Section 850.10  Possession and Identification of Gear

a)         Licensed commercial fishermen may take bloater chub and yellow perch in Lake Michigan only with gill nets that have meshes of not more than 2¾ inch diagonal stretched measurement nor less than 2⅜ inch diagonal stretched measurement.  All gill nets used to take such fish in the Illinois waters of Lake Michigan shall not have a vertical width of more than twenty (20) meshes.

b)         Gill nets found on any vessels not conforming to the 2⅜ through 2¾ inch diagonal stretched measurement requirement shall be prima facie evidence that such nets are illegally used and subject to confiscation and disposition [515 ILCS 5/1-215].

c)         It shall be unlawful to set any legal gill net in Lake Michigan unless such net is properly marked at each end with a buoy having a staff of not less than 6 feet in height to which a colored flag is secured, and the name, city or town of residence, and the license number of the licensee is attached to the flag, staff, or upper surface of the bowl of each buoy attached to the ends of the net.  In addition, during the period from April 1 through October 31 all commercial gill nets placed in waters of 20 fathoms or less in depth shall have placed within 25 feet of the net at intervals of not more than 3600 feet a float not less than 3 gallons in size with 50% of the outer surface colored in orange.   During the period from December 1 through March 31 only, wooden boards of at least 8 feet in length may be used at the ends of the net and must also comply with the marking provisions as defined in this Section.

(Source:  Amended at 19 Ill. Reg. 10568, effective July 1, 1995)