§320. Methods of taking freshwater or saltwater fish

A.(1) Freshwater and saltwater recreational fish may be taken by means of rod, fishing pole, hook and line, trolling line, handline, bait casting, fly casting apparatus, crawfish nets, by use of devices known as yo-yos or trigger devices, bow and arrow, recreational hoop nets, recreational wire nets, recreational slat traps, standard spearing equipment used by a skin diver sport fishing in saltwater or freshwater when submerged in the water, recreational pipes, recreational buckets, recreational drums, recreational tires, and recreational cans, and by no other means except a barbless spear or a multi-pronged barbed gig that may be used in saltwater for taking flounder. Recreational wire nets and recreational hoop nets authorized for use under the provisions of this Section shall be used only in the geographical areas of the state designated as freshwater under the provisions of R.S. 56:322.

(2) However, skin divers fishing for recreational purposes in fresh water, when submerged in the water and using standard spearing equipment, or any person using a bow and arrow, or any person using or possessing nets or traps, including recreational hoop nets, recreational slat traps, recreational pipes, recreational buckets, recreational drums, recreational tires, and recreational cans, may not take or possess any game fish as defined in R.S. 56:8 except red drum may be taken using a bow and arrow or by skin divers using standard spearing equipment fishing for recreational purposes while submerged in water.

(3) However, notwithstanding Paragraphs (1) and (2) of this Subsection, and any other provision of law to the contrary, bream of any species may be taken when fishing for sport in freshwater by using a minnow trap that does not exceed twenty-four inches in length and having a throat no larger than one inch by three inches for noncommercial bait purposes in any lake not wholly contained within this state which is in excess of one hundred thousand surface acres.

(4) Repealed by Acts 1999, No. 5, §2.

(5) Repealed by Acts 2006, No. 111, §1.

B.(1) Commercial finfish may be taken with pole, line, the device known as a yo-yo, the device known as a trigger device, handline, with any trotline wherein hooks are not less than twenty-four inches apart, approved slat traps, cans and minnow traps, with legal seines and nets, with bows and arrows, or by any skin diver in salt water or fresh water, when submerged in water and using standard spearing equipment, and by no other means except as provided in Subsection C of this Section. In the saltwater areas of the state as defined in R.S. 56:322(A) and (B), commercial finfish may be taken by means of rod and reel. However, eel may be taken for commercial purposes using eel pots and other legal gear as provided herein. Violation of this Paragraph constitutes a class three violation.

(2) Repealed by Acts 1995, No. 543, §3.

(3) Crabs or stone crabs may be taken with any legal crab trap, crab dropnet, trawl, skimmer net, butterfly net, hoop net, trotline, handline, bushline, dip net, or cast net. A dredge shall not be used for the intentional taking of crabs. Crab traps located in areas north of the northern bank of the Intracoastal Waterway and west of Louisiana Highway 70 and those areas located on the eastern side of the Mississippi River and inland from the saltwater line are not required to be marked with a float and float line, unless the trap is placed in a lake.

C.(1) No person shall take or possess fish taken by means of spears, poisons, stupefying substances or devices, explosives, guns, tree-topping devices, lead nets, except as provided in R.S. 56:329(B), electricity, or any instrument or device capable of producing an electric current used in shocking said fish; except a barbless spear or a multi-pronged barbed gig that may be used in salt water for taking flounder. No person shall take or possess game fish taken by means of snagging devices, not including bow and arrow. Catfish may be taken by means of snagging devices. Garfish may be taken by means of spears and bows and arrows. It shall be unlawful to possess any of the prohibited instruments, weapons, substances, or devices set out hereinabove with the intent to take fish in violation of the provisions of this Section.

(2) No person shall use or deploy within the state territorial waters bandit gear or longline gear. A person may possess bandit gear or longline gear aboard a vessel within state territorial waters so long as such gear is not in use or deployed to take fish. No person shall possess fish taken within the state territorial waters using bandit gear or longline gear.

D. The commission may provide by rule or regulation that no seines or gill nets authorized for use in taking fish from the waters of the state of Louisiana shall be left unattended, except as otherwise provided by this Title.

E. The commission may provide by rule and regulation for the taking of game fish with scuba gear, consistent with and in addition to other provisions of law as provided in this Section.

F. Each gill net or trammel net used to take freshwater commercial fish shall be marked with two waterproof tags with the name and license number of the fisherman legibly printed thereon, such tags to be placed at each end of the net. The secretary shall promulgate and adopt rules and regulations to establish a marking system for nets used in freshwater areas of the state sufficient to enable the department's agents to clearly identify unattended nets, as defined in R.S. 56:8, including the name and license number of the owner of such nets, and sufficient to enforce all laws relative to such nets. Violation of this Subsection constitutes a class three violation.

G. It shall be unlawful for any person to use or employ any aircraft including fixed wing aircraft, dirigibles, balloons, helicopters, or any other form of aerial surveillance in the airspace of this state to assist in the taking of finfish except in the fisheries of menhaden and herring-like fish as defined in Title 76, Section 311 of the Louisiana Administrative Code. Any aircraft, boat, or vessel and equipment utilized in the taking of finfish and any fish taken or possessed, except in the fisheries of menhaden and other herring-like fish, contrary to the provisions of this Subsection shall be subject to confiscation. Violation of this Subsection constitutes a class 5-A violation.

H. Violations of Subsection C of this Section and the taking of freshwater and saltwater gamefish by illegal methods shall constitute a class four violation.

I.(1) It shall be unlawful for any person to knowingly and intentionally use or employ any net to encircle a vessel or to otherwise knowingly and intentionally use or employ any vessel or fishing gear to interfere with the lawful fishing of another.

(2) It shall be unlawful for any person to knowingly and intentionally use or employ any vessel or recreational gear to interfere with the lawful commercial fishing of another.

(3) A violation of the provisions of this Subsection shall constitute a class two violation, R.S. 56:32.

Acts 1974, No. 36, §1; Acts 1974, No. 223, §1. Amended by Acts 1976, No. 79, §1; Acts 1979, No. 278, §1; Acts 1979, No. 547, §1; Acts 1982, No 318, §1; Acts 1984, No. 323, §1; Acts 1984, No. 516, §1; Acts 1984, No. 706, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986; Acts 1986, No. 114, §1; Acts 1986, No. 904, §3; Acts 1988, No. 711, §1; Acts 1988, No. 36, §1; Acts 1990, No. 372, §1, eff. July 10, 1990; Acts 1990, No. 545, §1; Acts 1990, No. 794, §1; Acts 1991, No. 270, §1; Acts 1991, No. 698, §1; Acts 1991, No. 859, §1; Acts 1991, No. 886, §1; Acts 1992, No. 50, §1; Acts 1992, No. 52, §1; Acts 1992, No. 528, §1, eff. June 29, 1992; Acts 1993, No. 62, §1; Acts 1995, No. 362, §1; Acts 1995, No. 543, §§2, 3; Acts 1995, No. 956, §1; Acts 1995, No. 1316, §2; Acts 1997, No. 1181, §1; Acts 1999, No. 5, §§1, 2; Acts 1999, No. 1170, §1; Acts 2001, No. 30, §1, eff. May 24, 2001; Acts 2001, No. 149, §1; Acts 2004, No. 240, §1; Acts 2004, No. 460, §1; Acts 2004, No. 825, §1; Acts 2005, No. 371, §1; Acts 2006, No. 111, §1; Acts 2007, No. 296, §1; Acts 2008, No. 23, §1, eff. July 1, 2008; Acts 2008, No. 220, §12, eff. June 14, 2008; Acts 2010, No. 223, §1; Acts 2010, No. 746, §1.