First stripers of the year.

[taxidermist]

A buddy dropped by and showed me three nice stripers caught under the lights last night. Not huge but at lest they are starting. He said it was slow and they fished all night.

They also received a ticket for using a gill net, aka a shad net, the officer told them all gill nets regardless of size are illegal, this includes the shad nets.

I think its a bad interupt of the reg. But thats my feeling.

[Guest flyfishBDS]

Um which lights;)

Cheers

Steve

[Terry Beeson]

From the AGFC reg book:

"During daylight hours, baitfish may be taken using:

*seines no larger than 50 feet long and four feet wide with quarter-inch mesh;

*traps or lifts no larger than six feet by six feet by three feet with half-inch mesh and with a throat size of two inches.

*cast nets with one-inch (or smaller) mesh;

*shad trawl nets with one-inch (or smaller) mesh;

*glass, plastic or wire mesh minnow traps no larger than one gallon with a one and- a-half inch (or smaller) throat;

*hand-operated dip nets or lifts with one inch (or smaller ) square bar mesh for use while sportfishing. This method may be used day or night. All other species of fish must be immediately released."

Sorry, but it does say "daylight hours"....

[taxidermist]

*hand-operated dip nets or lifts with one inch (or smaller ) square bar mesh for use while sportfishing.

This method may be used day or night.

All other species of fish must be immediately released."

Day or night I think is the key here. Still its up to the warden.

[Phil Lilley]

I used to use them when fishing at night till I heard they may be illegal and I asked- they are in MO.

I'd like to know what the reasoning is behind the rule. It's a great way to catch bait and it's not hurting anything except the shad????

I would think the agent should have warned you instead of writing a ticket. That's an obscure rule- most wouldn't give it a second thought about it being illegal... I didn't.

[Terry Beeson]

Maybe they need to define just what a "hand operated dip net or lift" is in contrast to a "cast net?"

I guess I assumed (bad idea) your friend was using a cast net...