Two Resolutions State of Utah should make:

[fishalot13]

I know there are studies done out there. Not all can be trusted, many strict rules must be followed. I have a biology degree, and I have taken pictures of fish I caught and recaught. So I know the fish live but, that doesn’t qualify as a study. I’m all for keeping what I need to eat and conservation so that we can enjoy for years to come!
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[Kent]

[quote Springbuck]

Forgive my ignorance, but why is this an issue? Do they not allow it, even at the processing stations? Is it just to prove it isn't a cutt?
[/quote]

Yes they want to be able to tell a cutt from a rainbow and kokanee and also they want to be able to tell the length of the cutt so they can tell if it is in the slot.
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[Lipnrip]

I honestly do not have a link. it was in an article my father in law showed me almost a decade ago in a sporting magazine. Which one I do not remember but since reading. I have tried to keep every trout I catch unless unlawful and when I catch what I want or don't I go home or stop fishing which sucks because sometimes a fishing trip only lasts 15 minutes on the water. The biggest reason I fish mostly close to work and home. I eat all of the fish I take. Most trout end up smoked. Some think this unethical but after reading that article I feel catching a fish only for fun just to die and not be utilized is unethical so I do my best to not be a hypocrite and utilize the resource of fish. I fish mostly the upper Weber, Rockport, and Echo. Since fishing these areas and harvesting everything I have seen a great improvement in size and catch rates. I don't know if it is because it is helping the fishery or I am just improving as an angler. I have practiced this method for the last 6 years. My Father in law and my in laws for longer. We all fish in the same areas on the upper Weber and mostly use artificial and flies. Enough ranting though do as you want. Just food for thought and your bellies.
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[doggonefishin]

Let me maybe help a little, as I remember previous discussion on a Montana study. I think the Montana study you are referring to is mentioned here in this review.

https://henrysfork.org/files/Rob%20Blog/...review.pdf


The study showed that hooking mortality goes way up when the water level temperature increases. Which is why in Montana, the Fish and Game will sometimes declare an emergency closure to some rivers during heat waves.

From the paper above.

"• The effects of elevated water temperatures on mortality rates was evaluated by Boyd, Horton,
Guy, and Leathe (2010) in a study of catch-and-release mortality of rainbow trout when daily
Catch-and-release mortality rates 3
maximum water temperatures were cool (<20ºC), warm (20-22.9ºC), and hot (≥23ºC). The
study took place at the Gallatin and Smith rivers.
o Catch-and-release mortality of rainbow trout increased when daily maximum water
temperature was higher than 20ºC.
o In the Smith River, mortality in hot conditions (𝑁𝑁 = 161) was 9%, mortality in warm
conditions (𝑁𝑁 = 53) was 8%, and mortality in cool conditions (𝑁𝑁 = 57) 0%.
o In the Gallatin River, mortality was 16% in hot conditions (𝑁𝑁 = 25) and 0% in coold
conditions (𝑁𝑁 = 48)."


The overall listed mortality rate for caught and released trout in cool water was between 3 and 4.5% (from the above paper). That covers most of our trout fishing here. That is also why almost every upper slot cutt from Strawberry has multiple battle wounds on them from many C&R events. They will survive most of them.


As for your personal preferences, I'm glad you are enjoying your meals and I too will take some fish home to eat from time to time. I'm not a C&R zealot like some folks. Additionally, many of our rivers need some additional harvest, so keep doing what you enjoy. Maybe hit the Middle or lower Provo and get a few more out of there too. They sure need it. [cool]
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[chuckbigflies]

Thanks for clarifying that. 80% mortality rate seemed way too high. The green river below the gorge would be fishless within a couple weeks if this were the case. The numbers you stated seem more realistic.
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[Lipnrip]

Its possible that was the study and if so I clearly misunderstood the info which was relayed through the article.
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[riverdog]

Thanks for pulling up data on trout mortality after being caught. I also assumed he was referencing high mortality due to low and hot water when you shouldn't be fishing anyways. My problem is if I had to keep every fish I caught, I'd typically limit out within 15-30 minutes except in winter that could stretch out to about an hour sometimes. I've taught my son when he was 8 to fly fish. He'd would have reached the 4 trout limit in about 20 minutes his very first outing. Same with the friend from California that I taught to fly fish. Not worth my time to drive someplace and bother fishing in Utahn if that was enacted. Serious how many 10s of millions of game fish does Utah have? If it typically takes a person a day or even a half a day to catch (and keep) a limit , all I can say is "Bless You my friend'.
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[Springbuck]

Yeah, ok, well.....

The rule about "leaving the skin attached", I suppose doesn't work well enough, then.
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[fishalot13]

Here is a story. I was fishing a local lake and really killing it, small fly and light tippet. I noticed that some of the fish i released swam off then went belly up. I was killing a lot of fish. I was fighting them to long. Yes is was hot yes it was August. So I changed my tactic. Went bigger fly and bigger tippet so that I did not fight the fish as long. I was not killing fish anymore. I didnt catch quite as many fish but saved a lot more. All this talk about catch and release killing fish is only true if we dont take care of the fish. no grip and grins, not taking them out of the water, I bought a waterproof camera so I could still get my pic. I do think most the fish we release if taking care of them right do survive.
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[MrShane]

I wish it did at Strawberry.
Oh wait, I forgot how identical kokanee skin is to a bow or cutt.....
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[fishskibum]

[quote SkunkedAgain] Yes I'm not a fly elitist, [/quote]
whats goin on?
thats my job here
Id like to see a continuation of the current fishing liscenses
now if there was an equally cost "harvest" liscense
and they took that extra monies and used it to replace the "harvested"
better fishing for all
oh and this is the year the Utah Stream Access Coalition has its day in court and our waters will be our waters as it should be
still chucklin at well i guess if you disreguard the slight little detail about water temp
20% c and r numbers
yeah and the whirling diseses is gonna kill the rest
id put in an eyes rolling bobber
but elitist fly flingers dont use bobbers
happy new year
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[Tin-Can]

Can I add my wish list? I don't fish Strawberry often enough to have any real opinion on that issue. But I do fish the Bear River in the Bird Refuge, both on the water and from the banks. I would love to see the use of cut White Bass allowed on that portion of the river.
White Bass can only legally be used as bail at Utah Lake. White Bass sizes have become rather stunted the past several years, and that may be part of the reason the state took the catch and keep limit off of them.
If I was to take DEAD White Bass from UL to BR, and cut that WB for bait, what harm would it do? By the time the water reaches that part of the river (west of I15) it's sole uses are to irrigate, and provide water in the Water Fowl Refuge areas. Once it finally gets past the Water Fowl hunting areas at the far west end of the river, whatever is left runs on into the Salt Lake, right? Anything that is in that water and makes it past the last water fowl ponds, sure is not going to survive when it hits the GSL. And if it was dead, cut bait, to begin with, why not allow it. It couldn't be any worse that all the other various baits I've seen used on that river.

Maybe because the BRBR is both a Federal and a State managed area, the allowable fishing bait issue is complicated by 2 jurisdictions? I don't know. Just ranting I guess.
[fishon]
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[MrShane]

Can you use perch cut bait on the Bear?
That would be just as good I would think?
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[TubeDude]

[quote MrShane]Can you use perch cut bait on the Bear?


T• Dead yellow perch may be used as
bait only in Big Sandwash, Deer
Creek, Echo, Fish Lake, Gunnison,
Hyrum, Johnson, Jordanelle,
Mantua, Mill Meadow, Newton,
Pineview, Red Fleet, Rockport,
Starvation, Utah Lake, Willard Bay
and Yuba reservoirs.hat would be just as good I would think?[/quote]

[#0000FF]This is the official list from the DWR guidebook. Bear River ain't on the list. Strangely, neither is Bear Lake...and there are perch in that water.[/#0000FF]
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[Tin-Can]

I have seen and heard of anglers using Perch cut bait on the Bear River, but I don't believe it is strictly legal. Tubedude posted an answer to that. Not sure why they are not listed for the Bear River, kind of the same issue in my mind, what harm would dead cut Perch or WB do to the BR ?

I guess I will just keep using cut Carp, Carp minnows, worms, and old stand-by chicken parts.
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[catchinon]

I had an employee at one of the major outdoor sports stores tell me that the only parts of perch that were legal to use were the eyes and that they were legal anywhere. I showed her the place in the Guidebook that covers that. So what is the deal with eyes? Is that just so commonly done that people assume it's legal?
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[TubeDude]

"So what is the deal with eyes? Is that just so commonly done that people assume it's legal?"

[#0000FF]People assume a lot of things...especially if it is in their favor to do so. Sorry, I can't answer for those who are too lazy to read the regs...or simply choose to ignore them.[/#0000FF]
[#0000FF]
[/#0000FF]
[#0000FF]And I would never rely on the info offered by "employees at a major sports store". Unbelievable the misinformation they hand out just to sell stuff. I once overheard one of those guys telling a newbie ice fisherman that the little spring bobbers on ice rods were to provide more fight from small fish.[/#0000FF]
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[MrShane]

Pat,
I must rate pretty high in your books.
You looked up the regs for me!!
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[TubeDude]

"[size 3]I must rate pretty high in your books."[/size]
[#0000FF]
[/#0000FF]
[#0000FF]Of course you do.[/#0000FF]
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