Big Pike. Caught legally?

[Some Old Guy 968]

Legal catch? What's your thought?

Big Pike

Roger

P.S. I would say no. Reason: Using game fish for bait and not allowed to net game fish.

[NorthwestHunter 27]

I read the article today, and couldn't help but think the same thing.

Unfortunate if the fellow gets fined after the article.

-Paul

[Pro fisherman-Stud Muffin 420]

ya i would say the article should be called big fish poached. obviously author lacks basic fishing knowledge, as this is best left as a campfire story. i wouldn't be "suprised" if he received a fine.

[smokerscully1 16]

Its not a legal catch according to the story--but its a big fish story--and big fish stories are subject to change.

If they write him a ticket he might just pay it--otherwise--no conviction!

[McGinnis_Fishing 49]

If he gets a fine thats bs! Theres lots of stories about people having pike grab their fish while they were reeling it up. And guess what they kept them. The only difference is his was on a stringer.. So what. If anything it made it harder on him.

[ghart 55]

I've also seen people keep snagged (foul hooked) fish - completely by accident mind you, but the rules are very clear in that case and the pike case. Now since no CO witnessed it - it would likely just be considered a fish tale unless someone really wanted to ruin his day.

illegal yes, charged not likely.

[Guest FreshwaterFisherman]

Illegal. Nice fish but based on laws its an illegal catch and possession. Should have took a pic and let it go now he can be seen as a poacher.

[Guest FreshwaterFisherman]

If he gets a fine thats bs! Theres lots of stories about people having pike grab their fish while they were reeling it up. And guess what they kept them. The only difference is his was on a stringer.. So what. If anything it made it harder on him.

I don't think it matters that other people catch pike, on pike and keep them. Still illegal. You can't reach over the side of the boat and net a big pike you see. Which is essentially what he did. He was in possession of a fish caught on a sport fish(illegal) and he netted it(illegal). Laws take precedence over all else. As a fisherman we all need to follow the laws otherwise we will make a bad name for all of us. "Everyone keeps them" is not justification. Like I said nice fish but I wish laws weren't broken in the process. Tight lines dude!

[MILLER 77]

A lot of times when a big pike grabs onto a smaller pike, the big pike usually lets go eventually. This guy obviously doesn't know the rules and appears to make no attempt at shaking off the big one. To each their own, but why is this guy eating a trophy, monster pike like that anyway? He now looks like a poacher and a meat hunter!! Hope the family enjoyed those ancient fillets!!

[Foz 25]

I snagged a nice walleye at Majata lake earlier this season and did the right thing and released it. My reasoning was that the fish have enough to worry about without having to worry about being snagged and caught by accident. I could have taken a pic but I didn't. I felt good about my decision. I agree that we need to follow the rules and laws or else we can be seen in a negative light. If I had to catch fish to survive then that's a different story, but when I'm out fishing for fun or sport, I follow the rules as much as i can. Isaac.

[Foz 25]

I snagged a nice walleye at Majata lake earlier this season and did the right thing and released it. My reasoning was that the fish have enough to worry about without having to worry about being snagged and caught by accident. I could have taken a pic but I didn't. I felt good about my decision. I agree that we need to follow the rules and laws or else we can be seen in a negative light. If I had to catch fish to survive then that's a different story, but when I'm out fishing for fun or sport, I follow the rules as much as i can. Isaac.

[randomheroj 16]

The article says "Taylor reached over to pull in the stringer, and saw a 1.25 m pike trailing behind."I saw this huge snake. A huge, huge fish," he said."So, I put the boat in neutral and I tried to get it into the net. But it was so big that it wouldn't fold to get into the net."Taylor eventually managed to get the fish in the net and then into the boat." Judging by that he had already had the stringer in his boat and then illegally netted pike. I think it's poaching straight up and unsportsmanlike.

[Some Old Guy 968]

I was just mentioning this because I have known a few fines over the last ten or so years.

One of them was two guys steel head fishing. One guy was fighting a steelhead. the other guy was ready with the net. As the one guy fought the fish, the fish busted off. The fish was scrambling amoung shallow water and rocks. The guy with the net corrals the fish and nets it. They are happy they got the fish.

Immediatly a C.O. that witnessed this walked over and they got a ticket for netting the fish as it was not "caught"!

And if anyone thinks a C.O. must witness it happening.......... I disagree. Many a case has been investigated and ticketed by info online!

Roger

[Some Old Guy 968]

Judging by the picture of the smaller pike all ripped up, I would say that the big pike was already munching on the small pike. And there would be no way in hell that he could net a free swimming pike following a stringer.

That small pike is ripped up bad and that tells me the big pike was attached then netted.

Roger

[Some Old Guy 968]

Bottom line in my opinion is I hope he doesn't get fined. It's a great story. But the big pike should have been let go. In this day and age I would have busted out the phone, recorded a bit of it then let it go.

But then on the other hand........... No way in hell I would have a warm water small pike on a stringer towing it home to cut up and eat!!!!!....... Well unless it was from the Kam and I was giving it to my mother-in-law!!!! HA HA!

Roger

[ghart 55]

a good and thorough warning would be nice at the very least - there is a lot of .... I was going to say ignorance... but more of a misunderstanding or just plain didn't realize (neither of which are valid legal defenses).

I spend a lot of time explaining mostly to the younger fisher people the more common rule violations (foul hooking, the netting a snapped off fish etc. Even the adults are usually "We just didn't realize". Once in Geraldton I let a foul hooked fish back and told a little girl why... she asked her father and basically said he would have no problem keeping the fish foul hooked. That is where the kids are learning.

Hanging out at the black bridge in Nipigon watching parents and kids snagging suckers for the fish derby, being very vocal about how it was wrong, then having the CO's walk up and give the kids prizes instead of a lecture/information.

[BASS ASSASSIN 22]

Food for Thought

If anybody knows this guy, please PM me with contact information. Sounds to me like the family needs some assisstance with the procurement of food. I can provide multiple resources on how to obtain highly nutritious food at a low cost.....lets say, less than a can of boat gas...or a house/camp on Surprise lake...and keep those beautiful pike in the lake where they belong.

Cheers for doing the right thing.

[McGinnis_Fishing 49]

How ever was the pike on the stringer dead or alive? It was likely to be alive but i have left dead fish on stringers to keep them fresh and just so they arent in the boat. If they pike on the stringer did happen to ne dead then it is a legal catch.

"In the 1989 version of the Ontario Fishery Regulations there was a restriction on using fish or fish parts that were not listed as baitfish. That would have prevented a person from using perch eyes. Under the newest version (2007) of the Ontario Fishery Regulations a person cannot use or possess for use as bait an invasive fish (alive or dead) or a live fish that is not a species of baitfish.

Therefore perch eyes would be permissible and a dead perch could also be used unless you were fishing in a lake that was restricted to artificial bait only."

This was taken right from the ask the mnr forum.

[Guest FreshwaterFisherman]

None of that matters. The pike was most likely alive if it was on a stringer. He also netted it. Are we going to argue whether it was legal or not? It is cut and dry, it was illegal. Period. Whether anything comes of this? Who knows, most likely he will get away with it. Is it too much to ask that you use a rod and lure to catch your trophy fish. He was wrong and should not have kept the fish.

[Guest FreshwaterFisherman]

I do understand what your saying but you can hardly be proud of a huge pike when all you did was scoop it out of the water. Too bad that fish was removed from the lake. It's a shame.

[McGinnis_Fishing 49]

I tottaly agree it should have been released. I cant understand why anyone would keep it. But whether or not it was legal, it was most likely caught illegaly butit is possible it was caught legally and worded wrong in the article.

[Some Old Guy 968]

If he caught it on a rod, then it was up to him if he kept it or not.

The quote for using game fish as bait? So I can keep bonking walleye, killing them to use as pike bait. But I can only kill 4 walleye to use as pike bait? Is that what that means????? Really????

Roger

[Guest FreshwaterFisherman]

I also can't imagine that's legal. It may be that in some way perch is considered a bait fish species as well. I dunno, but I can't see you being able to do as Roger just said.

[ghart 55]

ewwwwww... frying up baitfish for supper... that's just icky

[McGinnis_Fishing 49]

I agree im just throwing stuff out there.