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Posts: 30
Location: Wisconsin | Other than row trolling, how do you fish suckers in Wisc. on a Class A lake since you can't troll with them or drag them along as you cast using a trolling motor? I would think it is hard to follow breaklines and other structure just by drifting. I have never fished suckers and was wondering how to do it legally on a Class A lake, but I would also like to cast as I use the suckers.
HODAG |
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Posts: 194
| Just because a lake is classified as "Class A" does not mean trolling is prohibited. Check the regulation's pamphlet. Certain "Class A" lakes are trolling allowed and listed individually if they are. Otherwise you are allowed to "Position fish" while casting. I haven't ran accross any wardens doing this, but I hear that a lot of them will write you a trolling ticket anyways. It seems the individual warden gets to decide exactly how position fishing is defined. The way I read it, all you have to do is keep your line vertical and you are position fishing. Anything else and you are trolling. I know if I ever got a ticket for trolling when I was actually position fishing, the warden would be in the fight of his/her life to get that ticket upheld. The DNR really needs this rule clarified so the confusion goes away. |
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Posts: 2112
Location: The Sportsman, home, or out on the water | If you have a sucker out, and the trolling motor is on, you are legal if your line is straight down, not at a 45% angle behind the boat. I am NOT a game warden, I DO NOT play one on T.V., nor did I stay at a Holiday Inn last night (wait, yes, I did stay at one last night down in Indy). |
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| Why can't you cast and fish a sucker at the same time? Why can't you use a trolling motor to ADJUST your position? You ARE NOT trolling when you cast and fish a sucker at the same time NO MATTER WHAT THE ANGLE OF THE LINE IS when using a trolling motor to position yourself!!! You CANNOT keep the trolling motor running to work a shoreline against the wind, but if you are fishing with the wind, you can move yourself in or out depending on what the wind is doing to you. DO NOT RUN YOUR TROLLING MOTOR AT ALL TIMES when fishing with a sucker, that is considered trolling.
Please show me or tell me one person, just one person, who continuously takes a motor in and out of gear or stops and goes to troll. They do not!!! They are NOT trolling. Show me a boat fishing Lake Michigan or Lake Winnebago that trolls by taking their boat in and out of gear or stop and go using an electric trolling motor. You will not find any.
Trolling is the continuous movement using a motor or sail.
The DNR can stop me all they want. I WILL fight them in court on this matter, AND I WILL WIN!!! Bring it on DNR, bring it on.
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| Anchor, soak a sucker and cast
Drift, soak a sucker and cast
Or go to lakes in S WI or NW WI where trolling is legal and then no worries |
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Posts: 194
| Strong words for a nameless "GUEST" |
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| If you're advancing your position via the use of your trolling motor either forward or reverse....you're trolling. The vertical line thing doesn't mean anything if you're advancing your position. If the DNR sees you advancing your position while a sucker is out, no matter how slow you're moving, you're in violation. I like the way people try to interpret rules to justify what they do. You know when you're trolling. Don't do it where you can't. No matter how dumb you think it is.
Think the DNR doesn't know the differnece of when you're using your TM to stay on a spot or moving? |
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Posts: 106
Location: Des Plaines, IL | Are you able to troll on the Chip? |
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Posts: 5
| I am going to use oars this year. Yes, many boats are too wide for one man to row. But if you have two guys, each guy takes one oar. This will allow me to follow a break line or an underwater hump to perfection. Rowing a big heavy boat is something I would not want to do all day but it would be a nice break from casting, especially if the wind is not helping your drift. - jim |
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Posts: 332
Location: Neenah, WI | This topic is always up to a debate.
Refer to the Position Fishing Rule in the Fishing Reg. Handbook (WI) This law is up to Interpretation of the Warden who Stops you.
I have spoke with 3 different DNR officals about this . Each one of these gentlemen have different opinions!!
If your trolling motor is down and the sucker is out, it can be considered trolling. (Depends on the officer)
Hook em' Hard
SAINT 1 |
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Posts: 691
Location: nationwide | Trolling on the Chip . . . . . legally?
row trolling yes .. .. gas or electric motor trolling no.
But I have seen motor trolling up there every year by people.
Corey Meyer |
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| From the WDNR Fishing Regs
“Backtrolling” is only legal in waters where motor trolling is allowed. “Position fishing” is fishing from a boat where the fishing line extends vertically into the water while the boat is maneuvered (forwards or backwards) by a motor used to position or maintain the position of the boat over underwater structure. Position fishing is allowed statewide in all waters. |
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Posts: 584
| The only way that I know for sure that fall is in the air is when we have a spirited discussion about suckers and "position fishing" versus "trolling" on these boards. 
Below is a statement from the WDNR Chief Warden which I found approx. a year ago floating around the internet. I can't vouch for the authenticity of it, since I found it posted on some other message board. But it does make total sense based on how the regs are written. (If you plan to rely on it, perhaps an email to Mr. Stark himself to vouch for the authenticity first would be a good idea). Based on what's written below, you can cast and use your trolling motor to "slowly move around" a "structure" or "weed edges" or "drop offs" while keeping a sucker "vertical or near vertical". What you can't do is to "trail" a sucker while casting and using your trolling motor.
In any event, assuming authenticity (which is probably a safe assumption), for those who like to cast while simultaneously hanging a sucker overboard in non-trolling counties, I would suggest that you review this carefully and then print out and keep a copy in your boat. If you are fishing within these guidelines, but nevertheless have a game warden ready to ticket you for "trolling", you can try and use the email below to explain why the ticket is unwarranted from the standpoint of the WDNR's Chief Warden.
>>>The following is our current policy and guidance relative to the issue of position fishing and trolling.
Position fishing is allowed statewide and is defined as fishing from a boat where the fishing line extends vertically into the water while the boat is maneuvered (forwards or backwards) by a motor used to position the boat over underwater structures.
Motor trolling is illegal statewide except in some counties and waters as specified in the County and statewide tables under s. NR 20.20, Wis. Adm. Code, and listed in the Special Regulations Listings by County in the Fishing Regulation pamphlet.
DNR Law Enforcement policy is that some movement under power while position fishing will be acceptable and occasional deviation from vertical lines is expected. How much movement is some? Movement for up to several minutes may occasionally be necessary to reposition a fishing boat. Trailing a sucker or minnow behind a boat while casting an artificial lure with the use of a motor would not be authorized. Wardens should consider the totality of the circumstance in determining whether a violation has been committed.
Acceptable practices: Examples of fishing techniques that would qualify under the spirit of the position fishing rule:
- Using your motor to move around a structure, weed edges, rock bars, drop offs, while vertically jigging.
- Using your motor to slowly move around structure fishing with a bottom bouncer fished in a vertical or near vertical presentation.
- Operating your motor to maintain position.
Unacceptable and illegal practices: Examples of fishing techniques that would not qualify as position fishing are:
- Use of downriggers or planer boards to trail live baits or artificial lures while operating electric or outboard motors.
- Trailing lines with live bait or artificial lures while engaged in casting and immediate retrieval of a different bait, lure or similar device while the motor is running.
Randy J. Stark
Chief Warden
Bureau of Law Enforcement
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
phone: (608) 266-1115
fax: (608) 266-3696
e-mail: [email protected]
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Posts: 750
Location: Minneapolis, MN | Kind of wish we could soak a sucker while casting in MN. Had a couple people mention that it's a good way to catch follows but I'm pretty sure it violates the 1 line per angler rule. |
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Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | i've done what the guest is saying for years ... intermittent positioning is not dragging or trolling. i have to put the sucker out the back or it will swim ahead and get caught in the trolling motor. must be a lot of guys who use their ap in continuous mode.
i still haven't heard of anyone ticketed who does this ... |
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Posts: 8866
| Excellent post, Matt.
The wardens aren't stupid. They know when you're doing your best to keep your suckers vertical and when you're just trying to circumvent the law.
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Posts: 285
Location: NE Wisconsin | Why don't they call it a "positioning motor" rather then a "trolling motor"?????? Its called a trolling motor, because its used for "trolling"!!!!!!! |
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Posts: 548
Location: MN | Jimfish - 10/2/2006 11:17 AM
Are you able to troll on the Chip?
I heard you can troll Big Chip next year.
Nick |
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Posts: 999
| I disagree Johnnie! I see 99% of the musky guys using their trolling motors for positioning. Now walleye guys I see using their trolling motors for trolling crawler harnesses to maintain very slow speeds. |
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Posts: 127
| Nick59 - 9/18/2013 5:58 AM
I heard you can troll Big Chip next year.
Nick
The governer put the trolling change on hold until 2015 since the popular vote was "No" but the DNR was trying to push forward with it anyway.
So, gotta wait another couple years. Thank goodness. |
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Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | Johnnie - 9/17/2013 9:39 PM
Why don't they call it a "positioning motor" rather then a "trolling motor"?????? Its called a trolling motor, because its used for "trolling"!!!!!!!
what is a "kicker" then? used to "kick"? instead of getting hung up on labels and names, why not just go fish the way the rules are intended and have fun without worrying so much? |
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Posts: 20281
Location: oswego, il | As sled said nobody seems to get nabbed for it. I was however told directly from a Vilas county warden, sucker in the water, trolling motor on for any length if time he would write a ticket. Seems silly, the whole vertical line, at what degree is it illegal?
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Posts: 20281
Location: oswego, il | As sled said nobody seems to get nabbed for it. I was however told directly from a Vilas county warden, sucker in the water, trolling motor on for any length if time he would write a ticket. Seems silly, the whole vertical line, at what degree is it illegal?
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Posts: 5874
| It all depends on which Conservation Warden you have contact with. Some, I believe very few, will write a ticket if you have a sucker down, and run the TM at all. Some will allow you to "position" fish, move about structure while casting and also a sucker down. I would suggest you determine for yourself whether or not to go ahead and fish with suckers within the "position" fishing guidelines. Me? I have no problem doing it anywhere in WI. I would never use a big bobber or balloon like some do. I would definately fight it, and win, in court if did contact the wrong CW.
Remember, in some CW minds, if you are fishing or hunting, you are breaking some law. He just needs to find out which one, and write the citation.
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Posts: 1220
| Not sure if I missed someone mentioning a good sized sinker in the above posts, but a heavy weight on the line can do a heckava lot toward keeping a line pretty darn vertical while using your bowmount to slowly move along. Really can't believe a warden would allow an argument in that case about a vertical line--you're trolling! My take is that if you are using your electric to move on down the shoreline (regardless of if the speed is enough to take your line from vertical) you are trolling. If you have located a certain spot, let's say a crib, and you are just bumping the pedal every so often so that you can remain over that crib...then you are "position fishing. Naturally, if you are face to face with a warden (or a cop for that matter) who has a serious case of the ass....you're done dancing my friend! |
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Posts: 999
| If your drifting a breakline and the wind blows you off it bump your position motor to get back on it but then get off the gas. Dont be stupid and turn your auto pilot on and buzz down a shoreline while you have 6 bobbers off the back of the boat. I see that every fall and yes those guys should be ticketed. Use common sense. |
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Posts: 999
| Were on the same page Marty! |
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Posts: 1168
| While drifting with a sucker last Sunday I actually turned the trolling motor on constant (reverse) in the afternoon to slow down my drift when the wind picked up. All the while the boat was never "propelled by a means other than drifting or rowing." And certainly never traveling upwind. Perfectly legal in my mind but sounds like some people might not agree. Why make it so much more complicated than it really is?
Edited by MartinTD 9/18/2013 12:57 PM
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| Read the last paragraph
Mike Staggs, DNR fisheries director, 608-267-0796
MADISON – The state Natural Resources Board has approved placing on the 2014 Spring Fish and Wildlife Hearings a compromise engineered by the Conservation Congress that would allow anglers statewide to use a fishing technique called motor trolling, in which anglers drag a line and bait behind their boat while it is under power by a gas or electric motor. Motor trolling with up to three lines per person is allowed in many areas of Wisconsin but prohibited in many others.
Under the proposal, anglers in 56 counties could troll with up to three lines per angler behind a boat. In the remaining counties, anglers could troll with one line per angler except on those lakes where trolling with three lines is already legal and would remain so.
“DNR will be asking anglers to weigh in on the Conservation Congress compromise next spring,” says Mike Staggs, Wisconsin’s fisheries director. “Because it’s different than what was on the 2013 spring hearings, we want a chance for everyone to get a look at it and tell us what they think.”
Conservation Congress members working with DNR fish biologists developed and adopted the compromise measure at their annual May meeting after a split vote at the April 2013 Spring Fish and Wildlife Hearings on a DNR-proposed trolling rule that would have allowed trolling with three lines on all waters statewide. Voters in a majority of counties approved the DNR proposal but the measure was defeated in the statewide count. The Natural Resources Board initially approved the Conservation Congress compromise proposal in May but decided instead to place it on the 2014 Spring Hearings after hearing concerns that the proposal needed additional public input.
Staggs reminded anglers that with this action, the state’s current trolling regulations will remain in effect for the 2014 season with many waters remaining closed to motor trolling. “We know that some musky anglers would like to troll a sucker or minnow behind their boat while they are using a motor to position the boat for casting. That is still a form of motor trolling and will remain illegal in waters close to trolling.” Anglers should check the current regulations on trolling for the waters they plan to fish. |
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| So I read this entire post and I'm confused, yet always have been against trolling.
Why is there a law against trolling? The gain of knowledge so easily accessible these day is still legal. So really why is there a law against trolling? I was under the impression it was catching too many big fish |
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