How many rods are legal?

gpfishingdude

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May 1, 2012
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I looked up spider rigs for crappie because in-fisherman has a show coming up. When I looked at the you-tube videos there were two guys in a boat who had 4 rods each in rod holders in the front and a rod each out the back and another laying off the captains seat. Don't all of the states have regulations that say you can only use 2-3 rods at a time? What am I missing here?
 

Don Dickinson

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Sep 10, 2007
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Re: How many rods are legal?

The laws vary depending on your state. here in minnesota, you're allowed 1 rod. the laws are different for the Great Lakes (i don't fish superior, so i'm not sure what the law is).
 

Jlawsen

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Re: How many rods are legal?

Don's right, when in doubt, talk to the local enforcement agency reps. I've learned not have confidence in what I hear from other people, half the time they don't really know themselves. In California it's one rod unless you pay the extra license fee for a second rod.
 

halfmoa

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Aug 19, 2011
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Re: How many rods are legal?

GP since you're in Illinois you should look up the current regs here on page 7. Basically you can use up to 50 hooks total per person in Illinois unless the body of water is cited as "2 pole and line fishing only" then you can have 2 poles with up to 2 hooks on each pole per fisherman.

For the 50 hooks think trot line, not a 30 gallon drum full of fishing poles.
 

Scott Danforth

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Re: How many rods are legal?

Wisconsin is 3 rods/lines.
 

jigngrub

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Re: How many rods are legal?

Here in Alabama we have 2 lakes that have a 3 rod limit (to keep the spider riggers from filtering out the big Crappie), the rest of the lakes are unlimited... fish with 500 if you want to.
 

catfishcarl99

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Re: How many rods are legal?

ya most of illinois inland lakes are 2 poles like said. on rivers and creeks i think its not limited.
 

Jlawsen

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Re: How many rods are legal?

Like I said earlier, in CA it's two max and only if you have the second rod stamp. However, these DFG folks are watching and the rule also say's the rods must be closely attended. That really leaves a lot of room for interpretation and it isn't going to be your reasoning that wins. The other thing they do is watch close on what you keep. Let's say the limit is two. If you have one in the box and two rods out and simultaneously catch two more you could be in trouble. They got a guy at a 2 fish limit lake for this when he had one in the box and caught two more at the same time. He brought in the first fish and kept it then brought the second one in and it was a bad bleeder that couldn't be revived. He now had three fish and got busted for being over the limit. DFG was on a hill above the lake watching. He was just the average guy on the lake, not someone that had been known for over bagging it.
 

jigngrub

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Re: How many rods are legal?

He was just the average guy on the lake, not someone that had been known for over bagging it.

He was your average uneducated fisherman, a novice.

Every seasoned fisherman knows you don't keep over your limit, regarless if the fish is going to live or die. All fish over your limit go back into the water with no exceptions. Everybody knows this, or should.

Keeping over your limit for any reason is a good way to learn an expensive lesson.

This also goes for length limits, you don't keep short or over size fish for any reason. It doesn't matter if they're dead on the hook when you pull them in, you throw them back.
 

STARCRAFT16SS

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Re: How many rods are legal?

I may be wrong...but as far as I know...for Minnesota....there is no limit to the number of rods in the boat ...however..
there is a limit to the number of lines in the water...inside the state of Minnesota you are only allowed one line in the water
for each person fishing...for boarder waters with other states there are exceptions...On the St Croix River between
Minnesota and Wisconsin, you are allowed 2 lines for each fisherman
 

Jlawsen

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Re: How many rods are legal?

It doesn't matter if they're dead on the hook when you pull them in, you throw them back.

Jigingrub, this is the double jeopardy clause in the California Regs:

1.87. Waste of Fish.

It is unlawful to cause or permit any deterioration or waste of any fish taken in the waters of this state.
You can't throw a dead fish back no matter how dead it is:)
 

jigngrub

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Re: How many rods are legal?

What about this?

1.62. Minimum and Maximum Size.

No fish, mollusks or crustaceans less than the legal minimum size or greater than the maximum legal size (total, fork or alternate) may be possessed, except as otherwise provided. Total length is the longest straight-line measurement from the tip of the head to the end of the longest lobe of the tail. Fork length is the straight-line distance from the tip of the head to the center of the tail fin. Tip of the head shall be the most anterior point on the fish with the mouth closed and the fish lying flat on its side. Alternate length is the straight-line distance from the base of the foremost spine of the first dorsal fin to the end of the longest lobe of the tail. Unless otherwise provided, all fish, mollusks or crustaceans less than the legal minimum size or greater than the maximum legal size must be returned immediately to the water from which they were taken.

I'm sure the law is the same for over the limit fish as well... and the law doesn't state released, it says returned. You can't release a dead fish back into the water from which it came, but you can return a dead fish back into the water from which it came.

This...
1.87. Waste of Fish.

It is unlawful to cause or permit any deterioration or waste of any fish taken in the waters of this state.

... is for the wanton waste of fish, and the disposal of fish cleaning debris into the water.

I'd much rather abide by section 1.62. than try to argue 1.87. with a warden after he caught me with too many fish.

The return of short, oversize, and over the limit fish is standard in all of the US states and Canada too, and if you think you can argue it with a warden... I'm sure you won't win.
 

Jlawsen

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Re: How many rods are legal?

Agree, the name of the game is to think. If you run two lines at the same time with different rigs because you want to increase your odds of getting another fish you have to also consider you're increasing the odds that you'll break the law. Stating that he was a "poor guy" was incorrect thinking on my part. He was guilty of not understanding the risk he was taking should the third fish not be revivable.

I have to admit, up until the time this incident happened, I had never considered the odds of it happening either. I have since and if multiple lines has a chance of putting me over the daily limit or the bag limit then I don't do it. I also watch fish I release to make sure they don't go floater on me. If they do I go get them and count them in my limit. If it happens to be the last fish then so be it. I'm done for the day. It's an easy decison to make but on a hot bite its very tempting to not carry it out and that's when people get into trouble.
 

cat toon

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Sep 20, 2010
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Re: How many rods are legal?

Each state is different,Here in Arkansas there is no limit,use as many as you can handle.
 

River_Lizard

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Jan 17, 2012
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Re: How many rods are legal?

I usually only fish with 2 or 3 rods but if we're fishing a tournament it's usually 8-12 rods during those times.

35076_1435687225043_1618832812_1080540_3325880_n.jpg
 

coolbri70

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Re: How many rods are legal?

before now, i had never heard of limits on how many poles. but i'm from virginia and have done most of my fishing there. i sometimes use 2 one on the bottom with real bait and 1 for casting lures. good reason to go over the local regs when getting out of state license
 

MH Hawker

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Re: How many rods are legal?

In WV its no limit except for waters that have trout and that's 2 rods
 
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