If i am fishing right on the boundary line of where it is legal to fish and where it is illegal to fish because it is a good spot and i hook a fish and it runs upstream is it legal for me to follow it upriver if i need to? If a game warden comes and sees me fighting a fish on the illegal side is there anyway to prove where i hooked the fish and that i had to follow it upstream?

Thanks Kiley B. aka Fisherman8989

Hmm, I wouldn't want to be caught fighting a fish inside the boundary...expect a ticket if you are.

Typically the boundary keeps anglers off spawning channels - the purpose being to avoid harrassing fish on their redds.

Do the fish you hook in this area look like the fish in your avata? If so you may want to reconsider fishing the boundary.

I wouldn't think you could go upstream of the boundary for any reason. You're not even supposed to cast above the boundary. I've seen tickets wrote for people landing a fish after dark that the gamie saw hooked in the daylight. You would get a ticket.

No i was fishing a river today (not going to name it for fishing secret purposes) below the boundary for fishing i was fishing for steelies i hooked 1 and it ran upstream above the boundary but then i lost it. So if i go back again because it was a good spot and the same thing happened could i legally go upstream after the fish??

Or would it best to say screw it and dont fish it again to avoid a ticket?

Do you not understand what the word "boundary" means?

Boundary; "any line or thing marking a limit or boarder"

It doesn't mean; maybe close; or very near, or I was just trying to land my fish! You will never convince a judge on those grounds. When you are fishing near a boundary, you are at the line. Expect to receive many tickets in the future if you think otherwise!

You can follow that fish upstream, but remember to bring your wallet with you, because you will need it to pay the fine!

Good luck, you will need it!

Cowlitzfisherman

a simple yes or no would have done

NO!

Cowlitzfisherman

ok sorry i even asked if ur gonna be like that

I had a warden actually hold a flashlight and help me land a fish that was hooked in daylight and I was unable to land until after dark. The fish wrapped itelf in a log jamb so he held the light, waded with me and after landing the fish, he snaps off his light, congradulated me on a nice fight and told me to remember to punch my card. This effectively left me standing in the river, up to my waist, in the dark blinded, gilling a struggling fish. I was kind of caught in a daze, the post adrenaline rush after worrying that he was planning on writing me up eventhough the fish had been fairly hooked. I would guess the situation may have ended differently with another warden. Who knows?
To answer the first question though-
I would not cast above a boundary line, but if a fish hooked fairly ran above the line I would fight from below the boundary and take my chances.

I still cannot decide on what to do. I will NOT cast above the boundary line or wade above the line. Would you guys say screw it and leave the hole dowstream spot even with the 6 or so big steelies i saw since it is close to the boundary? Would u say fish it but just be careful or What would you guys do???

If the fish runs upstream don't chase it past the boundry or it's ticket time, I've seen many tickets given at the Barrier Dam. Another way to look at would be like keeping a short fish that swallowed the hook deep and was bleeding bad you know it will die, but if you keep it's ticket time. I would try to fish far enough below the boundry or use a heavy drag to stop the fish if the fish is heading for ticket water. Game wardens don't seem to reason to well with excuses, they have heard them all.
Good Luck Fishing.

Is this an honest question or are you "stiring the pot".

I hope this answers your question without sounding rude.

Most of people would use heavier gear or quit this hole and move down river from the boundary.

If you fish it, be prepared to either break off or chase it and get a ticket.

Honest question

My motto is: If ya gotta ask, its probably wrong.

Seriously though, you'll get a ticket for sure if you're fighting a fish past the boundry. They hear all the excuses in the world on a daily basis.... they really aren't all that open to hearing how you started in legal water, and the fish took you past the boundry. The only way I'd do it is to make a deal with myself... if it goes upstream, I break it off.

As CFM said....NO! Move on.


RL

Afew years back while fishing bouy 10 one of the guys on our boat had a large king on. While he was fighting it the current took us over the line into closed waters. The wardens were right there telling us to break off the fish and return to open area.
As CFM basicly said closed waters are CLOSED there is NO buffer zone.

When I think of bounderys and fishing I picture a bunch of combat fishing yo-yo's standing right below a hatchery fishing for nasty old boots.. sort of like the one in that picture. Am I close to right about that??

Easy guys! This is a kid, who in his picture appears DAMN proud of his fish. I'm sure none of your fellows ever caught a dark fish and kept it (especially when you're 14-16 years old!). Also, you high and mighty fisherman that live within 60 miles of salt water can always get "fresh" fish, but just look at the thousands of happy anglers who fish Eastern Wa and Idaho for salmon and steelhead, and the majority of the fish look like his fish in the picture (which was probasbly several hours old). Cut him some slack! Obviously he's finding some fish in a "grey area". Like most guys said, gear up to stop them or risk a ticket. The fish are there for a reason, because they're close to "home" now, and most "sportsman" aren't into harassing them in the "grey area".

Thats an interesting question. The spot i fish in canada is salt and has a boundry. If a fish takes you into the closed boundry it is legal to keep fighting it. It has happened to me several times with the warden right there. It sounds like the law is different in the US.
FisherMan8989 no question is a dumb question, if you dont ask you will never know!
Robyns77

Robyns,
Just wondering where in Canada you were fishing at? When I was up there they treated the boundrys the same as down here. They were chasing down boats that were crossing the boundry line. The resort we were at even told us not to cross the line or we could get a fine if caught. But that was a couple years ago maybe the rules have changed now.

Snit,
You guys in eastern Wa. dont eat those boots do you?? I have seen fish that have been dead on the river bank for days that are brighter than that. Those fish must be easy to clean though just one shake of the tail and you get a bunch of salmon pate ( yumm pass the crackers) And yes I have kept afew fish that are that dark I freeze them in chunks and use them for crab bait. The crabs love the rotten meat.

I was not trying to bash anybody, just have issues with the whole late season fishing below hatcherys. I live in Idaho and its full swing time for combat fishing on the little Salmon, south fork Salmon and north fork Clearwater. They get people lined up shoulder to shoulder to fish in a hole maybe 15 feet across. People sleeping on rocks so they can be the first person "in the hole"... Pretty good fist fight about every 20 min or so.. all day long. In may the fish are in good shape. In the middle of July they are flat nasty. I know a bunch of guys who fish in these zones and its always the same deal " hooked 30 and landed 12 "... thats not fishing.. its something else all on its own. It looks kinda like a zoo. The point of all this rambling is this. If I was a kid I would spend my fishing time down the river fishing for the fish on their terms so I could learn something about fishing. The term "like shooting fish in a barrel" got started somehow.

kids if they can give you
a ticket they will ! you know what i mean.
it 50/50

Ok thanks guys

Duroboat

The spot I am speaking of is Rivers Inlet BC @ the Head. Im not sure if you are familiar with this spot or not, but there are hundreds of boats that hug the boundry line. Fish and Game are real strict on patrolling the boundry line. If you cross it with no fish on they let you know QUICK! If you catch a fish in the legal water and it crosses over its cool to play it. Hard to stop a screaming 40 or 50 pounder.

Robyns77,
Rivers Inlet is where I was fishing too. I was up there in early august 1999 and 2000. Like I said things change. I stayed away from the boundry for the most part. I liked fishing in between Rivers Inlet Resort and King Salmon resort. There is a creek that dumps into a little bay there and a old log cabin. That little bay was really good at times.

Duro, My first drift caught steelhead was a skanky summerrun (In January)on the Snoqualmie when I was 6 (1977). I did it all by myself, and I new the fish was ugly then, and my dad said, "well do you really want to eat that"? So I let it go! I know what a good and a bad fish look like. BUT, there's alot of guys that get just as much pleasure out of keepin' a snake river summer run in December (through March), and who am I to degrade them for making that choice? I only have control over myself, and I realy don't care if someone else wants to keep a dark fish. BUT, I don't waste them for crab bait. I save the heads and backbones off of "good fish" rather than kill spawners only for filling up the freezer for bait?

The only ones I keep for bait are Chums and only 2 or 3 of those a year depending on size.

Gray area, nuff said... But then again I'll help stir the pot. I've asked a warden about this situation. His response was that it was okay to stand ABOVE the boundary as long as I was fishing BELOW the boundary. Hmmm, seems to be a personal warden decision. Go figure. My suggestion: Don't worry about a ticket and go fish the hell out of the river and have fun catching fish! Peace out - no stress.

Matt

I think im gonna say screw it and fish in a diffeent spot! But thanks guys!