Sports Fishing Guide gets off charges.

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GLG said:
Perhaps fishingbc can explain why we have a barbless rule for fishing here in BC. He has been around long enough and I'm sure he remembers when and why this came about.
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Feel free
Let us all know.
Don't you have any leftover turkey to eat
Rather than wasting your time and posting this crap
 
If they went 100% barbless here in BC it wouldn't bother me a bit. but I bet alot of peeps would get their panties in a knot if they did... until they tighten up the rules and regulations pertaining to this it is what it is. how hard would it be to implement a rule that if you are trolling with flasher and downrigger you should be using a barbless hook? why isn't this implemented? or maybe use a rule that if using a jig under 6 ounces barbless hooks should be used? we lose wild fish hand over fist due to fish farms and the destruction they cause yet argue about the ethics of using barbed or barbless hooks in regard to the rules set out by dfo... just an observation.
 
only way u can go barbless for bottom fish is if the commercial fisherman were forced to go barbless for bottom critters... likely not happening....
 
bigbruce said:
I think most here know exactly what game was being played here - and fortunately, most have high enough ethical standards that they do not play it.
There are a few, however, who will and will ultimately see the regulations changed to close the loopholes.
How about - if you're under power - i.e. trolling - barbless hooks. No power - i.e. jigging - barbs OK.
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gungadin said:
To keep everyone honest, the regulations need changing to eliminate the use of barbed hooks when trolling. That would eliminate the "not fishing for salmon" reason for using barbed hooks. There would be no grey area, if your trolling you must use barbless hooks.
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I sometimes back troll under power when bottom fishing, so I would not like to see the reg changed to include simply being under power. I will also at times pop the kicker in and out of forward gear to change my position and add movement to my presentation on my spreader bar. So, I sometimes do legitimately bottom fish under power and would like to retain the right to use barbed hooks in those situations.

Changing the regs to require all barbless hooks when trolling with Downriggers would seem to eliminate the Grey area and close the loophole allowing Salmon fishing with barbed gear. I would have no problem with the regs being changed as there are a lot of unscrupulous anglers out there that will use this court decision as an excuse to skirt the barbless regs when Salmon fishing.

I am in no way saying the original poster used this loophole to fish for Salmon illegally. As a guide I would think he was well aware of the regs and was fishing within the letter of the law. I will take him at his word that he was not intentionally targeting Salmon at the time, and would have released any Salmon unintentionally caught using barbed gear.

Unfortunately, many on the chuck will simply use this loophole to fish for Salmon and hope they are not charged. It's time the regs were amended, but I would still like to see bottom fishing exempted from the barbless restriction. If it came to bottom fishing being included in the barbless regs I could live with that, as it is a good conservation measure.
 
Rather than a complete ban on barbs, I would prefer to see a hook size restriction on them. No barbs allowed on hooks smaller than 2 inches point to shank.
That way, you could still use barbs while jigging with a circle hook, or trolling bottom with a seven inch spoon, but it would stop people from sending the barbed treble that comes with a buzzbomb down 50 pulls to 'jig for cod' or trolling a barbed coyote spoon through salmon waters to 'troll for cod'..
 
I think the same people that would probably be the first to complain about over-regulation and complex nonsensical laws are on this thread proposing laws that are unneeded and excessively complex. Restrictions on motoring vs not motoring and barbs, certain sizes or hook types that can or cant have barbs. No one would remember such idiotic rules, and as a result people would unknowingly violate them all the time. Its tough enough trying to figure out closures, openings and Rockfish conservation areas. This is a classic case of trying to find a solution to a PROBLEM THAT DOESN'T EXIST! The current law says "don't fish with barbs if you are fishing for salmon. If you catch one with a barb, let it go". Virtually everyone complies with it. A new law isn't needed because the DFO lost $300 on a ticket someone beat out. Guess what, people get out of fines all the time, and sometimes get off without paying them. New laws arent passed every time it happens. It wasn't a felony manslaughter case. Most people given a ticket for using barbs even if they weren't fishing for salmon probably just pay it because they can't be bothered going to court. So the DFO wins those cases. Give it a rest, enforcement of such rules relies primarily on voluntary compliance, and the very small chance that if you decide not to comply you might be caught. DFO wrote a ticket, they lost in court. It probably did much more to deter using barbs with the publicity it got than if fishingbc just said "to hell with it" and payed it.
 
CVmike said:
Rather than a complete ban on barbs, I would prefer to see a hook size restriction on them. No barbs allowed on hooks smaller than 2 inches point to shank.
That way, you could still use barbs while jigging with a circle hook, or trolling bottom with a seven inch spoon, but it would stop people from sending the barbed treble that comes with a buzzbomb down 50 pulls to 'jig for cod' or trolling a barbed coyote spoon through salmon waters to 'troll for cod'..
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That is definitely another option to allow for targeting other species. It just seems size restrictions on hooks get overly complicated especially for guys just starting out in the sport. The regs are hard enough for guys to grasp that have fished the chuck for years. I actually like that idea, and was thinking along the same line. It just gets too confusing sometimes for guys that are trying to figure out all our area restrictions, RCA's, sponge reef closures, time specific closures, night time closures, bait bans, on and on and on. You need to be a lawyer with a working Internet connection before you even think of venturing out on the water these days.
 
None of this barb argument may matter next year, if the salmon run equals last year and if we get a major hit on hali limits. Troll, jig, backtroll, anchor or whatever you want, it will be a short time fishing for lots less fish. Maybe saltwater will become like bass, catch and release for most of the Nation. The doomer in me sees no reason for DFO in a few years. Other interest groups will OWN the fish and there may be no sport fishing. Everyone should just follow all the current regs for the fish, our image and especially for our childrens eyes and minds. If you choose to break, BS, or circumnavigate regs with another BS loophole and get caught, man up and face what you deserve.

HM
 
The compliance on barbless hooks is still not as high as one would think it would be. I would say that 50% of the people that get gear wrapped into my downrigger and I get a look at it before returning it are barbed up. Most of those who are running barbs keep going and don't ask for the gear back. In talking to DFO officers at the dock they estimate it at 30% non compliance. Since the rule came in back in 98 or 99 I can honestly say I have caught one Chinook on a barbed hook and that was in the 1st week of the rule being in place. After that I made it a point to pinch down all hooks on all pre-ties and in the box I grab hooks from when I tie a new leader.
 
profisher said:
The compliance on barbless hooks is still not as high as one would think it would be. I would say that 50% of the people that get gear wrapped into my downrigger and I get a look at it before returning it are barbed up. Most of those who are running barbs keep going and don't ask for the gear back. In talking to DFO officers at the dock they estimate it at 30% non compliance. Since the rule came in back in 98 or 99 I can honestly say I have caught one Chinook on a barbed hook and that was in the 1st week of the rule being in place. After that I made it a point to pinch down all hooks on all pre-ties and in the box I grab hooks from when I tie a new leader.
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I think you are 100% correct. Some people will never adhere to the regs no matter what they are. That is one reason the loophole should be closed. If you want to violate the regs intentionally and get caught you should pay the price. The way it is now the people that fish for and retain Salmon with barbs know they can probably wiggle out of the charge with a little creative story telling. Make it mandatory then if the violators still insist on cheating they will hopefully pay the price. The regs as they are written simply encourage the cheaters to fish Salmon with barbs as they know as long as they aren't caught red handed with a barbed hook in a Salmon mouth they can probably beat the charge.
 
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haha, if this was the hulltruth forum this thread would be about 40 pages by now...
 
I'd like to make an amendment to my 12 days of Fishmas thread to be more politically correct on my position of this issue.

On the first day of Fishmas my true love gave to me,
A barbless hoochie in a tree!
.....Eight 8 barbless Coyote spoons....
 
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