# A beautiful day on fish lake.



## willfish4food (Jul 14, 2009)

Went to fish lake on the 26th and it was awesome!!! We got there about 7:00 and promptly drilled 4 holes. The first guy got his line in the water and before I could get rigged up he had a fish on. Each of us followed suit and between the four of us, had about 18 trout(not all keepers) and 6-8 perch though the Ice in the first hour. By nine we decided we we had better eat some fish if we wanted to keep going so we fired up the grill and cooked some of the smaller fish.










The bite slowed down at about 9:00 or 9:30, but when I say slowed down that only means that we didn't constantly have at least one of us with a fish on the line. Even when it was slow I still had fish consistently striking and a fish on every 10-15 minutes. At noon the bite had considerably slowed and we were one away from our limit so we started packing up. By the time we were finished packing the last trout was through the ice and we were on our way.

The trout were mostly splake with the occasional rainbow and one small lake trout. The largest fish was 16 inches, the rest were about 15 inches, and they were all fat. I don't know if I've ever seen such healthy fish in late January. The perch were fair size but nothing to get excited about, typically 5-7 inches. All in all it was a beautiful day and some great fishing/catching. The hottest jig for the day was a 2 inch glow in the dark tube jig on a 1/8 ounce jig head tipped with perch meat.


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## hunting777 (May 3, 2009)

Im glad to see and hear that you had such a great day of fishing. the weather and the scenery just adds to it down there. That makes me pretty excited because i am heading down there for the wkend and I can't wait. My goal is to try and catch a mac, probally wont happen but we are going to give it a try anyway. thanks for the post.


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## Nor-tah (Dec 16, 2007)

What a great day!!! Thanks for an informative report!


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## mjschijf (Oct 1, 2007)

Awesome! Sounds like a great day on the ice, and pretty good weather too from the looks of that picture. Combine that with fast fishing, and what more could you ask for? 

Nice job, and thanks for the report!


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## El Matador (Dec 21, 2007)

So am I reading this correctly? You caught a bunch of trout, and grilled up 6 of them right there on the lake. And then you kept an additional 16 trout between 4 anglers? I hope I'm mistaken, because that would be 22 trout and only 4 licenses. Which would of course be poaching.

Like I say, I hope I'm just reading it wrong but the way you have the pics and story arranged it sure looks like you kept a few too many.


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## Bhilly81 (Oct 18, 2009)

now correct me if im wrong it only counts with the fish in posession once the fish were eaten they are not posessed any more so your possesion has decreased and you can catch the same amount that you have eaten am i correct?


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## mjschijf (Oct 1, 2007)

El Matador said:


> So am I reading this correctly? You caught a bunch of trout, and grilled up 6 of them right there on the lake. And then you kept an additional 16 trout between 4 anglers? I hope I'm mistaken, because that would be 22 trout and only 4 licenses. Which would of course be poaching.
> 
> Like I say, I hope I'm just reading it wrong but the way you have the pics and story arranged it sure looks like you kept a few too many.


I don't think he ever specified how many fish were kept, did he? He said 18 trout were caught in the first hour between 4 people, but he followed that up with "not all were keepers". It sounds to me like they probably released the smaller fish, and then released any fish that were caught after reaching their limit.

I don't think there was enough info provided to accuse him and his buddies of poaching, but maybe I'm the one reading it wrong. :|


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## mjschijf (Oct 1, 2007)

bigboybdub said:


> now correct me if im wrong it only counts with the fish in posession once the fish were eaten they are not posessed any more so your possesion has decreased and you can catch the same amount that you have eaten am i correct?


"Possession" means the amount of fish caught and kept in one day from a given body of water. If you catch your limit, you can't eat those fish, and then catch your limit again that same day. You wouldn't be able to keep any more fish from that same body of water until the next day.


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## willfish4food (Jul 14, 2009)

> "Possession" means the amount of fish caught and kept in one day from a given body of water. If you catch your limit, you can't eat those fish, and then catch your limit again that same day. You wouldn't be able to keep any more fish from that same body of water until the next day.


To do one better I don't think it's limited to one body of water. Possession is essentially ownership and bag limit is your daily limit. Assuming I have read the proc correctly, I can not catch and keep any more trout on any water if, in that same day, I have caught and kept a daily limit. Further, if I have 4 trout in my freezer I should not be able to go to any body of water in utah and catch and keep any trout because I would be over my statewide 4 trout possession limit. thus if I have 3 trout in my freezer, and I go to the Provo river, I can not catch and keep any trout because the limit on that river is two trout. That's just the way I read it, but, I may be mistaken and if I am please let me know.

El Matador, thank you for your concern and I mean that in all sincerity. I would hope that anyone that sees someone in the wrong would, tactfully, address the issue so no laws would be broken in the future.


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## mjschijf (Oct 1, 2007)

willfish4food said:


> To do one better I don't think it's limited to one body of water. Possession is essentially ownership and bag limit is your daily limit. Assuming I have read the proc correctly, I can not catch and keep any more trout on any water if, in that same day, I have caught and kept a daily limit. Further, if I have 4 trout in my freezer I should not be able to go to any body of water in utah and catch and keep any trout because I would be over my statewide 4 trout possession limit. thus if I have 3 trout in my freezer, and I go to the Provo river, I can not catch and keep any trout because the limit on that river is two trout. That's just the way I read it, but, I may be mistaken and if I am please let me know.


I believe that you are right. I was off a little bit in trying to define it. Thanks for clearing that up.

The point I was trying to make in response to bigboybdub's comment is that you cannot catch your limit, eat the fish that day, then catch your limit again that same day. Your "limit" is limited to one day of fishing, regardless of how many fish you actually "possess".


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## Bhilly81 (Oct 18, 2009)

mjschijf said:


> willfish4food said:
> 
> 
> > To do one better I don't think it's limited to one body of water. Possession is essentially ownership and bag limit is your daily limit. Assuming I have read the proc correctly, I can not catch and keep any more trout on any water if, in that same day, I have caught and kept a daily limit. Further, if I have 4 trout in my freezer I should not be able to go to any body of water in utah and catch and keep any trout because I would be over my statewide 4 trout possession limit. thus if I have 3 trout in my freezer, and I go to the Provo river, I can not catch and keep any trout because the limit on that river is two trout. That's just the way I read it, but, I may be mistaken and if I am please let me know.
> ...


Yea I would say that sums it up good I apologize for my comment as 90 % of the Time I release my fish my statement comes from the hunting proclamations in the possession sections so again I do apologize and thanks for clearing it up better


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## El Matador (Dec 21, 2007)

Well my apologies to the "accused". Glad to hear everything is in order. I think this statement:


> By nine we decided we we had better eat some fish if we wanted to keep going so we fired up the grill and cooked some of the smaller fish.


 is what threw me. That and the fact that the first pic shows grilled fish and the last pic shows 16 trout on the ice. Good fishing reports are a thing of beauty so I'm sorry to hijack this one. I just hate it when people are ignorant of or indifferent to the law.

Now if only Fish Lake were a bit closer, I'd love to get in on some of that.


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## PBH (Nov 7, 2007)

El Matador said:


> Well my apologies to the "accused".


You have no reason to be apologizing. I think that Mr. Willfish4food needs to provide us an explanation of his actions. I read his report exactly like El Matador -- that this guy caught a bunch of fish, cooked and ate them, then kept more fish -- which violates the daily bag limit.

Why doesn't anyone just go to the Fishing Guidebook for an explanation??



2010 Utah Fishing Guidebook said:


> In Utah, the bag and possession limits are the same. For example, once you've harvested a limit of trout, you cannot harvest any more trout until you've consumed or donated at least some of the trout you've harvested. *So, if you eat one trout, you can harvest one more the next day; if you eat a full limit, you can harvest a full limit the next day.*


Seems pretty easy to understand to me...


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## Chaser (Sep 28, 2007)

+1 PBH



willfish4food said:


> By nine we decided we we had better eat some fish i*f we wanted to keep going* so we fired up the grill and cooked some of the smaller fish.


This is the damning statement that caught my eye. Once you hit your limit for today, you're done until tomorrow, assuming you eat some or all of the fish tonight. Either way, you catch and keep your limit, you're done for the day.


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## WasatchOutdoors (Sep 26, 2007)

Wow. Ok I'm all for addressing a blatant case of lawbreaking, but wow, a couple of you REALLY need to take your meds. 
I think it's fine to politely advise one of our fellow sportsmen to a technicality that he may have misunderstood. But a couple of you have been so beyond rude with your scrutiny and the way you've conducted this witch hunt, that I'm surprised anyone posts reports on here at all.

Personally I'd like to thank the author for the original report, good to hear about your great day fishing. Careful with your counts next time, I'm sure there's more to the story than some of the fish police on here are aware of. Good report.


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## El Matador (Dec 21, 2007)

Well thanks for the support, PBH. After Willfish4food posted up that he understood the laws on bag and possession limits I figured I had just misunderstood his post. But its very possible that he was just backpedaling. I guess only he and his buddies know for sure.



WasatchOutdoors said:


> I think it's fine to politely advise one of our fellow sportsmen to a technicality that he may have misunderstood.


When it comes to fishing there are 2 basic laws: Have a license, and keep no more than the legal limit of fish. If you keep more than the limit, you have not simply misunderstood a technicality, you have broken one of the most basic laws governing the sport.

Yeah, it does suck to sit and critique some of the fishing reports. I don't like being the jerk any more than you do. But I also refuse to condone anyone's illegal activities. Lets assume that those 6 trout were in fact poached. Should we all chime in and give props to the 4 poachers for a job well done?


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## .45 (Sep 21, 2007)

I just have one question for you willfish4food....

Them fish look good on the grill.....how did they turn out ?? :EAT:


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## willfish4food (Jul 14, 2009)

My intention in posting this report was to help out some fellow fishermen who might want to know how hot the fishing is down on fish lake right now. I had no idea how quickly some other members of this forum would assume that I had KNOWINGLY illegally taken fish, attack me for it and then demand an explanation. It's interesting what some people think they're entitled to.

However, I did break the law and I thank those of you who tactfully addressed the issue. El Matador, you read the report correctly. We had caught 14 fish ate six and then caught and kept eight more. The law was explained to me, and to the other guys that I was fishing with, the same way bigboybdub understood the law, that it was simply a possession limit. After mjschijf posted his reply I looked in the Proclamation and found that I had indeed violated the law and posted what I now understand to be the correct interpretation.

For those of you who now wish for my fishing license to be revoked for life, I will say this, I have already called the UTiP hot line and turned myself in. Something that's interesting is that the gentleman that I talked to at the UTiP line and the subsequent DWR officer for the area, who's job it is to catch and prosecute offenders, were much more understanding and forgiving of the crime than some of the members of this forum were.



WasatchOutdoors said:


> But a couple of you have been so beyond rude with your scrutiny and the way you've conducted this witch hunt, that I'm surprised anyone posts reports on here at all.


Amen to that. My first inclination was to attack back and think twice the next time I wanted to post another report. However, we all make mistakes. My friends and I obviously made one when we kept too many fish. I'm a big enough person to admit when I'm wrong. Hopefully some people can learn from this experience and not make the same mistake.


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## willfish4food (Jul 14, 2009)

.45 said:
 

> I just have one question for you willfish4food....
> 
> Them fish look good on the grill.....how did they turn out ?? :EAT:


Thanks for bringing some fun back to this thread .45. They were some of the best I've had in a long time. Nothing beats fish that were just pulled through the ice an hour before.

Or maybe it was just the thrill of doing something illegal. :wink:


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## .45 (Sep 21, 2007)

Thats good, you've turned yourself over to the authorities.....very good !!

Before they incarcerate you, can I get your recipe ?

No really.....an honest mistake, we've all made at least one or two, it's all a learning process...


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## Bhilly81 (Oct 18, 2009)

well my bad i was wrong sorry guys


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## El Matador (Dec 21, 2007)

A lot can be said about having a good attitude, Mr. willfish. And for admitting being wrong. I look forward to your reports in the future and I hope you'll keep posting.


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## .45 (Sep 21, 2007)

El Matador said:


> A lot can be said about having a good attitude, Mr. willfish. And for admitting being wrong. I look forward to your reports in the future and I hope you'll keep posting.


You're a good man...Mr. El Matador !!


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## sawsman (Sep 13, 2007)

Way to man-up willfish4food and admit that you were mistaken. I'm willing to bet that some or most would not turn themselves in. Again, good on ya.

Great looking fish, sounds like it was definately some fast action. I haven't had any fast action for awhile now. :| 

I used to spend some time at FL and Johnsons, but it's been many moons ago. Sounds like I need to get down there again...


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## Chaser (Sep 28, 2007)

El Matador said:


> A lot can be said about having a good attitude, Mr. willfish. And for admitting being wrong. I look forward to your reports in the future and I hope you'll keep posting.


+1 to this post as well. It takes a man with integrity to admit when he is wrong, and face the music. As for the severity of the infraction, I wouldn't beat yourself up too bad. Like you said willfishforfood, it was an honest mistake. While being called out on a public forum can be embarrassing and make a guy defensive, and shrink back, I think it does everyone who reads the posts a favor, in that it educates. You were the scapegoat, but think how many people might be set straight for it. You may have saved several readers from possible tickets.

As for wanting your license revoked, no way. Not what I would have suggested at all. For me, its more about wanting others to play by the same set of rules that I do... the ones set forth by the F&G. Am I always perfect in this? No, but I strive to be. Once in a while it takes a fellow fisherman to set me straight. That's all I was trying to do.

Keep up the good work, and post up often.


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## seetsnfr (Dec 21, 2009)

All things aside, there is nothing like FRESH fish eaten on the lake with friends! Take that Happy Sumo!


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## Grandpa D (Sep 7, 2007)

Interesting thread. 
I hope that a lesson was learned for many of us.
Read The Fishing Guide Book. [Proclamation]

There are several rules in the Proc that you have to read, and then read again to be able to understand what the law is.
I have questioned one area for years.

This is the rule about whether you can continue to catch and release after you have your limit.
This year's Proc, [2010] clears this up.
You are allowed to catch and release fish after you have caught and kept a limit.


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## Troll (Oct 21, 2008)

To go along with this GrampaD, trout species are considered "kept" if they are in a livewell. If not released after only a picture, they are possessed. Warm water species can be culled, not trout.


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## orvis1 (Sep 7, 2007)

Wow! Way to man up on a mistake and turn yourself in no less. Lesson learned and I do look forward to more of your reports!


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## Christopher30 (Nov 9, 2007)

man i think i would've taken the experience as lesson learned rather than trying to get the dwr to throw the book at me....if you find your punishment is too light turn yourself in to the panguitch area CO, he'll make sure you're prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law....


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## Jigz (Sep 30, 2007)

At least the man ate the fish. I am sure that many of the fish kept by anglers are never eaten at all, and go to waste. If someone eats the fish and catches a few more to replace them then I for one could care less. I am not condoning breaking the law by any means, but at the very least those fish didnt get harvested for naught.
Good on ya sir, and good report. Those fish look tasty.


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## takem (Feb 6, 2010)

In UTAH the bag and possession limits are the same. for exampleonce you've harvested a limite of trout you cannot harvest any more trout until youve CONSUMED or donated at least some of the troute page 15&16 2010 fishing guidebook


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## blueboy22 (Sep 30, 2007)

willfish4food your a good man. Your not the first to get the Herd excited /**|**\ so don't worry about it. looking forward to more reports from you also.


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