Had a run in with the Game Warden today

[SDoolittle]

If you accidentally catch a trout while bass fishing with trout tackle and it dies, you can keep the fish for the table if you have a trout stamp.

[Taylor Fishin 4 life]

just get the stamp so he cant say crap and it solves this whole mess and this post...Thats my 2cents end of discussion  :-X

[Popeye]

Stamp is undoubtedly cheaper than a ticket. Cheap insurance, IMO especially if you frequently fish waters that contain trout.

Side note: I had the park rangers call me in off the water a couple of weeks ago to check my license, daily permit, and whether or not I had crimped off the barbs on the hooks I was using! First time in the 3 years I've been fishing on my float tube on Upper Otay that I've been checked! Certainly glad my barbs were all crimped off/down! I was told a ticket for that would be $270.00!  CA doesn't like small revenue tickets:o( Rangers were very nice and apologetic that they had to call me in off the lake and interupt my fishing but I certainly understand that they needed to do their job.

[NateFollmer]

Man other state's must be very strict or I'm getting lucky. I have NEVER seen the PA Fish commission while I was fishing. I do know of friends that have fished and forgot their license at home and they were let off with a warning.

If it were me, I would have gotten the stamp. It somewhat feels like they are forcing you to buy something you don't need, but I'd get it just to support the fisheries! HA

[garland7]

I think the laws should be changed to read that you need a stamp for the type of fish you are keeping. I say this because many different species will hit many types of lures. So are we all getting a fishing license, or a Multi stamp license? The laws need to be real, not just money makers.

[InLikeFinz]

I would get the stamp. Better safe than sorry I say. Plus you can just smile as they drive off knowing you "passed all inspections". 

[salmicropterus]

buy the darn stamp. If you are fishing in trout like waters with trout baits you are going to be under suspicion as well you should be (from a game and fish perspective). Stop the whining. G&Fdeal with a lot of hard core violators and don't want to put up with all that. Just do that right thing and deal with it

[salmicropterus]

sorry about the whining comment. Prob over the top. My interactions with F&G down here is that if you have good intention and the appropriate equipment you are ok as they deal with a lot of hard-*** hard core violators which we all pay them to do. I'd still say the same thing though-buy the stamp and be above suspicion

[Osprey39]

Stories like this are one of the reasons I hate trout.  Freaking game and fish departments act like they are some higher form of aquatic life just because the rich yuppies like to fish for them.  Always, always special regulations that people have to adhere to that couldn't give a d**n about catching a trout.  I say eradicate the trout!   

[Bobby Uhrig]

BS -The fish striking a bait for a particular reason is not the fault of the angler-I have used  baits of every description catching different species. The crap that he had said about that bait being "species specific" is a crock-Small bait fish imitation  is the way of the food chain. I have known Game Wardens-their tactics, as well as every phase of law enforcement- They pull you over -act like they are your best friend or buddy-then stick it to ya. ITS A TACTIC- Are they doing their job-yes-but to say that the bait is species specific- and possibly fine you for it- Thats a crock- They should have a document or sign before you enter the lake SPECIFYING THAT A TROUT STAMP IS MANDITORY-  Tackle companies should put "Multi-Species on the package

[Dan:]

yeah, it would be completely unreasonable for a game warden to be skeptical when you say you aren't fishing for trout with a known trout lure just because it is possible to catch other fish with it.

If they believed everything that fisherman told them when confronted they'd be out of the job. Why should wardens have to assume that everyone is telling them the truth? See it from their side. They get lied to everyday. They can't just take your word for it.

[TommyBass]

It just depends on how your law reads... period.  There are many states that say you can't fish for fish "x" during certain seasons etc.  Same would apply for you in that.   For instance, here in Indiana, we can fish for trout whenever we want, but you have to have the stamp to take them home.  Thats how the law reads so thats what I do (or at least used to, I havn't checked lately). 

In your defense though, about ANYTHING will catch a trout.  I highly doubt that they are going to enforce that much.  Otherwise all you'd be able to use in that lake is a buzzbait.  I've caught them on almost every bass lure known to man.

Now if you were out there with a jar of trout krilla, then thats a different story obviously.

[rat-l-trapper]

I really can't blame the game warden for thinking you were trout fishing. I live in Oregon and people are really into trout here, I've never seen anyone use a kastmaster for bass. If you were fishing something like a crank that's a diffirent story though. I catch trout all the time on crankbaits, but with a kastmaster it seems like you would catch more trout than bass. I say get the trout stamp if you're fishing trout waters with trout lures. I'm glad I don't need to worry about trout stamps here, sounds like a lot of you guy's do, though.

[rboat]

It sounds like your states fishing laws were written by the current administration.  :

SNAFU.