Bruno Garcia of the Charente-Maritime fishing federation responds every Sunday, on France Bleu la Rochelle, to questions from fishing listeners. Charles lives in Jonzac and wonders about the use of a very specific lure during the closing of the pike: The Tanta.
France Bleu La Rochelle: Could you Bruno give us a reliable version of this practice in February-March-April?
Bruno Garcia: It’s not just you who had a problem using the Tanta during the pike close. We worked at length at the Federation on the definition of this somewhat “weird” lure. But we are not, I think, at the end of our troubles, so fertile are the manufacturers’ imaginations.
For those who do not know this lure, a small description would be welcome.
Allowed ! The Tanta is a lure that can be described as cylindrical, it is ringed with a very thin tail like a rat’s tail, a kind of teat. Neither larva nor fish and this is where the analysis becomes complicated. And yes fish imitations are prohibited during pike closure but larvae imitations are tolerated.
So the conclusion of the analysis to enlighten Charles?
You know that during the closing of the pike it is the intention of the fisherman which is taken into account. The text of the Environment Code says precisely: the non-accidental capture of pike during its closed period is reprehensible. He is nice the legislator but he does not commit too much anyway and it becomes very subjective for the guard’s assessment and supposes an analysis of the situation on a case-by-case basis.
Beware of the crime of dirty mouth anyway! It was necessary to decide anyway to have a clear point vis-à-vis your members?
Yes and we did. We did not wish to record this measure in the regulatory texts. They are already quite complex enough. We therefore decided, at first, to simply communicate orally on the use of this lure. We consider and have made sure to have a uniform statement whatever the fishing police force that the use of Tanta, beyond a length of 2 inches, could be interpreted as a lure intended for research pike and therefore sanctioned.
Two thumbs?
Two inches is 2 x 2.54 cm or 5.08 cm. The ideal lure for perch which does not benefit from a closing period.
A small precision compared to the chronicle of last Saturday, January 22
Yes, and please forgive me for forgetting. Which is not an oversight by the way since I was not aware of this measure and a listener did not forget to point it out to me this week. When you order your fishing license at the headquarters of the FD and it is sent to you by post, it will cost you an additional 5 euros. ► the fishing column of January 22