04-01-2008, 02:03 AM
Harassment of protected wildlife is strictly prohibited under state statutes. All fish (this includes non-game protected and endangered fish), except nongame fish (e.i. some carp, except glass carp) are protected wildlife. Any activity that involves the harassment of protected wildlife by any way, shape, or form is deemed illegal. An electronic lure, moving and flashing by itself under the supervision of the "operator" is harassment of wildlife. Therefore, these electronic lures would be considered a harassment to wildlife. You can use artificial light to fish, except for underwater spearfishing. For example, flashlights are legal to aid in equipment set up, not spotlighting fish. Only coyotes, red foxes, racoons, and a couple more species are allowed to be spotlighted. A permit is needed to legally do this.
Furthermore, every angler must be in control and in withing 100 feet of his equipment. An electroninc lure, moving, and flashing, and vibrating, would be considered out of the control of the angler, so it would be illegal. One more thing, an angler may not use a net, gill net, or other means of attracting or capturing protected fish. Your electronic lure would also fall under this catagory. It would be an illegal device for attracting and capturing protected fish.
These electronic lures do not work very well either. Most of them, in the states that they are legal, end up in the water, leaking their toxic battery contents into the water. They can potentially even injure a fish severly, so if you plan to release, if it were legal to fish with one, you would not be able to. Some legal ones have E-chips that supposedly work. However, no E-chip emits electricity in the same way and pattern as a living thing. It would catch anymore fish than a good old styled lure. It is just marketing, designed to catch you, not fish. Like fishing video games, and virtuall fishing games they are coming out with. Just distracting from the real sport of angling. I wouldn't waste my time and money on them.
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Furthermore, every angler must be in control and in withing 100 feet of his equipment. An electroninc lure, moving, and flashing, and vibrating, would be considered out of the control of the angler, so it would be illegal. One more thing, an angler may not use a net, gill net, or other means of attracting or capturing protected fish. Your electronic lure would also fall under this catagory. It would be an illegal device for attracting and capturing protected fish.
These electronic lures do not work very well either. Most of them, in the states that they are legal, end up in the water, leaking their toxic battery contents into the water. They can potentially even injure a fish severly, so if you plan to release, if it were legal to fish with one, you would not be able to. Some legal ones have E-chips that supposedly work. However, no E-chip emits electricity in the same way and pattern as a living thing. It would catch anymore fish than a good old styled lure. It is just marketing, designed to catch you, not fish. Like fishing video games, and virtuall fishing games they are coming out with. Just distracting from the real sport of angling. I wouldn't waste my time and money on them.
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