Keep the first 5 and let the rest survive!
Went out this am and forgot all about it until Richard said something as I was pulling away from the dock. Didn’t even bring ice to keep fish. Caught 5 pretty quick and left, so it wasn’t a big deal.
All caught on the Lex side fishing about 40’ deep in 50’-60’ of water. 3 legit keepers and 2 19"-20".
'07 198 DLX Carolina Skiff
FS90 Suzuki
Sorry I missed your call last night. The wife and I were having a “discussion”. I would have loved to have gone. Maybe next time. Thanks for calling.
Bob Van Gundy
Marine Designs,Inc.
Custom Aluminum Fabrication
803-727-4069
I guess my reading comprehension leaves a little to be desired after reading the new regulations several times. Size restrictions and possession limits are no problem, but the verbiage “attempt to take” has me wondering. Is this really saying that after an individual has brought in 5 fish, regardless if they are possessed or released, one has reached their quota for the day?
quote:
Originally posted by striperskiffI’m confused too. From talking to others, I’ve been hearing it is you have to keep the first 5 and you are done regardless of size and assumed that was the case this morning. After reading your post I was looking into it and if that was the intent, it seems to me like it is very poorly/wrongly worded.
We got checked earlier in the week and I figured it was a perfect oportunity to hear it directly from a LE guy, but he didn’t know. He said he was unsure. Granted, he was a county guy and not DNR, but he did check for our licenses and checked our fish in the cooler, so I’m assuming they enforce the DNR fishing rules as well.
So if the LE guy wasn’t sure, it’s no wonder there is so much confusion by the general public.
Personally, either way, as the fish go deeper I will keep the first 5 and stop as so many will die after release. Most of the shorts seem to be very close to 21" anyway. But for right now, if it is not required to keep them, I would have no problem releasing fish. The ones I caught this morning were all lip hooked with circle hooks, caught about 40’ down and were in fine shape.
Edit: After seeing a post in the MSC forum (see “Lake Murray News Article”), it sounds like what they are saying is you don’t necessarily have to keep the first 5, but once you have boated 5 fish, wether you have kept them or released them, you are done.
I don’t work far from downtown. I’m going to stop by DNR at the State House at lunchtime tomorrow. I’ll post what I find out.
'07 198 DLX Carolina Skiff
FS90 Suzuki
'07 198 DLX Carolina Skiff
FS90 Suzuki
You are correct. Whether you keep them or not after you have caught 5 fish you are done. You may as well keep them regardless of size since once the surface temp reaches somewhere around 82 to 84 degrees the mortality rate is 100%
Thanks for clarifying. Do you have any insight as to why it wasn’t written to say it is required to keep every fish until you have 5? Seems like this will be hard to enforce unless they actually watch someone catch more than 5. If it was required to keep them all until you had five, they would only have to catch someone releasing a fish.
'07 198 DLX Carolina Skiff
FS90 Suzuki
Curious to see how this all shakes out as well. Not sure how they would enforce it either if they allow catch/release. One of the guys at Lake World told me they will come over and talk to you if you release any fish. Haven’t heard for sure if that is case or not, but I will just keep all I catch up to the limit just to be sure. If I don’t have any room in the freezer, or people to give fish to I won’t go fishing. Doubt that will happen though with the 2-3 times I get to go a month.
I think that DNR worded it the way that they did because not everyone keeps the fish they catch … if the law was written to state that you had to “keep” the first 5 fish then people would be upset that DNR was “mandating” the killing of fish … pun intended on the mandate … LOL
it’s my Wife’s fault we HAVE to fish now!!!
2005 Sea Pro 2100cc / Yamaha 150hp 4-Stroke
Per person per day (Day being defined as sunrise to the following sunrise)
Section 50-13-230 (E) states as follows:
“On Lake Murray and the middle reach of the Saluda River it is unlawful to possess more than five striped bass a day. From June first through September thirtieth, it is unlawful to take, attempt to take, or possess more than five striped bass a day.” [emphasis added]
Section 50-13-230 (F) states as follows:
“On Lake Murray and the middle reach of the Saluda River from October first through May thirty-first, it is unlawful to possess a striped bass less than twenty-one inches in total length. From June first to September thirtieth there is no minimum length.” [emphasis added]
Again, DNR can’t “force” people to take the fish, but they can force people to stop fishing … hope this clears everything up … oh … and hopefully no one gets stuck with 5 12" fish … 
it’s my Wife’s fault we HAVE to fish now!!!
2005 Sea Pro 2100cc / Yamaha 150hp 4-Stroke
UGH … and I’m reminded that in the 6+ years that we’ve been here we’ve NEVER caught a Catfish in Lake Murray … I’m going to have to change that … 
it’s my Wife’s fault we HAVE to fish now!!!
2005 Sea Pro 2100cc / Yamaha 150hp 4-Stroke
quote:
Originally posted by LawcrusherAgain, DNR can’t “force” people to take the fish…
Yea, that makes sense why they would word it like hey did.
I’ll be sticking to the 5/person and done through the end of Sept, but I probably won’t necessarily stick to the end of Sept with keeping all 5. Since it is technically not illegal to release them as long as you have not caught 5, I may be releasing fish sometime earlier in the month when catching them in the upper water column.
'07 198 DLX Carolina Skiff
FS90 Suzuki
[/quote]
… Since it is technically not illegal to release them as long as you have not caught 5, I may be releasing fish sometime earlier in the month when catching them in the upper water column.
'07 198 DLX Carolina Skiff
FS90 Suzuki
[/quote]
Yeah … that makes sense … like we’ve talked about before, it’s all about the water temp … so early and late in the date range should be okay to release so long as the water temp isn’t too high …
it’s my Wife’s fault we HAVE to fish now!!!
2005 Sea Pro 2100cc / Yamaha 150hp 4-Stroke
I was catching them on top water in 82 degree coves saturday. What exactly is the habits of striper in regards to water temp. What temperature threash hold can they not stand?
quote:
Originally posted by GeronimoI was catching them on top water in 82 degree coves saturday. What exactly is the habits of striper in regards to water temp. What temperature threash hold can they not stand?
I don’t think that the top water fish are so much the issue as the fish that run at 40’, 80’ and 100’ … the water temp is much colder down there and has more oxygen than the warmer/hot water on the top … when you pull a Striper up from 40’+ then you’re not only wearing the fish out but you’re also dragging it up into oxygen depleated hot water … so when you release them they can’t revive and usually end up dying … even if you think they’ve swam off they simply aren’t strong enough to get down to the cooler oxygen rich water they need in order to fully revive so they end up dying and floating up somewhere else a few minutes later … 
…
Add that to the fish kill that comes when the lake flips over and you get lots of dead and dying fish floating around the lake in the summertime …
it’s my Wife’s fault we HAVE to fish now!!!
2005 Sea Pro 2100cc / Yamaha 150hp 4-Stroke
The lake doesn’t actually turn over until later in the fall. The kill off in the summer is normally just due to the fish being starved for O2 when they go deep and stay there during the heat of the summer. In the last few years, I believe SCE&G has changed their policies of when and how much water they run in the summer months to help prevent fish kills.
Hopefully, with that, along with the new regs, we won’t see many dead fish at all floating this summer.
'07 198 DLX Carolina Skiff
FS90 Suzuki
quote:
Originally posted by striperskiffThe lake doesn’t actually turn over until later in the fall. The kill off in the summer is normally just due to the fish being starved for O2 when they go deep and stay there during the heat of the summer. In the last few years, I believe SCE&G has changed their policies of when and how much water they run in the summer months to help prevent fish kills.
Hopefully, with that, along with the new regs, we won’t see many dead fish at all floating this summer.
'07 198 DLX Carolina Skiff
FS90 Suzuki
opps - yep, you’re right it is later in the Fall … just seems like these days Summer goes right on into October … 
it’s my Wife’s fault we HAVE to fish now!!!
2005 Sea Pro 2100cc / Yamaha 150hp 4-Stroke
That’s a screwy way to word things. One could argue that if you’ve already caught 4 fish, it would be illegal to troll or fish more than 1 rod because you’re attempting to take a fish on each rod that is being fished, which puts you over 5!
Please see the post below taken from the MSC forum.
“Please join us for the July meeting of the Midlands Striper Club at the Flight Deck Restaurant, 109-A Old Chapin Road, Lexington, SC 29072. Our speakers this month will be from SC DNR and will share with us the enforcement policies of the new regulations as they apply to Striped Bass fishing on Lake Murray. As always, guests are welcome. Our business meeting starts at 7:00 PM Tuesday, July 10th. Please arrive early if you plan to enjoy supper. I look forward to seeing everyone there.”
Our meetings are open to the public so please join us.
quote:
Originally posted by Curly DogPlease see the post below taken from the MSC forum.
“Please join us for the July meeting of the Midlands Striper Club at the Flight Deck Restaurant, 109-A Old Chapin Road, Lexington, SC 29072. Our speakers this month will be from SC DNR and will share with us the enforcement policies of the new regulations as they apply to Striped Bass fishing on Lake Murray. As always, guests are welcome. Our business meeting starts at 7:00 PM Tuesday, July 10th. Please arrive early if you plan to enjoy supper. I look forward to seeing everyone there.”
Our meetings are open to the public so please join us.
Very cool … we’ll try to be there … thanks for the info
it’s my Wife’s fault we HAVE to fish now!!!
2005 Sea Pro 2100cc / Yamaha 150hp 4-Stroke
Dang Loophole,
Where were you when the DNR was soliciting comments. You have a talent equal to your name. By an extreme interpretation, I think you have a point, but then could you use a lure with more than one hook? I’ve seen doubles caught on multiple hook plugs…what about an umbrella rig? or an Alabama rig? I wouldn’t expect to be ticketed for fishing two rods or more with only one fish left on my limit, though we all know that having more than one fish on is common.
The intent of the law sure looks good though the the line seems a bit blurred. I am going to do my best to follow the intent of the law rather than focus on the legal boundry line and I doubt I’ll get into any trouble, at least I’m not going to spend any more of my limited mental capacity worrying about it.