Connecticut Administrative Code › Title 26 - Fisheries and Game › 112 - Sport Fishing in the Inland District › Section 26-112-43 - Definitions and restrictions

Current through July 10, 2024
As used in sections 26-112-21 to 26-112-48, inclusive, of the
				Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies:
(a) "Angling" means fishing with hook and
			 line which shall be personally attended, but shall not include ice fishing or
			 snagging or snatching. Not more than three lines, with or without rods, may be
			 used at one time except in Trout Management Areas, Wild Trout Management Areas,
			 Trout Parks, Sea-run Trout Streams and Trophy Trout Streams, as listed in
			 section 26-112-46 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies, where no
			 more than two lines may be used at one time. Each line may have any combination
			 of hooks, flies or lures, among which not more than three hooks may be
			 baited.
(b) "Bait" means any
			 animal, bait species as defined in section 26-112-45(d)  of the Regulations of
			 Connecticut State Agencies, fish eggs, insect or vegetable, or parts thereof,
			 living or dead, except for certain nuisance aquatic invertebrates as provided
			 for in section 26-55-5 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies, used
			 with a hook for the purpose of attracting and catching fish. Any fish legally
			 acquired, except black bass (largemouth and smallmouth), chain pickerel,
			 northern pike, trout, salmon, carp and goldfish may be used as bait, except as
			 provided in section 26-112-48(b)  of the Regulations of Connecticut State
			 Agencies.
(c) "Bait fishing" means
			 taking or attempting to take bait species, for personal use as bait or food, by
			 use of a bait seine, bait trap, umbrella net, scoop net or by hand.
(d) "Bait seine" means a seine or net which,
			 for the purpose of this regulation, does not exceed fifteen feet in length and
			 four feet in depth and is used for the taking of bait species.
(e) "Bait trap" means a glass, wire or wooden
			 device which does not exceed twenty inches in length and fifteen inches in
			 diameter and is used for the taking of bait species.
(f) "Barbless hook" or "barbless fishhook"
			 means a curved, pointed device, without a barb, used to catch fish and includes
			 single, double or treble hooks provided each point is without a barb and hooks
			 manufactured with a barb if the barb has been bent down to the hook, broken off
			 or otherwise made ineffective.
(g)
			 "Bobbing" means fishing with a ball or mass of worms or other bait attached to
			 a line held in the hand or a line attached to a rod held in the hand to which
			 no hooks are attached.
(h) "Bow and
			 arrow fishing" means fishing by use of a compound bow, longbow, recurved bow or
			 crossbow by which an arrow is propelled. Arrows shall have barbed heads and be
			 attached to the bow, or to a fishing reel attached to the bow. Any fish taken
			 by bow and arrow shall be part of the possession limit of the individual taking
			 such fish and shall not be released to the waters where taken.
(i) "Children's stream" and "children's pond"
			 means waters that are set aside in whole or in part as children's fishing areas
			 when such restriction is indicated by posters. Angling in such areas is
			 restricted to children under sixteen years of age.
(j) "Closed season" means that period of time
			 during which fishing for any species of fish, except for trout, is prohibited
			 .
(k) "Daily creel limit" means the
			 quantity or number of fish of a species or species group that can be taken by
			 an individual during the period from 12:01 a.m. to midnight. In the inland
			 district an individual that has attained their daily creel limit of fish for a
			 species or species group may continue fishing for said fish provided all fish
			 so taken are immediately returned, without avoidable injury, to the waters from
			 which taken.
(l) "Persons with
			 Disabilities Fishing Area" means an area set aside for the exclusive use by
			 persons with physical disabilities when such restriction is indicated by
			 posters.
(m) "Downrigger" means a
			 device, supplemental to a fishing line, used to deploy, via an electric or
			 handpowered winch, reel or spool that projects over the side or stern of a boat
			 and is used as a hoist, main line and terminal weight, one or more fishing
			 lines to a desired depth in the water column.
(n) "Gaff" means a spear or hook, with or
			 without a handle, used for holding or lifting fish. The use of a gaff to land
			 or assist in landing a fish is prohibited in the inland district.
(o) "Hook" or "fishhook" means a curved,
			 pointed device, with or without barb, used to catch fish. Hooks may be single,
			 double or treble and each point shall be considered as a single hook.
(p) "Fishing" or "sport fishing" means taking
			 or attempting to take fish in the inland district, except for commercial
			 purposes, and is restricted to angling, bow and arrow fishing, bobbing, ice
			 fishing, snagging or snatching, spearing, scoop netting, and taking or
			 attempting to take fish by hand.
(q) "Float" or "bobber" means any buoyant
			 object attached to a fishing line. No such float shall be used unless the line
			 is personally attended.
(r) "Fly"
			 means a single or double hook dressed with hair, feathers, tinsel, thread, yarn
			 or similar material to which no bait, spinner, spoon, plug or other device is
			 added.
(s) "Fly fishing" means
			 angling with the use of a fly reel, fly rod, fly line, leader and a fly or
			 flies, except that Tenkara fishing shall also be considered fly fishing.
			 Additional weight may be built into the fly in its construction, as in a
			 weighted nymph, and additional weight may be attached to the leader. The use of
			 strike indicators, as defined in this section, is permitted.
(t) "Hand-held jig" means a rod, jig stick or
			 line held in the hand, used for fishing through the ice.
(u) "Ice fishing" means fishing through the
			 ice with tip-ups, bobbers or floats, similar devices or hand-held jigs. The
			 following restrictions shall apply to ice fishing:
(1) Except as provided in section
			 26-112-46(d)  of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies, an individual
			 may use, at one time, tip-ups, bobbers or floats, similar devices or handheld
			 jigs in any combination thereof, not exceeding six in the aggregate.
(2) Each line shall be restricted to not more
			 than three baited hooks, with or without attractors, or three ice flies or
			 three artificial lures or any combination thereof, not exceeding three in the
			 aggregate.
(3) All tip-ups, bobbers
			 or floats or similar devices shall have the name and address of the person
			 using the same legibly printed thereon or attached thereto.
(4) No tip-ups, bobbers or floats or similar
			 devices shall be used unless they are personally attended.