FOLLOW THAT BOBBER!!

[meatfish]

A trick that my grandfather showed me when I was just a little snot gobbler was to take the first nice crappie or walleye you get and take a piece of line a little longer than the depth that you are fishing,hook on one end bobber on the other end, hook the fish and let him go.When they move follow the bobber.(you always go home with the first fish)Also you learn what times they move and which way, so if you get out fishing at a different time you have an idea where to start.I still use this practice when the electronics fail.I have combed thru

the reg books and even asked a CO on the ice last year and he was not sure if it was legal,but he did proceed to rip my house and truck apart!With the increasing cost of fines and wanting to obey the law I want to find an answer but don't want my boat and truck ripped apart. Anybody??

[Pat K]

A few years ago a CO was speaking to our 4-H orienteering group and someone asked this question. Along with questioning the ethics of this tactic, he was sure that it would count as a "line" so there would have to be 1 licenced fisherman in the boat without a line in the water in MN. to have any chance of being legal.

[Ed Carlson]

That would be considered game harassment by a CO, if caught doing it.

[meatfish]

Pat K Thanks

Yes it does count as an extra line simply because it is an extra line.(I meant for tracking the movement of fish) When I was a kid granny was always with knitting blankets,scarves,hats and mittens for x-mas gifts or feeding us so we would do it with the very first keeper.Now I'll do it with a lighted bobber usually in the fall at sundown when they slow down and man the trolling motor,graph and gps if it goes on the move.I have found a lot of spots that way.As far as if it is an ethical tactic that is a personal opinion.I don't see anything unethical about it so I guess in my boat it is ethical. Thanks again

[meatfish]

Ed Carlson

Thanks Ed Carlson

Don't know why the CO last winter did not know that but he was pretty young.I guess I'll have to find an older CO and ask him.I guess I will not be following any bobbers til then(I do not want any fish harassment going on or to anger the fish gods) But I do want to see it in writing with a regulation attached to it.Or if you are a CO and telling me that then I guess my bobber following days are over.

[JohnMickish]

Ethical or not, in MN it is illegal. The DNR calls that tagging and you need a permit. Down south they do it all the time and from what I see you really can learn alot, but is it worth the ticket?

[Pat K]

I spoke to my son who was also there (he's 29, was 11 a the time).

He remembers the CO saying he would ticket the person for using a game fish for bait and harrasment of game.

[meatfish]

Thanks all

Not the answers I wanted to hear but I guess my questions have been answered.I can under stand the new CO not knowing because of the massive amounts of regs they have to learn and know forward and backward but still surprising.I guess its up to all the knowledge on here to learn about fish now.

[slipperybob]

I had a similar incident by design, but not be intent. The main line snapped and all that was left was a bobber stop holding the bobber up. The bobber would disappear at times and reappear later. I was re-rigging to try to fish my bobber back. It was doing that for a while and then...Swoosh! The bobber made a run for it. Guess a Pike was hungry and saw an easy prey. Ruined my chance to recover my bobber and fish.

[Surface Tension]

I think a lot of us thought about how doing this.

I would say that your probably not going to be observing natural fish behavior and movements. Being hooked, reeled in, handled, re hooked, then having to tow around a bobber and line, wouldn't be a good indicator to school location. What it will do is make that fish stand out as injured to a predator.

You caught the one fish, keep doing what you were doing to catch that one.

[Moe Szyslak]

That would be considered game harassment by a CO, if caught doing it.

Im not trying to single out one person, but "game harassment". Are you guys kidding me? What do you call sitting in a tree stand or "tracking" a deer through the woods with shotgun in hand? Or do you guys become friends with these animals before you kill and eat them.

You guys are funny.

[jwhjr]

Originally Posted By: Ed Carlson

That would be considered game harassment by a CO, if caught doing it.

Im not trying to single out one person, but "game harassment". Are you guys kidding me? What do you call sitting in a tree stand or "tracking" a deer through the woods with shotgun in hand? Or do you guys become friends with these animals before you kill and eat them.

You guys are funny.

LOL

[Farley]

I call that hunting. It's not like a guy pins a balloon to a deer and follows them through the woods.

[Da Beak]

I call that hunting. It's not like a guy pins a balloon to a deer and follows them through the woods.

Nope. It's easier to set up trail cams to find out where they are, and at what time of the day. Balloons are too hard to see sometimes.

[BobT]

And getting them to stand still whilst you pin the balloon on.....well just say it's an adventure.

Bob

[meatfish]

OK so now my feathers are a little ruffled.Just wanted to know if it was legal b-4 I did it.But game harassment?They are fish not mammals.No memory,no feelings,cold blood,and if you hook them and they get off or snap your line they will bite again.They will not go off on there own and pout.And a little bobber hooked to them?

What I would find harassment:

Watching deer run past me with arrows sticking out.

Filling my deer tag because some one blew his leg off instead of putting him on the ground.

Filling my tag with some ones gut shot fawn.

Gutting a deer and cutting myself on a broad head.

Watching a boat go across the lake to chase ducks to the guys in the blinds.

Seeing a dead 50 in muskie that has been hooked one too many times.

Watching guys down ducks with a worthless dog and letting them float away.

Watching the neighbors farm dogs chase deer.

Watching people chase game to each other for pictures.

Going into an area where bass fisherman have been and finding fish floating.

Hearing that some walleye fisherman cut the bellies or dig out the eyes of bass.

I could go on but you get my point.

Now for the illegal bait you tell me if you hook a 27 in, walleye and fallow who is its predator(12 in.I can understand).If there is one I for one will not swim in that lake.Surface tension(frank)I am not going after you just a slight difference of opinion.You can bet I will check to see what is needed to get a permit to do this.I think it is a silly law and think it should be revised.

No need for me to be politically correct.Mine is just one guys opinion.It is still illegal.

[timjones]

They may only be fish but per State Statute they are considered wild animals and are protected as such.

Chapter 97A.015 Definitions:

Subd. 55.Wild animals.

"Wild animals" means all living creatures, not human, wild by nature, endowed with sensation and power of voluntary motion, and includes mammals, birds, fish, amphibians, reptiles, crustaceans, and mollusks.

[pinkfloyd4ever]

I call that hunting. It's not like a guy pins a balloon to a deer and follows them through the woods.

Bob, how early do you pin the balloon to the deer? I go for spray painting hot pink and putting bells on, but this balloon idea of yours got me thinking

[Surface Tension]

meatfish, if you pursue this let us know what you find out from a CO.