I can't find it in the rules.........

[Curly]

Can a person fishing in a river open to salmon hook a fish within open waters then continue fighting the fish within closed waters?

For instance, what if the Cowlitz were open for Spring Chinook and the Columbia was closed but while fighting a fish, it took you out into the Columbia before you were able to land the fish?

The rule must be written somewhere.......but I can't find it.

[Bob33]

How would you prove you hooked it in open waters?

[fishcrazy]

How would you prove you hooked it in open waters?

Maybe you have a video camera rolling when the fish is hooked? I would do everything I could t oturn that fish. even if it meant locking my thumb down and pulling it with the motor.

What if you hook a fish in water open to 1 fish and land it in water where you can keep 2. where are you going to punch that fish? can you keep fishing for steelhead and then pull the next fish into the same 2 fish zone and find out it's a chinook and punch it for the second fish? IE fishing the CR at the mouth of  the Mult channnel.

Kris

[DOUBLELUNG]

I have been told, the location of the angler is the determining factor.  You won't get in trouble if the fish crosses the line, you are in violation if you cross the line.  You used to be able to fish the Icicle River down to the mouth; the hogs spooling from the Icicle into the Wenatchee (closed water) caused WDFW to move the closure from the mouth of the Icicle upstream 800'. 

I would not push the envelope, as if WDFW perceives a problem, they will close waters to fix it.

[PolarBear]

I have a friend who got a ticket for fighting a fish in the control zone at Buoy 10 that he hooked upriver of the can. 

[Curly]

Thanks for the info.  There was a guy on another board that got written up.  He said he always thought it only mattered where the fish was hooked and that you could continue to fight the fish downstream of the closed waters line.  Apparently he's been doing it for years and never had a problem.  Somebody in the hog line called him in.......so I guess there are lots of witnesses that saw him hook the fish in the open waters.

[guntard007]

bottom line .......  cut the line , it isn't  worth the ticket and sure isn't worth the hr or so you are going to spend explaining yourself to the warden 

[Bofire]

 :)I think it is where you "catch" the fish, it is not caught until it is in the boat.
Carl

[Curly]

A game warden posted over on that other message board. Sounds to me like they give a little leeway.......

Here is what he had to say:

"ADVICE FROM WFDW ENFORCEMENT

When fishing the mouth of the Lewis, be sure to note that the regulations have changed in the last two years due to an eroding north shore bank, and vandals removing replacement boundary signs from trees. The verbiage now defines the north boundary as a straight line from the outermost upland in a southerly direction (or upstream) to the remaining posted signs (which are on pilings in the river). In the past floating buoys and eroding pilings had been used for boundaries forming a curved bubble boundary line. Those historical markers have since been removed or washed away in high water and the regulation changed. The only other available permanent structure is the navigation markers on the hill. It is still felt this would take away too much fishing area for both boats and bank fisherman to make this the boundary. It would be easier to recognize for fishers, but comes at a loss of opportunity to fisherman in our judgment and has not been used. The verbiage referring to a “marker or from the outermost upland” was inserted knowing future signs would meet the same fate of being eroded away, or would continue to be vandalized. The upland would then serve as a point of reference in the absence of a sign. This does not refer to any upland or points of land around the corner or downstream of the mouth of the Lewis River.

Suggestions:
1. If you do hook a fish while having fished legally near or inside the boundary, do your best to keep the fish as near to the boundary as possible while boating the fish and then get back inside the boundary before continuing to fish, troll etc. We do understand and expect that.

2. Keep a close eye on the marked boundary signs and the point of land at the mouth of the Lewis. This is not a straight line between the three boundary points. It still forms a curved fishing boundary line to accommodate a badly eroding bank on the north shore. Don’t allow both the current and your focus on fishing to allow you to drift further into the Columbia River at times when fishing for salmonids there has been closed.

3. If you fish the mouth of the Lewis River then you have most likely experienced seeing boaters who move further and further out into the Columbia River along a rip line to get at fish which may be heading upstream. We encourage self-policing of fishers and hunters to educate each other to maintain a manageable and enjoyable experience. This action of contacting folks is of course at your own choosing to get involved, and may carry some risks depending on whom and how you contact someone. I personally would want to know and stay clear any problems.

If you have questions feel free to contact me or any of our officers or customer service staff at the Vancouver Office.

Good fishing,
Sgt. Rick Webb
WDFW
"

[bone head]

lol stay away of the closed waters away then you won't be hit with that problem 

[bobcat]

Well I would imagine the good fishing is probably right on the "edge." I'd want to fish where the fish were (if I was a fisherman.)   Just like very often the best hunting is right along the public land/private property line. Many times I try to hunt as close to those boundaries as possible.