I agree it’s confusing.

Sounds like you don’t need a tout stamp of practicing catch and release in purple sign areas, but need a trout stamp in all other areas (unless stocked by others other than the state) if you are targeting trout even in you don’t keep them.

They could definitely make things much clearer than they do. It often seems like they write the regs with what they know they want to convey in their head, but the words aren’t printed clearly for the general public.

I actually bought my trout stamp in 2020 in December for the 1st time ever, and in 2021 in January....caught and kept trout in both months while icefishing.