Question about the regs. If a pike takes my fish and i net it can i keep it?

[flowerjohn]

And the chances of a CO standing over you while you catch it is about a hundred times less than you winning lotto max three times.

[Gunner 38]

Since it's posed as a hypothetical question the hypothetical answer should be : NO , it's not legal to keep it ! --- I just wonder how many ''holier than thou characters'' would actually throw the Pike back in . --- I'm not advocating illegal practices but don't even remotely believe that the majority of ''fish-hogs'' would think twice about it .

[johny]

Since it's posed as a hypothetical question the hypothetical answer should be : NO , it's not legal to keep it ! --- I just wonder how many ''holier than thou characters'' would actually throw the Pike back in . --- I'm not advocating illegal practices but don't even remotely believe that the majority of ''fish-hogs'' would think twice about it .

Probably 90+% of Ontarians "Break the Law"
Here are two common ways:
Party Fishing
Keeping a fish hooked on the face--- not inside the mouth

In the instance of the first post-- keeping the pike is "illegal"--- sunfish are not legal as bait-- the pike was not hooked in the mouth.
What would I do?
This forum does not condone the posting of illegal activity--- even if those activities feel ethically OK.

[johnjyb]

So is gar fishing with yarn/rope illegal as there is no hooks used, as well as worm balls in pantyhose without hooks for bullheads?
John

[Woodsman]

Nothing in the regs states that a fish has to be hooked through the mouth.
It just states any fish that is hooked other than in the mouth has to be released.
Nothing states it must be hooked.
In the OP's scenario it was not foul hooked.
Also meets the definition of angling.
Also in this scenario the sunfish was not being used as bait but the pike chose to ignore this fact.

[redd foxx]

9. (1) No person shall fish with

• (a) a hook used in such a manner as to pierce or hook a fish in any part of the body other than the mouth;
  
• (b) a gaff;
  
• (c) a snare;
  
• (d) a snagger; or
  
• (e) a spear gun.

(2) Despite paragraph (1)(b), a person may use a gaff, other than a spring gaff, to assist in the landing of a fish.

(3) No person shall retain a fish that has been pierced or hooked in any part of the body other than the mouth while angling except a fish that has been pierced or hooked while being landed with a gaff that is not a spring gaff.

Above is the section from the Ontario Fishery Regulations that looks like it applies. With regards to the sunfish, as long as you weren't "using" it as bait I don't think that alone would make the catch illegal.
My opinion would be that as long as the sunfish is in the pike's mouth and was not used as the bait the catch would be legal. The pike was not pierced in any part of the body.

[BryanG]

All the CO's care about is you fishing license and boat license now adays

[Empty Sea]

Further to Woddsman's and Redd Foxx's posts, here's how the reg's define angling:

"Angling – Angling means fishing with a line that is held in the hand or
attached to a rod that is held in the hand or closely attended."

There's nothing that say's you even have to use a hook, so yeah, if as long as you weren't actively using the sunfish as "bait", you should be ok here.

[brent]

Nothing in the regs states that a fish has to be hooked through the mouth.
It just states any fish that is hooked other than in the mouth has to be released.
Nothing states it must be hooked.
In the OP's scenario it was not foul hooked.
Also meets the definition of angling.
Also in this scenario the sunfish was not being used as bait but the pike chose to ignore this fact.

Agreed....

[sakimano]

People keep pike?