Fantastic Fishing

[olmoose]

Spent Friday and Saturday with the family at Strawberry, it was some fantastic fishing. The weather was iffy at times but we managed to catch many fish trolling or jigging depending on the wind. We used green or white jigs tipped with minnows, or downrigged triple teazers or flatfish at 39 feet. Lots of double and triple hookups, all were released and swam away except for 1 24" blueback cutt that my oldest son kept and a nice 5# rainbow that my grandson caught. It was a great trip, but I got quite upset at the fish cleaning station seeing all of the slot fish that people were cleaning or filleting, how long can that keep going on.

[lunkerhunter2]

If you witness it happening let the morons know or find a ranger. It is going to take a ticket to get some of these people to listen. Sounds like a fun trip.[cool]
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[utwalleye]

I'm with LH2, it's going to take a ticket and fine to stop it, and if you didn't say anything to them or report it, they will just do it again or maybe they just don't know. some people will suprize you when it comes to limits at lakes, they have no clue. I was at utah lake a couple years ago and a guy caught a pretty good largemouth and was going to put it on his stringer. I told him that he couldn't keep that fish and he let it go when I said there's a 12in. size limit.
later chuck
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[mactuna]

They all want to catch big ones, but they all take what ever they want. I have witnessed this alot this year, even had someone ask why we were letting them go [signature]

[Brainamus]

What does the DWR want us to do with the fish that we catch and release, then go belly up? We caught some up there jigging, right in the lip and had a short fight and they still go belly up. Would they rather the pelicans eat them than the people that catch them? Because that is exactly what happens.
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[Kent]

Yes, they want the pelicans, crawdads or whatever to eat them. They do not want the angler to keep them under any circumstances if they are in the slot.
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[beeman01]

you cant just catch the fish and throw it over, they will almost all go belly up. you have hold tahem up right move them back and forththat will wash the water over the gills,when the start to move there gills and try to swim away and then and only then can you release them.
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[N.E.T.O.]

A while back when the slot was first implemented and it was VERY rare to catch a fish over 22", I was pulling my boat out and there was a fish cop at the top of the ramp watching me. As soon as I got my boat loaded and started up towards the top of the ramp with it, he drove over and stopped me and asked me if I had caught any fish. I replied that I had but had not kept any. He asked me politely if he could look in my cooler. Knowing that I hadn't kept any fish, and feeling quite peeved at this point I decided to ask a few questions myself. Before I let him search my cooler, I asked him what he would do if I told him no. He explained that he could not legally search my cooler unless he had probably cause, OR if he thought I was lying. I asked if he thought I was telling the truth or not. He told me that he thought I was telling the truth, but by now I was starting to feel like I was pushing my luck with him and that I would probably just make him mad if I kept on like I was. I went ahead and walked over and opened the cooler for him and invited him to search the whole (14' aluminum!) boat if he liked. Convinced now more than ever that I hadn't kept any fish, he then started talking to me about the regs...and wouldn't stop talking I might add! He said that he had checked a boat earlier with 3 fisherman, and they had kept 5 or 6 fish which were clearly within the slot. The fisherman tried to argue saying that they were aware of the regulations but said that when they tried to release the fish, a lot of them died. They just couldn't get themselves to waste a big fish, so they kept them. The officer asked them which ones in the party had kept an of the fish. They all admitted to keeping at least one fish and the officer fined each one of them, but only fined them for keeping 1 fish each over the slot. (I'm not sure what the fine is, but I believe it is a $100 fine for each fish?) He told them that in the future, they need to let the fish go, even if it is dead, or they would be fined again.
The officer told me that dozens of people were using that excuse and that he was getting sick and tired of it.
Unfortunately, mortality is part of the catch and release game. I've heard figures anywhere from 10% to 40% of all fish die after release. I feel like using jigging techniques reduce that percentage greatly in that most are only hooked on the lip. I hope that the mortality rate of the fish that I catch is less than 5%, but the fact is I don't know. On our Strawberry trips lately we try not to produce any "floaters" but unfortunately it is just part of the game. Yesterday we only had one confirmed floater, and I know of one other fish that had swallowed an entire jig that probably won't live but swam off anyway. In nature nothing is wasted. We watched the seagulls peck at it until a Pelican ate it whole. The best we can do is either not fish, or practice better techniques of catch and release.
I do wish that the slot was enforced more but also realize that takes money. Since yesterday was the start of bowhunting the fishcops were few and far between around the lake. I've also found people at the marina cleaning slot fish, and find that most people really don't know about the slot or maybe they are just good liars, but I don't think that people who know about the slot would be flagrantly cleaning a slot fish at the cleaning station! Most people are just thrilled that they caught such a big fish and have no idea that it is illegal to keep it. I've also sent the fishcop down to the cleaning station more than once after finding these people. I don't ever stick around to find out the consequences whether it is a fine or just a stern talking to, but I hope they are fined.
Wow, I could ramble all day...I'll just stop now.

Anyway, I like the regulations there and it is my favorite lake right now. Let them go even if they are dead or be prepared to pay a hefty fine.

Randy
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[DrewT]

Excellent Point!!! I even question those that take home a 24" - 25" fish. They are perfectly within their right to do so but given the chance, these fish will reach +30".
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[liketrolling]

This is my first post I'm new to this board
I was fishing Strawberry for the first time this year. The first fish I got I just droped it back in the water (not thinking) I belive it made it
after that I but them in the water and worked with them till they took off.
I was at the berry two weeks ago was, trolling with lead line. had a hard time finding what they were taking. after about 2 hr. started useing my downriger at 35' with a APEX Trout killer #312T tiped with a worm after that started catching them every 15 mn.
3 of us were fishing the other poles only got about 4 fish. all between 18 and 22 in
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[Brainamus]

Of course I know how to release a fish and work him, we did that with everyone of them. None of them were just "thrown" back in. We spent probably 5 min. on every fish because they seemed so weak.
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[addicted2fishin]

Another thing that will greatly improve mortality for those of you that are trolling is to shut down your motor when you get a fish on. You may have to go to a little more work bringing in all of your lines, but you will stand a lot better chance of the fish surviving than you would by trying to reel it in while the boat is still at trolling speed.
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