Yeah, but bottom line is he did nothing wrong under the regs by catching and keeping the fish and using bait, he had every right to do so. I too disagree with the fishery management policy that encourages catch & kill / put and take fisheries in waters that could be capable of a self-sustained fishery with local strains of wild fish. Plus the big fish like that one are the ones that need to be protected, Putah needs slot limits or a catch & release / wild fishery status. I was reading an article recently that described how some studies are now revealing that catching and keeping the big fish results in population surges of many small fish that further stunts the growth, ensuring even smaller fish. Protecting the big guys helps protect the gene-pool of fish capable of surving longer, getting bigger, laying more eggs, etc.

The more I think about the whole thing the more irritated I get, I realy hope to see more realistic fisheries management policies that rely less on "high yield" hatchery trout and more on habitat protection and wild fisheries management. Having to repeatedly stock a creek like Putah is to me a sign of failure to properly manage a fishery: I say keep the planters out of the creek, and keep those big guys in it.

Tight lines.