Becareful giving fish away

[redfrog]

I'm only posting this to make people aware of the rule regarding donating fish. I would hate to see someone end up in trouble because they don't know the rule.

Over the last several weeks I have seen Walleye taken in large numbers. Many were being kept from a tributary up stream of Utah lake and west of I15. This was before the First Saturday in May when all walleye caught in those areas should have been released. Not only that but I saw several people keep more than one walleye over 24 inches. Believe me if was easy to make a call and get them checked and sited I would be all over it but lets be real the time it takes for someone to get there takes to long. I would have to follow someone back to their vehicle or walk over to them to get enough of a description to see results happen and that just isn't likely all the time.

Now that its after the first Saturday in May I have witnessed another issue on more than one occasion. Walleye are still being caught and although it is fine to keep them you can only keep one over 24 inches. I watched several walleye get handed to another person who did not catch the fish. I don't see anything wrong with donating fish to someone who can use them but it should be done in the right way. On more than one of these occasions the fish were over 24 inches and if the person who took the fish would have been checked they could have been sited for having more than one fish over 24" in their possession. I had to take a peek to make sure I was thinking right that you could not do the donating at the body of water and that you should do something in writing and I was correct in that thinking.




Donating Utah Code § 23-20-9 The following are the only places where you may donate or give protected aquatic wildlife or its parts to another person:
• The permanent residence of the donor
• The permanent residence of the recipient
• A meat locker
• A storage plant
• A meat-processing facility
You may not donate fish in the field.
A written statement of donation must be kept with the protected aquatic wildlife or parts that includes all of the following information:
• The number and species of protected aquatic wildlife or parts donated
• The date of donation
• The license or permit number of the donor
• The signature of the donor
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]An excellent post...but unfortunately it is not likely to be read by the folks who routinely share fish with other members of their happy harvester clan.

This regulation was put in the books many years ago to reduce "party fishing"...allowing one or two members of a group to fill the limits for others. It was originally aimed at reducing the wanton harvest of hatchery pet rainbows, but now applies to all species.

Strangely, it even applies to species for which there is no limit...like white bass. On any given heavy harvest day at Utah Lake you are likely to see multiple instances of white bass being caught by a few and handed off to everybody else along the line. No real ecological disaster for the whities because they multiply like mold spores in a warm damp environment. But fundamentally wrong and worthy of a citation if witnessed by a DWR CO.

Of greater concern is the over-harvest and illegal harvest of large walleyes. Again, not likely a real problem with drastically altering the large population of Utah Lake walleyes. But still just basically wrong...and against regulations.

As others have commented on threads related to illegal fishing...those who practice these violations are just as likely to be fishing without benefit of a license. Double whammy. They do not contribute economically to the management of our fisheries but do contribute to the wholesale raping of them.
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[Anglinarcher]

I thought this was a good post to keep at the top for a moment.
+1

[remo_5_0]

I'm with TD on this one, I doubt the people you saw have ever read the proclamation. They deserve what they get..i.e. Tickets!
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[PBH]

[quote redfrog]Believe me if was easy to make a call and get them checked and sited I would be all over it but lets be real the time it takes for someone to get there takes to long. I would have to follow someone back to their vehicle or walk over to them to get enough of a description to see results happen and that just isn't likely all the time. [/quote]

So, instead, you'll get on the internet and post a rant about people harvesting fish illegally?

It would have been just as easy to send an email over to the DWR noting your concerns. It is very evident by your post that you witnessed this on multiple occasions. Maybe a single email would have resulted in reducing the incident to 1 occurrence? Instead, you watched (and did nothing) at least twice.

Nice job.
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[redfrog]

[quote PBH][quote redfrog]Believe me if was easy to make a call and get them checked and sited I would be all over it but lets be real the time it takes for someone to get there takes to long. I would have to follow someone back to their vehicle or walk over to them to get enough of a description to see results happen and that just isn't likely all the time. [/quote]

So, instead, you'll get on the internet and post a rant about people harvesting fish illegally?

It would have been just as easy to send an email over to the DWR noting your concerns. It is very evident by your post that you witnessed this on multiple occasions. Maybe a single email would have resulted in reducing the incident to 1 occurrence? Instead, you watched (and did nothing) at least twice.

Nice job.[/quote]

Not so much a rant but a warning to some of those other people who are donating because they feel they are doing something good.

Your right I did nothing and here's why. The guys giving the fish away feel they are doing it out of the goodness of their heart to help someone have a fish to enjoy. The guy taking the fish just wants fish to eat. Is there harm being done in that, no. I only post as a warning because here is what I see playing out. The guy who just wants fish to eat ends up walking back to his car where a DWR guy is checking fish. He notices the guy has said fish and that there are more than one over the size limit. Two things happen here. The guy can get sited even though they aren't fish he caught. OR\both he tells the officer that someone else gave them to him and now that guy thinking he did some that was no big deal ends up with a ticket or both parties end up with tickets. Neither party did something with intent to harm.

By the way since you have all the contacts with the DWR, why don't you have them contact me. Maybe we can trade contact info so I have a direct number to an area officer so someone can make it on time. Maybe then we will see some quicker results that way. Now the ones being deliberate about taking more over the regulations I'll do what I can, But I sure the hell am not going to waste what little time I get to go fish following someone around trying to get info so maybe someone can get there.
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[fish_hntr]

[quote redfrog][quote PBH][quote redfrog]Believe me if was easy to make a call and get them checked and sited I would be all over it but lets be real the time it takes for someone to get there takes to long. I would have to follow someone back to their vehicle or walk over to them to get enough of a description to see results happen and that just isn't likely all the time. [/quote]

So, instead, you'll get on the internet and post a rant about people harvesting fish illegally?

It would have been just as easy to send an email over to the DWR noting your concerns. It is very evident by your post that you witnessed this on multiple occasions. Maybe a single email would have resulted in reducing the incident to 1 occurrence? Instead, you watched (and did nothing) at least twice.

Nice job.[/quote]

Not so much a rant but a warning to some of those other people who are donating because they feel they are doing something good.

Your right I did nothing and here's why. The guys giving the fish away feel they are doing it out of the goodness of their heart to help someone have a fish to enjoy. The guy taking the fish just wants fish to eat. Is there harm being done in that, no. I only post as a warning because here is what I see playing out. The guy who just wants fish to eat ends up walking back to his car where a DWR guy is checking fish. He notices the guy has said fish and that there are more than one over the size limit. Two things happen here. The guy can get sited even though they aren't fish he caught. OR\both he tells the officer that someone else gave them to him and now that guy thinking he did some that was no big deal ends up with a ticket or both parties end up with tickets. Neither party did something with intent to harm.

By the way since you have all the contacts with the DWR, why don't you have them contact me. Maybe we can trade contact info so I have a direct number to an area officer so someone can make it on time. Maybe then we will see some quicker results that way. Now the ones being deliberate about taking more over the regulations I'll do what I can, But I sure the hell am not going to waste what little time I get to go fish following someone around trying to get info so maybe someone can get there.[/quote]

You strike me as either naïve or passive, or give way too much credit to folks blatantly doing something wrong. I work my @ss off to support my hobbies, and I will be damned if I let anyone slide when I see something going on that can ruin it for others. I have had 3 people lose their hunting privileges because I simply called in when they were not obeying the law, also was a witness in 2 different DUI cases that resulted in guilty verdicts. IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING! It really is that easy.
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[redfrog]

[quote fish_hntr] You strike me as either naïve or passive, or give way too much credit to folks blatantly doing something wrong. I work my @ss off to support my hobbies, and I will be damned if I let anyone slide when I see something going on that can ruin it for others. I have had 3 people lose their hunting privileges because I simply called in when they were not obeying the law, also was a witness in 2 different DUI cases that resulted in guilty verdicts. IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING! It really is that easy. .[/quote]

Naïve, no. Passive? maybe. Good for you on the DUI's. I'd do the same since someone's life is in jeopardy. I've made several calls on poachers and even gave up a full day of hunting for an officer to come make a report.
If all I did was make phone calls all day because someone broke a law "doing something that could ruin it for others", I'd be on the phone all day.
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[bassrods]

You should be one of the people to get the ticket as well..
I have called the DWR before and they came running and got all 6 of the poachers.. and on two other times they came and each time they got them..

If you don't have the guts to stand up to the poachers then you are just as bad..

Did you have a phone?? Take pictures call and stay on the line and let the DWR know if they are living again take pictures of car/truck plates..

And I had one pull a knife on me, what a dummy taking a knife to a gun fight yes he got his and went back to Jail..
Next time do something......
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[redfrog]

You should be one of the people to get the ticket as well..

How so? Because I saw it?
Well how about every time the driver in front of you doesn't use their turn signal and you don't call you get a ticket as well.

I'm not here to babysit everyone else.
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[PBH]

[quote redfrog] I've made several calls on poachers and even gave up a full day of hunting for an officer to come make a report.
If all I did was make phone calls all day because someone broke a law "doing something that could ruin it for others", I'd be on the phone all day.[/quote]


frog -- you mentioned that:

[quote redfrog]
Over the last several weeks I have seen Walleye taken in large numbers. Many were being kept from a tributary up stream of Utah lake and west of I15. This was before the First Saturday in May when all walleye caught in those areas should have been released. Not only that but I saw several people keep more than one walleye over 24 inches.
...

Now that its after the first Saturday in May I have witnessed another issue on more than one occasion. [/quote]


so, on several occasions you witnessed wrong doing. You didn't report because you didn't want to be on the phone all day.

Why do you have to be on the phone all day to report some wrong doing? You obviously can use a computer. Instead of typing up a "report", and replying to mutliple replies, on an internet forum, why not type up the same report and send to the DWR?? Then let them take action, if necessary.

[quote redfrog]

By the way since you have all the contacts with the DWR, why don't you have them contact me. Maybe we can trade contact info so I have a direct number to an area officer so someone can make it on time. [/quote]

Here:
https://wildlife.utah.gov/about-us/contact-us.html (phone numbers for every regional office)
https://wildlife.utah.gov/report-a-poacher.html (online report)
turninapoacher@utah.gov (email address)




It's your wildlife. If you care, do something next time.
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[big_griggs]

Here we go again Bring on the popcorn and lets [fishon] for trolls
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[a_bow_nut]

[quote bassrods]You should be one of the people to get the ticket as well..
I have called the DWR before and they came running and got all 6 of the poachers.. and on two other times they came and each time they got them..

If you don't have the guts to stand up to the poachers then you are just as bad..

Did you have a phone?? Take pictures call and stay on the line and let the DWR know if they are living again take pictures of car/truck plates..

And I had one pull a knife on me, what a dummy taking a knife to a gun fight yes he got his and went back to Jail..
Next time do something......[/quote]

Bullying on the net and chest thumping at it's finest right there.
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[a_bow_nut]

IBTL
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[bassrods]

Sorry you think its all right to watch poaching going on and not tell any DWR people about it... Or maybe lets say he sees your house getting broke in but does not call the cops, but days or weeks later he tells you in a way that reads like a joke or a brag..
But then your reply to me reads like you think he did right if so I guess each to their own..
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[a_bow_nut]

This last ice fishing season we had a member talk about how well they were catching fish using the eyeball from a bluegill.

So according to you I shold have made a screenshot of this post and called the DWR and did everything in my power to have this person cited? Well I didn't turn him in but I did offer some advice to let him know what the rules are and he seemed to appreciate my help and didn't try to cover it up or delete it so that anybody else that read it and wasn't aware of this rule could learn before they did the same thing.

But in your eyes that makes anybody that read that thread and didn't turn him in a poacher?

So now that you are aware of it you had better go dig it all up so that you can have him busted and then you can come on here and do some more chest thumping.
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[bassrods]

Hear say, he said she said is just that but to watch and do nothen is something else..Sorry you don't know right from wrong..
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[a_bow_nut]

I know right from wrong and I have compassion to help other people out.

Sorry that you are lacking in that area.
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[PBH]

[quote a_bow_nut]This last ice fishing season we had a member talk about how well they were catching fish using the eyeball from a bluegill.

So according to you I shold have made a screenshot of this post and called the DWR and did everything in my power to have this person cited? [/quote]

The difference is that RedFrog watched something happen, and then got on BFT and posted a rant complaining about what happened. Instead of complaining, he should have taken some action.

In your case above, you probably did the right thing by offering some council and pointing out that person did something wrong. Did RedFrog do the same? No. He didn't approach those people and let them know about the seasonal closure, size restrictions, or rules governing donations. Again, he witnessed and then went on a rant on an internet forum.
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[bassrods]

Have a nice day..[cool]
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