I contacted Kurt Oldenburg about this incident. Here's his reply including some info re where the commercial guys can't fish:
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Hi Dave
Apologies for not getting back, I was on vacation and have just gotten back and am weeding through my emails.
Not exactly certain of the location but there are restrictions in commercial fishing in LPB. There is no gill or trawl west of a line from Bluff bar to Turkey point and within 1 mile of shore from turkey Point to the west pier in Port Dover. As well there is a restriction on canned nets from a line at the tip of the point north to shore between June 1 and Sept 15th.
There is a distinct possibility that what was observed was our boat as well as we conduct our Long Point Bay Index Gillnet Survey during the summer months that does include nearshore areas from the tip of the point all around the bay to past Nanticoke. It is possible they were out pulling on those dates.
Cheers
Kurt
Kurt Oldenburg
Fisheries Ecology Supervisor
Lake Erie Management Unit
Box 429, 1 Passmore Street,
Port Dover ON N0A 1N0