Isle Royale Forums

Hello,

I'm going to the island this week and a couple of the groups from my old scout troop that I'm going with said they had some issues with a Park Ranger named Seth. I'm just looking to see if anyone who has been to the island recently knows what the regulations are on hooks on lures. From what they told me this Park Ranger was a pretty big jerk to them when it came to their fishing gear and forced them to cut all of their trebles down to single hooks. From what I understand from the fishing regulations you should only need to put the barbs down. I'm concerned about this because I don't want to ruin my fishing gear just to go to the island and am seriously considering spending a week in the UP instead if this is the case. Any info would be appreciated.

ogie wrote:Hello,

I'm going to the island this week and a couple of the groups from my old scout troop that I'm going with said they had some issues with a Park Ranger named Seth. I'm just looking to see if anyone who has been to the island recently knows what the regulations are on hooks on lures. From what they told me this Park Ranger was a pretty big jerk to them when it came to their fishing gear and forced them to cut all of their trebles down to single hooks. From what I understand from the fishing regulations you should only need to put the barbs down. I'm concerned about this because I don't want to ruin my fishing gear just to go to the island and am seriously considering spending a week in the UP instead if this is the case. Any info would be appreciated.

There's nothing in the park paper about single hooks:

http://www.nps.gov/isro/planyourvisit/u ... e_2012.pdf

only barbless are mentioned. I will drop a line to the park and ask.

Bob

Barbless treble hooks are acceptable. For your informaiton, only the lure on your line needs to be barbless. You can pinch down the barbs on your lures as needed. I myself have started to cut one or two hooks off my trebles to facilitate the quick release of Northerns. Don't forget the jaw spreaders and long hemostats/pliers.

IncaRoads wrote:Barbless treble hooks are acceptable. For your informaiton, only the lure on your line needs to be barbless. You can pinch down the barbs on your lures as needed. I myself have started to cut one or two hooks off my trebles to facilitate the quick release of Northerns. Don't forget the jaw spreaders and long hemostats/pliers.

Good point - if "requested" to modify all your tackle, respectfully decline as barbless is only required on inland waters and of course,only on the lures you are actually using.

No lip-landing Northerns (not a regulation, just a suggestion )

I ran into Seth he is OK by the book he did not ask about Treble hooks. Carry the regs with you should be ok. Big concern is fishing in Lake Superior then in the interior waters is the Spiny Water Flea
Keep your gear clean and Fresh spool of line. Boil your lures or anything else that could be contaminated from Lake Superior. I ended up running boiled water through my water purifiers.
Seems odd talking to a Park official carrying pistol.
I guess better to be prepared.

I just spoke to the East District Ranger who was familiar with the encounter. He claims that it was amicable but that the paddlers involved did not know the regs and had come out of the backcountry having fished with barbed hooks and stated that they were going to fish Lake Superior, although they did not have fishing licenses (MI licenses are required for LS waters). The ranger on the scene informed them of the regs, told them that they could not fish LS but that if they went to Belle Isle the boaters there would likely give them some fish for dinner, and left them without issuing any citations. According to the District Ranger, this group may have been confused regarding barbless vs. treble hooks, but here is his answer to the question:

Treble hooks are fine - must be barbless for use in the backcountry but not on Lake Superior. You DO NOT need to bend down all hooks - only the ones you are actually using in the backcountry, so you can carry barbed hooks. Michigan licenses are required for Lake Superior waters.

IncaRoads wrote:Don't forget the jaw spreaders and long hemostats/pliers.

It is important to follow rules/laws as they are made for a reason. The barbless hook is much eaiser
to remove and offers a better chance of releasing an undamaged and healthy fish - this is the important
thing to remember. The hemostat/plier combination provides another level of safeguarding the health
of released fish.