Poacher/Illegal fishing ....what would you do???

[muskymatt]

I was out to get some ice fishing with a friend of mine at one of my walleye/perch lakes near Perth, we were on the ice at 5:30 am and it was pithch black.

We noticed a tip- up and no one around it , soon we saw 5 more

All thes were in the spot I was hoping to fish, and no one was in sight.

We set up just off the tip- ups and fished until about noon when out on the ice came a guy with a young son on X-country skies.

They checked the lines , re-baited them and left

Too many lines and leaving them unattended. I was pee pee off by now.
And passing off illegal fishing to his son.


That kid is learning to break the law at 10 years old (I'm guessing)

My problem is
1) I had to get permission to access the lake from one of his neighbours

2) I had left my truck unattended out of view from me

3) This person was a local on the lake

I didn't say anything to him and I left feeling guilty and not happy with myself.

I want to know how you would have handled it.I didn't want to lose my access to the lake by having this person confront the person who's property I was using to get on the lake. I also didn't want to confront him in front of his young son.

[radar]

There are always idiots out there who don't care about why there are regs and what they mean for fishing and mostly future fishing. Another point is that you have to be careful about your safety when confronting people out there or even your truck parked on the road.

I think I would continue my day as planned. Once at home, then a call to the MNR would be the best thing. This avoids any ugly confrontations. Cause you know that if you do anything to the guys tip ups or holes, that's when he will come around.

[joco]

you were in a delicate situation......


but i would have told him for sher.

i have seen so many thing like that happen..... i no guys that do that.i told them.but they still do it,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,BUT they dont let them there not attended........there sit in there cottage in the window all the time and have binoculars.........and have 4 weeleer.they see it going down,jump on the 4 weeler and way they go....

there line are always attend.but there not close anaught...they do have an eye on them always.do.


so those person were they able to see the tip up frome the cottage,,,,,????

are far the cottage,,,,??


but the law is ,you have to be close anaught...to your tip up.

but there is a gray area in there........

i see tons off guy in quebec that have 10 or even 40 tip up ( wen 8 guys party chak).and the last one is like ,,,400 feet frome them.. .



delicate situation man...

but if he put them there and leave and dont look at it all the time........mmmmmmm situation to say somthing i gues.

i see some people sit in there ice shak.........and they dont see there tip up all the time and there sit like 20 feet frome it.... .,,saw that a cople off time,,, .


joco

[muskymatt]

Judging by the marks in the snow I'd have to say the lines were set up the night before. We were on the ice at 5:30 am and it was pitch black out , you needed a light to get around....period . And the snow was fresh around the hole from overnight.

I'm sure he could see the lines from the cottage 1/2 km away with binoculars, but not in the dark!!!!!!

Plain and simple every aspect of his fishing was ----ILLEGAL.......period.

I'm kicking myself for not doing anything...I put my access to the lake ahead of my morals.

[RJ]

Tough Spot Matt....how big was he?..

I've seen situations like that pop up from time to time and I usually say something myself.....not in an aggressive kinda way either.....I likely would have said...."Wow...you guys were slaying them....3 walleye, nice ones too....I let em go for ya"

Anyone that has responded to the poll with "leave and call the CO's" is badly disallusioned....I've all but given up on our MNR.....trust me....they won't come running....

RJ

[Joisey Joe]

When I came back to fishing in Canada after some years off, I was informed (by some F-H posters) that I was breaking the law! Not something like poaching but things like 2 poles in the water at one time, open beer in da boat , little things that I wasn't even aware of. I was glad that I was informed about it, better than a fine, wasn't PO'ed at all, and I passed on the info to my fishin crew and anybody that would listen. I would hope that most would have the same reaction that I had, didn't know, thanks.

So I would let the people in question know, give them the benifit of the doubt, if the told me to F off, then it's time to let the authorities know. I would not however just let it go, we have a respondsibity to the environment and besides it's just the right thing to do. I feel that's part of being a fisherman, however distastful, we must be concerned about the greater good.

MY 1 and a half cents worth! Joe, a.k.a. SUPER ENVIRON MAN! LOL

[joco]

hi matt



yep i didn not think about darkness.....

nope can t see in dark..so it was non attend so purely illigal......

still in a bad situation do... .

but at least make think about it.....and tell is kid.

not a good way to show a kid.......bad start .

joco

[Bondo]

Matt, I would definately at least call the MNR then you have done your due diligence. If they dont act on the information then it is their mistake but if they dont have the information, they can't act on it.

Unfortunately the MNR is as short staffed as all other provincial ministries. I have a personal friend who is a C.O. and trust me, I just shake my head when he tells me the stories about gas rationing, limiting their kms they are allowed to drive in a day etc. And also the fact that almost half of all the C.O.'s in Ontario work at Queen's Park. Very frustrating for the C.O.s because I'm sure none of them got into that line of work to be boot-strapped and held back from doing their jobs.

[Mr. T.]

Maybe discreetly take some pics for the MNR in case they follow up with it.

Assuming you have a digital camera.

[Wallyboss]

It's easy for us to say what we would have done but we weren't there.


maybe say something like "Geez I didn't know that you could do that" Do you catch lots this way????

But like you said if you report him . And if he is friends with the person you asked for access, then your access is finished.

I told a guy at Petrie about a month ago that the muskie he just caught was out of season, after he shouted to come and see this fish. He has a gaff in its gills and is hanging vertically from it. Then the guy goes back in to his shack, a buddy of mine goes to the shack 15 minutes later and the guy still has the muskie in the shack. Then the guy that caught the muskie takes off with the muskie throws it in the back of the pickup goes to the Baitshop to get a picture taken with it. So I asked the young guy(not Seabass) at the baitshop about the guy and the muskie, and he said that yes he took the picture and that they released it after. I told him that the muskie had been out of the water for at least 25-30 minutes, he replied "oh theyr'e tough it just took off after we put it back in the water, Might have took off but it was probably blind with frozen eyes and I am sure that he was on it's last breath.

So I took a picture of the guys truck and ice shack and 4-wheeler and I called the MNR to report it and I left a message , nobody has called me yet.

[matcole]

We fished on Saturday at Constance Lake and some guy was out with his kids but they must have had at least 10 - 12 tip ups out there and he was proud to come over and show us a bucket with 2 nice sized pike in and pointed out the 7 or eight he had on the ice, I just said to him that i wasn't aware you could keep that many on a sportsmans license and he had the gall to say, "what license?" Ignorance is not innocence!

[FLOATFISHIN]

On the note of what to do...

1st off, Make sure Float aint fishin with ya I've got a few choice words for folks like that

I'd personally in a situation like that...

Can't see anyone, it's pitch black and no one comes by for a few hrs or not..

Take up all the lines, cut them, and put the rods back in the original placement, that way when the whoever owners of the rods return, they might think twice of leavin un attended lines for a period of time or any time at all.

Either that or put a big wool sock on one with a rock in it, so when they returned, they thought they had a big, yet dead fish

[jsdx]

Next time don't set up near them as they could be mistaken for yours.. If a ministry officer comes by and assumes they are yours, then you will be in for the fine unless he believes you.

However if you do want to fish nearby ...

1) gather up the tip-ups right away and when the guy comes by and asks, tell him a ministry officer came by and confiscated them.

2) mention that the ministry officer tried to give you a ticket for them and you were very lucky not to be fined.

and if he resets the lines and goes home again... don't forget ... take em with you.

[Kpin]

Def. tough spot Matt. We've debated this for a while and we've seen responses on this very site essentially saying, the "poacher" if kindly informed they were breaking the law, would kindly inform them, they are about to promptly break their bones.

Being short staffed, the MNR, would most likely be unable to take care of business or arrive in time to do their jobs.

Personally, (knowing some of you won't agree with this but so be it).

I'd cut all the lines and when they arrived back, I'm sure they'd be cursing about it. I'd then tell them the MNR had come by and done it and kindly asked me to inform them immediately when the "poacher" arrived back.

They may or may not know they are infact breaking the regs and I'd as kindly as possible, try to explain and that I was sure he didn't want to teach the boy, something obviously wrong and made an honest mistake and didn't want to see a fellow angler punished for not knowing, esp. in front of his young son, (though, he prob. did know better).

Given this situation, he'd either thank you and adopt the proper way of fishing and regs, we all abide by. Or thank you for not turning him in and continue his ways.

No one wants a confrontation, especially one gone wrong and it's very easy to calmly think about how to handle something after the fact. I'm pretty sure given this situation, would turn out ok.

In retrospect though, it may not hurt to give a heads up to the MNR, givem the facts and when they are able to check it out and hope the poor, understaffed, unappreciated SOB, is closeby, because of the gas rationing.

*Personal rant*....How the hell can they impose a max. km/day upon CO's given all the territory the have to cover, while simultaneously being understaffed?!

Methinks a few less grants to the "arts" and such other programs that for the most part aren't usefull to the majority of the public should be scrapped. (Don't even get me started about lack of funding to hospitals!)

[Spence Scout]

I agree with RJ...

MNR wont come running, their understaffed.
I've run into a situation not quite the same but similar in Cobourg several years back. I with concern, thinking they werent aware of the regs or rules approached. I told them fishing for steelhead on this side of the bridge at this time of year is illegal right now. He said ya we know.. But have you seen the chinese guys on the "Gagne" snagging and poaching as well. I spoke up and said 2 wrongs dont make a right. And they dont probably realize theyre doing something illegal just yet.. He also said the MNR is on strike so who cares. After this and the dirty looks I got I said ok stay, Im calling the OPP. Hope you get no bites! Then I procedded to walk away and flag down a near by OPP...

Its importnat to get your voice heard especially if its the right one. And concerning this sport we all love we need as many people doing the right thing to ensure our natural resources last. If we have to abide by them "everyone should".. Matt I know whats its like to freeze or not be to sure of waht to say, Ive been there.. But Ive realized that nothing happens if you stay quiet, and sure if you do speak up. And they arent happy, no matter what you were still doing the right thing..

Its interesting this topic. These occurences are common. People either think they have the right because their locals, or are just not educated enough on what their doing..

Matt forgive yourself, just dont bite the tongue so much next time!

Regards

Spence