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Assisting in fishing?


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There is a good discussion going in the hunting forum about party hunting and I brought up the issue of assisting a hunter, which raises a question.

If I am fishing in my boat and someone is with me that is not licensed, is it legal for that person to net my fish for me or for me to allow them to reel it in?

What are your thoughts on this?

Bob

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As far as I know.. No- they are not allowed to help in any way. Cant reel it in, cant help net it either!

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anytime I have been on a fishing trip if there are more rods then licensed fisherman on the boat the guy without a license stays on shore.....

no need to have to discuss with the DNR when he asks if that person was fishing or not.

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I'm not so sure about more rods than licenses. A couple of times a year I'll take my wife with me. She just wants some sun but has no license. I am just not comfortable with taking just one rod for me. In fact if it's an all day deal I'll bring at least 3 maybe 4 rods. If the CO wants to make a fuss about it, he'll need to prove that she was fishing. Which of course she doesn't.

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My wife comes along (rarely) to watch me and my son catch fish and she does occasionally operate the net and the camera without a fishing license and if that is illegal then I guess the state will see me in court.

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I regularly fish with a DNR guy who wouldn't dare break any of the rules. We both have six or seven rods tied up with different baits. That absolutely is not illegal.

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I watched a CO a long time ago hand out a warning to a guy who was helping his daughter land a fish. As soon as he touched the pole, explained the CO, he was fishing and needed a license to do so.

I also wonder about the netting part?

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From my way of thinking you ain't fishing unless you are holding a line or something attached to a line in the water or is attached to a fish. Netting a fish for someone else just ain't fishing. The only exception would be actively netting for smelt.

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fishing with your wife in the boat is different then 4 guys in a boat and only three have licenses. one is obviuos and the other, well I would rather NOT risk getting a CO who is having a bad day.

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I had a buddy who took his 5 year old daughter bobber fishing at a metro lake without a license.

The line got tangled and he grabbed the line to untangle.

The CO ticketed him for fishing w/o a license.

He tried to explain to the CO that he would never fish with a Barbie Pole but the CO didn't want to believe him.

He went to court but had to pay the fine anyway, because they said if you touch a fishing pole you must have a license. No excuses...at least that's what the judge and CO said.

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Quote:

I had a buddy who took his 5 year old daughter bobber fishing at a metro lake without a license.

The line got tangled and he grabbed the line to untangle.

The CO ticketed him for fishing w/o a license.

He tried to explain to the CO that he would never fish with a Barbie Pole but the CO didn't want to believe him.

He went to court but had to pay the fine anyway, because they said if you touch a fishing pole you must have a license. No excuses...at least that's what the judge and CO said.


That may be the law, but what if the dad just said the heXX with fishing after that and never took his daughter out fishing again. Friendly warning was in order.Hearing stuff like that really ticks me off.

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I saw on a TV show once (forget which one) and the camera guy was asked to help out,...err...maybe he had a license, maybe not...

How about that one commercial with the guy using an otter to fish...That'll be illegal in MN, but in like Thailand some people actually us birds to do the fish catching. crazy.gif

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The law says that you cannot "take" fish or assist in the "taking" of fish in any way without a valid lic.

Cliff

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The same as hunting. If your wife walks afield with you while bird hunting, they need a license as they are assiting in the flush.

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Quote:

The law says that you cannot "take" fish or assist in the "taking" of fish in any way without a valid lic.


In any way?

Well in some way each of these people helped me in "taking" fish . . .

someone sold me bait

someone sold me gas for my boat

my wife packed my lunch

someone gave me tip on where the "hot bite" was happening

a guy who was swimming near the ramp helped me launch the boat

my father-in-law put new line on my reel last night

(not much different than untangling a line for a kid, is it?)

OK if that's what the law says, but where do the CO and judge draw the line?

My ridiculous examples are meant to stress that question as "how ridiculous will the enforcement get?"

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Oh dang,...

I've been guilty for tying up a fish hook and bobber... tongue.gif for kids to fish with...

Or those other times I went and unsnagged a kid's fishing line, and it was in the water too...

...good thing I do actually have fishing license. grin.gif

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Just buy a license. Besides giving you the right to fish the license pays for a variety of resources that you use and enjoy. If you had a license perhaps you to would fish instead of watch and you might find that little kid inside you.

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Just buy a license. Besides giving you the right to fish the license pays for a variety of resources that you use and enjoy. If you had a license perhaps you to would fish instead of watch and you might find that little kid inside you.


I agree with that, but there are times when you're fishing with your other half or your child and you're busy enough where you don't have time to get a line wet. Also, it's just as fun and rewards, at least to me, to help others catch fish and see the excitement on their face when they catch a "big one."

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After talking with LT Owens of the MN DNR, he stated that even netting without a license is illegal due to the fact that it's assisting someone in filling their possession limit. However, it is not illegal to bait someone else's hook. Am I the only one that is missing something?

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Laws are supposed to make MONEY not sense.


Certain laws are to protect us and others. Other laws are completely vague and can be open for interpretation depending on the officer. If a law is in place, in should be clear, not vague. If laws were supposed to make money, then a lot more would be illegal.

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