meant for a species that's OOS. What you're targeting is pretty subjective, at least until you start seeing or catching fish.

But you do have to know how to ID fish. Especially if you're going to be keeping any, since each species has different limits and in some cases size restrictions along with obviously seasons. A little less important if you're going to be releasing everything, but if you're catching one type of fish over and over, you should figure out what it is so you know whether you're dialed in on something OOS.

Yes, it's a steep learning curve when you're starting out. Study a fish ID chart, learn some distinguishing features between similar species you're likely to encounter, and ask on the board if you're having trouble figuring out the recognizable difference between any two. Learning can be the most rewarding part of fishing.

[observer135]

Great advice, thank you, and thanks for the link to the chart.