catch and retain rules

[Lyle Reiner 174]

Been reading the regulations and on page 9 it says that

"anglers fishing from a boat may now catch, hold andd selectively live release more walleye, northern pike, largemouth or smallmouth bass than the daily limit, provided...

C. The sport or conservation fishing daily catch and retain limits for walleye or northern pike are not exceeded at any one time, "

I'm confused, how many walleye can I keep in my livewell at one time? Do these statements not completely contradict eachother?

Please clarify

[Guest MNR]

Prior to this recent change in the regulations, if you were fishing and had 4 walleye in the boat or on your stringer, you were able to continue fishing but any additional walleye that you caught had to be immediately returned to the water in which it was caught. “Immediately” meant “without delay” and you weren’t allowed to exchange a newly caught fish for one of the four already in your possession.

The change allows you to exchange one or more of the fish already in your possession (even if you’re at your limit for the species). There are conditions though. The Ontario Fishery Regulations state:

23. (1) A person who is angling under a sport fishing licence or a conservation fishing licence from a fishing vessel and who catches largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, walleye or northern pike may exchange one or more of the live fish that the person has caught for another of the same species if

(a) the live fish that are caught and not immediately released are held in a livewell that is mechanically aerated at all times; and

( the fish that is being released will survive after release and is released into the waters from which it was caught.

(2) A person who is fishing under a sport fishing licence may hold in the livewell no more than an aggregate of six largemouth bass or smallmouth bass.

You still go home with the legal limit. It’s just for a brief period that you actually have one more fish than your daily possession limit and no fish are released that will not survive.

This section allows people participating in fishing tournaments to obtain the maximum size (weight) of fish possible within the legal possession limit.