Hooks it or lands it - Who should tag it?

[ampersat]

my first fish was a handoff coho. the next week, i was lucky enough to be able to hand off back to the guy that handed off to me the first time. bank fishing - allow the handoff. boat fishing - limit per boat.

one thing i see on the banks is the lucky guy hooks up first thing and tags it. ten minutes later, he hooks up again. if there's a two fish limit, he's done for the day while his buddies are still swinging for their first fish. kind of a drag for the lucky guy to have to hang around waiting for his buddies to tag out or give up.

like fishin62 said, they're hatchery fish. that's what they're there for.

[Hogmaster]

I understand the hatchery fish argument, but why not just allow dip netting then?

And I too have handed the rod to a youngster or other first timer in the absolute hopes of hooking them on fishing.

All I am asking is if that fish should be placed on my tag instead of theirs in that scenario.

And yes, it does mean guides would have to tag more fish, but they can buy additional hatchery tags. They are "taking" more fish after all. Might solve a portion of the "who gets the eggs?" argument too I suppose.

As far as a "boat limit" - Well, that would be hard in some of the hog lines I have seen where there is a great deal of boat hopping going on. Also, if there are four rods, when do you stop fishing four rods? At 8 fish? Or more? Kinda opens a pandora's box doesn't it?

[ 05-30-2002, 01:49 PM: Message edited by: Hogmaster ]

[ampersat]

the boat limit comes up in that four guys are in a boat, three got their limit. under the current rules, only one rod may be in the water. however, with a boat rule, all four rods can be in the water.
as for boat hopping in the hoglines, if your boat gets caught with more fish than bodies, ding, pay the fine. fine everyone in the boat. they'll all get mad and beat the bejeezu out of the guy who left the boat. it isn't quite fair, but it'll work!

[TheRogue]

If it ain't broke.....don't fix it!!

I don't believe that Oregon fits into the same mold as Alaska, especially the Kenai. There's a lot more first-time fishers here, both young and old

I don't really agree with a boat limit, though. If you've got just one fish left for the limit, you shouldn't still have 4 rods in the water. You could have some exceptions...namely sturgeon, as it is now.

I LIKE Oregon's set up as is.

[Johnson_Bar]

I think the rule should stay the way it is. We were fishing at OC on Monday when a guide pulled in with what appeared to be a grandmother and grandson as his clients. My guess is the young boy wasn't more than 7 years old. They start fishing and I look over and the guide is setting the hook. He quickly hands the rod off to the young man and he fights the fish and lands it. His grandmother told us that was his first salmon ever. Great site to see. A few minutes later they are fishing again. The young mans rod hooks a fish and he lands it again. He tagged the second fish also. (The way it should be) and then the guide dropped him off in another boat so the young man could continue shad fishing. I think the rule works as long as everyone plays by it.

[Keta]

I think that the Alaska 5 fish per year is for sport caught fish (non resident) personal use
fish (resident) is the daily bag limit. I might be wrong but that was the way it was with
shellfish when I moved south in '99.

...................... graemlins/stupid.gif

I also know that charter boat captains couldn't legally fish. I don't know about fresh
water guides.

[ 05-30-2002, 08:25 PM: Message edited by: Keta ]

[Hogmaster]

Keta -

I believe what you write is still true. But we have no such restrictions on out of state anglers being limited to 5 or any other number fewer fish that the state residents are. I just meant that as a reference point for the many anglers who have not yet been to Alaska but think when they ever get to go they will catch and keep a ton of fish.

In fact, on the Kenai if you retain the one salmon you are allowed for the day out of the two per season, you may not angle anymore that day. Period.

And some rivers allow the guide to fish, but not the Kenai.

And Bill, in your example, had the guide been required to tag that first fish even though the kid landed it, the kid would have still been able to fish after his own rod went down and the second fish was landed, right?

All that being said, TheRouge is right, it ain't broke. I am just trying to rile some fur away from that godawful "who gets the eggs" thread!

:grin: :grin: :grin:

[ 05-30-2002, 08:58 PM: Message edited by: Hogmaster ]

[Hogmaster]

OK, I know what the law says in Oregon. That whomever lands the fish tags it.

But some of you may not know that in Alaska, whomever hooks the fish tags it.

In Alaska for that reason guides rarely fish. In most of Alaska there is an annual 5 fish limit on Kings (chinook), and in fact on the Kenai there is a 2 fish annual limit. And you thought Alaska was fish heaven, right!?

When I talked to an OSP officer about this a few years ago he made the statement that it is easy to hook fish but takes more skill to land them.

That may be true when fishing divers in rod holders, but anyone who back bounces knows that the hook set is a (the) critical part of a successful catch with that method of fishing anyway.

You and I have observed many guides who back bounce while rigging the rest of the boat with divers. More fish seem to come of the bouncing rod, and the rod is handed off. Is it right though?

I admit I have been party to taking advantage of the law when a buddy might otherwise limit out and hands off his rod just before the netting to someone who hasn't tagged that day so both can keep fishing.

But is this right? Is it time to consider amending the law in Oregon to be more like Alaska? Your rod, your fish, your tag?

[fishin62]

Hog, lets leave the law the way it is and not rock the boat. i i enjoy hooking and catching but i also like to see less lucky souls land and take fish home to enjoy, i have never had anyone refuse my rod when it has a clipped springer or steelhead on it, after all thats what hatchery fish are for. for people to enjoy and eat.

[Grits]

I am for boat limits rather than per pole or rod limit. Who here hasn't handed a rod off to a kid or an unlucky buddy?

I know that a lot (if not most) practice boat limits already.

[fishchaser]

Well you know the law is set for all of us. So, if you like the Alaska regs?, than for your sake, go fish Alaska.

The laws in Oregon are set so everyone on board the boat can keep fishing. If you fish with me, and my rod goes off 2 times, I will hand it to you so you have a chance at playing a fish and possibly tagging a fish. But if you don't want the rod, than fine I'll play the fish, tag the fish and will want to leave early because I have limited out, and you are skunked, See you later, bye-bye.

What would you want to do?

[ry]

I could care less what they do in Alaska. I live and fish in Oregon, and if fishin62 or anyone else hands a rod off to me i'll take it and hopefully return the favor someday.

[Hogmaster]

Fishchaser -

I'd want to leave too, since by then we both would have limited out! :grin:

Either that or this year we would just keep (steelhead) fishing!

And I will continue to hand off or even take rods (yuch! - hate it when I have to do that) as long as the law is set the way it is.

I am not avocating Alaska's position. Just wonder why they think their way is right...

[choppers]

just as a funny note, i handed off my rod over the weekend and then got it back after my fore arm stopped cramping. :grin:

another note, i was told in washington that the rules states who hooks the fish tags the fish. so you really don't have to go to alaska, jut down the road here. hehehe :wink:

to the guy earlier, glad to be of service and thank you for hooking me up when i got skunked the following trip.

[Hogmaster]

choppers -

Are you sure about Washington? Because I have definitely seen guides fishing the Lewis and the Cowlitz "handing off".

Important that we all stay "legal" no matter what the rules are...

[choppers]

hogmaster, i hope i'm wrong about washington's rule. I searched the net to find out the exact rule but couldn't find it. guys have ******* to me on the river saying my day should of been over even though i only tagged one fish. hopefully someone can help clear this issue before i go back out tomorrow.

if not good luck to all you guys this weekend.

[Amerman]

Theres benifits either ways. Like I always say tell me what the rule is and I'll follow it

[Johnson_Bar]

Hogmaster,

Your right, had the guide tagged the fish the kid would have still been able to keep fishing. But they were following the rules, of whomever lands it tags it. I'm pretty sure that the intent was to get the kid into the fish, he didn't seem to care what kind of fish he was catching. He was having a blast.

[Keta]

Hogmaster,

The reason Alaska is like it is now is an over reaction to heavy non resident pressure. There are documented cases where out of state fishermen set up "mini canneries" and fished all season. Then drove back south and sold the sport caught canned fish to pay for their trip. I have also witnesed out of state fishermen with up to 7 large fish boxes each heading for the airport to return south.

We tried unsuccessfully for years to set a reasonable non resident limit but were blocked by the guiding industry. After I moved something happened and the current unreasonably strict bag limits were enacted.
:depressed: :depressed:

[ 06-01-2002, 08:21 AM: Message edited by: Keta ]

[choppers]

just to get clairification, does anyone out their know for a fact i couldn't had my rod off in washington?

I just finished this weekend and would of loved to handed off to my buddy and then two strangers said "stop i had to landed it or release it." the fish was big bright and in the choppers. I looked at my buddy and said sorry. I ended up tagging my 2nd and friend got skunked.

if someone out their can't find it i'll send a note to the WDFW. seems like a lot of guys on the washington side knows this rule. things happen in a boat more than on the bank when bi noks are in the bushes. just a note. i hope everyone got a chance to bang a springer.

:grin: :grin:

[DanS]

choppers,

I just flipped through the WDFW regs.........as far as I can tell, no such rule exists. You can call 360-902-2700 and ask for someone in enforcement if you want it straight from the horse's mouth.

[choppers]

i'm talking right now to a guy and he said their's no such rule :grin:

(pg 9 fishing pamplet. you may not catch another person's daily limit)

interpretation. if i got one spot left on my tag I can fish all friggen day and keep handing my rod off as long as i have gear to throw. and the sun is up.

Mark sorry the hanwho's last week screewd up the trip. :grin: