Friends without license...

[Pat32rf]

Lying to the CO will often get you a separate bigger fine than the original offence.
Been checked by COs three times in 56 years. Two of the three we were still in the vehicle before the start of the days activities.(once was the day before the moose season opened while we were out cruising for birds)

[BIG MAC]

Went a few weeks ago to the BOQ meet and greet, 3 hrs away for me. Realized half way through I had my wife's license. Must of got it mixed up will putting together the new wallet for Xmas.
Felt crap all day long because of it.
My wife doesn't even fish but I bought her a license so there would be no problems being in our boat while I did.
Anyone know what would have happened if I'd been checked that day????
Apparently they can check now but will they??? Would I still get a ticket because my license was not on me????
Would it depend on the co??? Could I fight it??
I would hope in this case they would understand.
There will not be a next time...just wondering.

FSHN 247
Jay

Jay, same as me last Sunday, left it sitting on the dash of the truck , truck was probably a 1/2 mile away from the hut, realized it about 1/2 way out but didn't want hut operator to make a special trip as the driving was pretty tough. so about 2 hours later CO showed up, told him it was sitting on shore,he asked my name, date of birth, made the phone call, saw I had my license, wrote my name down and just said your good to go, but also told me , if he wanted to it could have been a $125. for not having it with me......

and at that time, we didn't have any fish to show for the morning either, so never know , that might have had something to do with it.

[middlewick]

You aren't responsible for anyone's behavior on the ice, but your own, period.
Now if you drive your unlicensed buddy home with you and you got over your limit of fish per licences in the vehicle, your taking the hit unless your friend owns up to it.

I have a hut on Rice Lake, where it is panfish only and I have had guys out to my hut that have caught walleye and wanted to keep them. I told them they weren't allowed to keep them and if they did they wouldn't be allowed out to my hut again and would also be walking back in.

I'm not sure I would be held responsible, but because it's my hut and truck, there's no way either would be put into jeopardy.
I have a very good relationship with the CO in our area and would like to keep it that way. I couldn't live with myself if I condoned poaching and lost the respect of our local CO.

I love eating walleye, which is why I head to the BOQ when I need a feed.

[Zombie]

The man isn't out to get you. If you treat them with respect and courtesy you'll get it back in spades.

So true! I've been stopped by the CO's probably 7 or 8 times in the past few years and they're all really nice guys, one even gave me bait advice to catch a few more crappie (which worked like a charm!) When I was a student some of my buddies wanted to go out ice fishing with me and 2 of them didn't have licenses or the money to buy them. I was looking forward to the company and paid for their licenses...

Honestly I've paid for probably 5 or 6 licenses over the years for other people. I'd rather know for certain everyone has their license than be BS'd by one of my buddies only to have them charged and their gear (which was probably my gear) confiscated. Almost all of my buddies I've bought licenses for in the past bought their own in the years after, sometimes it only takes one or two outings for people to become hooked and be lifelong anglers. I set myself as an example, if the fish is 1cm too big, it goes back, OOS it goes back. I want our fisheries to be healthy well into my great-grandchildrens lifetimes, proper conservation is an individual basis and it starts with us having the right attitude and respect for the law.

[WayneGretzky99]

If he didn't have a license and was fishing, I would have done the right thing and reported him to the CO. Fishing without a license is POACHING. By allowed the individual without a license to fish with you is another way of condoning your friend to break the law. In such situation, it would be most appropriate to issue a fine to the person without a license and the other 3 people each a fine for keeping fish over the limit.

Would you also ask him what the view is like from under the bus?

[tweedwolfscream]

If a CO charged me for allowing one of my kids to retrieve a duck or grouse for me I would have him cut up my outdoors card on the spot.

Hm, I wouldn't think it counts as hunting to help bring back downed game. At least I hope it doesn't, since I've definitely had a non-license holder help me carry a deer out. My interpretation was always that participation = hunting if it's helping you get to the point of killing the animal, for example pushing, spotting or calling. But that's just that, my interpretation.

So as un likely as it is, when a Conservation Officer walks up to my hut and asks for our outdoors cards, is it possible for me to get in trouble, as there would be more rods in the water and fish caught than there are licenses.. or would the blame be automatically put on the guy without the license?

Just to point out, unless the lake is listed as an exception in the regs, each person is allowed two lines when ice fishing. So unless every person was taking full advantage of that with a tip-up or set rod as well as their jigging rod, the number of rods wouldn't be the problem. If there were more fish on the ice of a particular species than the sum of every license-holder's limit, that's a big problem, either a licensed angler has been keeping more than their limit or the unlicenced guy has been catching fish. But enough people on the thread have addressed that issue already.