Elkhorn Question

[CJ Allex]

Hey,
Waded Saturday,6:00 AM till 11:00AM.Only caught one,but it was a nice,healthy 15 inch smallmouth,caught and released unharmed on a good old wacky rigged Senko worm.That made the whole trip worthwhile.The fish seemed active to me-I saw some hogs jump.I also tried tubes and a small blue topwater Rapala.The water was low and clear ,so I probably was spooking the fish.I've been using 8 Lb braid with an 8 Lb fluorocarbon leader and it seems like I can't cast the braid as far.Also,I didn't cover a lot of water because I didn't want to stray too far from the VPA where I started because I wasn't sure about the trespassing laws and how they apply to waders.So I never fished near any ripples etc.Anyway,Thanks to all of you for your advice and information.
Kurt

Good deal bud! Glad to hear ya got a good one. From what I have seen in about a total of 5 weeks within 2 months though... you are very permitted to go where you would like. Nice to see another here though that seems to want to follow laws rather than what you would like the law to be. Hats off for that! As far as what is legal and what is not... all I can tell you is that I have Never seen a warden even when I wish I had. I've seen many that were disrespectful of a beautiful fishery, and I wish more would adhere to this: Clean up the trash you see on the creek, take only what is legal and take your own trash home and come back the next week to something better than how you left it. (My wife and I typically take a trashbag scpecifically for others trash.)

[crappiehunterchris]

Hey,
Waded Saturday,6:00 AM till 11:00AM.Only caught one,but it was a nice,healthy 15 inch smallmouth,caught and released unharmed on a good old wacky rigged Senko worm.That made the whole trip worthwhile.The fish seemed active to me-I saw some hogs jump.I also tried tubes and a small blue topwater Rapala.The water was low and clear ,so I probably was spooking the fish.I've been using 8 Lb braid with an 8 Lb fluorocarbon leader and it seems like I can't cast the braid as far.Also,I didn't cover a lot of water because I didn't want to stray too far from the VPA where I started because I wasn't sure about the trespassing laws and how they apply to waders.So I never fished near any ripples etc.Anyway,Thanks to all of you for your advice and information.
Kurt

I never ever go above 6 lb on elkhorn even carp fishing lol what am i saying i dont go above 6 lb line anywere anytime of the year

[mhall]

I know one thing that needs to happen bad on that creek. They need to get some CO's down there and check some **** stringers. Some of the Hilljacks I see down there keep everything they catch and have no idea what a slot limit is and don't give a crap either. I questioned two of them in a canoe when they were bragging about their stringer. One held it up and said mostly Redeye on there......................Uhh no you have a crap ton of baby smallmouth on there bud did you guys know thats illegal in this creek. They had slot fish on that stringer to. I have read the rules and it does not state you can keep under 12 inch bass anywhere in the state unless I am reading it wrong or of course unless they are Kentucky spotted bass.

They couldn't have cared less. When I caught and released a very nice largehead in front of them, I hear...'' MAN thats a goodun..............dang man you are letting that fish go''............I say ''I never keep bass out of this creek because I want to keep it strong hopefully forever''.............They laugh at me and and go on clunking down the creek keeping every 6 inch smallmouth they caught......I wish I would have had a grenade...............Frickin non caring act like their starving or something Hilljacks....it pisses me off.

Rant concluded!

[mhall]

Someone told me once that they allow 5 being 10 to 12 inches and one over 16 inch. But that isn't really how the pfd file from the KDFW reads, maybe I'm confused but I doubt seriously if they allow keeping 6 and 7 inch smallmouth or largemouth bass out of that creek....why would they??

[jcb]

Check again... Those rules have been changed to reflect that since Elkhorn Creek is deemed to be a navigable waterway and your entry point into the creek is legal (VPA or permissible private property) a Franklin co judge has ruled that you are perfectly legal in your fishing practice of wading the creek wherever you wish, so long as you stay in the ceek. So while it used to be crazy for waders... that has since changed. Here is an article I found on that in a magazine. http://southsidermagazine.com/2013/1...r-strike-zone/
Just scroll down to Elkhorn and the Note section there.

Can I add a note of caution to this - many Elkhorn landowners still consider this an unsettled matter because the judge who made this ruling entered some untrodden ground regarding the meaning of the "incidental use" phrase in the statute. Others are perhaps unaware of the ruling altogether. So regardless of this ruling, there still is an element of risk involved if you don't have landowner permission, unfortunately.

[dabassking]

I know one thing that needs to happen bad on that creek. They need to get some CO's down there and check some **** stringers. Some of the Hilljacks I see down there keep everything they catch and have no idea what a slot limit is and don't give a crap either. I questioned two of them in a canoe when they were bragging about their stringer. One held it up and said mostly Redeye on there......................Uhh no you have a crap ton of baby smallmouth on there bud did you guys know thats illegal in this creek. They had slot fish on that stringer to. I have read the rules and it does not state you can keep under 12 inch bass anywhere in the state unless I am reading it wrong or of course unless they are Kentucky spotted bass.

They couldn't have cared less. When I caught and released a very nice largehead in front of them, I hear...'' MAN thats a goodun..............dang man you are letting that fish go''............I say ''I never keep bass out of this creek because I want to keep it strong hopefully forever''.............They laugh at me and and go on clunking down the creek keeping every 6 inch smallmouth they caught......I wish I would have had a grenade...............Frickin non caring act like their starving or something Hilljacks....it pisses me off.

Rant concluded!

The regulations for Elkhorn Creek in Franklin Co. state that there is a protective slot limit from 12" to 16". Any LM or SM within that slot must be released. It then says that your daily limit of 6 fish may include no more that 2 fish longer than 16". That means that the other 4 fish in your limit would have to be under 12". If you couldn't keep any fish under the slot limit, then there wouldn't be a slot limit. It would just be a straight 16" size limit. I'm not saying I agree with taking 6" SM from a creek, I'm just clarifying the rules.

[CJ Allex]

Someone told me once that they allow 5 being 10 to 12 inches and one over 16 inch. But that isn't really how the pfd file from the KDFW reads, maybe I'm confused but I doubt seriously if they allow keeping 6 and 7 inch smallmouth or largemouth bass out of that creek....why would they??

6 and 7 inch smallies are perfectly legal to keep on the main fork of Elkhorn. Called KDFWR
and confirmed that. It is a management tool that they are using to reduce numbers and increase forage for the larger fish in the creek while at the same time protecting those who are in the 12-16 inch slot. Can only keep 2 fish though that are larger than 16" on Elkhorn. The other 4 must be under 12"

[mhall]

Yea like I said in a previous post I was told that and figured as much but I still think its absolutely ridiculous to keep fish like that. Also stated these two goobers were keeping slots to and they were.

I personally think it should be a federal crime to kill smallmouth period but that is just me and I ain't planning to change....lol