| A.__A person who holds a valid Maine fishing license may | take smelts for recreational purposes only from the inland | waters or portions of inland waters that are naturally free | of ice with a dip net in the usual and ordinary way from | noon to 2:00 a.m. in accordance with bag limits established | by rule.__Bag limits established by rule under this | paragraph are for a 24-hour period, beginning at noon on a | given day and ending at 11:59 a.m. the following day.__The | commissioner may prohibit the taking of smelts under this | section or shorten the noon to 2:00 a.m. smelt fishing | timeframe by rule for enforcement or conservation purposes. |
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| (1)__A person may not keep more than 5 dozen smelts | alive as part of that person's daily bag limit pursuant | to this paragraph. |
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| (2) A person may not take smelts with a dip net unless | that dip net meets the requirements under section | 10001, subsection 12-A. |
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| Each day a person violates subparagraph (1) or (2) that | person commits a Class E crime; |
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| | Sec. 3. 12 MRSA §12551-A, sub-§7, ¶¶A and B, as enacted by PL 2003, c. | 655, Pt. B, §259 and affected by §422, are amended to read: |
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| A. The holder of a smelt wholesale dealer's license may: |
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| (1) Take live smelts for resale from any inland water | waters or private pond ponds. The taking of live | smelts from inland waters must be in accordance with | general rules adopted by the commissioner in regard to | the taking of smelts. Except as provided in paragraph | B, the holder of a smelt wholesaler's license shall | comply with the same daily bag limit and the same | tackle restrictions that apply to all other anglers and | is subject to the same penalties for violations of | those limits and restrictions.__This subparagraph does | not apply to a holder of a fish cultivator license as | provided under section 12507; |
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| (2) Use a baitfish trap, a dip net, From ice-in to ice-out, use | a drop net, a lift net, a bag net or hook and line to take up to | 8 quarts of smelts in a 24-hour period, beginning at noon on a | given day, from specific inland waters designated by the | commissioner.__A dip net may be used in conjunction with the | above methods to assist with the handling and transporting of | smelts.__A licensee may keep the daily bag limit |
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