Definitions and restrictions

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 all fishing is prohibited in the area specified. (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. (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) An individual may use, at one time, tip-ups, bobbers or floats, similar devices or hand-held 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. (v) “Leadcore line” means a fishing line constructed with a metal core. (w) “Minimum length” means the smallest total length of a species or species group that may be legally possessed, measured from the tip of the snout to the end of the tail. No person shall possess any fish less than the lengths specified and any fish less than the minimum length shall, without avoidable injury, be immediately returned to the water from which taken. (x) “Possession limit” means the total number of fish of any species or species group that may be legally possessed by one person, either on the person, on the waters of the inland district, or the shores of such waters, or in any type of vehicle. Possession limit in the field shall not exceed the daily creel limit. Any fish in possession shall be intact to the extent that neither the heads nor the tails have been removed but gills and viscera may be removed. Possession limit shall not be construed to restrict the number of legally acquired fish that may be kept in storage in the home or in other storage facilities. (y) “Scoop net” or “scap net” means a net attached to a handle which, for the purpose of this regulation, shall be not over thirty-six inches across the widest point of the single hoop or have a mesh bag more than thirty-six inches in depth at its deepest point. 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. (z) “Set line” means a line with one or both ends secured to the shore or to a fixed or buoyant object in the water which is used for fishing and is not personally attended. Set lines shall not be used in the inland district. (aa) “Snagging” or “snatching” means the taking of fish by foul hooking, that is, hooking fish in any part of the body other than inside the mouth. Snagging or snatching is prohibited in all waters in the inland district for all species of fish and any fish so taken shall be released immediately, except, in streams open to fishing throughout the year, as provided in section 26-112-44 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies, menhaden, alewives and blueback (glut) herring may be taken by snagging or snatching. (bb) “Spearing” means the use of any pointed instrument, with or without barbs, which is propelled by hand. The use of spears is prohibited in lakes and ponds and in streams, or sections of streams, stocked with trout and salmon. Spears may be used only for taking carp, bowfin, tench, suckers, eels and sea lampreys. In the inland district, fish shall not be taken by underwater spear fishing and the use of any type of spear gun in fishing is prohibited. (cc) “Strike indicator” means a brightly colored, highly visible tab, sleeve or bead or similar material used in fly fishing. Such devices may be attached to the line or leader when used in areas restricted to fly fishing only. (dd) “Take” or “taking” means killing, capturing or otherwise rendering into possession, any fish or bait species, or attempting to kill, capture or render into possession, or assisting in taking or attempting to take any fish or bait species. (ee) “Bubble float” means a type of float that is attached to a fishing line or leader and can be filled with water to adjust its buoyancy. (ff) “Maximum length” means the largest total length of a species or species group that may be legally possessed, measured from the tip of the snout to the end of the tail. No person shall possess any fish greater than the lengths specified and any fish greater than the maximum length shall, without avoidable injury, be immediately returned to the water from which taken. (gg) “Tenkara fishing” is a traditional form of sport fishing and means angling with the use of a tenkara rod, tenkara line and a fly or flies, without the use of a reel of any type.