as far as the legalities go, here in MI, if you catch the species your self... they count as part of your possession limit in your bag. i don't recommend keeping fish that have closed seasons, because if you have live specimen during a closed season it is considered poaching. if you do keep them, they must be returned to the water they came from the day the season closes. here in MI blue gill species and perch never close, they are open all year, so it is ok to keep them year round, as well as catfish and some others. walleye, bass, trout, pike all have closed seasons(and size limits) so thy aren't kept (legally) by many people.
also i DO NOT recommend keeping any trout species, one, because the size limit on these fish are typically 10 inches or over and you need a huge tank to hold them... and also they are cold water species that prefer and dwell in temps from as cold as 36 degrees to as warm as 60 degrees f... a range that you just cant offer in a home tank... not to mention superior water qualities.
also a common misconception 99.9% of the population doesn't realize, is that a conservation officer has all the rights of a state trooper, and then some. in fact they are more powerful than staties... i knew a guy who had large mouth bass in his home tank... he blabbed about it on a hunting forum i belong to, that is mighigan specific... couple weeks later we learned he was busted and fined and ALL of his tanks where taken, legal or not, and so was his right to hunt or fish for 5 years... and the fine was upwards of 10grand.
i don't look down on keeping native species... in fact i plan to keep gills and perch my self down the line... just look into your local dnr's laws and bag limits/possession limits and open/closed seasons before you get into it. and make sure it IS legal in your state.
w/ best regards, state and federally licensed MICH taxidermist and AVID outdoors man.
