So I was fishing Lake Wilcox today as I do every Saturday. I have noticed an increased use of the newly renovated beach on the east side of the lake. Unfortunately a lot of people that are fishing from that shore don't seem to understand the regulations that are in place. There is a sign posted that states that bass are out of season. Today I watched a family reel in a decent sized bass. I told them politely that the bass were out of season and one of the members of the family said he thought it was a rock bass. I went to shore from my canoe and explained the differences between the bass species. I happened to notice that they had some ridiculously small and some very nice small mouth, about 5 of them, laying in a plastic bag. I said you cannot fish for this fish at all, you cannot catch and release them, change your lures to not catch this type of fish. One of the family members stated that he cannot help what fish bites the lures, I explained that yes, you can help what bites the lure. If you continuously catch an off season fish, you change your bait, and you DEFINITELY can control that fish ending up in your grocery bag. I asked them to leave and told them I would report them if they came back. They muttered amongst themselves for a while looking at me like I am some sort of jerkass fish officer and I got back in my canoe hoping they would leave. About 50' off shore now I sit awaiting their departure to find that they start casting again, not changing bait. I said I would be calling the police, but I didn't have a cell phone. Then one of them catches an obvious bass and starts ranting about how it was a pike. We exchange words and I go home incredibly pissed off. Some people just do not give a rats ass about rules and regulations. Lake Wilcox from what I understand isn't the most stable of fish habitats. Unfortunately people abuse our waters with complete disregard for consequences that may not be noticeable today, but when I decide to have kids, I want to be able to take them across the street to the lake I grew up on and take them fishing, not to explain to them that there used to be awesome pike and bass in the lake. Anyways that was my rant, I hope to see a conservation officer on my lake sometime and maybe some day there be a test involved in getting a fishing license not unlike getting a drivers license or a boating license. I believe a lot of the problem is that you can just buy your license and not have any knowledge of rules or regulations. From what I remember not once when purchasing my fishing license was I instructed to review the rules and regulations and where the information is available. How can you expect people to not keep fish that are out of season if they can't tell the difference between fish species. This province needs better public education on wildlife conservation if conservation is to ever exist, or this sport is destined to be nothing but stories we tell our future generations.
Illegal Fishing
- Thread starter zantrax
- Start date
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That really sucks. I hate that some people don't care and will literally bag any and all fish they catch. Isn't there a number you can call (TIPS)? They may not come down right away but I'm hoping they will atleast log these calls and one day a plain clothes officer will fine these individuals who don't care for the law.
I do like that you atleast talked to them and even threatened to call the cops. Maybe someone can clarify if the cops can be called in these situations.
Had it been me, I would have hovered over them until they released their catch.
I do like that you atleast talked to them and even threatened to call the cops. Maybe someone can clarify if the cops can be called in these situations.
Had it been me, I would have hovered over them until they released their catch.
I see it a lot actually - I live right on Simcoe, within a mile of 5 public places to fish.
To say anything to anybody is not the way to go about it. (I know, some of you will be angry at me for saying that, but think about if for a minute - here's a reason - do you know if they have a weapon (??) - that though alone should be enough for you not to take that gamble - Watch, Record and Report.
Your best bet is to record their car lic. plate, description, number of people, time of day, location, and use the TIPS number I've posted below. Believe it or not, action is swifter than you think. Also don't forget, they (MNR) have the right of entry.
Never take a chance on some fool (who may harm you) you do NOT know.
The toll-free TIPS-MNR reporting line, 1-877-TIPS-MNR (1-877-847-7667), provides a direct line for the public to report resource violations to the ministry 24 hours a day, seven days a week from anywhere in Ontario.
bobby
To say anything to anybody is not the way to go about it. (I know, some of you will be angry at me for saying that, but think about if for a minute - here's a reason - do you know if they have a weapon (??) - that though alone should be enough for you not to take that gamble - Watch, Record and Report.
Your best bet is to record their car lic. plate, description, number of people, time of day, location, and use the TIPS number I've posted below. Believe it or not, action is swifter than you think. Also don't forget, they (MNR) have the right of entry.
Never take a chance on some fool (who may harm you) you do NOT know.
The toll-free TIPS-MNR reporting line, 1-877-TIPS-MNR (1-877-847-7667), provides a direct line for the public to report resource violations to the ministry 24 hours a day, seven days a week from anywhere in Ontario.
bobby
reefrunner
Well-Known Member
Good info BobbyB. All please take note, this is how to appropriately approach the situation.
Further, to those speculating or suggesting to the origins or ethnitcity of these regulatory infringers, please stop -no place for that here.
Further, to those speculating or suggesting to the origins or ethnitcity of these regulatory infringers, please stop -no place for that here.
Sorry to hear that.
What about if the MNR posted signs with pictures of the fish species and a "no smoking like circle" over the picture of the fish that could not be fished. That would make it easy for everyone to understand what had to be released.
Especially, in areas where there is known violations of fishing laws.
Problem is that people that are going to break the law, will break it anyways!
What about if the MNR posted signs with pictures of the fish species and a "no smoking like circle" over the picture of the fish that could not be fished. That would make it easy for everyone to understand what had to be released.
Especially, in areas where there is known violations of fishing laws.
Problem is that people that are going to break the law, will break it anyways!
The sad thing is at this spot there is a clear sign saying no fishing and shows a picture of the bass, I'll try to get a good picture of it with my phone and post it. Any person at any time can do what they were doing. The biggest problem aside from the obvious negligence on their behalf, is the lack of education that is required to fish our waters. Also I agree reporting without confrontation is the best way to go about things. I will be reporting now that I have the number to call. Either way I don't think anybody is going to be getting assaulted if you politely and calmly approach people, but it is better to be safe.
frozenfire
Moderator
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I always have the tips hotline saved on my cellular phone... and I always have my phone on me. Fortunately, I have yet to use it.
Zantrax, what you witnessed would make my blood boil as well.
I would still have reported them when I got my hands on a cell.
For such a small body of water, taking spawning fish like that will only continue to degrade the fishing experience at that lake.
Zantrax, what you witnessed would make my blood boil as well.
I would still have reported them when I got my hands on a cell.
For such a small body of water, taking spawning fish like that will only continue to degrade the fishing experience at that lake.
disspatcher
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Police have enough to do and wont even entertain the idea.
Call the # mentioned above...take pics and post the dumbasses on every fishing board you belong to!
Here is the # again : 1-877-TIPS-MNR
Call the # mentioned above...take pics and post the dumbasses on every fishing board you belong to!
Here is the # again : 1-877-TIPS-MNR
efka
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your story reminded me of my visit to the lake wilcox few years ago.
i was passing by and decided to check the lake and it's conditions for fishing, didn't even have my rod with me.
when i arrived, there were a couple of older guys (won't mention the race) catching small bass and sunfish.
then other three fellas arrived and started fishing for crappie. they knew what they were doing cause in the next 10 or so min they got 4 of them. anyways when the bite slowed down one of the crappie guys decided to check the white bucket brigade and saw small basses in their buckets. he went to his buddy and told that those guys were catching off season fish. the second crappie guy approached the two and kicked their buckets of the dock into the water and said: "sorry i tripped, my bad". It was kind of funny to watch the street justice, but i never returned to that lake after.
i was passing by and decided to check the lake and it's conditions for fishing, didn't even have my rod with me.
when i arrived, there were a couple of older guys (won't mention the race) catching small bass and sunfish.
then other three fellas arrived and started fishing for crappie. they knew what they were doing cause in the next 10 or so min they got 4 of them. anyways when the bite slowed down one of the crappie guys decided to check the white bucket brigade and saw small basses in their buckets. he went to his buddy and told that those guys were catching off season fish. the second crappie guy approached the two and kicked their buckets of the dock into the water and said: "sorry i tripped, my bad". It was kind of funny to watch the street justice, but i never returned to that lake after.
disspatcher
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Situations like that happen all the time. I too would have said something to the Poachers for sure but it would end there.(If it continued, Id be taking pics, licenece plates and a quick phone call/email to the MNR.)
This is the problem we are having in Georgina. The exact same thing happened along the canals. The only problem is sometimes it progresses to violence.The MNR are so under staffed and under funded they cant be everywhere. So when the Locals see blatant poaching,(and to be honest, around the canals its constant.) they try to do their own Policing;Eventually it get out of hand.
Once temper flair, common sence and judgement goes out the window. Then when authorities show up,the usual he said she said,... you are picking on me because Im a) minority b)male c)Female d)other.... just pick one.
What Cop in his/her right mind is going to enforce the law, when as soon as he does, he is on the Front Page being called a Racist??
As a result, there can be 20 people fishing in a park posted NO FISHING and the cops will drive right by. They are told to leave it alone....so who is there to look out for our fishery...locals.
Now dont get me wrong. The low life brain dead SOB that assulted those young men a few years back, he deserves to be behind bars for a long time. There is no excuse for his actions and he should pay dearly. He has embarrased the community I call home.
... to think this altercation started with a kick of a bucket...no matter what colour the bucket was.
Let the authorities do thier jobs....as best they can.
my 2 cents.
This is the problem we are having in Georgina. The exact same thing happened along the canals. The only problem is sometimes it progresses to violence.The MNR are so under staffed and under funded they cant be everywhere. So when the Locals see blatant poaching,(and to be honest, around the canals its constant.) they try to do their own Policing;Eventually it get out of hand.
Once temper flair, common sence and judgement goes out the window. Then when authorities show up,the usual he said she said,... you are picking on me because Im a) minority b)male c)Female d)other.... just pick one.
What Cop in his/her right mind is going to enforce the law, when as soon as he does, he is on the Front Page being called a Racist??
As a result, there can be 20 people fishing in a park posted NO FISHING and the cops will drive right by. They are told to leave it alone....so who is there to look out for our fishery...locals.
Now dont get me wrong. The low life brain dead SOB that assulted those young men a few years back, he deserves to be behind bars for a long time. There is no excuse for his actions and he should pay dearly. He has embarrased the community I call home.
... to think this altercation started with a kick of a bucket...no matter what colour the bucket was.
Let the authorities do thier jobs....as best they can.
my 2 cents.
I realize that you should just report cases rather than take matters in to your own hands, but it is extremely frustrating at times to see such illegal activity. I have fished the Grand River my entire life and have seen appalling things. In all my years I have seen 1 CO down in the Caledonia area at the dam, who actually did ticket the majority of people down there due to nobody having licenses! I too, have pulled the "oops" thing when the guy wandered away for a minute. Seeing a bunch of basically fingerling bass in a pail out of season makes me sick. I know a lot of people play dumb as well, and now that I know the hotline for reporting people, I will use this when necessary. Thanks for posting!
This was posted on another board. I thought that those members here that didn't see the post and the apparent outcome would be interested.
posted 04/25/010 taken off a Lake Simcoe Board
Quoting:
my cousin text me that 4 asian men where fishing a local hole in Guelph and had 4 pike on the stringer, so i called the MNR and within a hour these dolts where arrested with 6 pike on a stringer, all there gear taken and now have a court date, hope these guys are hung.. keep up the good work MNR.. got informed all fish where released suposedly unharmed!
It won't always be this quick, but a phone call without confrontation does work - as you have just read. As for The canals/Bradford/Keswick the MNR offices are close enough - take the plate number and phone it in - and a Pic would be icing on the cake. If enough of these poachers are caught, word will soon spread.
bobby
posted 04/25/010 taken off a Lake Simcoe Board
Quoting:
my cousin text me that 4 asian men where fishing a local hole in Guelph and had 4 pike on the stringer, so i called the MNR and within a hour these dolts where arrested with 6 pike on a stringer, all there gear taken and now have a court date, hope these guys are hung.. keep up the good work MNR.. got informed all fish where released suposedly unharmed!
It won't always be this quick, but a phone call without confrontation does work - as you have just read. As for The canals/Bradford/Keswick the MNR offices are close enough - take the plate number and phone it in - and a Pic would be icing on the cake. If enough of these poachers are caught, word will soon spread.
bobby
I was fishing at Scugog a couple of weeks ago with some buddies when a cop pulled up and asked to see our licences. Earlier, my buddy noticed a guy watching us who dissapeared just before the cop arrived. I'm pretty sure he called the cops. So yea, there are cops out there doing nothing who will respond to a call!
This is some great information. I am surprised to see the number of responses to this. I think we should have a section posted on this site where we can upload our photographs of people poaching and share the information for all to see. It would be cool to share the post with other forums too. The more people that see the faces of the poachers the greater the chance that they will be caught. It would even be more useful if the MNR had a section just like this on their website, sort of like the crime stoppers site where poachers will be posted for all to see. If anybody knows how to contact the MNR maybe that would be a good suggestion for them, as the cost to implement it would be next to nothing, and since we have staff here that can probably do some sort of Website work, maybe they could volunteer to help implement it.
@ Mykester, that is a very valid point, but even if the system has false posts, the intent would be just to keep an extra eye out for the people posted, and if they are seen fishing, just to check if they are breaking any regulations, and if they are, then to report it. Everything can be abused, just because it can be abused is that a reason for it not to exist in the first place. The MNR doesn't need vigilantism, policing should be left up to the police, but they cannot be everywhere all the time, so it is up to "us" the fishing community to protect our sport. Also if there is an obvious sign of abuse the moderators of the website would be able to pull any postings as per the request of said individuals. I wonder if there are any legal ramifications of posting pictures of people on websites without consent though, although from my understanding acting in "good faith" has a legal significance in our justice system. Regardless if this website does this, or if the MNR does this it is just a thought. I would like feedback from more of this community because to me this seems like a great idea (because its mine :evil
