2013 ice regs

[chrisk]

Ice Fishing
No more than five devices may be used for taking
fish when ice is present. The devices that
may be used are:
1. Ice supported tip-ups or lines with one single
pointed hook attached, or one burr of three
hooks that measure not more than ½-inch
from point to shaft;
2. An artificial jigging lure with not more than
one burr of three hooks that measure not
more than ½-inch from point to point;
3. An artificial jigging lure with not more than
three single hooks measuring not more than
½-inch from point to shaft;
4. An artificial jigging lure with a combination
of the hook limitations described in 2 and
3 above.
Natural bait may be used on the hooks of the
artificial jigging lures. All devices that are not
hand-held must bear the name and address of
the user and cannot be left unattended.
See separate regulations for trout-stocked
waters and Greenwood Lake.
Potentially Dangerous Fish
The possession or release of live, potentially

[chrisk]

http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/digfsh13.htm

[KneeDeepSteve]

looks like the same as usual.

[bmxrider11976]

yup, same as usual. i called them last year cause i had a bone to pick about using jigging raps/ blade baits/ lipless cranks. they have too many hooks according to the law book, and technically youre not allowed to use them. i guess that regulation never changed, which i think is kind of silly. you can use them open water, but not on ice. its funny that they are still marketed all over the place in anywhere that stocks ice fishing gear, but they are against the law unless modified. i wonder how many people actually modify them though....

[saxmatt]

My biggest problem with the rules is you have to kill state record fish to certify them. They insist the fish must be examined by a biologist. I had a record this year that was too big to transport and they refused to send someone down to take a look at it and verify the record so I just let it go. Even if you have a certified scale and witnesses it doesn't count. The world record tiger through the ice is only 27lbs, hopefully if I catch one bigger and get it in a keep sack below the ice they'll get their lazy a$$es down to the lake to certify it so I don't have to kill it.

[bmxrider11976]

My biggest problem with the rules is you have to kill state record fish to certify them. They insist the fish must be examined by a biologist. I had a record this year that was too big to transport and they refused to send someone down to take a look at it and verify the record so I just let it go. Even if you have a certified scale and witnesses it doesn't count. The world record tiger through the ice is only 27lbs, hopefully if I catch one bigger and get it in a keep sack below the ice they'll get their lazy a$$es down to the lake to certify it so I don't have to kill it.

agreed, you would think they would want to preserve something like that instead of having it harvested. there are a few other gripes i have with the regs, but i dont think the sportsmen of NJ are united enough to make anything happen. PM sent to you by the way saxmatt.

[KneeDeepSteve]

My biggest problem with the rules is you have to kill state record fish to certify them. They insist the fish must be examined by a biologist. I had a record this year that was too big to transport and they refused to send someone down to take a look at it and verify the record so I just let it go. Even if you have a certified scale and witnesses it doesn't count. The world record tiger through the ice is only 27lbs, hopefully if I catch one bigger and get it in a keep sack below the ice they'll get their lazy a$$es down to the lake to certify it so I don't have to kill it.

That's why I would put it back and also I wouldn't want to give up my spot either. Imagine what that would do to the lake you caught it from.

[KneeDeepSteve]

yup, same as usual. i called them last year cause i had a bone to pick about using jigging raps/ blade baits/ lipless cranks. they have too many hooks according to the law book, and technically youre not allowed to use them. i guess that regulation never changed, which i think is kind of silly. you can use them open water, but not on ice. its funny that they are still marketed all over the place in anywhere that stocks ice fishing gear, but they are against the law unless modified. i wonder how many people actually modify them though....

Yea I'd like to see a ranger give someone a ticket for that.

[cchick27]

Ive been using jiggin raps for years and never had a ranger say anything to me. Plus all theyve ever cared about when ive gotten checked is that youre not keepong too many fish and that you have a license.

[bmxrider11976]

not saying you would get a ticket for it, especially if your within the law everywhere else. but if a ranger walks up to a guy with a bucket of 7 inch crappie and no license....that may be a different story. for my jiggin raps i normally just take the treble off. i normally catch em on the back hook anyways. better safe than sorry. nice bass BTW fishgalore!

[KneeDeepSteve]

not saying you would get a ticket for it, especially if your within the law everywhere else. but if a ranger walks up to a guy with a bucket of 7 inch crappie and no license....that may be a different story. for my jiggin raps i normally just take the treble off. i normally catch em on the back hook anyways. better safe than sorry. nice bass BTW fishgalore!

yea I was pretty much saying that it won't ever happen. You barely see any rangers out on the ice anyway, at least where I fish. I'm happy when I do see them come out since I feel like there are a lot of guys keeping a load of short fish, especially perch. If not that, they don't have a license like you said.

[tonyrad]

No such thing as a short perch. They are all legal up to the 25 limit on panfish. But whats the point in keeping the itty bitty ones unless you have an aquarium. A few years back when the shanty contest was run out of Dow's on that nasty windy day, I threw back a four inch perch, and a hammer handle pickerel, that perch would have placed, but who would a thunk it.

Try getting hissy with a game cop and then see how they check you for violations. They do us a solid every time they check someone and keep the not quite honest guys from stepping over the line. If the rules say eight inches on a crappie and you take 10 to eat, thats your right. As for me, i have the numbers for the game cops in my cell phone and have once or twice made the call when people were breaking the law. Its never the guy going by the regs that picks up trash and follows the rules that gets people pissed, and places shut down on the general public, its the knuckle-heads that ruin it.

Safe ice soon, keep the faith.

[KneeDeepSteve]

No such thing as a short perch. They are all legal up to the 25 limit on panfish. But whats the point in keeping the itty bitty ones unless you have an aquarium. A few years back when the shanty contest was run out of Dow's on that nasty windy day, I threw back a four inch perch, and a hammer handle pickerel, that perch would have placed, but who would a thunk it.

Try getting hissy with a game cop and then see how they check you for violations. They do us a solid every time they check someone and keep the not quite honest guys from stepping over the line. If the rules say eight inches on a crappie and you take 10 to eat, thats your right. As for me, i have the numbers for the game cops in my cell phone and have once or twice made the call when people were breaking the law. Its never the guy going by the regs that picks up trash and follows the rules that gets people pissed, and places shut down on the general public, its the knuckle-heads that ruin it.

Safe ice soon, keep the faith.

Yes you are correct, I mean the guys that fill a spackle bucket with a hundred 4 inch perch. I often forget there is no length limit because I wouldn't keep a perch unless it had a good amount of filet on it. If you fish Hopatcong you know this happens all the time. Like I said I like when I see them out there and I let them know it when I see them.