Drama on The Mad

[FlyReelFisher]

if your supposed to record the catch wether you keep it or not wouldnt you just record it as released on your card and the person you gave it to record it on his card as kept.

Did you read anything above before you wrote this?

And ya! I "release" my fish(under that definition) into the local fish market for $25 a head...no problem. (Only kidding folks!!)

[Bruce Berman]

Dustin, I've got to agree with Mr. 3 wt. If more fishermen knew that there were incognito wardens, then maybe they'd think twice before breaking the law. I made a stupid mistake, and the warden, who had gotten to know me a bit, saw that it was an innocent oversight and gave me a break. I really appreciated that. But, had I knowingly, purposely, broken the law, he should have thrown the book at me. I like the thought of wardens hiding in the bushes, spying on the bad guys.

[FlyReelFisher]

There is new uniformed warden in the North Coast. His nickname is "Mr. Personality." He is "all business."

Unfortunately he gave break after break to guys fishing the Smith for Salmon. Guys with barbed hooks and no salmon card were let off the hook time after time. These guys would talk smack about the warden, say out loud how they didnt have a card, and then would talk more smack after he let them off the hook. They work at Pelican Bay, the warden probably knew the DA wouldnt prosecute or something...

The laws need to be enforced. Period. You are lucky Bruce, and I mean you no ill will. But these breaks have to stop.

[Bruce Berman]

I appreciate your sentiments. Sometimes, justice is not following the rules to the "T". I have been steelheading in California since 2002. In that time, I have never kept/killed a steelhead. This was purely an oversight since I'd never intended to kill a fish. This is quite different than what you described above with the lawless buttheads. I'll also admit that although I mash down the barbs on 99.8% of my flies, I have found, maybe once a year, that I have made a few casts with a barbed hook. I have no idea if this happens to other fly guys, but although I strive for perfection, I always fall short. I truly believe that justice is best served when every infraction is weighed before being judged.

[huntindog]

apparantly the confusion does not end with fisherman..I was told BY A WARDEN, that because the steelhead card is a means for biologists to count fish, that if one fisherman takes another fishermans fish that only the fisherman in possession of the fish should mark it as a take on his steelhead card......This was a lengthy conversation and he said this in no uncertain terms...this warden had a strong biology background which many dont any more. He fully understood the fact that the fish would be double counted and would skew the data.

[Fish Guru]

when you give a fish away it counts towards your limit without exception, i'm not sure what section but I beleive it's clearly stated in the regulations. It makes sense too, you were the person who originally caught and kept the fish before you gave it away so it would only make sense that it falls under part of your limit. The OP got very lucky in this situation, that ticket has a hefty fine and not knowing the laws and regulations is not an acceptable defense in the courts' eyes.

[Scott V]

If you caught it and killed it then it goes towards your daily count. Doesn't matter who you gave it to you took it.


2010 - 2011 California regulation:

1.17. Bag and Possession Limit.
No more than one daily bag limit of each kind of fish, amphibian, reptile, mollusk or crustacean named in these regulations may be taken or possessed by any one person unless otherwise authorized; regardless of whether they are fresh, frozen, or otherwise preserved.

[huntindog]

the steelhead report card has nothing to do with bag and possesion limit..the report card was designed as a meens of record keeping to determine how many fish were being caught.

[Wing Blue]

5.88. STEELHEAD REPORT AND RESTORATION CARD REQUIREMENTS FOR
INLAND WATERS


(c) When a steelhead is retained, the card holder must IMMEDIATELY fill in
a circle indicating whether the fish is a wild fish or a hatchery fish.

[FlyReelFisher]

Things would be better for wild fish and easier to manage if:

1) Discontinue Hatchery programs. They are scientifically proven to reduce wild fish survival/reproduction. After a few years(to work out the clipped fins) then move to statewide Catch and Release.

2) Ban bait. Not gear, just bait. It will reduce fish mortality and poaching for steelhead eggs.

Www.whitefishcantjump.com

There are some good arguments with scientific evidence on this guys blog.