What do you do its the Law

[fishinfool]

Yesterday while fishing out on the ocean we hooked a nice fish that put up a huge fight but unfortunately this fish was a Native coho and had to go back. The only problem is we knew it was going to die no matter how careful we handled it or didn't handle it. You see one of the hooks had gone into the gill rakes as we were fighting this fish and ripped up three of them pretty bad. This fish was pumping out blood faster than some keepers I have intentionally bled. Well as the Law states the fish was put back. One hook was carefully removed and the other was cut as to not make it worse by removing it. This fish died within minutes I am sure as it would swim for awhile then turned belly-up. I hate that when that happens but the law states if it has a fin it goes back. I know you can't make a rule if a native is mortally wounded it is a keeper because there are enough people out there who will do it intentionally but what do you do as it is the Law. graemlins/icon_argue.gif

[Killertraylor]

I put them back, and if it was out of Garibaldi, I'd get my hand back in the boat real quick with all those sharks around!

That's really the only thing you can do unless you want to risk the ticket. It's unfortunate sometimes, but game cops follow the LETTER of the law as oposed to the SPIRIT of the law.

[TundraIII]

It makes ya sick but you have to release it. If I could only find a way to get my vacuum sealer to work on the boat graemlins/idea.gif :grin:

[chuck 'n' duck]

If you had a small portable gas grill, you could have had lunch.

Seriously, if you think about it, that fish did not really to to waste. I'm sure it was eaten in short order by some hungry animal. Too bad that animal wasn't you!

CnD

[Paddlefish]

Sounds like you did the right thing in a no-win situation. :depressed:

It hurts to think that you personally killed a fish we're trying desperately to protect. You've gotta just remind yourself that it was "only one" and that there's going to be a certain mortality which occurs naturally anyway.

Last Saturday morning, paddling the Willamette in the Cedaroak vicinity, my son and I saw 4 dead chinooks, three dead steelhead, and a dead sturgeon. It's possible that poor handling by fishermen was responsible, but about half of the salmon and steelhead were fin-clipped, and not too many of those are usually released.

Fate happens. :rolleyes:

[Hawgwash]

Paddlefish: I saw three floaters last night around cedar oak as well. 2 steelhead and a sturgeon. Any one have any ideas what gives?

[rob allen]

Maybe pick a method where the fish do not get looked as deep or use a single hook or both..

[Phish_on]

The Willamette could very well be a bit toxic this time of year --

[steelheadslayer]

Last year I had to release a native coho out of Ilwaco and then saw it floating belly up shortly thereafter. Made me sick to watch the seagulls picking at it. BUT, the laws the law. Sickening at times. :hoboy:

[Deepslayer]

If this was a utopian society and everyone was an honest sportsman, then they would let you keep a mortally wounded native. :rolleyes: But since we know what kind of trash some "sportsman" are they have to make these kind of rules. It's too bad, but like KillerTraylor says they enforce the LETTER of the law.
,Ed