# Steelhead limit



## 2manyfish (Feb 17, 2003)

Ok... Everyone is barking up the wrong tree. Most of you, high horses and all, are breaking the law (me too). NOBODY HAS MENTIONED THE POSSESSION LIMIT! I am no lawyer; however, this law means you can only possess double your daily limit. THAT MEANS MORE THAN JUST DRIVING HOME WITH YOUR BUDDIES CATCH. If you have 15 old salmon in your freezer you are breaking the law. If you go the erie three days in a row and catch your limit and take them home each night to store them you are breaking the law. IF YOU CATCH YOUR 3 FISH LIMIT OF STEEL AT ANY GIVEN TIME YOU SHOULD ONLY HAVE SIX FISH AT HOME INCLUDING YOUR DAYS CATCH. If there was a way to inforce this law, or if people followed this law.... This whole thread could be thrown out the window! Why the limit question is so big of an issue is that people are consistantly bringing home three fish.


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## Splitshot (Nov 30, 2000)

Thanks 2manyfish for your wisdom regarding the possession law. And to think I graduated from WMU.

This thread has nothing to do with the possession law, but since you brought it up I have a couple of questions. If I bring three fish home and put them in my freezer when I already have three frozen fish in my freezer, how many more fish can I keep?

If I bring 3 fish home and eat them for dinner and still have 3 fish in my freezer, how many more fish am I allowed to possess?

Finally if I have 12 fish burried in my garden and none in my freezer, am I allowed to bring more home, am I already breaking the law or do they have to be completely decayed?


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## TSS Caddis (Mar 15, 2002)

I don't think I've ever had more than a couple fish in the freezer. With the Rogue 2 miles away, the Grand 15 minutes and the Mo 25 minutes, if I want a fish to eat, I just stop after work, catch one and go home and cook it.

As for the above post by 2manyfish, with possession limit, I don't get your point since many people give fish away, eat a ton of fish or like most people I know, rarely keep a fish. Sure there are people with more than 6 fish in their freezer, but I would "guess" that the majority of river anglers do not. I must say on the Mo, I have never suspected that people are going day after day and filling up the freezer with limits. Heck on a given day in the winter where some guys are well into double digits, I'd bet that the vast majority hit a couple fish. IMHO, the guys that put a hurt on them often enough to make a difference are the ones that don't bother to keep many if any.


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## Alpha Buck (Jan 24, 2006)

Splitshot, thanks for that last post showing your true colors. If I cared about you or what you thought of me I might take offense to your name calling, but I don't. 

You said time after time that you wanted to see scientific data on how a wild fish is superior over a hatchery fish, I supplied that to you. If I am not mistaken you also said you wanted to see a study saying that letting fish go will help in steelhead numbers, Butch supplied that. It seems that every study that was supplied to you either by myself or Butch you discredit and think it holds little to no water. Lets see some of the studies that you can find proving some of my statements wrong, so far I have not seen them. 

It seems that it is OK that you can call the rest of us uneducated on the subject, but when someone hints that you might be, you go off the hook. I see that no one else can have a valid point when arguing with you, unless it is within your beliefs. I will not stoop any closer to your level, have fun with the topic. So much for a civilized discussion. Alpha Button Buck is done with you on this one.


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## Jekart (Apr 27, 2006)

moved


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## 2manyfish (Feb 17, 2003)

If you keep your limit all the time and are over your possession limit that is more fish out of the river. If you keep it at three fish but only keep your possession limit you are bringing home less fish. i.e. cannot bring the next three home, that will make an impact in the numbers that are left. In reguards to eating fish, giving away fish and putting them in your garden those are not in your possession and yes you could still keep catching more fish. But come on, you would have to give them away, catch more, give them away, catch more, and so on. Sooner or later you will break the law. Splitshot, I have always enjoyed your posts; however if you are putting whole fish in your garden that is not very sportsman like. If you clean them and bury them... Once the meat is gone (eaten) they are not counting dead carcasas. NICE JOB SPLITTING HAIRS THOUGH! As for the bad comment about WMU, the profile has not been updated in years and it says a lot about you. For once I am with AlphaBuck personal attacks have no place on this site. I would love to discuss it with you on the river. I HAVE ROOM IN MY BOAT TOMORROW!!!!


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## Rat Fink (Feb 20, 2001)

I kill some steelhead mainly for their eggs and if I bury the rest of them in my garden said:


> Nice admission of Illegal activity there Splitshot. It is ILLEGAL to harvest fish exlcusively for the eggs. You are a true conservationist. Thanks for all your insight on this subject.


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## Splitshot (Nov 30, 2000)

Man you guys are kicking my *****! I know because last night when I went to the movies, I started to identify with the rug. (Like everybody was walking on me) ha ha!

2many fish,

Seriously, I graduated from WMU and I was not really dissing the school. You may disagree, but I think I got a good education from there.

Secondly, I was serious, this thread was not about how many fish you keep. I have never burried steelhead or trout in my garden. I was only making the point that it is no one's business if I keep fish for the eggs and then bury them in my garden or if I eat them or give them away.

To many people get very emotional about trout and wild steelhead and try to push their moral beliefs on others. There are always exceptions, but for the most part if people are operating within the law, they are ethical by definition.

Personally I am very fond of wild trout because they are more of a challenge. If I were going to get emotional about anything, it would be about stream trout. I understand the emotion about the steelhead. They are big, they are powerful, they make your heart skip a beat when the come flying out of the water and splash your face, but it is important to use science in the management of them.

Lots of people think they are protecting the fishery if they release all their fish. While it may keep the numbers up, so there are more fish to catch, keeping fish within the limits is not putting the fishery in peril. They are merely taking the excess.

If it ever gets to the point that the fishery is in danger our professional fish managers will lower those limits. No Kill areas are like bluegill lakes with populations of stunted bluegills. Brown trout in the No Kill area of the PM will increase in numbers and get smaller in size. It would be much better for the fish populations if we went back to a two fish limit and harvested some of those salmon that will other wise end up rotting on the banks.

That probably won't happen and most seasoned fishermen know why.

Like most people, if you disc me I'm likely to use a little sarcasim to make a point. They are not really personal attacks but I can see how someone might take them that way.

Thanks for the invite, but my grandson Jake is testing for his second degree black belt tomorrow and he asked me to come and watch him. There are some things that are more improtant than fishing.


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## quest32a (Sep 25, 2001)

This thread is very informative, with lots of good info by everyone. Lets not let it get too personal so it needs to be closed.


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## Splitshot (Nov 30, 2000)

Ratfink,

Not to beat a dead horse, but if I take a steelhead, remove the eggs and eat it or plant it in my garden to help my tomatoes grow I am not keeping it solely for the eggs. 

Hope that doesn't spoil the good image you have of me. I have some fond memories of fishing around Great Falls and I did purchase an out of state license.

By the way a Ratfink used to be my favorite jig.


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## Rat Fink (Feb 20, 2001)

Splitshot said:


> Ratfink,
> 
> Not to beat a dead horse, but if I take a steelhead, remove the eggs and eat it or plant it in my garden to help my tomatoes grow I am not keeping it solely for the eggs.
> 
> ...


Not to taint your supposed good image, but what you are describing as your fertilizing techniques would be considered to be wanton waste. Steelhead are a little too important to many of us to be out there admitting that in public. I sure hope a CO writes you a citation for being a slob. I cut my teeth steelie fishing the Lake Superior rivers so they are near and dear to my heart and I'd hate to see you use those fish for fertilizer. The locals certainly wouldnt take too kindly to that.

On a second note I only sell my jigs to friends so I have no idea how you would have gotten your hands on any. Maybe your talking about a RatFinkee made by Custom Jigs and Spins?


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## thousandcasts (Jan 22, 2002)

> Not to taint your supposed good image, but what you are describing as your fertilizing techniques would be considered to be wanton waste. Steelhead are a little too important to many of us to be out there admitting that in public.


Perhaps Ray was simply using sarcasm when reffering to garden fertilizer?


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## Whit1 (Apr 27, 2001)

thousandcasts said:


> Perhaps Ray was simply using sarcasm when reffering to garden fertilizer?


I agree! That is a fairly easy assumption.


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## Ranger Ray (Mar 2, 2003)

I would have voted but there is no selection for 5.


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## Splitshot (Nov 30, 2000)

You make my point Rat Fink. You are over emotional about a fish. Do you really think a CO could write a ticket because you thought someone was a slob? Hey, its okay though I have met a lot of guys like you before and actually I understand you.

Im sorry to inform you that you are using someone elses name for your jigs. I was using Rat Fink jigs manufactured in WI before you were born. Whats the deal?

Now since I said in the previous post that I never used a steelhead to grow my garden and you still called me a name, the next ten I catch will have to go in the garden. If you can afford the long distance call I recommend that you drop a dime on me to the local Lake County CO and Ill report what happens.

As for you guys who stuck up for me, I appreciate it, but please dont close this thread down because one guy got so emotional he had to revert to name calling. I really dont mind. We all know that to some people it is not fishing but religion and this is a good example of how it manifests itself in some people.

Rat Fink, Ill bet youre a guide or you know a lot?


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## bowonly (Oct 31, 2006)

Alpha Buck said:


> "I dont know about you, but I am weary of this devotion to wild fish. I see little difference between two wild fish getting together in front of my cabin and two wild fish that are milked and raised in a hatchery for a year or so. The wild fish have to run the gauntlet to Lake Michigan just like the 6 inch smolts raised in the hatchery. By the time they return up our rivers things pretty much even out. I know some of you can tell by the way they fight if they are wild or not. Im not talking to you guys, because you are so far removed from reality no one can talk to you.
> 
> If there is any material difference between the two fish, I would like to see the data that proves it. All steelhead taken for eggs are un-clipped fish. I suppose some of you will quit steelhead fishing over the next few years, because they are stopping the fin clip program and you might not be able to tell the difference. Heres a hint. They are all wild!"
> 
> ...


 

A peer review is a little more than what you discribed. Peer review are usually an accumulation of similar studies to look at whatever end point they are trying make. Peer reviews are generally not the most reliable information for getting data but they do let you make assumptions. Personnaly I'd rather have the studies they reviewed, 5 fishing buddies and a couple of cases of beer and have my own peer review


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## Oldgrandman (Nov 16, 2004)

Alpha Buck said:


> I would say to anyone that thinks they are equal that they should maybe try reading a little bit because it is obvious that they are uneducated on the topic."


So there is a difference eh, and they clip a fin on steelhead plants......I gotta tell you, I bet you have caught a steelhead and saw no fin clipped and said "what a nice wild fish" and tossed it back. And a good possibility exsits that that fish was planted at 12 mile and Summit on the R. River as a rainbow (not clipped) but made it out to the big lake. Or can people really tell without the fin clip?

I got my ejumacation on the water, not from reading. I see no difference in fight, flavor (as adults anyways) or anything else.
Now maybe in a LAB there might be some differences but without a fin clip I don't see how else you could tell a difference.
My .02 on the whole thing. I am going fishing now.....


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## Whit1 (Apr 27, 2001)

Some of you guys have just gotta get away from the keyboard and get out fishing, scouting for deer, rabbit hunting, cross country skiing, downhill skiing, sex, whatever is handy for some distraction. 

Similar discussions are taking place in the Whitetail Forums..........the difference between venison from different regions for instance. There's one guy in there claiming to be able to tell the difference between venison from a buck and doe AND which region of the state it comes from (far north or farmland , but let's not go there in here.

There is life outside these forums!


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## riverman (Jan 9, 2002)

If you truley believe there is no difference then get on the horn and tell the DNR to quit wasting our money sorting fish on the little river. Pass em all, let the genetics take us where ever and put the money to use somewhere else.


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## Alpha Buck (Jan 24, 2006)

Whit1 said:


> Some of you guys have just gotta get away from the keyboard and get out fishing, scouting for deer, rabbit hunting, cross country skiing, downhill skiing, sex, whatever is handy for some distraction.
> 
> 
> There is life outside these forums!


This is coming from a man with over 12,000 posts.:lol:


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