New to fishing in WI

[lhprop1]

I'm getting married in Cable this summer.  Luckily, I conned the future Mrs to let me spend the day on the ice before having to meet with the pastor this weekend and I've got a few questions. 

1.  I've hunted everywhere on the DNR website, but I can't find if I need to get a fish house license for my portable.  I saw it said I have to have my name and address and stuff on it, but I couldn't find anything about getting it licensed.

2.  It says 3 lines, hooks, or lures.  Do quick strike rigs count as 1 line or 2? 

3.  I'll be fishing near Cable.  Anyone know of any decent lakes for pannies or tipups around there?  I was thinking about Namakagon, but I'm not too familiar with it and the only lake map I could find of it wasn't very good.  There also aren't any decent fishing reports for the area anywhere on the interbutts.  Is there anywhere to find them? 

[Ice Dog 67]

1.  No fishhouse license needed in WI
2.  I'm fairly certain that quick strike sets are considered one line
3.  Not familiar with fishing that area so can't be much help there.

[LENNY]

There are a lot of lakes around there. Best bet is to watch as you drive there and see where the most people are fishing. Congadulations on getting married, sounds like a keeper. Just make sure you don't say around her that you conned her, she may re-think her position. Better yet take her along, she may like it.

[gasman707]

In Wisconsin you are only allowed 3 hooks, whether on 1 line,2 lines, or 3 lines. A treble hook is considered 1 hook.
Any fishing bait that has more than 1 hook also counts to your total. So, if your fishing with say, a rapala with 3 treble hooks on it you can't have another line in the water with any hooks on it.

[lhprop1]

There are a lot of lakes around there. Best bet is to watch as you drive there and see where the most people are fishing. Congadulations on getting married, sounds like a keeper. Just make sure you don't say around her that you conned her, she may re-think her position. Better yet take her along, she may like it.

We're getting married on Namakagon.  It's where I caught my first musky and she already gave me the blessing to fish until 1:00 on our wedding day (we're getting married at 3:30).  How awesome would it be to haul in a 50" hog AND get married on the same day. 

It would be just like catching Catfish Hunter and marrying Sofia Loren!

[bruno]

Welcome to fishing in Wisconsin. From the 2009-2010 Fishing Regulations (page 7) "It is illegal to fish with more than three hooks, baits, or lures".  However one artifical bait such as a Rapala is considered one hook. Wisconsin DNR Website states "Multiple hooks on a single artifical lure do not count toward the total of three (3), only the lure itself. For example, an artificial minnow imitating lure with three (3) treble hooks, counts as one hook/bait/lure, not as three (3) hooks/baits/lures". I have heard of alot of confusion over this regulation in the past.

[soaknwet]

Right. A crawler harness w/2 or 3 hooks is counted as 1. Same  as a jig w/a stinger or a dropper. You only need your name on a portable when your fishing boundry waters.

[gasman707]

Welcome to fishing in Wisconsin. From the 2009-2010 Fishing Regulations (page 7) "It is illegal to fish with more than three hooks, baits, or lures".  However one artifical bait such as a Rapala is considered one hook. Wisconsin DNR Website states "Multiple hooks on a single artifical lure do not count toward the total of three (3), only the lure itself. For example, an artificial minnow imitating lure with three (3) treble hooks, counts as one hook/bait/lure, not as three (3) hooks/baits/lures". I have heard of alot of confusion over this regulation in the past.

 Then how come my co-worker and his brother both received a fine for having 2 jig poles with 2 hooks (store bought perch rigs) on each line? There is also the time (1 of 3 times checked) I had a warden tell me to get my other line (just dangling in the water outside the bass boat) out of the water or i would be fined for too many hooks in the water. The bait  I was using was a jointed rapala (2 hooks) and the bait dragging along the boat was a jitterbug (also 2 hooks)?
 
 Did they recently change the rules? Or do they need to educate the wardens better in the laws?

[soaknwet]

I know what the regs say, and I think the wardens were wrong if it happened the way you say it did. You might want to look in to it a little more before it happens again. If we're wrong, please let us know.

[gasman707]

I know what the regs say, and I think the wardens were wrong if it happened the way you say it did. You might want to look in to it a little more before it happens again. If we're wrong, please let us know.

 I not saying your wrong, you've got it in black and white right from the regs.

I'm the one who was wrong, for just going off of memory and not reading the updated regulations.

I was just questioning when or if they changed recently, because my instances happened over 10 years ago.  I just in the last 4-5 years got back into fishing. I've read the regs but missed this one some how.

 Ignorance of the law is no excuse! (just ask the judge)

Your mistakes are the only thing you can truly call your own! I made a mistake and apologize.

[soaknwet]

I started looking at the regs every year after I threw back a fish I thought was too small at a contest. I'll never know if it would of won or not.  Hope the fishing up by you is better then its been down her for a couple of weeks. Just watch out for the badges, I know I do.

[edfalc]

1.  No fishhouse license needed in WI
2.  I'm fairly certain that quick strike sets are considered one line
3.  Not familiar with fishing that area so can't be much help there.

ditto

[Wiener]

Here's what I found on the DNR website :

"How many poles/rods/lines/hooks/baits/lures are allowed when fishing Wisconsin waters?

The regulation governing this part of Wisconsin fishing is not written in terms of the number or poles/rods/lines. It reads, "No person may do any of the following ... fish with more than three (3) hooks, baits or lures."

Therefore, it is the number of objects capable of catching a single fish (e.g., a baited hook, a fly, a plug or a lure) which are of concern. You can use three (3) baits each with up to three (3) hooks as long as each is only capable of catching one (1) fish. Each bulleted example below represents a legal scenario:
# 1 pole with 2 baits and 1 pole with 1 bait, or
# 1 pole with 3 baits, or
# 3 poles with 1 bait each.

Hooks, baits and lures all count toward the total of three (3). As a result, the maximum number of poles/rods/lines is three (3) as long as you have only one (1) bait on each pole/rod/line. More than one bait per line will require you use fewer than three (3) poles/rods/lines. There is a "de facto" maximum on the number of lines that is determined by the number of baits used.

Multiple hooks on a single artifical lure do not count toward the total of three (3), only the lure itself. For example, an artificial minnow imitating lure with three (3) treble hooks, counts as one hook/bait/lure, not as three (3) hooks/baits/lures."


Hope this helps,

Wiener

[edfalc]

u betcha......clear as a bell

[soaknwet]

By golly, I am WRONG. I do believe you fellas might have saved me from a possible ticket. I've been fishing with a buckshot, frostie, spoon and other things with a hook AND a dropper hook that I added. Nothing wrong with that, but that problay counts as two hooks so I should pull one of my three lines out of the water. Right?  Being old doesn't mean you're wise, just means you might be a wisea## once in a while. lhprop1, I'm glad you brought this up. When I'm wrong, I admit it.  Probly better take my email off my prfile befor the wardens track me down.