Bait fish question

[sjohn]

So l was catching some bait fish using my little net in a small pond close to Edmonton for half an hour today when a guy with his little son there fishing came to argue with me,he said it's illegel to keep bait fish,he seems angry and jealous cause he was saying if l took those fishes away he will not be able to catch some by himself..l knew it's legel to catch minnow by net with fishing license so l just left.The bad thing is that guy called the Fish and wildlife Officer on me and as soon as l got home,the officer showed up in front of my house. The officer took a look at the minnows ,unfortunately some of them were still alive after about 20 mins l left .Then l got a ticket says unlawfully possess live bait fish though l explained to him that l didn't intend to keep them alive...The officer also said if l report anyone fishing unlawful,l will get a reward ,that is some kind of comfort to me. .The question is should l appear or not ,will the judge likely reduce the number of the ticket which is 287 dollars now ? l never did this before.Please do not laugh at me and thanks for your opinion.

[catnthehat]

I would just pay the fine ad move on.You were only half right, you can keep dead minnows.Where you messed as when you kept them alive.
Cat

[Wingedfish]

Baitfish fishing has a host of it's own rules, one of which you broke, were caught for, and fined. Pay the fine and move on.

[sjohn]

Thanks,lesson learned with payment..good luck to all.

[Zip-in-Z]

Unfortunately, you can't apply the Mike Duffy scenario to this case, looks like an expensive lesson learned.

.

[Blastoff]

That's to bad, likely a honest mistake, dude must have wrote down your plate for fish cop to show up. I would be be slightly cheesed about it.

[Chief16]

Originally Posted by Blastoff

That's to bad, likely a honest mistake, dude must have wrote down your plate for fish cop to show up. I would be be slightly cheesed about it.

Cheesed because you broke a law and someone did the right thing by reporting you? I don't think that is anything to be mad about.

As regards to OP, good on you for realizing your mistake and paying the fine. An expensive lesson but it seems to be a lesson that will stick with you for a long time.

[cube]

Pay the fine as it is likely less than the fine for moving and transport of live fish etc.

From Page 22 of the regs
General Sportfishing Restrictions
It Is Unlawful To:

l Possess live bait fish.

l Possess live game fish – unless the fish have been lawfully caught
by angling and are within 5 metres of the waters from which they were
caught.

Page 26 of the regs
"The possession of live bait fish is prohibited. All bait fish kept must
be killed immediately. Please do not kill more than needed because
bait fish are important food for many sport fish"

[Kim473]

Pay the fine.

Collecting Bait Fish
Catching bait fish (such as suckers) by angling, bowfishing or spearfishing
is allowed from all waters open to fishing with these methods, even at
waters where the collection of bait fish by other means is prohibited.
Anglers may collect their own bait fish by minnow trap, dip net and seine
net, but these fish must not be sold. The commercial collection of bait fish
requires a Commercial Bait Fishing Licence. The following regulations
apply to the collection of bait fish for personal use as bait:
8 The collection of bait fish is not permitted in waters having a bait
ban or restriction on the use of bait fish, and in some other specified
waters (see Fish Management Zone regulations pages 32 to 84).
8 The possession of live bait fish is prohibited. All bait fish kept must
be killed immediately. Please do not kill more than needed because
bait fish are important food for many sport fish.8 Fish other than bait fish must be immediately released unharmed.
Game fish such as perch must not be kept.
8 Seine nets may not be larger than 3 m in length and 2 m in depth.
8 Minnow traps may not have dimensions greater than 60 cm in length
by 30 cm in width, depth or diameter.
8 No more than 2 minnow traps may be used at one time.
8 Minnow traps must bear the operator’s name, address and Sportfishing
Licence number.
8 Crayfish cannot be used as bait. It is unlawful to possess live crayfish.

[waterninja]

Personally, it sounds to me like you wern't planning on keeping the minnows alive for future use as live bait, and a warning would have been enough, but hey, you were caught red handed so I guess your best bet is to pay the fine and move on.
I'm curious as to what is the best way to kill those little minnows. When you buy frozen ones they are not damaged as though they have been "bonked" or crushed, and they don't appear to have been left out of water to shrivel up as they suffocate. I've never tried to catch any myself.

[huntsfurfish]

Originally Posted by waterninja

Personally, it sounds to me like you wern't planning on keeping the minnows alive for future use as live bait, and a warning would have been enough, but hey, you were caught red handed so I guess your best bet is to pay the fine and move on.
I'm curious as to what is the best way to kill those little minnows. When you buy frozen ones they are not damaged as though they have been "bonked" or crushed, and they don't appear to have been left out of water to shrivel up as they suffocate. I've never tried to catch any myself.

Add some borax to the water. It will kill them and toughen them up for freezing.

[waterninja]

Ahhhhhhhhhh..... I was just wondering. I had thought about adding bleach to the tub their in.