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Posts: 222
Location: Hartland, WI | WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Did not know this thread would get so much play, it is a judgement call in my opinion. You know what you are doing, I jsut would not suggest moving around a huge amount of water. Fishing a certain structure seems like your best bet. Tuff topic, and very interesting feedback. |
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Posts: 2515
Location: Waukesha & Land O Lakes, WI | From what I hear from the Warden up by us in Land O Lakes...They'd like to see laws changed so that a trolling motor cannot be down while working live bait. Would make enforcement alot easier on wardens.
When we talked to the warden a few weekends ago, his reply "if you dont want trouble, dont look for it. If you're moving along, under power by the use of a trolling motor and are advancing your position, I'll give out a cite"
Pretty basic to me Shep. I've said this from day one, if you're attemtping to maintain your position, wardens can see that. If you're working your way around a rice island and are advancing position....they can see that too.
I dont move my boat with my main or troller while I have bait in the water...I have'nt had a problem in 20+ years of sucker fishing Vilas Co. Dwayne Harpster was the old warden in Vilas Co, he gave me a cite for not having cushions that were "Poofy Enough", this guy went out of his way to be a knob. His big thing was to watch boats from shorelines with binoculars and hand out cites at the landing for guys trolling. If you had your trolling motor down and had bait in the water, he was gonna nail you.
To say NOT to use the TIP line for trollers because you dont like the rules is wrong man...plain and simple. If somebody suspects people of trolling, call the WE Tip and let the warden do his job! Wardens hand out cites Shep, anglers dont.
Edited by Gander Mt Guide 9/28/2004 10:22 AM
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Location: Minneapolis, MN | After reading Shep's version of the rules, I'm currious, how does the DNR define "Structure". Is structure anything that is not a flat bottom of the lake for more than say...6 ft? So does that mean if a warden approaches me position fishing and says I'm trolling that we can get my Aqua Vu out and take a look below. If there is a weed or a bottle, an old garbage bag, a single rock, anything that could be construed as structure that I was position fishing? How big does this "structure" have to be? How close to that "structure" do I have to be?
UGH! Another reason to boycott the little fish in WI. I'm going to fish in IL. |
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Posts: 32958
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | LC,
The rule interpretation is to be primarily defined by the movement of the boat while 'position fishing'. If the boat moves forward dragging the sucker for any clearly defined amount of time, you're trolling. Position fishing over structure can include open water fishing, as suspended fish relate to open water (structure, in a strict sense of the idea). The idea is this:
DO NOT PULL THE SUCKER ALONG BEHIND THE BOAT!
Let's say I am following an 18' breakline around the lake. It is OK to DRIFT that line with the wind adjusting with short bursts to stay on it. It is NOT OK to move against the wind dragging the sucker behind the boat along the edge. |
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Posts: 5874
| Never said because I don't like the rules, I wouldn't make the call. You see, things are not just black and white for me. Just like I would never call in for a guy doing 60 in 55 zone, I wouldn't TIP a guy for a minor infraction, or even a greay area in the regs. However, if a guy was weaving all over, driving 20 over, and I felt that I or others were in danger, I'd make the call. Just like if I saw a guy with live bait out, and his TM down, I'd ingnore it. However, if I saw a guy keep a 32" fish, and the limit was 34, or if he had 10 eyes, when the limit was 5, I'd make the call.
Which brings up an interesting point. Why is that lots of "sportsman" are so quick to call TIP for any little thing, but wouldn't even think about calling in a speeder doing 20+ over? |
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Posts: 2427
Location: Ft. Wayne Indiana | Why not hook up a sucker really good and cast it? I've done it!!!! |
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| Like I said originally, just drift with the suckers out. It works great! 
Steve |
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Posts: 2515
Location: Waukesha & Land O Lakes, WI | People call the TIP line because that's what it's meant for...CALLING! I dont see a WE TIP for SPEEDERS hot line.... Sportsmen take rules and regs alot more seriously than they do speeding. You could find a simularity between speeding on a lake and speeding on a road, but , to me, there is no comparison between violating a natural recources law and speeding.
I toss Sucker Minnows alot for Musky. You can always cast and jig with your motors on, no problem.....good call Hulbert! |
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Posts: 5874
| MB,
Basically, that is what I do. I work the wind, and use the TM to make small corrections to stay on the structure, whether it's a weed line, rock pile, breakline, etc. It's not rocket science here. The regs are plain enough to me. I'm not claiming to know all, but I do feel confident I am within the spirit, and the letter, of the law. Been doing this for years while eye fishing also, and never had a problem. I guess each will have to decide for themselves what they are going to do, or not do.
GMG, you're wrong about not having a number to call to turn in traffic violators. The number is 911. As to your comment, "there is no comparison between violating a natural recources law and speeding" Last time I checked, nobody got hurt because they had a sucker and the TM down! I can garrantee you, somebody DIED today because of excessive speed.
Oh, by the way, the reels have worked great. Not a big fan of the rods, a little too stiff in the tip for me, but the reels are great. Thanks, again.
Edited by Shep 9/28/2004 1:59 PM
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Posts: 2515
Location: Waukesha & Land O Lakes, WI | Those were dipseys rods I think, thought they'd be good for Salmon and Musky, probally crap for walleye.....I hear through the grapvine that the new 80-120.00 Shimano trolling rods (Techoma?) are going on clearance soon. Those are awsome rods, I'll let you know when and if that happens.
Right now we have sales on all the downriggers, the sale lasts through the end of the year almost. |
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| Wis Wade,
You can print it from your browser or copy the text and paste it into word and then print it. But I wouldn't bother since it's simply one warden's opinion and as everyone here has made pretty clear, ask 10 wardens and you'll get 10 different opinions. The law is a huge greyzone and while one warden doesn't mind minor position adjustments another writes a citation for the same thing. I posted M. Currie's response simply for comparison since she states it's HER interpretation. I doubt another warden would care if they read her letter. In fact, they'd probably think you made it up being "internet hearsay". - Chicago Wade |
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Posts: 194
Location: Lincolnshire, IL | Wade, part of my reply about a downloadable file was in jest...If something were on letterhead it may go a bit further but it certainly strengthens the argument, yours and others that this is simply a gray area when others claim that it is not.... :(...And I suggest that you officially change your name to Illinois Wade to avoid any confusion Go Badgers! |
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