What do they do with all the fish?

[amateurfishing]

Not to throw in another curve ball but what if someone brags about a freezer full of fish then claims all was taken from a liberalized lake before winter kill, it negates any law regarding daily or possession limits, right? So in a roundabout way the law can be considered worthless, right?

[Pat K]

Not to throw in another curve ball but what if someone brags about a freezer full of fish then claims all was taken from a liberalized lake before winter kill, it negates any law regarding daily or possession limits, right? So in a roundabout way the law can be considered worthless, right?

It would be cost prohibitive, but the fish could be tested to get the general area where it came from. They can use the levels of polutants in the scales and meat to get it down to which one of the 4 major drainage basins in MN it came from.

[Kyhl]

Not entirely true. If my wife has a licence and my child or children live at home those are extra limits of fish for the pickle jar.

If you want to pick nits it's a fine line to cross but by my estimation a 5 gallon pail of pickled pike is going to be about three limits (9-10 fish) of 2lb fish. 2 Limits if you increase it to 3lb fish (27").

Throw on top of that the avererage MN household has less than 3 people in it (2.58 in 2000 census) then yeah, a 5 gallan pail would be pushing if not breaking the limits. Probably fewer per household now since birth rates have fallen.

But I think you get the idea and are just being argumentative.

[amateurfishing]

& what about those that had pickups full of northerners for

Pelican this winter when it was liberalized?

[JP Z]

Exactly, what about Mille Lacs and their 10 pike limit. You could have quite a few "limits" worth of pike in the freezer/pickle jar from only 1 trip.

[delcecchi]

Exactly, what about Mille Lacs and their 10 pike limit. You could have quite a few "limits" worth of pike in the freezer/pickle jar from only 1 trip.

That's ok. If they want to pick nits, the way fish are cut up for pickling violates the law with respect to storage (unless they changed the rules since the last time I looked)

[Agronomist_at_IA]

Dude. This is nothing to do with what you "believe" or "abide by". It's the law, cut and dried.

You don't get a different set of rules because you don't like the ones that are in place.

Well I guess the local CO can come and bust the people doing the benefit fish fry for having over limit. I'd like to see how that would go over. My guess is within a month he would be moved or let go after the swell of calls into the state. No hair off my back. If the church has a freezer with a couple hundred to a 1000 members, I'm would think members could lay claim to "possessing" said fish. If this is the case, then it's well within the law. So depending on how the law is viewed its not all that cut and dried. I'm no lawyer, but i'm sure a good one could argue it and win.

It's not like we are all out taking limits of fish every day. To tell you the truth my wife hates fish so we very rarely eat fish. Most the time I don't even have fish in the freezer, and whatever I catch I'll clean and drop off to help out what I believe to be a good cause. Are the guys that do this taking limits day after day. Heck no there people in the community that enjoy a pastime and came up with a way to help out people in the community that doesn't cost much for the community. In fact most the people that donate the fish go and end up dropping $100 to eat the fish they caught. Man it sounds like some law breaking lake destroying fish keeping hogs...........

[h8go4s]

I know I'll get blasted for this, but...

How does your church decide which laws they can violate?

Time to move this to silly town.

[OnAFly]

oh, that happened about a page ago

[fishnowworknever]

I know I'll get blasted for this, but...

How does your church decide which laws they can violate?

Time to move this to silly town.

Our rules and laws don't apply to "them".

...this thread is still under "Open Water" ?

[Pat K]

Well I guess the local CO can come and bust the people doing the benefit fish fry for having over limit. I'd like to see how that would go over. My guess is within a month he would be moved or let go after the swell of calls into the state. No hair off my back. If the church has a freezer with a couple hundred to a 1000 members, I'm would think members could lay claim to "possessing" said fish. If this is the case, then it's well within the law. So depending on how the law is viewed its not all that cut and dried. I'm no lawyer, but i'm sure a good one could argue it and win.

I'm so relieved you gave us the OK to pick and choose which laws we obey, as long as the end justify the means!

[Agronomist_at_IA]

I know I'll get blasted for this, but...

How does your church decide which laws they can violate?

Time to move this to silly town.

how is a law being violated if there are enough people to claim the fish for a possesion limt.

[h8go4s]

Well, I'm only familiar with the Minnesota regs, but I doubt that a CO would allow me to call up a bunch of friends and have them come over and claim possession of fish in my freezer. Would an Iowa CO? I'd say there is a clear violation of law going on there and you're inferring that because it's for a church fish feed, it's ok. Once again, how does your church decide which laws to violate?

[amateurfishing]

You and I know they are purposely breaking the law just like an illegal poacher, etc. Unfortunately there are a few easy ways around it, gifting to each person at the fry, each person their "cLaiming" to be lawful fisherman with legal licenses, claiming from liberalized lake. Etc

Im more curious as to what denomination this is (and I have a guess) that thinks they can rightiously break or circumvent the law in their house of worship and not b concerned about judgement from the guy upstairs and claim in the best interest of community stewardship. I may be ripped for this post as,well.

[harvey lee]

If the fish were gifted to any church for a fish fry, what law is broken? If they gift them within the law, then they attend a fish fry, I see no issue with that unless I am misreading the laws.

[amateurfishing]

U cannot gift to a building (church) only people

Who gifts to 50-300 people?

Definitely a technicality

[harvey lee]

I know several expert anglers who insist on keeping every legal fish they catch. Why? Some of them go fishing every day and keep their limit every day. They even take extra anglers along so they can keep two or three limits. What do they do with all those fish?

You can only legally have so many in your freezer. So I assume they sell or give them away. But why? Some will tell you the fish are for this or that special event - so they probably have way over their limit in the freezer. If they are giving them away to friends, why? How many of those given away go to waste? Plenty is my guess. And if they are selling them! I would report em in a heartbeat and hope they lose all fishing privileges forever.

My personal rule is if I have ANY fish in the freezer, they git eaten before I keep another fish. If my friends want some fish, they can come along with me and catch em themselves.

And for those that insist on pounding deep water walleyes, why?? Any walleye caught below 40 FOW is a dead walleye (crappies are even worse) whether released or not. Might take a few days, but they will all die. Reeling them in slowly will not help unless you mean 24 hours to bring em up from 40 feet. If you are into catch and release, please stay in shallower water.

Spend more time fishing and less time cleaning. Report the fish hogs and other that abuse the resource.

I gift more fish to elderly neighbors than I eat myself--you ask why-- well they cannot go and fish anymore and they really enjoy a fresh meal of fish. All within the law.

I also gift fish to the elderly care facility across the street from my house, boy do they appreciate the fresh fish, they usually send a thank you note with it signed by the residents. I guess there is nothing wrong with this as long as it falls within the laws.

I would say, to say these fish that are gifted go to waste is a huge stretch Capt.

I do not keep any fish in my freezer, well maybe 1 meal, other than that, I eat all my fish fresh.

That is what I do and if others want to keep fish in their freezers within the law, fine with me. They can also gift them legally so that is also fine with me.

If you know for a fact that someone has way over their legal limit, call the CO, give him the facts and have him check their freezer, simple enough.

Did you have a bad day of fishing?

[Alagnak]

Not pointed at Harvey in any way- but lots of 'gifting' goes on just because some don't have the self control to throw eaters back and just HAVE to kill there for have to rotate freezer stock.

[amateurfishing]

Harvey, I dont gift fish cause my kids love it too much. So a question for someone that does, do you gift your individual possesion limit to the elderly across thr street on a trip by trip basis or do you save up for a decent amount then gift? If you do on a trip by trip basis does the elderly residence save it up for one meal for all or cook the few u give them for a couple of residents at a time? If this is some kind of public home I would suspect it to be illegal of them to serve food not purchased from approved food source (commercial) that would have to abide by state or federal ag or food safety lawz but maybe there are provisions locally that can bypass this?

[harvey lee]

Most all the elderly I gift too are homes with 2 people so, 4-5 sunfish per gift is plenty for them. of the 4 that I gift too, I know they eat them within a day, they will tell me the next day how good they were. One neighbor I gift to his wife has told me if they do not eat them all for supper, he will finish them up for breakfast the next morning, that is how much they love fresh fish.

In regards to the elderly care facility, I know the owner very well and asked him if they could accept fish caught for those in the care facility. he said they could, it depends on numerous things if one can or cannot accepts food. I know many including myself also gift things like squash and other veggies from the garden also.

I gift to the care facility once or twice a year, when I do that, I typically have another along in the boat as it take a limit plus of eyes or 1 limit of sunfish for a meal. This home has 11 residents and the elderly do not eat that much so 2 pieces, maybe 3 of fish will get a meal for them.

If I go fishing and catch a meal for our house and the fishing is good, then I will take some more, within my limit for a neighbor if they have not had a meal for a month or so.

How much do I gift them, maybe 3 meals year round, by 4 places. That would be 12 meals for 2 people in each house. Most fish are sunfish so I would guess for the year, at 4-5 sunfish per meal, that would be 60 sunfish per year, 3 limits for me. 5 fish will be 10 pieces for 2 elderly, plenty for a meal.

[harvey lee]

Not pointed at Harvey in any way- but lots of 'gifting' goes on just because some don't have the self control to throw eaters back and just HAVE to kill there for have to rotate freezer stock.

Yes, I am sure some do this and it is bad but, what can one do about it other than CALL A co?

[Agronomist_at_IA]

Well, I'm only familiar with the Minnesota regs, but I doubt that a CO would allow me to call up a bunch of friends and have them come over and claim possession of fish in my freezer. Would an Iowa CO? I'd say there is a clear violation of law going on there and you're inferring that because it's for a church fish feed, it's ok. Once again, how does your church decide which laws to violate?

The freezer is in a public place. Not at someone's house. you may feel the law is being broken, but I would disagree with you.

[Agronomist_at_IA]

You and I know they are purposely breaking the law just like an illegal poacher, etc. Unfortunately there are a few easy ways around it, gifting to each person at the fry, each person their "cLaiming" to be lawful fisherman with legal licenses, claiming from liberalized lake. Etc

Im more curious as to what denomination this is (and I have a guess) that thinks they can rightiously break or circumvent the law in their house of worship and not b concerned about judgement from the guy upstairs and claim in the best interest of community stewardship. I may be ripped for this post as,well.

We are the Hamas chapter in Iowa and our goal is to kill the walleye population in Minnesota. We only keep fish when we catch them in Minnesota. A code called Pirates code is enacted once we cross the boarder. (Take everything Throw nothing back) Since we are so close to the boarder here, we drive over to Minnesota in droves to catch and keep the precious walleye. It is against our beliefs to do so in our own state of Iowa though. We use women & child in this endeavor has human shields against the CO's to allow us to take large groups of fish out of your state on technicalities.

[amateurfishing]

Most all the elderly I gift too are homes with 2 people so, 4-5 sunfish per gift is plenty for them. of the 4 that I gift too, I know they eat them within a day, they will tell me the next day how good they were. One neighbor I gift to his wife has told me if they do not eat them all for supper, he will finish them up for breakfast the next morning, that is how much they love fresh fish.

In regards to the elderly care facility, I know the owner very well and asked him if they could accept fish caught for those in the care facility. he said they could, it depends on numerous things if one can or cannot accepts food. I know many including myself also gift things like squash and other veggies from the garden also.

I gift to the care facility once or twice a year, when I do that, I typically have another along in the boat as it take a limit plus of eyes or 1 limit of sunfish for a meal. This home has 11 residents and the elderly do not eat that much so 2 pieces, maybe 3 of fish will get a meal for them.

If I go fishing and catch a meal for our house and the fishing is good, then I will take some more, within my limit for a neighbor if they have not had a meal for a month or so.

How much do I gift them, maybe 3 meals year round, by 4 places. That would be 12 meals for 2 people in each house. Most fish are sunfish so I would guess for the year, at 4-5 sunfish per meal, that would be 60 sunfish per year, 3 limits for me. 5 fish will be 10 pieces for 2 elderly, plenty for a meal.

Very kind of you Harvey, best regards

[harvey lee]

Well, I'm only familiar with the Minnesota regs, but I doubt that a CO would allow me to call up a bunch of friends and have them come over and claim possession of fish in my freezer. Would an Iowa CO? I'd say there is a clear violation of law going on there and you're inferring that because it's for a church fish feed, it's ok. Once again, how does your church decide which laws to violate?

I believe if a person has fish in their freezer and it was gifted to them, with the gifter's name and license number on the package is there, then there is no issue as they were legally harvested and gifted.

No different if 20 people to went to a church fish fry and donated a legal package of fish to the church fish fry, I do not see any issue with that at all, not sure what law has been broken at all.

It is by law in Mn that a licensed fisherman can and legally gift fish to anyone , a church, jailhouse or whatever. I have never read in the regs where it states one can only gift to certain groups of people. if it is there, please show me so I do not break the law.

Put your name on the package and your license number and you are good to go by law.