Is Dropshoting Legal In Michigan?

[plumworm]

I understand that in the last Bassmaster tourney in Michigan that a lot of boats ran to other states and Canadian waters, however some of the fisherman stayed in Michigan including KVD and fished the dropshot. Is it legal or not? I'm heading up to the U.P. for a week of smallie fishing and would love to fish a dropshot. Thanks for any answers. 

[The Young Gun]

I don't have a answer but this really intrigues me.. I don't see why it wouldn't be legal in Michigan though.

[moguy1973]

Not sure why it wouldn't be legal.  I think a lot of people ran to Erie because that's where the bigger fish were...

[bigfishbk86]

lol, yes, drop shots are legal in all 50 states

[Sam]

A drop shot is legal and you should not have any problems using it.

 

As for multiple hook presentations I would suggest checking to find out if the Alabama rig and other multi-hook presentations are legal in Michigan.

[nowicki2005]

Yes a drop shot is basically a perch rig if you need validation.

[wnybassman]

Isn't there some kind of law in Michigan where the hook can only be so far from the mail line?   A traditional dropshot rig with the hook tied to the main line is OK, but if you dangle your hook several inches away (such as a three way rig maybe?) that is where the problem lies.   I remember hearing something about this a couple years ago.

[IneedAnewScreenName-3261]

Upon its conception..... Yes dropshotting was illegal in Michigan beleive it or not. If I remember correctly, just like wnybass said, you had to have atleast 3 or 4 inches I belive of leader off your main line in order to be legal. Since salmon fishing is so popular here, this regulation was originally made to prevent people from tying directly to your main line withouth the use of a 3way swivel to make "snagging" salmon easier when they are running in the fall. However, within a year of dropshotting becoming popular the law was changed. I am not sure the regulations with the leader length in terms of salmon anymore, because I am almost exclusively a bass fisherman but they probably still exsist.

 

If dropshotting was illegal here, I would probably be awaiting verdict on my death sentence trial. Year in and year out I catch more fish and more big fish dropshotting than probably any other technique. If you are on St. Claire, Erie, Michigan Huron, the vast majority of the inland lakes, the dropshot is a must.

[tholmes]

From the Michigan DNR website, it is illegal to:

• Fish on a river, stream or drowned river mouth (See Note 3, Great Lakes Trout & Salmon Regulations) using a weight suspended below any hook unless the hook is on a dropper line (a leader) that is at least 3″ long.

 

Tom

[moguy1973]

Huh...Those silly Michigan people...The traditional drop shot is in fact illegal...You have to have the hook on a short leader in order to be legal.

 

Also, looking through the regs, you can't have a weight suspended below a treble hook.  People here use that technique on rivers for catching catfish all the time.  Big weight on bottom, triple swivel  up a foot or so, and a treble with a big hunk of chicken liver or whatever on it at the end of a leader off the swivel.

[wnybassman]

I had it backwards.  I knew it was something to do with a short leader at the hook though.

[IneedAnewScreenName-3261]

it's true, we are silly Michigan people. Only in Michigan can you not dropshot or fish half the year because of fishing "season" and oh yeah the blizzards. Just kidding, it's legal and Michigan is a very underated fishing state. After all we did produce the best fisherman of all time you konw.

[SDoolittle]

After all we did produce the best fisherman of all time you konw.

I'm not from Michigan.

[MichiganFishing1997]

I'm not from Michigan.

Bu I am

[Cgrinder]

We also can't have more than two hooks on a line. Watch your A rigs.

[ChrisAW]

The dropshot is LEGAL in the Great Lakes and ALL inland lakes. It is not legal in streams or rivers, or these drowned river mouths. 

 

*Drowned river mouth lakes listed by county: Allegan: Kalamazoo River and Silver Lake; Benzie: Betsie Lake; Manistee: Arcadia Lake, Manistee Lake, and Portage Lake; Mason: Pere Marquette Lake; Muskegon: Duck Lake, Mona Lake, Muskegon Lake, and White Lake; Oceana: Pentwater Lake, Silver Lake, and Stony Creek; Ottawa: Macatawa Lake and Pigeon Lake.

 

We also can't have more than two hooks on a line. Watch your A rigs.

 

Wrong.

 

"Hook and Line Fishing: Fish so taken must be hooked in the mouth. Fish not hooked in the mouth must be returned to the water immediately. No more than three lines per person (including tip-ups) nor more than six hooks or lures may be used. All hooks attached to an artificial bait or "night crawler harness" are counted as one hook. Hooks must be baited or attached to an artificial bait. You may use any number of hooks on one line for taking smelt in recognized smelt waters. Tip-ups and similar devices used for ice fishing must show the angler's name and address. All lines must be under immediate control. Hook size regulations exist on certain streams (see Exceptions to General Regulations by County, p. 16-18). "

 

The law in the past used to state no more than 2 hooks per line. But that is not how its stated anymore, and MDNR has made it clear than up to 6 lure rigs are legal to fish in MI.

[Bass Slayer 72]

I thought it was partly what species of fish you were after, like a perch rig is ok, but a trout line would be illegal.

[RoLo]

I wouldn't mess with the Dropshot Police, most are ex-Marines and SWAT team rejects  

 

 

[J Francho]

We have Great Lakes Tribs rules in NY as well.  It's to prevent lifting, snagging, snatching, etc, - basically foul hooking of trout and salmon.  The special regulations are only in effect during certain times of the year (winter) and start at the 1st bridge from the mouth of the tributary, unless otherwise specified.  There's rarely any bass when and where these take effect, so it's only applicable to trout fisherman.