Post by Pete on May 23, 2009 6:36:03 GMT -5
Hey Folks,
Normally, I'm pretty quiet about politics or law enforcement on this site. I usually let the people that know more about a certain topic than I do, I let them go about their business. For example Conservation Officers, they know the regulations better than any of us. Well I heard something last night that really makes me wonder what was this CO thinking. I have a neighbour on the other side of the bay from me and he has been here for 10 years. Oh, did I mention he is an American?? Well he comes up 3 times a year to fish, May for pike, again in July and again in late September for fall smallies.
He was out fishing with his son yesterday pike fishing with 6" leaders and throwing crankbaits. He was fishing in a bay that is known to have pike in it. He casts and catches a bass. As we all know bass are still out of season. So he releases the bass immediately. Moves along the shore line and continues to fish. A CO that was watching him from afar (with binoculars) I would assume approaches his boat.
After a lengthy discussion with the CO, he and his son were given a $235 fine each for targeting bass out of season. The CO never checked his livewells to see if he had any fish. There was no bass tackle in the boat and by that I mean any plastics or even spinnerbaits. All he was using were sthingys and crankbaits. The reason that he received the fines is because the CO told him that after 15 years of service he just knows that he is targeting bass. The CO told him that he could appeal the tickets but as he knew they were from the States and there is no way that they were going to come back up here to appeal them.
After he told me what happened he said that he will not come back and fish for pike in May. This is the first time that he has been fined in the 10 years that he has been here. He has been approached before by both CO and the OPP and never had any problems.
I normally don't comment on issues like this but this one is really bad. Just my 2 cents but I hope that these fines were not handed out because he is an American. I can honestly say that of all the times that I have fished in the US and have been approached by COs down there I have never had any issues. Hopefully, this isn't something that the COs are doing because I have heard other strange things that COs have done to not only visitors but locals as well on this body of water.
Puzzled Pete
Normally, I'm pretty quiet about politics or law enforcement on this site. I usually let the people that know more about a certain topic than I do, I let them go about their business. For example Conservation Officers, they know the regulations better than any of us. Well I heard something last night that really makes me wonder what was this CO thinking. I have a neighbour on the other side of the bay from me and he has been here for 10 years. Oh, did I mention he is an American?? Well he comes up 3 times a year to fish, May for pike, again in July and again in late September for fall smallies.
He was out fishing with his son yesterday pike fishing with 6" leaders and throwing crankbaits. He was fishing in a bay that is known to have pike in it. He casts and catches a bass. As we all know bass are still out of season. So he releases the bass immediately. Moves along the shore line and continues to fish. A CO that was watching him from afar (with binoculars) I would assume approaches his boat.
After a lengthy discussion with the CO, he and his son were given a $235 fine each for targeting bass out of season. The CO never checked his livewells to see if he had any fish. There was no bass tackle in the boat and by that I mean any plastics or even spinnerbaits. All he was using were sthingys and crankbaits. The reason that he received the fines is because the CO told him that after 15 years of service he just knows that he is targeting bass. The CO told him that he could appeal the tickets but as he knew they were from the States and there is no way that they were going to come back up here to appeal them.
After he told me what happened he said that he will not come back and fish for pike in May. This is the first time that he has been fined in the 10 years that he has been here. He has been approached before by both CO and the OPP and never had any problems.
I normally don't comment on issues like this but this one is really bad. Just my 2 cents but I hope that these fines were not handed out because he is an American. I can honestly say that of all the times that I have fished in the US and have been approached by COs down there I have never had any issues. Hopefully, this isn't something that the COs are doing because I have heard other strange things that COs have done to not only visitors but locals as well on this body of water.
Puzzled Pete
