I noticed that there are a few streams down here that have trout, and they can be fished catch and release in early season. What happens if a fish you catch dies prior to releasing? do you just pitch it in the water and waste it?

Nah around here it becomes the trouser trout.

I normally catch and release most everything. Wade fishing the river here and keeping fish is a pain in the ass. If I kill one, I will keep it and eat it though.
I don't like wasting game or fish, but I don't want my tackle confiscated and get a fine for it.

I can't imagine how you would end up killing a trout unless your using live bait and letting the fish swallow it.

I release all the trout I catch, I don't think in all the years I've been doing it I have ever killed a fish.

Is OP fishing with worms?

Pretty much.

That explains it I guess.

I prefer fishing Lake Michigan or Superior Tributaries where anything under 16" is Very rare.

I've done the small stream "micro" trout thing once or twice and found its not my thing. Much more fun to catch larger Lake run Trout in the same small streams in my mind.

I get that, but not having those close by, and having small streams in my back yard it is the fishing I will be doing. I grew up fishing smaller streams, learning how to read the water, and enjoying the quiet and solitude of fishing them alone.

It may surprise you but the best Time to fish the tributaries just happens to be a time when there are no crowds. I like fishing alone and I don't care for crowds. There are times that I don't go fishing even tho I know the fish are there just to avoid the crowds. There are some small streams that get a lake run. These small streams don't hold the fish long. If you hit them at the right time its unbelievable. Nothing like hooking into a fresh Rainbow/Steelhead in a small stream that's not much more than 6-10 ft wide with a very fast current. If you aren't able to chase the fish downstream in a hurry there is almost zero chance of ever seeing it.

Here is a picture of the fun type of stuff to fish. Never any crowds, I guess its too hard to fish for most.

That is a nice looking spot. I prefer that to the elbow to elbow clusterfuck fishing close to the cities.

Looks like the Brule - caught a nice 6#  springtime rainbow  awhile back.  Had to keep knocking the ice off the rod tip.

No, the Carp River.