[jcheetam]

Had a conversation with a County Sherriff on Cass Lake Sunday who informed Madman24 and myself that an angler may only possess 3 rods while fishing and that he could write each of us a ticket for possessing more rods than legally allowed (there were 7 rods on the boat...). And this doesn't pertain to the number of lines in the water...this is about the number of rods on your rig. I've personally never heard of such a thing...Is there such a thing as a "rod limit".

 

[PWood]

The only rod limit I know of in the Michigan fishing regulations is the number of rods used per person, not the number of rods in possession. Never heard of that one.

I imagine most anglers would be guilty of that, if it were real.

 

[555]

Below is directly from the Michigan Compiled Law and the Michigan Fishing Handbook.
I checked for local restrictions on Cass lake and there are none.

No more than two lines per person (including tip-ups) nor more than four hooks or lures may be used. Except: on Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Superior and the St. Marys River, those persons in the act of trolling while targeting trout/salmon may use 3 rods/lines and attach no more than six hooks total on all lines. *All hooks attached to an artificial bait or "night crawler harness" are counted as one hook. Hooks must be baited or attached to an artificial bait.

 

[Esox]

You can have as many rods on the boat as you would like. You may have as many rigged for action as you like. You may not have more than two rods per angler in the water at once, unless trolling for Trout or Salmon on the Great Lakes, in which case you may have three rods per angler in the water.

 

[madman24]

hmmmmm...........sounds like officer murdock was talking out of his a$$.

i knew something wasnt right when he told me that. i have been fishing for about 12 years now, 5 of them from a boat, and i have never heard there was a 3 rod limit. i make sure i am aware of the laws for the most part. if i am not sure on one, i make sure i ask so i was a little surprised when he told me that.

good thing he didnt write us a ticket on that one tho.

madman himself

 

[jcheetam]

I don't claim to know everything, but I have been fishing seriously for many, many years, and have never heard of such a thing. Hell, I have carried more than 3 rods on a boat from the time I was 9 until now! But I'm glad to see Madman24 and I aren't the only two fisherfolk never to hear of this supposed law...

 

[boatnfish]

Sounds like somebody needs to read the rules that they are enforcing. The few times that I have been stopped they have known what they were talking about and were polite. I even got to keep a Steelhead that I netted without it being hooked. Although I was 12 or so, the officer just said that was not legal, and in the future we would have to throw it back.