Poached Steelhead

[cdq]

So today I took a couple of my buddies to Linear Park in Penfield to do a little fly fishing, one has gotten more experience the more I take him out, the other not any experience so went down there to catch some stocker browns, and some suckers, possibly hook up with a bonus drop back Steelhead. As we were walking down to the 441 hole I noticed a dead fish that looked big, so for me whenever I see a fish dead I usually go take a look and see what kind it is, maybe just look real quick and make a guess on how it died and move on.

Sure enough it is a Steelhead about 24-30 inches, female that dropped her eggs already, bright silver, just a nice beautiful healthy looking fish that would've obviously made it back to the lake and thrived.

I take a close look at it and the fishes head was bashed right in and the tail just forward of the anal fin cut clean off with a knife, straight perfect cut.

I wanted to take a picture of it but I didnt have anything to take a pic with and both my buddies have track phones still, that wont take pics.

I guess what I am trying to get to is why would people do this, and if you see a fish dead like that what would you do?

If you're going to keep a fish for consumption or mount it thats fine all the power to you, if you're going to release a fish thats even better in my opinion, but why go out of your way to do something like this it makes no sense to me what so ever and frankly it really is irritating.

[Dylan585]

And that is exactly why fishing with eggs is soon going to be illegal

[cdq]

And that is exactly why fishing with eggs is soon going to be illegal

I don't think the eggs were taken out unless they tied a rope around her and forced them out, it looked like she legitimately dropped her eggs on her own.

[Dylan585]

I don't think the eggs were taken out unless they tied a rope around her and forced them out, it looked like she legitimately dropped her eggs on her own.

 

Most of the people that are stupid enough to just kill them for eggs wont even realize that she already dropped them

[Silverfish]

"Most of the people stupid enough to kill a fish for eggs" will ignore the new law anyway. We don't need new laws. We need to get rid of poachers. It has to stop.

[rolmops]

This sounds like some misguided young kid showing off how tough he is. Personally I feel that kids who do this sort of thing need some correctional treatment with a 2 by 4.

[Dylan585]

"Most of the people stupid enough to kill a fish for eggs" will ignore the new law anyway. We don't need new laws. We need to get rid of poachers. It has to stop.

 

But the issue is that right now the only way to catch the is to get them in the act...Im not saying eggs should be outlawed but I can see the reasoning... If they were and someone is fishing with eggs then that right there is an offense

[muskiedreams]

I have heard the eggs are being sold for human consumption. If that is the case, what they need to do is enforce the laws already in place against the sale and make the penalties harsher. It is probably attractive to the violators because the risks are lower than trafficking drugs.

[Sheepdog264]

People are disgusting, if your going to kill it eat it if not throw it back and let it live...

Sent from my SM-G900V using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[cdq]

People are disgusting, if your going to kill it eat it if not throw it back and let it live...

Sent from my SM-G900V using Lake Ontario United mobile app

Right with you on that one!

[TyeeTanic]

Who knows what happened. One possibility is someone was cleaning it to take home and started the process of cutting the tail off when they lost grip of the fish and it ended up back in the water.

Hopefully this was just an accident.

Edited April 24, 2016 by TyeeTanic

[fishmaster13184]

Maybe it was a future serial killers first victim, most likely not a fisherman

[rebar]

After a day fishing on a Lake Huron tributary I proceeded to clean my keep on the river bank.This one Chinook 15 lbs, I had completely gutted it heart and all and as I was cutting the blood line inside  the spine the fish kicked out of my hand and swam away!

[jeffmac85]

I could be wrong but isn't there a NYS law that prohibits you from cleaning your fish so close to the waterway? Like I said I could be wrong but that was always what I thought. Keeps guys from filleting fish out on the lake to keep more than a limit

[Adk1]

 I kinda thought the same

[Ryno23]

I could be wrong but isn't there a NYS law that prohibits you from cleaning your fish so close to the waterway? Like I said I could be wrong but that was always what I thought. Keeps guys from filleting fish out on the lake to keep more than a limit

Don't some charter guys do that ? I see cutting tables on their boats so they can do it out on the water.

If that was the case why do some marinas have their cleaning stations right next to the water/river with the flush going into the water.

I don't do it on my boat so I never looked at the laws but I believe if ur a certain distance or depth you can, again I don't know just what I thought.

[Rich D]

You can actually clean your catch on the lake, as long as you leave the skin on the fillet so it can be identified. If you have a fish that is close to the size limit, you might want to leave it whole. 1/2 mile off shore and farther is what we use as a factor. You can not gut, or fillet them in the tribs. Good Luck

Capt Rich

[spoonfed-1]

Don't some charter guys do that ? I see cutting tables on their boats so they can do it out on the water.

If that was the case why do some marinas have their cleaning stations right next to the water/river with the flush going into the water.

I don't do it on my boat so I never looked at the laws but I believe if ur a certain distance or depth you can, again I don't know just what I thought.

 

You have to be at least 100 ft from shore to discard fish parts.

That is the law.

[Rippin'Line]

Rebar said lake huron so maybe different laws there. 

[rebar]

To be more specific I was on a tributary off Georgeon Bay, Lake Huron.It is on the Canadian side of the province Ontario.

I skimmed through the Ontario fishing regulations summery for 2016 online and did not find such restrictions.

Thanks for the heads up,its good to know if I visit your side.