Legal question fish spawning did i break laws

[Jaymo99]

Question for those who know or if any conservation officers read these forums.  Because I’m curious if I technically broke the law.  

 

We have ave some low land near a lake outlet the recent snow melt flooded the creek and now that the water receded we went to check the field. 

 

There were probably 50-100 northern pike  scattered around the field dead and half eaten.  while looking we found a handful still swimming in the flooded field rows so we picked them and put back in the creek.

 

Good dead right?  But could we have been ticketed for techiclly disturbing them during a spawn?  (Even though whatever ate the rest would find them also, and they would run out of water very soon). 

[leech~~]

Should have called a conservation officers and had them come out to see what the best thing to do was?

[Mike89]

morally I would do what you did...  not sure about the law part at all...

[Ufatz]

You did the right thing. Quit worrying about it.

[tacklejunkie]

Did this many years ago when I was young on Wild Rice lake in Northern Minn

 

It's a reservoir and they drew the water down one spring and below the dam there were walleyes trapped in a small pool. We netted them and threw them back into the lake. Someone called the St Louis County Sheriff

and he came out with the warden and were going to write a ticket for illegally netting walleyes out of season. We told them we weren't keeping them but throwing them back in the lake. At the time, he told us he could have technically written us a ticket but gave us a warning

Edited April 30, 2018 by tacklejunkie

[pulleye16]

Ticket for what? Far as I know, the success rate for field spawned northern pike is 0% and survival rate is even lower.   

[delcecchi]

I'll vote to acquit if I am on the jury.

[tacklejunkie]

 This might of been one of those cases where contacting a conservation officer  first might have answered questions and potential future headache 

[nofishfisherman]

I suppose perhaps TECHNICALLY you could have been ticketed for a variety of things.

 

1. Fishing for pike out of season. You caught them didn't you?

2. Using an illegal method.  Did you scoop them with a net?

3. Transporting fish from one body of water to another.  

Perhaps a creative CO could have found some more violations. 

 

However, in reality those fish were trapped and were not going to survive and certainly if they spawned none of the spawn would have survived.  You caused no additional harm to the fish or their ability to spawn.  Any CO with half a brain would have pulled over and given you a hand.

 

No had you caught those pike and brought them home for dinner things would look a little different.  

[Wanderer]

1 hour ago, nofishfisherman said:

Any CO with half a brain would have pulled over and given you a hand.

 

Strictly from a resource conservation stance, I’m all in with this comment!

 

From a CO on patrol, you never know what you’re gonna get.  Best CYA move is to at least call first.  Put the TIP number in your contacts.  The CO that calls back will make or break your case.

 

I’ve recently been exposed to situations that scream revenue over resources and no longer assume anything when it comes to CO patrols.  CYA, CYA, CYA....