I know that if you give away a fish, you got to punch your card and also provide a written statement, etc...
But how many people actually do this?
Most people including myself just give a fish away and let the receiver deal with it.
To me this make more sense than the legal way. What's your opinion?

giving it to someone at the river? or giving a couple of fillets to your neighbor? i wouldn't punch my card if i was giving it to a guy on the river, that'd be his job. and as for giving some to a friend/neighbor, i'd already be on my card, but i wouldn't waste my time writing a statement. beaurocracy i can do without

If you take the rod out of the rod holder, set the hook, or are holding the rod when it is hooked it is your fish period. Someone else can land it , take it home, whatever you punch it and it counts as your daily limit.

Stringer

You are not correct!

You may hook a fish and hand it off to another fisherman if you have not yet caught your legal limit at that time. When that person lands the fish, they must then punch their record card.

Cowlitzfisherman

Punching Salmon Cards.

On this subject among the people I fish with and new fisherman is that if I'm out with them or they are out with me is if I catch the first fish it's mine I punch my card if I catch the second fish whoever that's in the boat with me punches his card and it's considered to be his fish until everyone aboard has a fish, then we'll work toward everyone geting their second fish. The only exception to this agreement is the largest fish automaticlly goes to the person who catches it jno questions asked. This system has worked out well amongst all of my fishing partners as everyone goes home happy with fish. If it's a first time Fisherman with me and I do manage to catch the big one I generally send the bigone home with them as I consider it a goodwill thing.

Now that I have Handicapped Status it doesn't matter in my case as someone else can catch my fish and I can punch my card with no questions asked as it's legal, as I've stood at the fishing hole on Grays River and had someone catch my fish and the Game Warden stand there and Punch my Punch Card for me. All I need to have is have my Designated Harvester Companion Card with me to give to the person doing the fishing for me. In this everyone goes home happy I have fish, the individual who catches the fish gets to fish longer, and the game warden is happy. It's a Win Win situation.

I do it every year. I fish with a buddy and his dad east of the mountains. His camper doesnot have a freezer he has the old ice box. So all the fish go in my freezer. Just before we leave he fills out and signs a sheet of paper with the info they need. The reason we do it is sometimes they may stop you over their for fish checks. It is alot easier to explane if you have the paper versus not having it. When we get close to home we stop and he gets his fish back.

From what I've been told is as soon as that hook hits the water, and you hand the rod off, you are braking the law. I know its a different story for out in the salt but in the rivers and streams that's what I've been told????

And about giving the fish away. Well, I give lots of fish away, just not on the river side.

KingFisher85

Regardless of what you may have heard, this is the actual law concerning this issue.

It is legal for you to hand off your fish to another fisherman if you are fishing legally yourself. That means that you must have the proper license and tags and that you have not yet filled your own limit. Before you can hand off your rod and the fish to another fisherman, the other fisherman must have his line out of the water before he can accept your rod or fish. If he does not take his line out of the water before he takes position of your rod, he can be charged with fishing with 2 rods under RCW77.15.380 (1)b Unlawful Recreational Fishing-2nd Degree for using more than one line. It is a misdemeanor with a maximum fine of $1000 and 90 days in jail.

Cowlitzfisherman

What about trolling? When I bring my kids(we're all legal) I put all the rods in. I guess it's legal for anyone to pick up the rod as long as we're all legal? Or, if I have my limit, can I legally put thier rods in?

Hairlip

Don't forget that if the person who accepts the rod while a fish is on it, also has his pants pulled down, he could be ticketed for indecent exposure which carries a fine and possible jail time.

"Don't forget that if the person who accepts the rod while a fish is on it, also has his pants pulled down, he could be ticketed for indecent exposure which carries a fine and possible jail time."


I'm not fishing with you!

Hairlip
B Run can drop his panties down all day long if wants to , but here's the answer to your question!

In Marine waters only, once you have filled your limits, you may continue to deploy angling gear for all other licensed persons and juveniles in your boat until each licensed person or juvenile has achieved their daily limits.

Cowlitzfisherman

If you are fishing with a bunch of guys and your pants fall down (CF) it has been declared by the supreme court that sodomy IS legal. Two rods are illegal but I don't think most people could identify whose rod is whose ..except , of course, the guy with his pants down.

Sorry Cowfish, That is the rule in Ak. not Wa,

grandpa

Are you reading page 15 of the rules? Or are you just BSing?

Cowlitzfisherman

I am talking about hooking a fish, fighting it, land it, unhook it, and hand it over to another person.
You got to admit that certain days, you could be on fire and hooking every single fish in the river while your neighbor ain't catching s**t.
It would be nice though to give away fish this way as long as it is being punched by the owner of that fish.
It is sad but true that there are a few honest fisherman who really need the fish to feed his family.
My question is not to seek answers.
I just wanted to know how you all feel about this.
As for me, I'll give a fish away any day if some one asks for it.
As for these stupid laws, I could care less.
What is the detrimental affect of a person giving a way a fish on the river compared to everybody catching their limits?
Another example of dumb ass laws, how come it is totally legal for a boat to fill up its limit by a single person, while it is not legal for a party on the bank to do this?

Thank You and
Take Care.

As another member said above, he does it with his kids..... I can't count the times I have been out and got my limit, and then had to help my small children bring in fish. Got a ticket one time by an overzealous game warden for "catching fish after limit had been reached" and this was for making sure the Steelhead did not pull my 8 year old daughter into the river. Yes, I had my arms around her and did most of the pulling and reeling..... Just try to tell her that she did not catch that fish!! Judge threw it out, cause unbeknownst by the arse ranger, my buddy had videotaped the whole thing and we presented that to the judge. He admonished the game warden and dropped the case, telling the warden "You ought to be ashamed of yourself ruining that little girls experience". I had to try really hard not to get a S*** Eating grin on my face......