RT,
That's the same way that I read Mr. Bjork's answer to my questions. It was also made clear to me, that you may hand off as many fish as you want to, provided that the person that you hand your fish off to is not fishing with a line in the water at the time you hand it off to him. It also means that YOU could not do that if YOU had already caught your limits of adult salmon or steelhead. Steel head are still a little gray issue here, because the game laws only address the issue that you must stop fishing when you get your limit of adult salmon (not steel head). I guess that the Officer could make the argument, that a steelhead is technically classified as a "salmonoid", so you must stop fishing for steelhead if you have your limit of salmon.

I think that the biggest "shocker" comes from Mr. Bjork's answer about the fact that "everybody" in the boat could possibly get cited under RCW 9A.76.090 (1) (Rendering Criminal Assistance). I know if I was still guiding, I would think twice now about letting a full boat full CEO's get cited for allowing someone in my boat to hand off his rod to another person, while that "other person" still had his line in the water. I know it wouldn't take to long before that guide name had gotten out, and was blacked balled by the guys that really spend the big bucks for a guided fishing trip.

One other thing that bothers me a little about Mr. Bjork's reply was the statement " Bear in mind that our Enforcement Officers have some discretion in how they handle violations". What I believe he is saying is that an officer can make a choice on the enforcement of a violation. That does not mean that if some else pushes the issue in the field, that the Game Warden doesn't have to cite the person who is being accused of commenting a game violation. It is my understanding that the game officers are bound under law the same way as peace officers are. RCW 77.12.055 (Enforcement authority of fish and wildlife officers), (2) states, " Fish and wildlife officers are peace officers." To me, that would means that go the same rules, unless the law says otherwise.

(1) Fish and wildlife officers and ex officio fish and wildlife officers shall enforce this title, rules of the department, and other statutes as prescribed by the legislature. However, when acting within the scope of these duties and when an offense occurs in the presence of the fish and wildlife officer who is not an ex officio fish and wildlife officer, the fish and wildlife officer may (key word is "may") enforce all criminal laws of the state. The fish and wildlife officer must have successfully completed the basic law enforcement academy course sponsored by the criminal justice training commission, or a course approved by the department and the criminal justice training commission and provided by the department or the criminal justice training commission, prior to enforcing the criminal laws of the state.

I wonder Just, which game laws are "ticketed ones" and which game laws violations that earn you a trip to jail, with all your equipment being confiscated? Is it only a Felony? Or is it for a first-degree or second-degree violation?

Does anyone out there know the answer?

Cowlitzfisherman

Is the taste of the bait worth the sting of the hook????