Culling

[OldTimer]

Dig this:

I got into a fairly “lively” discussion today with a few anglers - re the culling of the fish one catches.

By culling – I mean the selective live release of “held” previously caught fish - so you may “upgrade” your catch.

It’s amazing how few experienced anglers actually understand the regs on this.

Here’s the regs:

   

   

Bottom line – culling is NOT available to shore anglers AT ALL, AT ANY time. Shore or pier anglers cannot cull from a stringer or from a bucket………. - If you keep it …………you keep it…period…… and you are required to take it home……………………… So make up your mind BEFORE you put it on the stringer or in the bucket.

If you are in a boat (with a 10 gallon or larger properly aerated live well) it’s only possible for largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, pike, and walleye………….. NO OTHER SPECIES.

And to top off this post – consider this (from other regs) – if you release a “dying” fish……. That counts as part of your daily catch limit…………. And also might be considered “abandonment” which is illegal.

Quite the maze huh!

................. comments?

Cheers,

OldTimer

[MuskieBait]

Completely agree with it. Make up your mind...if the fish is too small to keep in the first place, release it! If you end up catching a bigger fish after reaching your limit...that's just your luck.

Culling is only made legal, in my mind, to allow tournament anglers to upgrade their fish without significantly putting the health of the fish in danger. It is really not an allowance for the every day angler that are keeping fish for food.

[Eli]

Man I've seen people culling frozen fish during hardwater season. It's pathetic.
This is one reason I think there should be a series of qualifying exams one has to take before he can legally purchase fishing tackle. Like with firearms. It would help cut down on the amount of idiocy that seems to plague this sport.

[--G--]

Thanks for the post old timer. As I never keep any fish I catch it really doesn't effect me. That said, I have met a great amount of anglers on the shores I fish. I am shocked at the extremes that I have come across. Most people are polite and helpful and know the regs. At the other end however I have seen some pretty shocking displays by a few people. Sadly I don't think there is much I can do, if people are going to take more fish than allowed, use live bait when not allowed, fish with 3 rods, fish with drop nets etc. all I can do is tell them that I don't think it's allowed and move on. These yahoos tend to be the loudest people on the bank, so I often just move away.

The only time I did intervene is when someone with a drop net caught a carp and walked it all round the car park showing everyone and anyone not thinking for a minute that the fish was suffocating. Gladly I had it returned to the water.

[mcfly]

(09-20-2013 11:16 AM)--G-- Wrote:  The only time I did intervene is when someone with a drop net caught a carp and walked it all round the car park showing everyone and anyone not thinking for a minute that the fish was suffocating. Gladly I had it returned to the water.

Not sure about 2013 regulations, but I have seen a page on 2005 ontario regulations that had stated there is a 3 month season for using dip nets on carp and suckers.

Carp are also one of the hardier fish species and I've seen them survive out of water for longer than 20 minutes, obviously it's cruel and we shouldn't promote it, but showing some people a carp that was just caught won't hurt it too bad.

As far as I know, there are no possession limits for carp either.

[--G--]

I think I read about a season open too, but when I asked the guy he had no clue, no license and dropped the fish at least 3 times onto the gravel and Tarmac.

I am with you that carp are hardy fish, but to just wander around with it aimlessly seems very unkind to me.

[OldTimer]

(09-20-2013 11:36 AM)mcfly Wrote:  

(09-20-2013 11:16 AM)--G-- Wrote:  The only time I did intervene is when someone with a drop net caught a carp and walked it all round the car park showing everyone and anyone not thinking for a minute that the fish was suffocating. Gladly I had it returned to the water.

Not sure about 2013 regulations, but I have seen a page on 2005 ontario regulations that had stated there is a 3 month season for using dip nets on carp and suckers.

Carp are also one of the hardier fish species and I've seen them survive out of water for longer than 20 minutes, obviously it's cruel and we shouldn't promote it, but showing some people a carp that was just caught won't hurt it too bad.

As far as I know, there are no possession limits for carp either.

http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/en/Business/Let...63615.html