Regulation question.

[dmcbride]

Sportfishing Seasons
Open – means sportfishing is allowed during the time period stated. During open seasons, sportfishing is permitted 24 hours a day unless stated differently in site-specific regulations.
CLOSED – means all forms of sportfishing are prohibited.

Would closed apply to non sport fish. (Suckers, carp ect.)

[FreshAirGetter]

I shouldn't answer without proper authority or knowledge, but I would say you could collect baitfish at any time. It clearly says "sportfishing", so if anyone tells you differently that is definitely the clear term to tell them otherwise. That being said if there's a definition in the regs that says "sportfishing is sportfishing and any form of bait collecting" then I guess you'd be hooped...lol.

On that note choose carefully how you collect baitfish...don't catch a sport fish!

[Okotokian]

Sportfishing Seasons
Open – means sportfishing is allowed during the time period stated. During open seasons, sportfishing is permitted 24 hours a day unless stated differently in site-specific regulations.
CLOSED – means all forms of sportfishing are prohibited.

Would closed apply to non sport fish. (Suckers, carp ect.)

You forgot to read the definition directly above what you quoted:

"Sportfishing – means angling (using hook and line), bowfishing or spearfishing, but also includes using a minnow trap, seine net or dip net to collect bait fish for personal use."

There is no mention of particular species of fish. Seems to me that if you are doing the above in a closed season you are breaking regulations.

[FreshAirGetter]

Sorry dmc, I take my answer back...well sorta. Remember when I said jokingly about that clause? It's there.

I'm looking in 2014 regs...but:

"Sportfishing refers to angling (using a hook and line), bowfishing, spearfishing and using a minnow trap, sine net or dip net to collect bait fish for non-commercial use".

So I'd say stay away from closed waters period.

[FreshAirGetter]

lol Oko beat me to it by a few seconds...

I must admit they can do a little work to clear that up though. There shouldn't be little clauses here and there to cause such headaches. It should simply say "Closed means to all sportfishing and baitfish collecting". They shouldn't mix the two, or find a nicer way to make it CLEAR. If only a super genius can understand the regs no wonder there are poachers out there. That being said if you see one report them :-)

[dmcbride]

Thanks guys. I missed that suckers are considered bait fish.

Bait Fish means any of the following:

suckers (family Catostomidae)
sticklebacks (family Gasterosteidae)
trout-perch (Percopsis omiscomaycus)
Iowa darter (Etheostoma exile)
minnows (family Cyprinidae), except carp, goldfish and the western silvery minnow.


Seems to me carp, goldfish and western silvery minnow is open?

[Okotokian]

Seems to me carp, goldfish and western silvery minnow is open?

Sigh... sure, as long as you don't use a rod and line (angling) spearfishing, or bowfishing to get them.

[Habfan]

Nope, wrong ! Does it not say you can't use those for bait ?

[dmcbride]

Sigh... sure, as long as you don't use a rod and line (angling) spearfishing, or bowfishing to get them.

All good, there are no carp around here anyway. Be nice if they just said no fishing period. Thanks.

[Kim473]

If the water body is closed, just stay away from any kind of fishing or bait fish. Not worth going to court because of some newbe handing out fines even if your in the right.