Fishing Forum

This is one of those post to think about as I am sure there will be some that really won't want to answer.

When do you stop fishing. After you have caught your limit, or do you keep going in hopes of getting a bigger and better one?

The law reads to stop once you have your limit, but say you have traveled many miles and are going to be there all day. You hook two really nice fish and wonder if the luck will keep up.
Always that....man I should have kept that one, as we all have experienced them turning off.

Summer time, some do have live wells which although legally you should stop, but you know you can return the smaller fish if need be, but shore fishing or ice fishing...that fish is history, so, do you stop?

Anyway, just a little food for thought.
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Great question, one which i have had to let some big fish go because of. Now other than steelhead and salmon i almost never keep a limit of fish. But steelhead/salmon i fish in idaho and have to drive well over 6 hours to get to my favorite spot. I almost always keep my first fish just to ensure i take something home, now salmon is normaly a 2 fish limit and that second fish you always have to stop and think about weather you want your day done or to keep the fish. i have ended my day awful early with a large fish but i have also let some good fish go. the few areas i do like to keep trout 6 fish areas i will keep 4 and keep 2 open just incase one swallows a hook or i catch a monster. I have watched ppl keep there limit and stop fishing for a bit then they go back to fishing just cause they have nothing to do. but the law states you must stop after you obtain your limit correct?
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If i'm going to keep fish, which I RARELY do, I keep ONE. Thats plenty to eat. Then if I catch a REALLY big one I can keep it for the wall. I think culling trout in a live well is wrong. They dont do well when released.
On our Henrys trip we kept three fish between three anglers over two full days of fishing. The rest were handled quickly and released to catch another day. I also try to keep smallish fish to eat. They do taste better.
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Sometimes that nice crisp trout just makes my mouth water, so I too have kept one on occasion. But, my hubby won't let me cook it in the house or on his grill[] SOooooo, I bought my own grill[laugh]
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Sorry I don't keep fish so I stop when I want to leave. I generally get satisfied at about a dozen then I want to figure out a new way to catch them. I don't mind people keeping fish either for a wall mount or food I just hate freezer stuffers that waste wildlife
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In Idaho it is against the law to cull fish from a live well . Curt G.
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Unfortunately, Orvis, there is that unexpected harry carry case, where no matter how hard you try, you cannot revive the fish......That sa keeper.
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Flygoddess,
If you can find it in the Utah fishing guide where it says you have to stop fishing when you have a limit, please point it out to me. I've read the guide dozens of times, and I don't believe that it says that. Never. Not once. I've had the discussion with a number of people at the UDWR, and they can't show it to me. You cannot keep fishing in hopes of catching a wall hanger and then cull from your limit. Once you have put a trout in a restraining device ( cooler, live well, stringer, etc. ) it is yours, and must be kept. But it never says that you must stop fishing once you have kept your limit.
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First off I want to point out, I realize that once in the live well, it is yours, I was pointing out, this is not the case for all and there are ( but true) those that do not abide by the law.

Fishrmn
Here is this and read the forth line down at the dots:

http://www.utahfishinginfo.com/dwr/limits.php
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[quote Fishrmn]Flygoddess,
If you can find it in the Utah fishing guide where it says you have to stop fishing when you have a limit, please point it out to me. I've read the guide dozens of times, and I don't believe that it says that. Never. Not once. I've had the discussion with a number of people at the UDWR, and they can't show it to me. You cannot keep fishing in hopes of catching a wall hanger and then cull from your limit. Once you have put a trout in a restraining device ( cooler, live well, stringer, etc. ) it is yours, and must be kept. But it never says that you must stop fishing once you have kept your limit.[/quote]
Look in the fishing guide for Bag possession
Fishrmn I apologize- I read your post too fast. Nothing says you can't keep fishing. Bag possession though ,(I think YOU understand) includes your refrigerator, freezer, cooler at home, camp, trailer etc. Not that they'll go looking at your home. Anything in your possession is counted, so eat the damn things.
I wonder though, how many people catch fish, take them home and freeze them, only to throw them away because of freezer burn or they just need room in the freezer.
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[quote Fishrmn]Flygoddess,
If you can find it in the Utah fishing guide where it says you have to stop fishing when you have a limit, please point it out to me. I've read the guide dozens of times, and I don't believe that it says that. Never. Not once. I've had the discussion with a number of people at the UDWR, and they can't show it to me. You cannot keep fishing in hopes of catching a wall hanger and then cull from your limit. Once you have put a trout in a restraining device ( cooler, live well, stringer, etc. ) it is yours, and must be kept. But it never says that you must stop fishing once you have kept your limit.[/quote]


Maybe you need to learn how to read the proc!
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This is directly copy & pasted from the DWR 2009 Fishing Guide
Bag and possession limits
Any trout, salmon or grayling that is not
• immediately released and that’s held in your possession—whether the fish is dead or alive—is part of your bag and possession limit.
• A trout, salmon or grayling may not be
released if it’s been held in or on a stringer, fish basket, livewell or by any other device.
• Any fish that doesn’t meet the size, bag or
species rules for the water you’re fishing must be returned to the water immediately.
• In Utah, the bag and possession limits are
the same. For example, once you’ve harvested a limit of trout you cannot harvest any more trout until you’ve consumed or donated at least some of the trout you’ve harvested. So, if you eat one trout, you can harvest one more the next day; if you eat a full limit, you can harvest a full limit the next day.

Page15
http://wildlife.utah.gov/guidebooks/2009...ishing.pdf


The way I've always understood it was once you've caught your limit you can no longer harvest anymore fish You can still fish but its has to be C&R.
Ive read nothing that says "once you've caught your limit you have to stop" but maybe I missed it From experience over the years were I and families near me have caught there limits the DNR, DWR or local law enforcement have checked us and them out said nothing to were we have to stop fishing cause we've caught out limit.
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Good point, except for the ones like I mentioned that you cannot revive? Seagull food[]
But again, how many abide by the bag limit? I mean what you have in the fridge, freezer, ice chest..etc.?
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I had this question for Amy at the DWR. Here is her response back.
Note that this is for trout and salmon only.
You may cull or release other fish [bass perch etc.] by Utah law.
[url "http://utahwildlife.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=21596#p238937"]Re: Draft of 2010 Fishing guidebook[/url]
[url "http://utahwildlife.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=238937#p238937"][/url]by [url "http://utahwildlife.net/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=2439"]Amy[/url] on Sun Nov 22, 2009 2:19 pm
That's a very good question.. I forwarded this concern to some of our law enforcement personnel on Friday, and they suggested that we add the following clarifying statement to the guidebook this year: "You may continue to fish while in possession of a full limit, but you must immediately release any additional fish you catch."

So basically, after you reach your possession limit, you should just catch and release. We've all agreed that we need to rework the example in next year's guidebook. We can't make huge changes this year because the book is already at the printer. I hope that helps address your question. Thanks again for asking about it.

This would also make sense at places that have slot limits.
You are forced to return fish that will die if it is within the slot.
I have never liked this but fishing is a blood sport and some fish will die.

I don't think that this question will ever be answered to everyone's liking.
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I hear what you are saying

on one hand you have releasing a mortality wounded fish because you've reached your limit but on the other hand what if you catch your limit in the first hour of fishing.
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Thank you DKS.
Sinergy, you are think the same as me....be very careful at this point[laugh][laugh]
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I hear what you saying []

I rarely ever harvest my limit The only time I ever harvest is if im camping and thats one trout I only like trout fresh on a campfire.
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I have also questioned how the regs read about places where you are fishing for multiple species.

At Mantua, you might catch trout, bass, perch, and bluegill.
If you catch a limit of trout, do you stop fishing, or continue for the other species.
I believe the law allows you to continue but I'm not positive.
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Now that one I read as you could but I am not sure anymore. I thought it interesting that they put it, if you catch your limit of say Cutts in a lake but then fish a river with cutts, you can not keep any.
I guess that goes along with the bag limit possession thing. Eat a fish, replace a fish.

I am glad the fish I will eat on a regular basis comes in a can...LOL
Oh and I stock up on that.

Heay, if you ocean fish for Tuna and you catch one, do you have to count the cans of Tuna on your shelves...LOL
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One would think by now Utah could clearly state in the Guidebook whether or not one can or can not legally continue fishing once one has caught a limit of fish and also clear up the issue if one can continue fishing for a different species once one has caught a limit of a different species. This topic has been debated for many years and yet they still have not addressed it!
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