Utah Lake. IT HAS BEGUN!

[fishguru73]

I am not a liar... I made a mistake.... but I appreciate you taking the time to post in my favor.
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[fishguru73]

Thanks for noticing Albino. The weird thing with this whole ordeal is that I could fry 50 crappie up every day or 100 between my roommate and I and give what we didn't eat to the neighbors and that kind of resource hogging would be justification to go take another limit. I don't condone that kind of behavior and I think it is more dangerous to a fishery then people who take more than their limit on the rare occasion that they get into a lot of them. I say "rare occasion" because, let's face it, people who feel compelled to take everything have, for the most part, extremely limited success on most outings because of their limited fishing knowledge. I made a mistake but people are still chiming in with their holier than thou spankings and I consider that to be character assassination. I have even been reminded to "check my license for an expiration date." I bet these people have s that are just as sharp as their wit and my guess is that they slice and dice everyone around them.
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[SWERV]

Guru,

I say you handled this well, you made a mistake and broke the fish laws. You now understand them & can move forward. I commend you for being honest & admitting to it, thats more than alot of folks could do.

I say past that everyone should chill & put this thing to rest. I dont know you, but from other posts it sounds like your a stand up fisherman. Peace and good fishing !
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[GEEZER]

Ya said it good SWERVE. Now if'n everbody jist put it down & fergit it.
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[fishguru73]

Thank you for your kind words. If there is one thing more important than what I've learned about the limit law in this whole ordeal, it's that I have more friends than I knew on this site.
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[gettingthereok]

I GUESS IN OKLAHOMA THEY CALL THEM 300 CRAPPIE FILLETS, BUT IN UTAH WE CALL THEM POTATO CHIPS.
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[fishguru73]

Then maybe you need to learn how to fillet if that's all you can get.
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[gettingthereok]

my filleting skill is fine , i am referring to the size of the fish that you catch.It must get tiring catching a years worth of fish for your average guy in 1 in 1 day, and then having to swim from sharks.
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[fishguru73]

I catch a lot of larger fish too. If the rules are in place then I will try to abide by them. But sometimes the rules aren't thought out very well.
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[cpierce]

Just out of curiosity,does anyone know what would be the law's view if you caught a bunch of crappie in Idaho and had them in your freezer in Utah? Would they count in your possession for Utah?
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[fishguru73]

They will count toward your possession limit if the state can milk a fine out of you. The state isn't after illegals that came here dishonestly and broke the law. Why aren't they? Because there is no money in it for them. "To protect and serve" is a stupid logo on a police man's bumper. You never know if the officer you are talking to is a patriot and law abiding citizen or a criminally insane nutcase who loves keeping up with a quota for tickets because his paycheck trumps justice every time.
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[robpeterson]

is it any good fishing for walleyes on the west side by mile marker 19
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[kochanut]

[quote fishguru73]They will count toward your possession limit if the state can milk a fine out of you. The state isn't after illegals that came here dishonestly and broke the law. Why aren't they? Because there is no money in it for them. "To protect and serve" is a stupid logo on a police man's bumper. You never know if the officer you are talking to is a patriot and law abiding citizen or a criminally insane nutcase who loves keeping up with a quota for tickets because his paycheck trumps justice every time.[/quote]

well said
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[Catatafish]

"To protect and serve" is a stupid logo on a police man's bumper. You never know if the officer you are talking to is a patriot and law abiding citizen or a criminally insane nutcase who loves keeping up with a quota for tickets because his paycheck trumps justice every time."

Apparently you don't share much love for the law enforcement community. Fine.

Questioning their patriotism, or suspecting they do their job because they may be a "nutcase" and "his paycheck trumps justice every time" is a bit of a problem. Check out what they get paid sometime. I could be wrong, but I'm thinking they don't get bonuses for writing tickets, and especially not bogus tickets.

Keep in mind they are paid to enforce the laws. They don't write them. If they give you a ticket, and you don't agree, take it to court. Chances are they have a viable reason for writing it in the first place. If they are wrong, and you can prove it, good for you, and it all goes away. If not...they caught you doing something you shouldn't have.

A lot of the cops I know are ex-military. I think they would have an issue with the patriotism comment.

I'm not a cop, or a "fish cop". I know a few, and have encountered my share. Some suck...no question, but think about your own profession and I'm sure you can find similar people there. They are just people like the rest of us. Some people do things better than others.

Keep in mind that they are also the same people that come when you call them and sometimes get shot and wounded or killed in the process...while trying to help a complete stranger. When I show up to work If I screw up I could lose a client, or lose money, or get fired...but the chances of me getting killed are slim to none. Think about that for a minute.

Most of my interactions have been positive. I don't mind being checked for my license, the fish I've decided to keep, or my safety equipment on the boat. It's a very easy process if you understand and abide by the law. I haven't been ticketed. Some haven't been as positive, mainly due to the attitude of the officer...there are some that should definitely be working in a different profession. I've also been very grateful for assistance with a broken down boat. I called, they showed up.

I'm not sure how the "illegals" came into the conversation...but you are thinking of a different agency.
I don't like the illegal immigrant thing any more than you do.

The people who might check your limit or your license don't have anything to do with that though, their budget is a many millions of dollars less, and they are given a set of parameters to work with. Remember: Law enforcement, not law makers. I'm happy to have them around and I appreciate what they do.

I don't mean to preach, but come on.

When the feces hits the proverbial oscillating circular device, I'm pretty sure we all dial the same number, and we are pretty grateful when they show up.
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[cpierce]

Well said Catatafish!

I certainly didn't mean to start an issue. I just think that it is strange that your fish limits should apply to the food in your house also! But I guess if your fish limits apply to your home storage also then you had better keep some very good records or evidence if you buy farmed trout and repackage it, or even have home canned or smoked fish from somewhere else.

I can just see flying in from Alaska with your catch, and being busted for an over the possession at home? Strange law, but it is the law.
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[cpierce]

Sorry, but this is really bizarre to me. (I live in Idaho and sometimes fish in Utah.) Because a FEW people may not use all of their fish in a timely manner ALL are to be treated the same? That is like saying you can hunt for a deer or elk in Utah, but you can only possess 10 pounds of meat because you might not eat all of the rest quick enough. Sounds ridiculous when it is game meat, but really the theory is the same. If people can be trusted to take care of a hundred pounds of venison what is the difference between that and fish? Both are game.

Don't get me wrong, I fly fish and usually put the trout and bass back, but I do keep a fair, but not excessive, amount of panfish. I love to have a fish fry when my extended family comes to visit. So I have some in my freeze, I am sure it is more than your possession limit, but I have never thrown a single bit of fish out!
I also have some smoked and canned fish - it too is used and not wasted. Does that make me a game waster? Not in my opinion, so I don't see the point of your law. In my opinion Utah sportsmen ought to seek to have it changed, to a more realistic possession limit.
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Hey, hey, hey! Let's not be dissin' the regs or the DWR. They are very progressive...for the 18th century.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Actually, I have a lot of sympathy for the plight of our wildlife management folks. They do TRY to set rules and regulations for the benefit of all. But, they often end up painting us and themselves into corners by overthinking a situation...or trying to outthink the violators. They are not being deliberately punitive in setting some of the statutes. But, no matter what they come up with there will be those who try to find a way to make it not work.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Utah has historically been a troutaholic state. All of the past laws and limits were geared around the stocking, management and harvest of trout. And the fishing populace were mostly trout harvesters. The general mindset was that you took as many members of the family as you could crowd in the pickup and string out along the bank and then everybody fished until the combined allowable limit of fish was caught...usually by one or two anglers in the group. The fish were then taken home, dumped in a tub and shown off to all the family and neighbors, after which most of them were tossed in the freezer to turn into smelly cardboard. Seldom were any ever removed to be eaten. They only ate a few of the fresh ones after each trip and periodically dumped the frozen ones to make room for more.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]That scenario has carried over into modern times. The only thing that is different is that there are more of the other species being harvested, frozen and wasted. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The divantage to the modern laws is that there are many anglers who sincerely enjoy eating fish, and when they freeze it they take proper care of it...fully intending to rotate it into the menu on a regular basis. But, because of the actions of so many other wasteful anglers the more prudent anglers are "penalized" in how much fish they can accumulate.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I keep quite a bit of fish, of several species. I prefer to eat it fresh but will sometimes freeze a few for future meals...or for a planned family fish fry...but only within limits. That can mean that I have to give away some fish to other family members sometimes, in order to accumulate enough for a fish fry. But, if I stay within the laws it can be done. I just deal with it.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]In the final analysis, there are some laws that seem to fit the phrase "No good reason for it. It is just policy." There are other laws that could plainly stand some review and revision. That is why we have the RAC process in Utah. Anglers have the opportunity to attend and be heard on their ideas and recommendations. But, when nobody from the angling community shows up to voice their concerns, DWR has nothing to put into the hopper. Most people would rather not get involved, but are happy to take shots at the people who could be making the changes. We blame DWR for everything but don't give them very much credit. They are not mind readers and there are a lot of limitations with which they must deal whenever a change is to be made. Utah DWR is very political and some of the people in power are so entrenched in their little empires that they would rather make no decisions than make a decision somebody else could find fault with...and jeopardize their next promotion or pay increase. And most of them are vastly underpaid by comparison to similar positions in other states.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]When you look at the greater scheme of things, we really have some great fisheries in Utah and they are well managed...for the most part. Anybody who wants to treat our waters as their own private fish market...and then waste the fish they catch...is just not playing fair with the rest of the angling population.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]CRASH. Just fell off my soap box.[/#0000ff]
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[GEEZER]

fishguru,

Your comment here almost choked me. I have to agree with the thought that some officers can get a little heavy handed at times but let's look at it from their side for a moment. It's their job to enforce the law and for what they get paid I sure as he-- wouldn't do it nowadays. I'd be willing to bet that at least one person in ten that they deal with throws them an attitude and dishes shi- to them. (If any officers will do so, please correct me if I'm wrong) After so many encounters of that type is is any wonder they get callous?

Maybe I grew up in a different time but I was taught to respect law officers because they were on my side if I ever needed them. I can also remember when dishing shi- to an officer could get you a rap on the head with a lead BB filled spring handle sap for an attitude adjustment. I'm not totally sure the bleeding heart liberals that got that put to a stop did us law abiding citizens a favor.

If a DWR officer checks your license, they are doing their job. If a police officer pulls you over, they almost certainly have a reason. Grow up & take responsibility for your actions.
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[cpierce]

Sorry to give that impression TD. I am really not dissin' your DWR in general. I think that your daily limits are great and very adequate for keeping some great fisheries going strong. You have a very large angler base in very small localized area. That is really a hard situation to keep people happy in and still have a quality fishery. I think they have done great job of it.

I only think that the regulating of your freezer is a bit over the top. I can see not wasting. I am very careful in preserving the quality of my fish that I keep, maybe most aren't that careful?

I was only suggesting that anglers should get involved in the rule making process, and get it the possession part of the law changed to something more like 4 days worth or something that fits most peoples habits.

I think that people have changed in their fishing habits. I would bet that 80% are catch and release, where as that number 20 years ago was maybe 30%. The same goes with caring for and cooking fish. I think more people are eating fish and know how to take good care in packaging them.

If I am smoking or canning fish, I like to do a fair sized batch not just a couple of fish at a time. Maybe that depends on the size of the fish too! Our panfish are very small sometimes!

Oh well, maybe it is just me, that would find this part of your regulations as strange.
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]I apologize if my "rant" came off as being directed toward you. 'Twern't. I also have problems with some aspects of the conservative conservation regs. Ditto for canning or smoking. Hard to make up a batch from one or two fish.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Bottom line? Like most things in life we can make a lot of noise but it is probably beyond our power to create much change.[/#0000ff]
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