thanks for all your help so far. I now understand 'chumming' but here's some questions?
What happens if I do put put bait out? Who says what and what happens?
I presume that if I'm not fishing, I could visit jackson lake and accidentally fall over with 5kg of sweetcorn in my hands? What happens then?
Is PVA really not an option?
Help..........please I need a Jackson Carp and leave in 3 weeks today ;0)
I just read this and thought it was worthy of discussion.
From the Regs:
CHUMMING is placing fish, parts
of fish or other feeding material
in the waters for the purpose of
attracting fish to a particular area
in order that they might be taken.
This does not include fishing with
baited hooks or live traps.
At first glance, "in order that they might be taken" could be interpreted by the uninformed angler in a couple ways. Catch and release may not be viewed as "taking" fish since they are being released back into the water.
Upon further reading however, the angler will find the definition in the regs of fishing and catch and release are as follows:
FISHING is defined as efforts to
take fish, amphibians or crusta- ceans,
including by hook and line,
handline, trotline, jug, seine, net,
underwater spearfishing, archery,
snagging or gigging.
CATCH AND RELEASE — Any fish released upon
catch must be released alive and into the same
body of water from which it was
taken
It could be argued that one could visit a body of water and "spill corn" and not break the regs. The individual would have to argue the intent was not to "take fish." It would be the person's own moral compass that they'd have to answer to if they were deceitful with their true intent.
I haven't found anything in the regs that says you can't feed the fish and it appears chumming relies on the intent of the individual. It doesn't appear that attracting fish by tossing in sweet corn would in itself be illegal.
I am NOT condoning chumming the night before and going back later. The "intent" one day doesn't mean you can change you mind the next and say, "Well last night when I threw out sweet corn I wasn't planning on fishing but tonight I think I'll change my mind and fish that spot."
Now I feel I'm rambling... 14 hours of endless excel spreadsheets and financial data will make you go nuts!
Moral of the story, don't chum and don't be that guy that changes his "intent" the day after throwing food to the fishies!