Upset American

[Ross]

Just got home from work and a buddy of mine called and told me I should read the readers'views section of our newspaper. I should preface this by saying that we went on our second fly-in to Canada this August and just had a blast. I will continue to go for as long as I can. However, in the article the the guy writes " Last month, my daughter and her husband and I were coming back from Canada with about 240 bluegils. As we approached the Bluewater Bridge there was a parking lot full of trucks with boats and the conservation officers were taking everybody's coolers and fish for no reason, including ours. They fined us $ 255.00 and said if we did not cooperate they would take our truck, boat, motor and trailer." He goes on to say he will never go back to Canada. Sounds a little suspicious to me, the part about " no reason." Anyone have any opinions about why this might happen. Just does not sound right. Thanks

[Ivy]

Believe nothing you read and 1/2 of what you see.

Sounds like you're being baited.

Ivy

[timeout]

I'd check the limits. Here in manitoba, you can lose everything (doesn't happen too often)for fish and game violations. That means eveything that you use ie. rod reels, boat, motor and vehicle. My cousin actually had a truck forfeited to the crown for hunting violations. It wasn't his first offense and knowing him it probably won't be his last. It looked good on him and dependent on if they were over the limit and by how much $225 is cheap.

[McQ]

This one stinks - Ontario doesn't even consider bluegills a gamefish - therefore there is no limit.

Maybe a letter to the editor asking for some specifics would get a little attention. Definitely an agenda here.

From the Ministry website:

Export of Fish

A recreational angler may, on leaving Ontario, take the designated possession limits for fish captured from a specific waterbody. Those with a Sport Fishing Licence may take the "S" possession limit and those with a Conservation Licence may take the "C" possession limit as noted in the Map Specific Regulations . Please also see the section on Bait .


Packaging Fish for Transport or Storage When you are exporting, transporting or storing fish, you must ensure that the fish can be easily identified and counted. Where length limits apply, you must also ensure that the length of the fish can be easily determined. Many anglers travel long distances or cross international borders to enjoy the adventure of fishing in Ontario. We want to make sure that if you are packaging fish for the trip home, you are doing it according to regulations that help us monitor and enforce laws in place to protect fisheries resources. Fish caught and retained may be gilled and gutted but fish length must be readily measurable at all times for fish taken from waterbodies where size limits are in effect, unless the fish:
are being prepared for immediate consumption;
are prepared at an overnight accommodation for storage;
are being transported on the water from a temporary overnight accommodation to that person's primary residence and that person is NOT engaged in sport fishing;or
are being transported overland.
When packaging fish you must ensure that a conservation officer can determine:
the number of fish that you have;
the species that you have in your possession
When packaging fish, anglers should:
Leave a large patch of the skin on all fillets for identification;
Pack or freeze fish separately and flat so that they can be counted and identified (clear plastic bags or clear plastic wrap is preferred).

[Mahumba]

The C.O.'s were inspecting, not taking everybodies coolers. And they do roadside checks where you gotta pull in when they wave you in. If they were over their limt then the fine was warranted. *note* I do not know the limits for bluegill in the area you described.


Now, let's delve deeper here. Were the bluegills identifiable?

Did they have any other species of fish that didn't conform to size restrictions and limits?

Were they holders of the proper licences?

I think there is more to behold to this.

Roger Mayer.

[Vitreum]

this story smells fishy to me.

[Yankee]

Why are YOU upset?
This is some story in some rag that you read? Prolly not even true.
Anybody can write a story.

[Canadian Guy]

We see lots of this in NW Ontario. The papers full of Americans and I might add Canadians who are charged for various infractions and are so steamed that they don't even read the charge. They spout about unfair this and that and how those COs are out to fleece us. COs are Officers of the game laws and will lay charges when they are warranted just like any other Police Officer. Ignorance of the law is no excuse. Most charges are warranted and these Officers are doing a tough job making sure that are fishery stays the way it should be.

[Jim D]

I'd question whether the CO's just up and took their fish and fined them for no reason. I have a sneaking suspicion we're getting only part of the story. As someone who works in law enforcement, that's par for the course. My experience with the Canadian CO's a few years ago was very positive. We drove up on a roadside check. The officers conducted a diligent inspection of all the coolers we had with us, counted our fish, checked our licenses, and sent us on our way. We had everything in order and experienced no problems whatsoever. The officers were professional and polite. I'm not buying this story.

[Big Tim]

Ditto the polite treatment by the CPO's. Maybe the BOZO who had 240 bluegill took all the skin off the fish & froze them all in a few big blocks. If he did then he deserves the fine for not checking the laws BEFORE he put his first line in somebody else's water!

[Jiggin Jimmy]

Thank God it wasnt 240 walleyes. My personal opinion is that anybody who would want to take 240 Bluegills home should be fined. Chances are that most of them would have been thrown away next spring with freezer burn. To each his own but I believe that you should only take fish home with you that you can eat in a reasonable time...I dont like the idea of hoarding fish and wasteing them...CATCH & RELEASE.

In order to be fair maybe he was going to have a fish fry and invite half of Arkansas to eat.

[bigfish1965]

The fact that the complainant did not state the nature of the ticket speaks volumes. If you broke the law, suck it up and pay the fine. Be glad the didn't confiscate all your fishing stuff.
If you didn't break the law, have your day in court.
A conviction in this manner will leave the guy unable to fish in Canada for a very long time.
Two hundred and forty fish? Thats 480 fillets. Ten bucks says he didn't have them packed right. Cry me a river if its true.

[JoeShmoe]

Can you even eat Bluegill?
You got to be kidding..........

Muh, ha,ha,ha,ha,ha...........



Total BS...

Nice try man, he should be happy he didn't loose his wheels as well.

[2Fishy4U]

Bluegill are great; some think better then Walleye. They also make good soup but this guy had enough to fill 2-50 gallon barrels.

My hunch is they were not packaged correctly. To package all those fish in accordance with Ontario laws would take forever.

[don]

I have been shook down 3 times, once on the road I was pulled over by an unmarked truck,guy claimed to be CO and wanted to see my 1 filleted walleye,thats right I said one,showed him and I was on my way,next time at the border same scene with all boats pulled over,pulled out my fish of 8 whole walleyes from slot lake,guy throws them on the ground to measure them but I have to tell him the regulations because he does not know them,after he is done I have to pick up the fish and repack with my slimey hands and no where to wash them,not even the offer of a paper towel,next time I an so pissed I bring no fish home,same shakedown,they ask for my fish and I say I will not keep any and they ask why and I tell them the results of last search,not even an apoligy but have a nice day.Ill spend my money some where else thanks ontario for 30 years I fished without any violations,stick it up yours.

[bigfish1965]

And same to you, sir.

I suppose those with complaints also want the fishing to always be excellent and still have no one enforcing compliance.
If a ten minute inspection turns you off of fishing, you need to work on your anger management.

[AC Turnbull]

Good riddance!What some guys don't seem to understand is just because the lodge owners need you and kiss your butt,the rest of us have little use for tourists.You provided absouletly nothing to me personally or did nothing to benefit MY fisherey.

Buh bye!

[duffyd]

AC,

All do respect but that's an ignorant statement. Lodge owners are not the only ones who need the tourist. What about the bait shops, hotels, restaurants, food stores, float plane companies, gas stations, travel agents, airlines, border guards, MNR people, etc... Without the "ugly americans" coming up every year they would be out of a job. If what he says is accurate than the MNR should be ashmed of themselves. Most americans do not mind being checked by professionals who handle thier job as professionals but if they act like unprofessional punks then not only should us americans get upset but so should you too after all we are your customers. In other words, we don't need our butts kissed but we do expect to be treated with respect and if we are not we have the option to go elsewhere. For those americans who break your rules then shame on them and prosicute them to the full extent of the law. My two cents.

[NWO fishing bum]

Give me a break Ross.

Hey Ross,

One time I was just sitting around with a bunch of my friends having a couple beer. Everybody was having a good time, getting along with each other. All of a sudden the police showed up, a few of them actually. They took the beer we all had and dumped it out on the ground. They told everyone to leave. I said we weren't causing any trouble to anybody, making excessive noise, etc. They said it didn't matter, go home. It just wasn't fair. And I had spent $30 on a case of beer.

Any explanation . . .

Oh, did I forget to mention everybody at the party was aged 16-18, we were having a bon fire on the back lot of a peice of private property without the owner's permission, and it was 2 a.m.

Do you get the point!

I agree with some of the others, this guy probably had his fish packed improperly.

Here is a excerpt directly from the MNR web site under "Tips for Transporting Packaged Fish"

"Each year, these (conservation) officers routinely conduct boat patrols, camp checks, fly-ins over remote lakes and scheduled road check stations. During these patrols they will inspect thousands of sportfish being transported across the province. Most inspections show that the majority of anglers are complying with Ontario's sport fishing laws. If a Conservation Officer inspects the sport fish you're transporting and finds they are improperly packaged: - your catch may be seized for evidence. - you could get a ticket and be fined. - you may have to attend court, usually close to where the inspection took place, which may be far away from where you live. It's definitely not how people want to remember their fishing trip."

That covers the legality issue.

Conservation officers don't just "take coolers and fish for no reason," and then offer no explanation. Think about it! If there was no problem why would they go through that whole process. They could just park their truck somewhere and sleep all day. They do this stuff for a reason, actually several reasons.

Oh yeah, and I havn't even gotten to the 240 bluegill. 240 BLUEGILL!!! What are you going to do with 240 bluegill, before they go bad in the freezer, and before you return to harvest another couple hundred? $225. Sounds like $1/fish more than needed. Had it been any recognized game fish this guy would have been walking home naked, if he was lucky.

Of course, we could ask why this guy is up here catching and retaining so many bluegill in the first place??? Oh that's right, because he can't do that where he is from, most likely because his father and grandfather and friends went fishing and took home all the meat possible everytime. And no, Ontario will do whatever possible to prevent the same thing from happening.

NWO fishing bum

[Illini Bob]

I never got past the fact that somebody went to Canada to fish for Bluegill!

And ate up all that fishing time to clean 240 of them?

Fantastic Muskie, Pike, Smallmouth & Walleye waters and they decided to fish for Bluegill?

I guess the suckers & goggle-eyes weren't biting.

Nine months and counting.

[Vitreum]

bob, there are a bunch of folks in michigan that go to eastern ontario to bluegill fish. i have a brother in law in lansing michigan that says that most go to rice lake and catch a zillion bluegill. i, too, find it to be amusing. i could catch 240 bluegills around here in a couple of days if i wanted to do so. cannot imagine going to canada to fish for them. farm ponds are full of them. to each his own, i guess.

[idapaul]

IF YOU WON'T CONSIDER RELEASING DON'T CONSIDER CATCHING. i think that the guy should have had all 240 of them stuffed sideways where the sun don't shine and still had to pay $255. freaking meathog. signed a not upset american

[red_river_fisher]

Don said at the border that means it was the American custom agents not Canadians so he can only balme the U.S. not us Canadians
Born to Fish But Forced To Work

[passionfortheeyes]

Blue gills are for the guys who can't catch walleye's.

[passionfortheeyes]

Blue gills are for the guys who can't catch walleye's.

[Observation]

This guy would be upset if he had to move out of the express line at the grocery store for too many items. He'd probably never shop there again because they don't "respect" him. He'd also probably not say anything but stew over it and then write a letter to the editor about rude treatment.

[Observation]

This guy would be upset if he had to move out of the express line at the grocery store for too many items. He'd probably never shop there again because they don't "respect" him. He'd also probably not say anything but stew over it and then write a letter to the editor about rude treatment.

[Here is the facts]

Here is what happened:


DRYDEN - The Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) stopped 663 anglers at a fish and game check station south of Dryden and found 94% were obeying the regulations.

"We're pleased so many people are obeying our sportfishing regulations and helping protect our fish resources," said MNR Dryden District Conservation Officer Mike Humberstone.

Officers laid 17 charges. In addition, 23 warnings were issued. Charges included 14 for overlimits of walleye or for packaging fish so they could not be easily counted or identified. Three charges were for transporting illegally caught fish, contrary to The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act. All but one of the people stopped was a non-resident angler.

The 23 warnings related mostly to packaging and licensing problems. Fish seized during the roadside check will be donated to charity.

Officers conducted the six-hour check on Highway 502, 15 kilometres south of Dryden, on June 7, 2003.

The public is encouraged to help protect its natural resources by reporting violation to the local MNR office or anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).



Obey the law and you will have no problems.

[Musky freak]

Maybe all you americans will stay home and let us enjoy our fishery ....

[Canadian Guy]

You will not run into any trouble if you read the regulations. Most people charged I think did not know they were breaking the law. OMNR will give warnings in a lot of cases. I have been warned for transporting Walleye without the skin attached. We had a new guy in the crew filletting fish and was unaware about leaving the skin attached. When we were checked the MNR Officer cut us some slack. It was an honest mistake. They are just doing their jobs which is upholding the law of the land.

[Chimichunga]

After carefully reading this entire post I have come to one conclusion....The upset American is a freakin' moron who, in addition to his $255 fine, should have spent 10 days in jail for being a greedy meathog. I'll bet anything that that good ole boy's neck is about as red as an albino with a 3rd degree sunburn...freakin' Yankee Bumpkin. Go Cubs!!

[Wag]

LOL!
Stupid Americans!
I agree.
Go Cubs!
:)