Here's one to ponder...

Mello-Yello · 06-12-2003, 01:36 PM

Page 11, Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations....first topic....

Possession Limit:
Maximum number or amount of a type of fish or shellfish that a person may lawfuly possess (fresh, frozen, canned, smoked or otherwise processed) in the field or forest, or in transit to the place of permanent residence. The possession limit is: 2 daily limits for all species, including jack salmon exept, 1 daily limit for abalone: 1 daily limit on the vessel or two daily limits on land for halibut.......

I interpret this to mean; If I go do this upcoming 3-day halibut hunt, camping out of Newport, and I get my limit the first two days, I gotta take at least one of these fish home before catching a third???

Velly Intellesting......

Miss B Haven · 06-12-2003, 01:42 PM

Ya- but if you have a liveaboard boat..... you are home! :grin:

Mello-Yello · 06-12-2003, 01:49 PM

Genius Mel, pure genius!

seasquid · 06-12-2003, 01:55 PM

That's been in the books for a while now.

By the way, an ODFW checker came to my boat at South Beach Sunday while I was cleaning a chinook and told me that the state police are going to be cracking down on people who do this before a fish checker or a game cop varifies species, measures it, etc. It has something to do with mutilating and transporting a game fish while on state waters -- now, I have been doing this for years, and I don't think that is completely accurate.

Any clearification? I get checked about 75 percent of the time anyway, so I doubt it will be a huge issue.

ss

Orca · 06-12-2003, 02:01 PM

Ouch! Ok here's the deal, everyone who gets a fish on Thur. and Fri., give me a call and I will make a pass down the coast and pick up all the fish you can't have in possesion. But wait, then I may have too many fish.

In past years, we only fished on Fri/Sat, and this is the first 3 consecutive day season of recent memory. I suspect the possesion rule may need changing (or it may well be intended to stay this way).

Miss B Haven · 06-12-2003, 02:12 PM

seasquid - Once you hit the docks, you can clean and filet your fish. What are you supposed to do wait a week or so and hope the checker shows up? :whazzup: There's weeks at a time that they don't come around. Actually, after labor day they are all gone! Doesn't make sense. If he was talking about field dressing before you get to the dock, I never saw the guts and gills be used to identify a fish! That's what the regs say, illegal to mutilate such that the size species etc is not identifiable.
Anybody else know anything about this?

seasquid · 06-12-2003, 02:19 PM

Miss B,

That is the point I was, well not arguing, but making a case for. Plus, I stay on my boat for 2-3 nights at a time -- so that is my home. I had already filleted it, but I save almost every salmon carcass for crab bait, so I'm back to what I orginally thought -- this youngster was confused a bit.

ss

seasquid · 06-12-2003, 03:23 PM

Eric Schindler (ODFW supervising biologist) saw my post and this was his reply -- it's all good!

thanks Eric..

Working on the assumption that you had actually landed your vessel at the dock prior to starting to fillet the fish, then you are on solid ground (filleting/mutilating/etc. of an marine fish species is a violation prior to landing or when transporting across state waters see page 13 in the regulation book).� The only other issue (not an ODFW rule) would be that the port has been trying to minimize sea lion issues in South Beach by discouraging cleaning of fish in the basin, and of course it is currently against the law to dispose of fish waste in state waters.

Popeye · 06-12-2003, 03:59 PM

Steve,A State Cop told me exactly the same thing that the checker told you...However, he continued to tell me why...He said that docks are sitting on State water, therefore you have not landed yet! This was 3 or 4 weeks ago :shocked:

PBR Streetgang · 06-12-2003, 06:15 PM

That sounds like a State Cop type of thing to say. I know the Staters are supposed to be the best but I have my doubts. I was a reserve cop for a couple of years and the best thing the police have about their jobs is the DISCRETION to decide an issue unless it is a written department policy like on domestic abuse. I'm waiting for the staters to be out there off of Newport again this year. They better be real sure where their at because I'm marking the 3 mile line on my chart, no stopping for them after that.

Every cop you talk to is likely to tell you a different story or version of the law, whatever he thinks can get him an arrest.

I would say that cleaning the fish at the dock and being cited for it is a stretch. The thing that sucks is the cop can arrest/cite you for anything he wants and then it's up to you to go fight it in court.

Before and after my adventures as a cop, I ALWAYS have plead NOT GUILTY on any citation I have received. There were maybe 2 that I sent in with cash and a no-contest plea. Don't be afraid to do this. You get to give your say and I can guarantee that the cost of you pleading NG is greater than any fine they will collect from you if you are found guilty. If more people would do this the whole court system would become less of a revenue source for the entities it serves.

Tim

Lovestafish · 06-12-2003, 08:25 PM

So, if I shoot a deer on "state land" do I have to wait for a game cop to come by & check it before I can gut it out?

Lovestafish · 06-12-2003, 08:26 PM

(just kidding....)

PBR Streetgang · 06-12-2003, 08:43 PM

Be carefull about that. Those Staters are setting up them fake deer and nailing people that stop and fill em full of holes. How do you cite someone for "killing" a stuffed deer?

Tim

SouthCoastStu · 06-12-2003, 10:00 PM

They do seem to be getting more agressive each year. Last summer when I was pulling crab pots off the Coos bar, I noticed a black zodiac out of the corner of my eye, before I new it they were along side. As I was trying to get my license out, one of the guys hopped on board. I understand they need to check people out, but can't they at least wait 'till you get back to the dock?

willametteriveroutlaw · 06-12-2003, 10:07 PM

If your worried, freeze your filets from day one and then you won't be in violation of the possession limit.Frozen packaged fish doesn't count. There should be some place on the coast that could flash freeze your catch for you.
Tight lines
WRO

Mello-Yello · 06-13-2003, 08:17 AM

Not so WRO, as the regs state; "...(fresh, frozen , canned smoked or othewise processed)in the field or forest, or in transit to the place of permanent residence...)

Also note, "...place of permanent residence..."

Last Friday, at the cleaning station at Charleston, we asked the fish checkers if it was legal to toss our carks/entrails over the side of the cleaning station (as everyone else does). They said "Absolutely!". Granted, there are numerous 'resident' gulls that hang out at the cleaning station, which incidently, is built over the water, and in fact, drains straight into the bay (rocks at low tide).

Regarding the stuffed deer. At the OBH State indoor archery shoot this year, an OSP gamewarden was onhand showing videos of 'Scruffy' being shot at. They were actually quite hilarious. I questioned him on some of these very things. Fact. They only place "Scruffy the deer" in situations where shooting it would be illegal. In most cases, Scruffy is placed on private property adjacent to roads, usually private property where complaints have been made. I specifically asked him "If you were wrong in your placement, and I shot scruffy in a typically 'legal' manner, would I be in trouble for shooting state property?"...His reply was a simple no...

They do however, also have a bull elk they sometimes use during rifle elk season. It is placed in a situation where, if all game rules are followed, one can shoot at it. The purpose is, it nails 'ride-alongs' that don't have elk tags, but are 'helping' their buddies fill their tag.