FISHING DEFINITIONS

1. Angle: to fish with rod, fishing pole, or hook and line, with or without a reel.
   
2. Bait species: all species of fish and other aquatic life utilized for bait.
   
3. Bona fide resident:
   1. any person who has resided in this state continuously during the 12 months immediately prior to the date on which he applies for any license and who has manifested his intent to remain in this state by establishing Louisiana as his legal domicile, as demonstrated by compliance with all of the following, as applicable. (a) If registered to vote, he is registered to vote in Louisiana. (b) If licensed to drive a motor vehicle, he is in possession of a valid Louisiana drivers license. (c) If owning a motor vehicle located within Louisiana, he is in possession of a valid Louisiana registration for that vehicle. (d) If earning an income, he has filed a Louisiana state income tax return and has complied with state income tax laws and regulations.
   2. As to a corporation or other legal entity, a resident shall be any which is incorporated or otherwise organized under, and subject to, the laws of Louisiana, and is domiciled in Louisiana and has a permanent physical location of business in Louisiana where records are held.
   3. Any person, corporation or other legal entity which possesses a resident license from other states shall not qualify for a resident license in Louisiana.
      
4. Can: a metal container of not more than 55-gallon capacity which is set for the purpose of taking fish.
   
5. Cast net: a light circular net of vegetable or synthetic materials and weighted around its perimeter that is thrown by hand over the water.
   
6. Crab dropnet: any device constructed with vegetable, synthetic, or metal fibers and without flues or throat, attached to a wire frame that forms a net basket and is used for the purpose of taking crabs. This device shall be operated solely by hand and fished in a stationary, passive manner.
   
7. Crab trap: a cube-shaped device with entrance funnels and either a bait box or materials providing cover or shelter for peeler crabs, which is used for the sole purpose of taking crabs. This device shall be fished in a stationary, passive manner.
   
8. Crawfish net: any device constructed with vegetable or synthetic material without flues or throats attached to a wire frame that forms a net basket and is used for the purpose of taking crawfish.
   
9. Crawfish trap: any device constructed of coated wire with the opening of the throats or flues not exceeding two inches and which is used for the express purpose of taking crawfish.
   
10. Dip net: a net, usually a deep mesh bag of vegetable or synthetic materials, on a fixed frame attached to a handle and held and worked exclusively by hand and by no more than one individual.
    
11. Finfish: (noun) any of numerous cold-blooded aquatic vertebrates that characteristically swim with fins, breathe with gills, and are covered with skin or scales.
    
12. Fish: (noun) all finfish, shellfish, and crustaceans.
    
13. Fork length: distance from tip of snout to midline of caudal fin. Used to measure some fish with deeply forked tails, such as amberjack.
    
14. Freshwater game fish: any species of fish found in the fresh waters of the state taken for sport or recreational purposes.
    
15. Fyke net: any cone-shaped net of vegetable or synthetic fibers having throats or flues which are stretched over a series of rings or hoops to support the webbing, with vertical panels of net wings set obliquely on one or both sides of the mouth of the cone-shaped net.
    
16. Game fish: all species of freshwater and saltwater fish which are taken for recreational purposes, and which are taken with the aid or use of a line, reel, rod, and artificial or natural bait (See Methods of Taking).
    
17. Hook: any curved or bent device attached to a line for the purpose of taking fish or alligator and consisting of not more than one eye and one shank with no more than three barbs.
    
18. Hoop net: a cone-shaped net of vegetable or synthetic materials having throats or flues and which are stretched over a series of rings or hoops to support the webbing.
    
19. Landing net: means a net, usually a mesh bag of vegetable or synthetic material on a fixed frame attached to a handle, held and operated by hand for the sole purpose of assisting in the landing of fish legally caught by other legal gear.
    
20. Lead or wing net: a panel of netting of any mesh size or length, with or without weights and floats, attached to one or both sides of the mouth of a cone-shaped net having flues or throats, and set so as to deflect or guide fish toward the mouth of the net.
    
21. License: any resident or nonresident lawful holder of an effective license duly issued under the authority of the department.
    
22. Lower jaw fork length (LJFL): longest distance from tip of lower jaw to midline of caudal fin. Used to measure billfish such as marline and swordfish.
    
23. Mesh size: the full measure of the mesh as found in use when measured as follows: Bar measure is the length of the full bar stretched from the near side of one knot to the far side of the other after being tarred, treated, or otherwise processed. Stretched measure is the full stretched distance from the near side of one knot to the far side of the opposite knot diagonally across the mesh. This measurement shall not be applicable to weaved or woven nets commonly used for menhaden fishing. In woven nets, stretched measure is the full stretched distance of the opening of the mesh; bar measure is one-half of stretched measure.
    
24. Monofilament: a single untwisted synthetic filament.
    
25. Nonresident: any person who is not a bona fide resident as that term is defined by R.S. 56:8(69). See definition 3 above.
    
26. Possess: in its different tenses, the act of having in possession or control, keeping, detaining, restraining or holding as owner, or as agent, bailee or custodian for another. When possession of fish or other wildlife is prohibited, reference is made equally to such fish or other wildlife coming from without the state as to those taken within the state.
    
27. Reptiles and amphibians: Native frogs, toads, turtles, snakes, lizards and salamanders.
    
28. Saltwater game fish: any species of saltwater fish legally taken for recreational purposes.
    
29. Saltwater fish: all species of finfish which normally inhabit the saline waters of the marine and estuarine environment for most of their life cycle.
    
30. Shellfish: an aquatic invertebrate species having a shell. These species include, but are not limited to, oysters, clams, crayfish, shrimp, crabs, and other mollusks and crustaceans.
    
31. Slat trap: any device, used solely for the capture of catfish, which is cylindrical, rectangular, or square in cross section configuration, constructed of slats forming the length of the trap, with at least one pair of slats spaced at least 1 inch apart from each other on at least three sides of the trap and which is no more than 6 feet in length, 2 feet in diameter or width and which has one or more cone-shaped throats, flues or entrances.
    
32. Slot limit: protective size limits denoting that fish within the range, inclusive of stated measurements, must be returned to the water immediately.
    
33. Take: in its different tenses, the attempt or act of hooking, pursuing, netting, capturing, snaring, trapping, shooting, hunting, wounding or killing by any means or device.
    
34. Test trawl: a trawl which is not more than 16 feet along the corkline or 20 feet along the headline or headrope.
    
35. Total length: the longest measurable distance from the outermost portion of the snout lengthwise to the outermost portion of the caudal fin.
    
36. Transport: in its different tenses, the act of shipping, attempting to ship, receiving or delivering for shipment, transporting, conveying, carrying or exporting by air, land or water, or by any means whatsoever.
    
37. Trawl: any net, generally funnel-shaped, pulled through the water or along the bottom with otter boards to spread the mouth open while being fished. The term "trawl" also means and includes plumb staff beam trawls that do not exceed 16 feet, and that do not use otter boards but are held open laterally by a horizontal beam and vertically by two vertical beams (plumb staffs), and that are used while the vessel is under way.
    
38. Trigger: any tension-loaded rubber band or spring device that contains several feet of line and a hook or hooks, which is baited and set, and which automatically hooks and plays a fish.
    
39. Wing net: See Lead net.
    
40. Wire net: a cone-shaped net of vegetable or synthetic materials, with a mesh no less than one inch square or two inches stretched, having throats or flues and which is stretched over wire of five inch mesh or greater to support the webbing.