Current through all regulations passed and filed through March 18, 2024
(A) Trotlines in the inland fishing district:
It shall be unlawful for any person to set, use or maintain a
trotline in the inland fishing district
except:
(1) In streams;
(2) North of the causeway in Mosquito lake to
the southern boundary of the waterfowl refuge;
(3) In that part of Charles Mill lake lying
north of state route 430;
(4) In
Seneca lake in all areas extending south of state route 147;
(5) In Clendening lake in all areas extending
east of state route 799;
(6) In
Tappan lake in all areas extending above gas line causeway and state route
646;
(7) In Atwood lake in the area
north and east of state route 542 north at Delroy, Ohio;
(8) In Piedmont lake in all areas in sections
11 and 12 of Kirkwood township;
(9)
In Wills creek lake, provided it is unlawful to set, use or maintain a trotline
in that area directly in front of the Muskingum conservancy district boat
landing;
(10) In Berlin lake in
that area lying south and west of state route 225;
(11) In Grand lake St. Marys in that area
bounded on the west by Prairie creek, on the east by Big Chickasaw creek, and
on the north by a line of buoys extending east to west between Big Chickasaw
creek and Prairie creek. In such area it is unlawful to set, use or maintain a
trotline in channels, or across the mouths of channels or streams
;
(12) In the inland part of Sandusky bay,
commonly called Mud creek bay.
(B) It shall be
unlawful for any person to:
(1)
Set, use, or maintain a trotline composed all or in
part of wire or cable;
(2)
Set, use, or maintain a trotline which can be
removed from the water by pulling
from the shore;
(3)
Set, use, or maintain a trotline within a
distance of one thousand feet downstream from any dam;
(4)
Set, use, or maintain more than three trotlines
in any one body of water in the inland fishing district;
(5)
Set, use, or
maintain a trotline having more than fifty hooks attached in any
tributary of lake Erie;
(6)
Fail to inspect or maintain their trotline once
every twenty-four hour period;
(7)
Disturb or molest a legally
placed trotline of another without permission from the trotline owner or
user.
(C) It shall be
unlawful for any person to set,
use, or
maintain a float line except:
(1) In
streams;
(2) In Sandusky bay west
of the railroad bridge;
(3) In
Berlin lake in that area lying south and west of state route 225;
(4) In Mosquito lake north of the causeway
and south of a line of buoys designating the waterfowl refuge;
(5) Charles Mill lake north of state route
430;
(6) Clendening lake east of
state route 799;
(7) Seneca lake
south of state route 147;
(8)
Tappan lake above the gas line causeway and state route 646;
(9) Atwood lake in all areas north and east
of state route 542 north at Delroy;
(10) Piedmont lake in sections 11 and 12 of
Kirkwood township;
(11) Wills creek
lake except that part directly in front of Muskingum watershed conservancy
district boat landing;
(12) In all
public waters of the state of Ohio unless specifically prohibited by the owner
in authority of said body of water.
(13)
In privately
owned ponds, lakes, or reservoirs to or from which fish are not accustomed to
migrate.
(D)
In any waters in the state wherein an Ohio fishing
license is required by section
1533.32
of the Revised Code, it
shall be
unlawful for any person to:
(1)
Set, use, or
maintain any float line unless the user is present within a distance from
which he can observe and attend such line at all times;
(2)
Set, use, or
maintain a float line anchored, fastened, or otherwise restricted from
moving, floating or drifting freely and independent of any other line
whatsoever;
(3)
Set,
use, or maintain more than six
float lines in all public waters of the state of
Ohio less than seven hundred surface acres.
(4)
Set, use, or maintain a float line with a treble hook
or more than one single hook attached.
(E) Set or bank lines
(1) Set or bank lines may be used to take
fish or turtles only as herein provided.
(2) It shall be unlawful for any person
to:
(a)
Set, use, or
maintain in excess of fifty set or bank lines; or
(b)
Set, use, or
maintain any set or bank line with more than one single hook or with a treble
hook attached to it;
(c)
Set, use, or maintain a set or bank line from a
dock, wharf, pier, boat, dam or artificially constructed retaining wall, or
attach such lines to fishing rods or fishing poles;
(d)
Set, use, or maintain a set or bank line which is
attached to any stake placed or present in or under the water;
(e)
Set, use, or maintain more than six
set or bank lines in all public waters of the state of Ohio
less than seven hundred surface acres.
(f)
Fail to inspect or maintain their set or
bank
lines once every twenty-four hour period.
(g)
Leave any part of a set or
bank
line which was brought to the site upon completion of use.
(h)
Disturb or molest
a legally placed set or bank line of another without permission from the set or
bank line owner or user.
(F) Snag or snatch
fishing
(1) It shall be unlawful for any
person to:
(a)
Use snatch hooks, snag hooks, snag lines, or to catch
fish in any manner other than by mouth, within a distance of one thousand feet
downstream from any dam in the Muskingum river.
(b)
Engage in snag fishing within a
distance of one thousand feet down stream from any dam posted with division of
wildlife signs indicating snagging is prohibited.
(c)
Snag a fish or engage in snagging while using a
hook exceeding five-eighths inches in space between the point and shank of the
hook.
(d)
Use snatch hooks, snag hooks, snag lines, or to
catch fish in any manner other than the mouth, during the period from September
first through April thirtieth in the entire drainage basins of the Rocky river,
Grand river, Chagrin river, Conneaut creek, Ashtabula river, Vermilion river,
Arcola creek, Cowles creek, Euclid creek, Indian creek, Turkey creek, or
Wheeler creek.
(e)
Use snatch hooks, snag hooks, snag lines, engage
in snag fishing or possess any fish taken by snagging in any waters of the
state within the eastern or western fishing units of the Ohio river, as
described in rule
1501:31-13-11
of the Administrative Code.
(G) Minnow seines -
minnow dip nets
(1) In the lake Erie fishing
district and other waters wherein fishing with nets is licensed by law, and in
East and West harbors, Ottawa county, it
is lawful for any person to use a
minnow seine of any length or width, or a minnow dip net not exceeding
seventy-two inches on a side to take minnows, cray fish, and larval aquatic
insects; however, it shall be unlawful for any person:
(a) To have in possession or use a seine or
dip net with a square mesh larger than one-half inch on a side;
(b) To have in possession or use a dip net
having any side greater than seventy-two inches;
(c) To have in possession or use a seine
having other than straight sides.
(2) In the inland fishing district it is
lawful to use a minnow seine or a minnow dip net to take minnows, crayfish, and
larval aquatic insects. However, it shall be unlawful for any person:
(a) To have in possession or use a minnow
seine exceeding ninety-six inches in length or exceeding forty-eight inches in
depth except in such waters wherein fishing with nets is licensed by law, and
excepting East and West harbors, Ottawa county, Ohio;
(b) To use a seine or dip net with a square
mesh larger than one-half inch on a side;
(c) To have in possession or use a dip net
having any side greater than fortyeight inches, except in such waters wherein
fishing with nets is licensed by law, and excepting East and West harbors,
Ottawa county, Ohio;
(d) To have in
possession or use a seine having other than straight lines;
(e) To use two or more seines fastened
together the combination of which exceeds ninety-six inches in length or
forty-eight inches in width;
(f)
To use a minnow seine from nine p.m. to four a.m.
except in East and West harbors, Ottawa county, and in such waters wherein
fishing with nets is licensed by law.
(H)
Minnow or bait fish traps are permitted subject to the following:
It shall be unlawful for any person:
(1) To have in possession or use a minnow or
bait fish trap which measures more than twenty-four inches in its greatest
overall length, or measures more than twelve inches in its greatest overall
width;
(2) To have in possession or
use a minnow or bait fish trap having an opening larger than one inch in
diameter.
(I) All definitions set
forth in rule
1501:31-1-02
of the Administrative Code apply to
this rule.