House File 2359 - Introduced



                                       HOUSE FILE       
                                       BY  WHITAKER


    Passed House,  Date               Passed Senate, Date             
    Vote:  Ayes        Nays           Vote:  Ayes        Nays         
                 Approved                            

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act relating to trotlines and other unattended tagged fishing
  2    lines.
  3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
  4 TLSB 5165HH 81
  5 bp/cf/24

PAG LIN



  1  1    Section 1.  Section 481A.73, Code 2005, is amended to read
  1  2 as follows:
  1  3    481A.73  TROTLINES AND TAGGED LINES.
  1  4    1.  For purposes of this section:
  1  5    a.  "Shore" means the zone of contact of a body of water
  1  6 with the land and an area within twenty=five feet of the
  1  7 water's edge, including any brushpile, snag, or tree within or
  1  8 overhanging the body of water.
  1  9    b.  "Tagged line" means any unattended line set to take
  1 10 fish, including but not limited to those lines commonly called
  1 11 tagged lines, trotlines, throwlines, bank lines, ditty lines,
  1 12 and ditty poles.
  1 13    2.  In the waters of the state open to their use, a person
  1 14 shall not use more than five tagged lines set to take fish
  1 15 such as trotlines or throw lines.  Such tagged lines shall not
  1 16 have in the aggregate more than fifteen hooks.  Each separate
  1 17 line when in use shall have attached a tag plainly labeled
  1 18 with the owner's name and address, shall be checked at least
  1 19 once each twenty=four hours, and a person shall not use tagged
  1 20 lines in a stocked lake or within three hundred feet of a dam
  1 21 or spillway or in a stream or portion of stream, which is
  1 22 closed or posted against the use of such tackle.  One end of
  1 23 such lines shall be set from the shore and be visible above
  1 24 the shore waterline, but and no such line shall be set
  1 25 entirely across a stream or body of water.
  1 26    3.  Any An untagged or unlawful lines when found in use
  1 27 shall line may be confiscated by any officer appointed by the
  1 28 director.  A confiscated line shall be promptly returned to
  1 29 the owner, if one can be ascertained from the tag, upon a
  1 30 finding that the owner did not violate this section.
  1 31    Sec. 2.  Section 805.8B, subsection 3, paragraph j, Code
  1 32 2005, is amended to read as follows:
  1 33    j.  For violations of section 481A.73 relating to trotlines
  1 34 and throwlines tagged lines:
  1 35    (1)  For trotline or throwline tagged line violations in
  2  1 legal waters, the scheduled fine is twenty=five dollars.
  2  2    (2)  For trotline or throwline tagged line violations in
  2  3 illegal waters, the scheduled fine is fifty dollars.
  2  4                           EXPLANATION
  2  5    This bill allows fishing using unattended tagged fishing
  2  6 lines (commonly called trotlines, throwlines, bank lines,
  2  7 ditty lines, and ditty poles) which are attached to the shore.
  2  8 The bill defines shore to include an area of land within 25
  2  9 feet of the water's edge, including brushpiles, snags, and
  2 10 overhanging trees.  Current law requires tagged lines to be
  2 11 set to the shore but does not define shore.  Defining the term
  2 12 "shore" specifies that the law no longer can be interpreted to
  2 13 prohibit setting a tagged line to a brush pile, snag, or
  2 14 overhanging tree.
  2 15    The bill also provides that confiscated lines shall be
  2 16 promptly returned to the owner upon a finding that the owner
  2 17 did not violate the Code section.
  2 18 LSB 5165HH 81
  2 19 bp:rj/cf/24