# LEGAL night fishing



## texasfisherman

do you guys know any areas around toledo that allow fishing after dark or do i pretty much jus have to go to a private property place to do that? i would love to do some LEGAL night fishing sometime and what i mean by legal is just that. the other night my friends and i were at the maumee by sidecut park after dark and we got surrounded by 3 maumee police cars almost drawing guns thinking we were up to no good. im willing to drive up to an hour and a half also. i heard that findlay is good at night but again, is it legal to be there after dark?


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## ship wreck

there are alot af places on the lake. I go to dempsy pier, and the bay veiw bridge. I think magee marsh would be a close one for you. I dont know much about the toledo area


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## texasfisherman

what about a place thats ok with drinking? or at least doesnt mind it and will look the other way? i like to do it like "brad paisley" when i fish by catching all the fish and drinking all the beer.


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## Bassthumb

I think you can fish the maumee at night.....just not in a park which closes at dark. drinking and fishing would be illegal due to open container I believe. But that doesnt seem to stop the beer can trash I see at nearly every public fishing venue.


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## AtticaFish

The way I see it, if there aren't any signs posted about "when you can be on the property" like state parks do, I'd say you should be allowed to fish! I fish the reservoir at my little 1 stoplight town for crappie. The cop (yep, just 1) on duty drives by no less than 3 or 4 times each night I am there. Usually 1 of the times he will pull up to the res. and run his spotlight around the lake till he finds me. And I don't know how many times I have seen him park behind my car for 2 or 3 minutes, presumably running my plates. Earlier this year my wife was woke up by a call from the county sheriff dept. at 1:30AM!! :excruciating: They wanted to know if her car had been stolen because they found it parked at the reservoir......... Needless to say, shortly after that, *I *got a phone call and was done fishin' for the night... *she *wasn't happy. lol

I fish at night pretty often but I'm an 1.5 hours from "T" town so can't help with locations. I do see many drinkers and pot smokers at bellevue #5 after dark, some even light camp fires, but it's out in the middle of nowhere!


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## dinkbuster1

there should not even be a question about "where is it legal", it should be just as "legal" as Day fishing, or at least it was! as the years go by i notice more and more rules against us "night people". it seems those that make up these rules think fishing is only a "daytime" sport and that everyone has the same schedules.


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## ress

Fish what-ever time you want at Findlay res. Take a light,, it gets real dark out there.


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## texasfisherman

yeah it sux that there seems to be so many rules and regulations to "night people" fishing nowadays. i guess all the high schoolers, fraternities and sororities ruined it for everyone. They always approach you almost drawing guns, mag light in the face yelling what are u doing. like im doing a late night gang initiation at Findlay res. or something.


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## texasfisherman

so if i fish in a res that has no signs posted up about their rules, does this mean that i can technically fish there at night? what about drinking, if there's nothing posted about not drinking, can i technically drink a six pack in peace?


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## M.Magis

texasfisherman said:


> so if i fish in a res that has no signs posted up about their rules, does this mean that i can technically fish there at night? what about drinking, if there's nothing posted about not drinking, can i technically drink a six pack in peace?


Not necessarily, and no.


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## Shortdrift

If you want to fish, then fish. If you want to drink, then stay home or somewhere else with your friends that think along those same line and can or will get an area closed down as so many others have done in the past.


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## the toothy critter

Try Cataba state park this spot can real produce at times and no more than a 45 min drive.!%


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## yonderfishin

texasfisherman said:


> what about a place thats ok with drinking? or at least doesnt mind it and will look the other way? i like to do it like "brad paisley" when i fish by catching all the fish and drinking all the beer.


At night , all you have to do is be out of sight if drinking and dont advertise the fact that you are drinking. From time to time I take a beer or two with me when fishing at the reservoir at night and Ive never had any problems. Just go down the bank a ways where nobody can see ya , and dont do crazy stuff that may attract attention , and take the trash with you when you leave and nobody will say a word.


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## peple of the perch

yonderfishin said:


> At night , all you have to do is be out of sight if drinking and dont advertise the fact that you are drinking.


Great advice:Banane40::bad::bulgy-eyes:

I agree with Shortdrift, Why even fish if you are going to use is as an excuse to drink. From the sound of it you guys will drink till your smashed and there probably isn't going to be a designated driver. But at least your looking for advice to be legal, which is a good thing.


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## texasfisherman

Shortdrift said:


> If you want to fish, then fish. If you want to drink, then stay home or somewhere else with your friends that think along those same line and can or will get an area closed down as so many others have done in the past.


why would i have to make a choice? i love both plus most fishermen do both as i always see them doing it. at least im trying to be honest about it and trying to find out if its legal to do it. thats why im asking.


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## texasfisherman

yonderfishin said:


> At night , all you have to do is be out of sight if drinking and dont advertise the fact that you are drinking. From time to time I take a beer or two with me when fishing at the reservoir at night and Ive never had any problems. Just go down the bank a ways where nobody can see ya , and dont do crazy stuff that may attract attention , and take the trash with you when you leave and nobody will say a word.


thanks man, thats what i was looking for. i wasnt expecting people to blow up over a simple question but i guess i understand since i always see beer cans at the res's.


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## hiddenlake

LMAO !!!!!!!!

Drink up Texas !!!!!%


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## yonderfishin

peple of the perch said:


> Great advice:Banane40::bad::bulgy-eyes:
> 
> I agree with Shortdrift, Why even fish if you are going to use is as an excuse to drink. From the sound of it you guys will drink till your smashed and there probably isn't going to be a designated driver. But at least your looking for advice to be legal, which is a good thing.


Well, too many people confuse drinking with getting drunk....there is a difference. I assume that those asking about it know the difference and will be responsible with it. Having a couple beers with ya when fishing can be very enjoyable in moderation plus helping to pass the time waiting for fish to bite , and if you are going to be out there 4 or 5 hours you have sufficient time to get over the effects of the drink before leaving. But again , I am talking moderation, and being responsible about it ....not getting drunk. And I am not advocating drinking while in a boat. If you havent ever sat out at night fishing while enjoying a beer then you are missing out on something really enjoyable


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## JJSTREETS




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## phisherman

All public bodies of water can be fished at night.

Problem: Accesses are what close at night.

For example: Maumee River, I can fish that place 24 hours a day from a watercraft, and drink as well.

The moment I throw anchor in sidecut (after hours), I am breaking the law. 

Do you get what I am saying... The resource is legal to be on at night, accessing the resource (after hours) is where the difficulty lies. Think outside the box and you can figure out ways.

I would start with the DNR's website.


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## yonderfishin

Where is there a place on the maumee that you can fish from the bank at night ?


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## texasfisherman

thats what i was going to ask? what spot on the bank that isnt sidecut are you allowed to fish and i have an inflatable raft so if i find a way to _not_ anchor in sidecut, i can do both fish at night _and_ drink?


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## yonderfishin

Its a little confusing around here. When I lived in Florida and Georgia there was always rivers, beach, or a mixture of the two where you could go out any time of day or night sit yourself down and fish as long as you want and in many cases it isnt even always necessary to know who owns the property , as funny and foreign as it may seem to people up here. Yep, its definately a little different here than it is in most of the southern states.


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## acklac7

yonderfishin said:


> Its a little confusing around here. When I lived in Florida and Georgia there was always rivers, beach, or a mixture of the two where you could go out any time of day or night sit yourself down and fish as long as you want and in many cases it isnt even always necessary to know who owns the property , as funny and foreign as it may seem to people up here. Yep, its definately a little different here than it is in most of the southern states.


I had the exact opposite experience. Not sure where you were at in Florida (or rather _when_ you were there) but on the SW Gulf Coast 95% of the beaches close at 10:00pm and don't open back up until 9am. If you are caught fishing on a beach when it's "closed" you're treated like a criminal unless you are over 50...Despite all the great fishing I really couldn't stand that place


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## yonderfishin

acklac7 said:


> I had the exact opposite experience. Not sure where you were at in Florida (or rather _when_ you were there) but on the SW Gulf Coast 95% of the beaches close at 10:00pm and don't open back up until 9am. If you are caught fishing on a beach when it's "closed" you're treated like a criminal unless you are over 50...Despite all the great fishing I really couldn't stand that place


That area would be one of the exceptions. Mid and south Florida , especially around bigger cities and tourist destinations have a much higher population , and more retired types from somewhere up here , so there are a lot more restrictions on things. I was in Jacksonville ( northeast Fla. ) and surrounding towns , then lived in south Georgia. With a few exceptions , from Jacksonville north all the way up into Ga. the beaches are open all the time and as far as I know they are state property and not privately owned. Sure some places there do have heavy rules and restrictions but there is so many that have almost none. Or if they do , there is usually never anybody around to care. I am sure the times are changing things of course , even in the areas I am mentioning but traditionally its been pretty open.


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## ress

It used to be common to see trucks and cars lined up along the rivers around here at dark in the 60's - 70's. Then crime happend and litter started to be a problem, SO,, things change.


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