Poor experience with CO

[2112 174]

Thought id write this to let everyone know the terrible CO experience i had on Lake Nipigon yesterday.  CO approached me, not wearing a mask like her had done for the person before and says "you have 2 lines?" I said "yes", told me to take one out and that i could only have one line for which i responded "really? On lake nipigon?" (There is a one hook per line rule) he proceeded to touch all my fishing gear bare handed, my licence, my driver licence, my insurance slip. He told me i was being fined for the extra line and he was going to go check everyone else and come back. 15 minutes go by and hes back and says "so do you want the good news, or the good news" i chuckled and said "the good news" thinking id only get a warning now. He said "so you are allowed to fish with two lines, sorry, you can put your line back in" and left. Later that day i spoke to someone else who went through the same thing with him but the CO covered his mistake by saying "im going to give you another chance". This is a CO for a large region in NWO and he doesnt know you can have two lines!?!?! How many people has this guy charged falsely? He literally learned the law on the lake, im certain when he talked to a local in his shack. Know your rules before you go out because apparently some CO's need a refresher coarse on not only fishing laws, but COVID protocols as well.. I regret not standing up to him with the COVID stuff but i was in shock at the time. With all that said, the CO was polite through the experience but i basically feel like i was harrassed and left panicked for no reason.

[speckmaster 114]

That’s very weird. Experiences like that leave a bad taste in your mouth. 

[Thefishleclair 175]

Some know some don't, Might have thought Nipigon fell under another rule? I have had questions for CO's and they said they would get back to me as they did not know all the answers at the time. They are human and can make a mistake.

[speckmaster 114]

Where can you only use one line?

[2112 174]

I was fined and then unfined over a rule which every CO must know. Very different than just looking it up for education so i must disagree with the everyone makes mistakes.. Was not his first patrol and no chance we were the first double liners hes met. 

6 minutes ago, Thefishleclair said:

Some know some don't, Might have thought Nipigon fell under another rule? I have had questions for CO's and they said they would get back to me as they did not know all the answers at the time. They are human and can make a mistake.

 

[2112 174]

1 minute ago, speckmaster said:

Where can you only use one line?

S. Ont probably

[Thefishleclair 175]

41 minutes ago, 2112 said:

I was fined and then unfined over a rule which every CO must know. Very different than just looking it up for education so i must disagree with the everyone makes mistakes.. Was not his first patrol and no chance we were the first double liners hes met. 

 

🤷‍♂️

[Bobber Down 921]

F the fine part, getting the virus can possibly kill you or your loved ones. The actions of this individual (maskless and touching, handling items) is a couple of the reasons why we are currently in a covid explosion of cases in our area. Did you get his name or id number or whatever?

 

2112 you should now consider yourself infected with the virus. You and your family should isolate and monitor for two weeks. How many people has this person been in contact with (probably many) without following covid protocols. He could be a super spreader (unkown exposure) for all you know.

 

People, DO NOT, DO NOT let someone, a stranger, someone outside your bubble get too close to you even when outside or on the ice. Watch the wind if you need to speak to someone maskless or someone who is maskless. It doesn't matter if its a cop or a co. Keep em away.

[2112 174]

I agree completely with you Bobber Down. Luckily i was not near thunder bay and i did not have to go near him during it, he just molested my gear and cards while i watched from a distance. I of course will be monitoring (as i always do). I do believe i know who it is and I 100% contacting the office. 

[2112 174]

I understand why people may think it was an accident or him checking things covertly, but I dont want to give this guy any credit. He straight up didnt know the rule. There was another guy on the forum who watched it all happen and will back me up in saying he just didnt know. He took my lines, got irritated when i bit my lure of the second line, laid my rods down side by side, took pictures, wrote down names of my lures. There is no excuse he can give for the entire interaction other than he didnt know a very important regulation. 95% of people who ice fish have the second line in (i guessed that stat). All I want everyone to know is a.) Know the regs and defend yourself and b.) Dont let a CO invade your personal space just because they are "the law". Everything happened so fast I didnt even process how many things were wrong with that check until he was gone. 

[Philip 6]

So for all defendants of this officers lack of knowledge I ask what would happen if the fisherman was truly wrong and using too many lines. Could he say oh sorry I didn’t know and everything be ok? Would you or the law be ok with that or would he be penalized with a maximum fine? 🤔 And I agree everyone makes mistakes just not fair how some people in these positions still think it’s ok to basically bully people. A simple crap I’m sorry would have made at least that part of the experience way better. The health and safety part with ppe or in this case lack of it is also just as inexcusable in my opinion for both the officer and anglers safety during this awful pandemic.

[Dirty Sanchenz 58]

How is it possible a CO does not know how many lines can be in use, thats not a simple mistake on their part that is incompetence. It is part of their bread and butter not a vague question or rare situation. I'd be pretty pzed off with them going through my gear too and I"d let them and their superiors know it.

[Broncos 2]

I would suggest you contact the CO's supervisor otherwise this MISTAKE might result in a fine for someone else and what else does he or she not know?

[mad scientist 140]

15 hours ago, speckmaster said:

Where can you only use one line?

 

Lots of lakes have this exception in southern Ontario.  Only one in the north that I'm aware of is Big Vermillion.

[bin fishin lots 125]

Hard for anglers to follow rules when the ministry doesn't even know what they are. What a joke. 

[bin fishin lots 125]

Terrible feeling. When you've researched a zone. Totally comply with regulations. And then told you are doing something wrong? Yes we are all human, and we all make mistakes. But when I make a mistake at home it's not bad, if I make a mistake at work, my job is on the line. 

[offroader 49]

Another reason they should hire C.O.'s from the regions they live, and  know.

[Fishog 215]

16 hours ago, 2112 said:

I agree completely with you Bobber Down. Luckily i was not near thunder bay and i did not have to go near him during it, he just molested my gear and cards while i watched from a distance. I of course will be monitoring (as i always do). I do believe i know who it is and I 100% contacting the office. 

Keep us informed on the outcome if any from the people he answers to. 

[crisop 65]

I would file a complaint so there is paperwork and not just his supervisor giving you lip service 

[wampa 18]

What was the CO's name?

[Rene 6]

File a report. Just saying so to his supervisor will just get him a little slap on his PEE PEE.

[2112 174]

A complaint has been filed with more than a supervisor. I stressed education of covid protocol. Im not going to post his name even if i knew it, this wasnt meant to be a smear campaign against the CO. 

[fishman1 164]

I had a CO on lac des Mille lac tell us we had to leave because we had our walleye limit.

I told him we were fishing for perch and northern.

a call to his supervisor the next day cleared things up as well as his attitude!

overall in the last several years I have had great experiences with COs

they have been pleasant and polite 

[2112 174]

MNR reached out, we talked about it, im happy with the conversation we had. He didnt make excuses, said he would go over proper covid protocol with officer. Closed my complaint.

[Philip 6]

Good to hear. Remember not all are bad apples, I learned this first hand as many others here have. Don’t let it discourage you from enjoying our passion of fishing.