I kept seeing dudes gill netting near the #25 day-marker in Essex, so I called the TIP line to report this.

The officer said that they may be gill netting for shad, and that this was acceptable.

I cannot find this anywhere in the regs, i've looked and looked. For American Shad, it says Angling, and for Hickory Shad, it says Angling, Ice Fishing and Scoop Net.


Would somebody please educate me on the whereabouts of the legality of gill nets north of the Baldwin Bridge on the CTR, as well as what species I can take?


Thanks!,

Nate

It could also be the USFW service netting shad. This is the time of year they survey down there. The DEEP also runs nets for sturgeon a little bit later in the season

If they have a commercial license and are in compliance with the regulation then they were legal.

26-142a - Commercial Fishing in the Inland and Marine Districts
26-142a-1.Inland commercial species
Subject to the provisions of section 26-142a-3a to section 26-142a-7a, inclusive, of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies, only the following species may be taken for commercial purposes in those areas of the inland district described in section 26-142a-2 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies:
(a) Carp (Cyprinus carpio)
(b) Common sucker (Catostomus commersonii)
(c) American eel (Anguilla rostrata)
(d) Sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus)
(e) Atlantic tomcod or "frostfish" (Microgadus tomcod)
(f) Hickory shad (Alosa mediocris)
(g) American shad (Alosa sapidissima)
(j) White perch (Morone americana)
(k) Yellow perch (Perca flavescens)
(l) Catfish species (Ictalurus spp.)
(m) Bait species. The following species of minnows and other bait species only may be taken commercially for sale as bait:
(1) golden shiner or "pond shiner" (Notemigonus crysoleucas);
(2) common shiner (Luxilus cornutus);
(3) fallfish (Semotilus corporalis);
(4) creek chub (Semotilus atromaculatus);
(5) spottail shiner or "river bait" (Notropis hudsonius);
(6) bridle shiner (Notropis bifrenatus);
(7) blacknose dace (Rhinichthys atratulus);
(8) longnose dace (Rhinichthys cataractae);
(9) pearl dace (Margariscus margarita);
(10) bluntnose minnow (Pimephales notatus);
(11) fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas);
(12) cutlips minnow (Exoglossum maxillingua);
(13) chub sucker (Erimyzon oblongus);
(14) banded killifish (Fundulus diaphanus);
(15) mummichug (Fundulus heteroclitus);
(16) striped killifish (Fundulus majalis);
(17) tidewater silverside (Menidia beryllina);
(18) Atlantic silverside (Menidia menidia);
(19) bay anchovy (Anchoa mitchilli);
(20) sheepshead minnow (Cyprinodon variegatus);
(21) mullet species (Mugil spp.);
(22) frogs (except northern leopard frog, Rana pipiens);
(23) perch bugs;
(24) helgramites;
(25) mayfly nymphs;
(26) other aquatic insects;
(27) crayfish;
(28) shrimp (families Crangonidae, Palaemonidae, and Penaeidae).
(n) Any species of crustaceans, provided lobsters and blue crabs shall meet minimum legal size requirements and be taken by legal methods, as specified in Title 26, Chapter 490 of the Connecticut General Statutes.

26-142a-2. Locations.
In the inland district commercial fishing is permitted only in the following areas:
(a) Connecticut River system:
(1) The main body of the river from the I-95 highway bridge at Old Saybrook-Old Lyme to the Massachusetts-Connecticut state line.
(2) The coves and portions of tributaries which are subject to tidal fluctuation except the Farmington River and its coves and flood waters and the Salmon River and its coves and flood waters.
(3) The temporary or seasonal pools formed by the flood waters of the Connecticut River.
(4) That portion of the Hockanum River lying within the boundaries of the township of East Hartford.
(5) Bait species as defined in section 26-142a-1 (n) may be taken for commercial purposes in the Hockanum River and its impoundments or portions of impoundments within the township of East Hartford.
(6) That portion of the Blackhall River which lies within the inland district and which is subject to tidal fluctuation.
(7) That portion of the Lieutenant River which lies within the inland district and which is subject to tidal fluctuations.

26-142a-6.Commercial fishing gear specifications
Commercial fishing gear shall conform to the following specifications:
(a) The bowl of pounds, trap nets and fykes shall have a mesh of not less than two inches when stretched.
(b) Seines shall have a mesh of not less than two and one-half inches when stretched, except that:
(1) seines used for taking shad shall have a mesh of not less than five inches when stretched;
(2) seines used for taking lamprey eels shall have a mesh of not less than two inches when stretched; and
(3) seines used for taking tomcod also known as "frostfish," shall have a mesh of not less than one and one-half inches when stretched and fifty feet of the center or bunt of such seine shall be not less than one and one-quarter inches when stretched.
(c) Gill nets
(1) In the inland district, gill nets shall have a mesh of not less than five inches when stretched except that nets used for taking white perch, catfish species and yellow perch shall have a mesh of not less than three and one half inches when stretched.
(2) In the marine district gill nets shall have a mesh of not less than three inches when stretched with the following exceptions:
(A) gill nets used for taking American shad shall have a mesh of not less than five inches when stretched;
(B) gill nets used for taking tomcod shall have a mesh of not less than one and one-quarter inches when stretched; and
(C) gill nets used for taking white perch, catfish species and yellow perch shall have a mesh of not less than three and one-half inches when stretched.
(3) The use of gill nets constructed of a single strand or multiple strands of material known as monofilament is prohibited for the taking of American shad from sunrise to sunset. The twine thickness of any such gill net shall be no greater than .28mm diameter (#69).
(4) All gill nets being fished under authority of a personal use gill net license issued under section 26-142a of the Connecticut General Statutes shall be personally attended by the licensee.
(d) Scap nets or scoop nets may have a mesh of any size, except that for the taking of American shad such nets shall have a mesh size of not less than five inches when stretched. Scoop or scap nets for the taking of alewives and river herring means a single hoop attached to a handle with the hoop not more than thirty-six inches across the widest point and a net with a mesh bag not more than thirty-six inches from the hoop to the end of the bag. Such net shall be constructed of flexible mesh material and shall be manually operated by a single individual. The use of any such net constructed of metal mesh or stiff plastic mesh is prohibited.
(e) Minnow seines and traps for the taking of bait species only may have a mesh of any size.
(f) Minnow traps for the taking of bait species only shall have a length of not more than thirty-six inches and a diameter of not more than eighteen inches. Such traps shall be equipped with not more than two funnels and the entrance opening shall not exceed one and one-half inches in diameter. Such traps shall not be equipped with leaders or wings.

That is the job of the CTDEEP or the Coast Guard. You could call the tip line, but those shad guys can be pretty ornery from what I understand.