So I have'nt seen the new fishing proclamation for 08 yet and have heard that the perch is opening at Yuba on Jan 1st.
I have also heard about having to keep the first 10 perch caught (no matter what size).
So here's a question: If a couple of the first 10 perch are an average 4 incher can I cut it up and use it as bait and not count it in my bag limit?
Help me get the most (eatable?) perch for the $50 worth of gas it's going to cost me to drive down there and back.
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Right now if the limit on any water is 20 Perch, you must count every Perch harvested in your possession. I would think that it won't change for a 10 Perch limit at Yuba.
The small cut bait Perch will count in your limit.
This brings up another question though.
If I have some Perch from Mantua that I have turned into bait, how do they count in a possession limit?
I would think that they are no longer considered part of a possession limit, but I;m not sure now.
Chime in here TubeDude, I know that you do this!
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I think that Yuba is not on the list of lakes where you can use perch for bait, at least not in this years proclamation. The only way I know how to keep the tiny perch off is to use something that is too big for them to hook up on. With this ridiculous first ten rule you can't even move around to find a school of bigger fish. Yuba is a long drive for most people to spend 10 minutes catching 10 3" skinny perch. [size 2][/size]
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Like you mentioned Yuba is a pretty far drive for MOST of us, so what we need is someone to take one for the team. Catch your 10, if they are small, cut them up and use them for bait. If you get caught, explain your story, and then post a report and let us know what happened or how big the fine was[pirate]!!! It is only illegal if you get caught remember[laugh] just kidding'!!! These are some good questions you guy's have, maybe someone with the real answer will chime in and let us know!!!
TS
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[cool][#0000ff]Sorry, but I have not even made an effort to keep up with the fiasco. The ten perch limit was a concession limit suggested last year, for opening the lake early. The fact that they are keeping it at 10, in spite of overpopulation of perch, is plain dumb. There should be no limit. I have also heard that they are not yet adding Yuba to the waters allowing the use of perch for bait. Double dumb. Forcing anglers to keep the smaller perch is triple dumb. Yuba is in no danger of depopulation by anglers.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I cannot justify driving that far, spending that kind of gas money, for 10 perch that I would probably not even keep for bait in most lakes.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I will wait until April (end of the first and ten rule) and then go for walleyes and northerns. If I can keep a few decent perch then it might be worth a trip.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Careful what you ask for. You might get an earful.[/#0000ff]
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Yeah I don't agree with the limit... But... I have driven just as far and went away with less on some days, at least at Yuba you stand a pretty good chance of limiting right now... That probably dosent help does it?[unsure]
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Pat here is a thought what if you use barbless hooks and the perch release themselves . No human contact or coming out of the water? Would that be legal?[crazy]
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[#0000ff]That is probably a good remedy. If you don't bring a perch to the surface, from the deeper water, there is less of a potential problem with the air bladder popping out and dooming the fish to the "bends". That is the reason for the ruling. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]No doubt about it. You can quickly tell that you have hooked a smaller fish in most cases. Simply leaving the fish to swim around in the depths, with a bit of slack, can often help the fish arrange its own release. Heck, a lot of the bigger ones get free even though you would like to bring them all the way up.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I fish a lot with 1/4 oz. lead jigging spoons. The hooks I use have very sharp hooks and small barbs (Matzuo), and I make them with single hooks...not trebles. They are much easier to dislodge from snags, just by wiggling and jiggling them. You can "long line release" fish the same way. The weight of the lure helps pull the hook free if you move the weight up and down a few times. Of course, if you give slack to a larger fish it will often get loose too.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Another tactic would be to fish with stout line and a heavy rod. If you feel a tiny tyke on the end you could rear back and jerk the hooks right out of the fish. Might rip its head off but you would not bring the WHOLE fish to the top. I don't think the regs will have any restrictions about "partial perch". (Joke, folks).[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]One "spin" on this would be the guy they busted at Pineview a few years ago...according to urban legend. He had been observed bringing up a couple of tiger muskies through the ice and had a unique way of catching them. His "technique" was to drop down a special rig...one big unbaited hook on wire and a small teardrop with a perch eye on it. When he hooked a small perch he would let it swim around for awhile and then reel it up SLOWLY...and then drop it back down. The CO who wrote him a ticket did not accept his explanation that he was just treating the fish carefully to avoid giving it the bends.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]So, I guess that if one is creative, and does not actually bring a fish up through the ice, technically it could not be counted in the limit. But, since a lot of enforcement is subject to the discretion of the officer on the scene, I will leave the exact interpretation up to those who will be watching you through the binoculars. Be sure you 
, just in case they take your picture too.[/#0000ff]
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I'm bringing the 5 rugrats with me. If it feels small hand it off to a kid. I should be able to cull a meal out of 60 fish for the day. The rest, X-bait.
I have it on good word that Santa has a Bradley Smoker for me in his sleigh! Smoked Perch? Why not?
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