# Pond regs. for kids?



## tye dye twins (Mar 8, 2011)

Alright what's the rule on the ponds (2 fish limit) when you have 1 licenced angler/pole and 1 kid? Can you really keep a total of 4 fish or is it just the regular 2 fish limit?

I watched 2 guys, each with 1 kid (so 2 kids total) catch and keep 5 fish, was that legal? Figured before I opened my mouth I ought to get all the facts straight. Thanks.


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## Bears Butt (Sep 12, 2007)

As I understand it, any person 12 years old or older must have a license in order to fish. So, if the adults had licenses and were fishing, each of them could have taken 2 fish each. So, they could have had 8 fish and still been legal. If the adults did not have licenses, then they would have only been legal to take 4 fish.
We all know, that most adults would probably be letting the kids catch the fish to fill their limits (which by law is not legal), but in my opinion, young kids don't know laws, they are just out there catching fish.
Ethically and legally, the adults need to be teaching the youngsters what is right and wrong and stop them before they go over the limit.
Of course I could be interpreting the guidebook wrong. Someone like Grandpa D could clear this all up.


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## Grandpa D (Sep 7, 2007)

Children under the age of 12 can fish without a license and they do nor need to have a licensed adult with them.
Children ages 12 and 13 are required to possess a $5.00 fishing license or combination license and anyone 14 or older must possess a Utah fishing license or combination license.
These regs changed a few years ago so some people that haven't read the current regs don't know about the changes.
Ignorance of the law is not an acceptable defense.

The other thing that happens way too much is what I call party fishing.
This is where 2 or more people fish and keep more than their limit, no matter who caught the fish, in order to fill other anglers limits.
You can only catch and possess 1 limit of fish and you can not donate fish to someone else at the place you are fishing at.
Daily bag limits and possession limits are the same.
There was a time when you could possess 2 daily limits but not now.
Donating must me done at your homes and accompanied by a letter with the required information.

Another law that is often broken is culling.
This is where you have a trout in your possession and later release it in order to replace it with another fish.
Once you have a trout on a stringer or in a live well you must keep that trout.

When in doubt, read the Proclamation.


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## tye dye twins (Mar 8, 2011)

Hmmm..... shoulda called them in for "Party fishing" since their was 1 pole and 1 angler reeling almost all of them in (more than 2). Thanks for the info.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

It's getting bad when you need the DOW's poaching number on you cell phones speed dial. But then that is what it is coming to.


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## sinergy (Mar 6, 2008)

When you say "pond" do you mean a Community Fishery ?

Community ponds have a 2 fish limit were as allot of lakes & reservoirs have different bag limits so in your scenario were you have 2 licensed anglers and 2 kids 12 and under 8 would be the limit.

Community fishing 
waters

The following rules apply to all the fisheries listed below:
•	Limit 2 fish. (Daily bag and possession 
limit is a combined total of 2 fish for all

Top of page on pages 20/21
http://wildlife.utah.gov/guidebooks/201 ... g_high.pdf


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## Troll (Oct 21, 2008)

tye dye twins said:


> Hmmm..... shoulda called them in for "Party fishing" since their was 1 pole and 1 angler reeling almost all of them in (more than 2). Thanks for the info.


Is that what it's called when you let your kid reel in all the fish? Party fishing?

You know like when dad is there with his pole and the kid has their Spiderman pole in too, then the dad gets a bite, he sets the hook and lets the kid reel it in without the kid having a two pole permit?


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## Grandpa D (Sep 7, 2007)

Any time that an angler keeps more fish than their limit, it's illegal.
When an adult allows a kid to reel in and then keep more than one limit of fish, that would be a violation of the law, the same as it is if the adult took the kids pole and reeled in and kept more than one limit of fish.
The law s the law regardless of age.
Now we are getting into the so called spirit of the law vs the letter of the law.
There are grey areas in fishing regulations and it is up to the discretion of the CO and even the Judge to decide the intent.
It's best to stay within the law and to teach this to our children.


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## Troll (Oct 21, 2008)

Key word there Grampa D, KEEP. 

Now we have to define who's fish it is. Is it the owner of the pole? The person who casts it? The person who reels it in? The person who nets it? 
When is it caught? At the hookset or when landed? Or when put in a livewell or on a stringer?

If it is released was it ever caught at all?

Not many of these definitions are in the Proclamation.


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## Grandpa D (Sep 7, 2007)

That is where the "intent" comes to play.
You and I can't answer that question.
It's up to Law Enforcement to do that.

I would however think that a CO would be less stringent on an adult who is helping a child catch a fish than on two or more adults that are helping each other fill their respective limits.


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## Troll (Oct 21, 2008)

I do think that. I hope it anyway.


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## tye dye twins (Mar 8, 2011)

Community Fishery is what I mean by ponds.
Yes key word is "Keep". 
I only bring it up cause in this case this guy is a local who is there everyday. Thanks for all the answers and responses.


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