just had a question say i wanted to target blackfish or winter flounder outta season but it was purely catch and release can i be ticket for this or is it fine as long as im not keeping fish.. i run into some huge blackfish after the season closes? is it ok to target them or no? any info would be greatly appreciated!
The way it was expained to me when I asked the same question was if you catch something out of season by accident just release it and no harm no foul. But if you are using a black fish rig trying to catch Stripers you're in violation. My question was about using fluke rigs for weakfish before the fluke season opened up last year. Bucktail was Ok but not the rig due to the rig is targeting fluke even though I catch all my weakfish on them and were really targeting weakfish. So just use single hooks and sandworms and you'll be ok, lol.
see i know a few spots where winter flounder are really aggressive this time of year and i wanted to go hti em up on trout rods... but if i can't do it i won't
#1188021 - 02/28/1011:20 PM
Re: Catch and release out of season?
[Re: Fishingod]
KillTaker
Member
Registered: 04/17/06
Posts: 11811
Loc: Southbury, CT
Originally Posted By: Fishingod
just had a question say i wanted to target blackfish or winter flounder outta season but it was purely catch and release can i be ticket for this or is it fine as long as im not keeping fish.. i run into some huge blackfish after the season closes? is it ok to target them or no? any info would be greatly appreciated!
The law says you cannot "target" a species out of season. If you catch a blackfish while fluking then it must be immediately released. Like the guy above said, don't have a "species specific" rig on for a species that is closed-season.
Registered: 07/16/05
Posts: 3171
Loc: CT. Got a problem with that?
yeah, you are not supposed to target specific fish out of season, I have never done it, however the spring Housy striper season where 99 out of 100 fish are shorts, certainly feels like targeted cnr, but then again there are cnr only areas for trout
theres a lot of variables I guess
If you chase two rabbits, you will not catch either one.
#1188151 - 03/01/1012:10 PM
Re: Catch and release out of season?
[Re: Fishingod]
EnCon Police Moderator
Registered: 03/01/04
Posts: 3899
If you are intentionally targeting a species that is out of season you would be in violation. So, if you are using a blackfish rig during a closed season claiming you are fishing for blues, it won't work. If you are targeting a legal species with a lure/rig for that particular legal species and you unintentionally hook an out of season species, immediately return it to the water.
Areas designated C&R only for trout or bass have special seasons for those areas that allow you to target those species in those locations when the season is closed for them in all other areas.
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