BARGE CANAL/FISH CREEK?

[trappertom13078]

CAN ANYONE VERIFY THE REGULATIOS FOR FISHING THE CANAL AT THE FISH CREEK JUNCTION?  I HAVE FISHED THIS LOCATION FOR PERCH IN THE PAST IN APRIL FOR PERCH, BUT I NOW HAVE CONFLICTING STORIES ABOUT THE LEGALITY OF IT.  I KNOW THAT THE CREEK ITSELF IS OFF LIMITS UNTIL 5/1, BUT THE CREEK IS WELL POSTED, WHILE THE CANAL IS NOT.  MUCH THANKS TO ANYONE WHO CAN HELP.

[sunshine]

According to the reg book it is legal to fish in the canal during the closed season. The closed zone starts where Fish Creek meets the canal.

[Hollywood]

I got a ticket for "fishing closed waters" there last spring. Long story short-The regs are so confusing and open to interpretation that the Judge,the DA, NOBODY understood them. I went to court twice & requested the DEC officers presence the second time-he did'nt show so it was tossed. I was at least 200 yards from Fish creek-(past the creek) I'll only fish it with my lawyer now!

[walleye_1]

Hollywood - What was the officer's reasoning for a ticket if you were 200 yds. from the creek mouth? Maybe some of the water flowing out of the creek was coming in contact with your boat? Seems pretty ludicrous to me.

[Hollywood]

The officer was from long island-brought up to watch Fish creek(which,by the way, is a great idea due to the bandits around) it seems to me he was given little or no info on exactly where the "out of bounds" was. He was professional & polite and I was polite to him in return,I have alot of respect for the DEC & their job. I went to school for criminal justice with a goal as a DEC officer-however dropped the idea when it was explained that deafness would keep me from passing the physical. Most of the guys that fish Oneida follow the rules but the small percentage that don't should rot in he!!. I personally would like to see as much protection of this resource as possible & have no gripe with the officer who ticketed me or any other DEC officers. It just seems that theres way too much "gray" in alot of the Regs & alot of confusion. The officers enforce to the best of their ability the laws which are written-they don't write them. I'm sure if they did write this stuff it would be in black & white with no "lawyerspeak" or legislative B.S.

[walleye_1]

Now there's an idea. Have the officers who are out in the field, enforcing the laws, have a hand in writing them. Nah, never happen. Makes too much sense... Hey, at least you didn't end up paying a fine. 

[trappertom13078]

 THANKS FOR THE INFO.  DOESN'T SEEM LIKE IT'S WORTH THE HASSLE THOUGH.  STILL NEED MORE INFORMATION.  ANYONE ELSE WITH ANY INPUT?

[bigfish1556]

Just curious, but what's the urge to bend things so close to the boundary???
It just boggles me that people have to take things right to the edge of where they should be........if there are perch at Fish Creek Junction, there is bound to be plenty of them several hundred yards downstream in the canal. Why push it - unless that is you're targeting the wally's on their spawning run.....