Maine State Library Digital Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Law Books Inland Fisheries and Wildlife 1-1-1966 Maine Open Water Fishing Laws 1966 Summary Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Game Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalmaine.com/ifw_law_books Recommended Citation Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Game, "Maine Open Water Fishing Laws 1966 Summary" (1966). Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Law Books. 223. https://digitalmaine.com/ifw_law_books/223 This Text is brought to you for free and open access by the Inland Fisheries and Wildlife at Digital Maine. It has been accepted for inclusion in Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Law Books by an authorized administrator of Digital Maine. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Maine Open Water Fishing Laws 19 6 6 Summary Department of Inland Fisheries and Game Augusta, Maine (Published in accordance with Section 1963, Chapter 303, Title 12 of Revised Statutes o f 1964, as amended) DEFINITIONS “Closed Season” means the period during which it is unlawful to fish for, take, catch, kill, or destroy any fish. “Open Season” means the period during which fish may be taken as specified and limited by law and includes the first and last day thereof. (For opening dates in the respective counties please refer to the special rules and regulations to be found in this book.) “Fly Fishing” means to cast upon water and retrieve an unbaited, unweighted, artificial fly attached to a line to which no extra weight has been added. Except as otherwise provided, it shall be unlawful to troll a fly in waters restricted to fly fishing only. “Jigging” shall mean the use of any fishing tackle or device used in an attempt to snag or snare fish. “Transport” includes to offer or to receive for transportation. “Aliens.” All aliens shall be classified as non-residents. Any alien who has resided in this State continuously for 1 year and in addition thereto is assessed and pays taxes on real estate in the municipality in which he resides, or any alien who has resided in this state con ­ tinuously for 5 years may purchase any resident license issued under Chapters 301 to 335. “Resident.” A resident is a citizen o f the United States who is domiciled in Maine with the intention of remaining and who has resided in this State during the 3 months next prior to date of applica­ tion for license. (All employees of the Veterans’ Administration Facility residing in Maine and employed by the Togus Facility are classified as residents for the purpose of obtaining fishing licenses.) “Non-resident,” Non-residents are persons not coming within the definition of “resident” and includes “aliens” as defined above. The word “tributary” means a brook or stream flowing directly or indirectly into a lake, pond or another stream. A lake or great pond (over 10 acres) shall not be considered to mean “tributary.” The tributary to a great pond shall not be considered a tributary to the outlet o f that great pond. A “water thoroughfare” means a waterway without flowage con­ necting 2 bodies of water. All thoroughfares and bogs, covered by the same laws applicable to lakes and ponds. “Possession limit.” Whenever any waters have a special bag limit, no person shall have in possession more than 1 day’s bag limit taken from those waters. 2 “Bag limit” means the maximum limit, in number or amount of fish which may lawfully be taken by any one person during one day. In all waters where the bag limit on black bass has been removed by rule and regulation, the season and method of taking shall be the same as for trout and salmon. “Inland Waters” shall include all waters within the State above the rise and fall o f the tide. MISCELLANEOUS AND GENERAL PROVISIONS N o person shall fish with m ore than 2 lines at any one time. It shall be unlawful to angle or fish other than by the use o f the single-baited hook and line, artificial flies, artificial minnows, artificial insects, spoon hooks and spinners. All pools of state fish hatcheries and rearing stations and all waters within 200 feet of such hatchery and rearing station pools shall be closed to all fishing. (Exception, Grand Lake Stream) Closed Season for Fishing. During the period of the respective closed season it is unlawful for any person to fish for, take, catch, kill or have in possession any fish of any kind from such closed waters. Possession of Fishing Tackle. The possession of fishing tackle in the fields, forests, or on the waters or ice o f the State, by any person without license, shall be prima facie evidence of fishing in violation o f law. Fishways. No person shall fish within 150 feet of any dam in which a fishway is located. Except at Upper Dam in Richardsontown (T 4 R 1) at the outlet o f M ooselookm eguntic Lake in Oxford County, at Middle Dam in T C at the outlet o f Lower Richardson Lake in Oxford County and at East Outlet Dam in Sapling (T 1 R 7) in Somerset County and in Big Squaw Mountain in Piscataquis County at the outlet o f Moosehead Lake, the fishway and the area within 50 feet of any part of these fishways shall be closed to fishing at all times. Exception, Bath Tub, so-called, in Rangeley River. This section shall not include the taking o f alewives and smelts in the manner provided under the laws regulating sea and shore fisheries. Ponds Formed by Brooks, Streams and Rivers. Ponds 10 acres or less, form ed on brooks, streams or rivers shall be governed by the same law regulating fishing that applies to the brook, stream or river on which they are situated, whether said pond be natural or artificial. 3 Thoroughfares and Bogs. The general laws governing lakes and ponds also apply to thoroughfares and bogs. Aircraft, required to have permit for transportation of fish, game or fur-bearing animals. Fee, $2.00. Salmon, trout, togue, black bass, white perch or pickerel from inland waters. No owner, keeper or employee thereof or any other person shall have in his possession any salmon, trout, togue, black bass, white perch or pickerel from the inland waters o f the State for the purpose of serving or consuming the same in any camp, house or other building used partly or wholly in lumbering operations, log driving or construction of any kind. Exception, pickerel in Washington County. Explosive, poisonous or stupefying substance. Prohibited in taking fish. Fish spawn, grapnel, spear, trawl, weir, gaff, seine, gill net, trap and set lines, prohibited. It shall be unlawful for any person to use or have in possession a gill net on any o f the inland waters in the State. Smelts, above tide waters may be taken with a dip net except waters prohibited by rule and regulation of the Commissioner. No person shall take, kill, catch, or have in possession more than 4 quarts o f smelts in any one day. Live bait for fishing; dealers licensed. It shall be unlawful to sell, use or have in possession, either dead or alive, for use as bait for fishing in the inland waters o f this State any pickerel, goldfish, yellow perch, white perch, bass, sunfish, crappie, hornpout, carp or any spiny-finned fish. It shall be lawful to take minnows usually used as bait for fishing, other than the above named species, for fishing in all the inland waters of the State during the period that such waters are open for fishing, as bait for fishing only in this State, except that the commis­ sioner may grant permits to take minnows for bait purposes from certain waters at any time. All persons dealing in live bait shall be licensed to do so by the commissioner, and the fee therefor shall be $10.00 for each calendar year. The license shall authorize the person holding the same to use the ordinary commercial type minnow seine not to exceed 8 feet in depth by 150 feet in length, in the taking of minnows and other unprotected fish commonly used for bait purposes. 4 Persons having a bait dealer’s license under this section may take smelts in accordance with section 2558, and a licensed bait dealer may possess more than 4 quarts of bait at any time providing the taking was legal. No live fish for use as bait for fishing within this State shall be imported from without the State. Hellgramites, transportation out o f State, prohibited. Suckers, eels, hornpout, alewives and yellow perch may be taken for market by permit. Spearing of suckers, is lawful in brooks and streams which are open to fishing between April 15 and May 30. Eels, trappers may procure permit to take 20 pounds. Fishing Licenses: Complimentary fishing license to Residents over 70 years of age. Resident Non-Resident (16 years old) $3.75 (16 yrs. old and over) 9.75 Combination 6.75 Non-Resident 3-Day 4.50 15-Day 6.75 Non-Resident (between 7-Day 5.25 10-16 yrs.) $4.25 3-Day 4.50 Resident may exchange 3-day license he has purchased for season license on payment of Clerk’s fee. The 3-day license is for 3 consecutive days only. This license can­ not be exchanged for any non-resident license, but may be exchanged by a resident for fishing license only, not for a hunting or combina­ tion. Resident must procure license in municipality of residence.