Fish Possession

[Shawnny B]

I was just wondering about the possession limits for fish, I know that you can only have so many fish, but what happens if my Inlaws want some? Is that part of my Possession limit, do they need a licence, Do I have to be present with the fish? I'm Not saying that im trying to hoard the fish but I have family and friends that want fish and I was wonderin about the possession limits, Anyone got any idears?!?

btw, how does it work when they buy fish from the store...I mean you can buy walleye at the store, can you only have 6 in your freezer? LOL just wondering

Shawnny B

[Dano2]

heh, heh, dont know about the fish in the store one, but no, you cant go out and catch a bunch of extra fish for family and friends. They will need a license, and will need to be with, if you catch more than your limit. Just give them some from your limit if they want some, I give fish to my folks every so often.

[ice_shack]

It is illeagle to possess wild fish without a licence. But if you give fish to your relatives who is going to catch you. Unless of course you mention it on the internet an they track you down.

[psegriz]

Technically I think if you give someone fish your supposed to have your name and lic. # with the package and counts towards your limit. With fish bought I would guess the price tag on them would have it labeled lbs and price per lbs etc. and the store where bought at. I don't think they'd count towards a limit and if they do the DNR needs to change it's talk laws.

[The Grebe]

Here's my take....I'm licenced and legal....I catch and keep 10 Crappies....Once I do that, they are legally mine, as I have followed all the rules....I clean up MY fish and decide to give a couple of MY fish to my ma and to the neighbor.

To imply that technically they would have to have a licence to possess those fish is bologna, any agency that would even consider any legal repercussions over this would be laughed out of a courtroom and probably be cited by a judge for wasting the courts time.

You don't have to have a liqure licence to give your neighbor a beer, a six pack, a case, or a gallon of whiskey, nor does your neighbor have to have one to recieve it and possess it!

You don't have to have a gun dealers licence to give your bud a couple of shells in the duck blind and he does'nt have to have one to recieve them.

Same with venison, you give some to your uncle, he does'nt have to have a licence to recieve it and retain it.

I don't believe you have to be a licenced deer hunter to take possession of a road killed deer, once you clear it with an officer? If that were the case, how would that work pre and post seasons?

How about lakes that are freezing out and open to promiscuous fishing? All kinds of possibilities here!

Don't loose any sleep over this one, let the fish cops, CIA, FBI, INS, DEA, DNR, STP, or whoever, worry about it!

[Mark Christianson]

Grebe

I totally disagree with your "sweep it under the rug" opinion.

I think its a very good question. Sure it may have some loopholes, but its still a very valid question.

And I have no clue how the rules read in this example.

[Duffer]

here is my question on this i was told this story from a friend and thought it was wrong but not sure if it is leagel. can u catch your limit bring it to the cabin give it to your licenced wife and then go back out and chatch another limit bring it in give it to your licensed daughter go back out and catch another limit and keep it for your self is this leagal do u have to be the one catching it?

[Nutty Fisherman]

I would say that would work if you want to be that way.

[Mark Christianson]

Duffer, I would say no.

Try and explain that to a CO that watches you do that.

You obviously caught over your limit.

[efgh]

Any C.O. would give you a ticket for having 3 limits, if he saw you return to the lake 3 times and knew you had a limit each time, don;t think you would stand a chance in court either. you would even think of doing this.

[Duffer]

thats exactly what I thought when his wife told me he did that i was not only discusted but i wanted told her it was illegal but wasnt sure if it was thanks for clearing it up ill have to let her know. now me that is somthing i would never do i hope u didnt take it wrong it was somthing someone eles did.

[knoppers]

I believe the law is this. you can give fish away as a gift, and the people recieving this fish do not need a license, but the person that gave the fish must have date and license number on the package. I am going from memory on this one, and have not consulted the regs.

[Deitz Dittrich]

I believe the laws read(note I said believe) That there is no "party" fishing. If you are in a boat even, you are supposed to have 2 seperate livewells for each persons catch or 2 seperate stringers... Not exatly sure on that however.

[walleyejon]

Interesting topic, and I do not have a rule book in front of me to quote out of. My take/opinion is this:Possesion limits are a daily limit plus one limit(unless otherwise specified).So, if you catch a limit, and bring it to your residence(or campsite) you could go and catch more fish the same day if another person at the house/camper/tent was legal to fish. The morality of that choice is up to the individual.

As far as giving fish away, I think if the DNR wanted to get technical about it, a legal fisherperson has to live or be at the location the fish are being kept or consumed. Would someone get fined for someone else giving them fish? Maybe. As with any law(s), it is up to the discretion of both the person who makes the choice, and the the law enforcement agent who enforces it. I think for the most part, CO's target the obvious offenders, and leave the "grey" areas alone. If in doubt, err on the side of caution.

[psegriz]

knoppers thanx that is what i was trying to get across in my post but you did a better job

dietz I just looked it up and it says "the total # of fish posessed by the party may not exceed the combined limits of the numbers of the party Each party member may tranport only an individual limit of fish.

They define a party as 2 or more people fishing from a single water craft or if not in a boat maintain unaided visual AND vocal contact.

This was take out of 2003 reg book it may have change for 2004

It also says under ice angling catagory that party fishing does apply while spearing.

[icehousebob]

Knoppers, I think you're right on this, but I have a related question. I often fish with a friend and at the end of the day, I,ll give him my fish so he can clean them and supply his mother and his widowed sister's family with some fish. What should be done to make him legal while he's travelling home alone with two limits of Crappies?

[psegriz]

walleye jon

The daily limit and possesion are the same possesion limit on walleye is 6 for eg.

icehousebob

I was wondering the same thing myself and after reading the rules tonight it stated that "each angler may only have one limit in possesion" It sounds like that might be asking for troule. Kinda bums me out cause somefriends were planing a trip to LOW couple would have to go home but 2 of us are hittin red on the way home. We were planning on sending our eyes home with them but after reading that maybe not.

[The Grebe]

This is no "Sweep it under the rug opinion" No one seems to know the actual laws concerning this matter, or even if there are any, so how can it be swept under the rug? Do you know the laws governing this, if so, lets here em!

If you have no clues then how can this be, in your opinon, an under the rug case? Since neither one of us know in actuality, what the laws are, it's all speculation, thats all, nothing more!

[river-rat4]

Shawnny-

Here is how I see it. We all get bait/tackle and the regs are available there, free of charge. Read the book when the bite is slow, determine what/where laws apply to you or your situation. Now, if you are called on the table by a CO or GW you're covered. If it is a "grey" area in the book, let them proove that you are wrong! I guess that I have not run into these problems yet, but I do have a reg book along for guidance. Keep it honest and it isn't worth a fine or year of no fishing/hunting. I look at it like this, if I want to give some fish away to folk who can't get out, I'll give up my limit. After all, I'm legal, and have another excuse to get out on the ice.

Brandt

[knoppers]

as I said earlier, I checked the dnr regs, and I was right, you just have to give the date and your license number on the package. so the grebe, don't get so wound up about this. almost sounds as you are a anti-fisherperson.

[PikeMan Seank]

Hey lets keep this simple and not get into a brawl cause of what one person does, and lets help out shawnny here.

Shawnny: Your best bet to find out the REGs on the possesion limit is to go and get a free 2004-2005 Fishing Regulation Book at your local baitshop or Holiday gas station i know that they gave them out for free. Also if there is a gander by you can get it there also.

www.dnr.state.mn.us.com has the regulations online also.

HOPE THIS HELPS YOUR QUESTION.

[only-eyes]

walleyejon, i thought the possession limmit was the same as the daily limmit? I checked it out and daily is the same as possession unles otherwise noted.

[CrappieJohn]

Dietz was right in his assumption that seperate stringers/ livewells be maintained for each angler. I don't think this has been mentioned yet,but if you are seen by a C/O giving a fish to another party(person), not only do they have to count it become a part of their limit- you have to count it as part of your limit. The reasoning? You have to be in possession of that fish to give it away. Possessing it is considered it being part of your limit. If you catch it and do not put it back in the water for any reason, you are in possession of it, and it legally is looked upon as one fish towards your limit total!

Here is another one that can cost you money. If you are in possession of nine crappies and finally catch that tenth one and put it in the well, you are legally required to stop fishing for crappies. You will be in violation of the possession laws if you catch another and even handle it while removing the hook. Think I'm kidding? Take a warden fishing sometime!

[ScottND]

Whew...what a topic! By the way..where is it that you all are catching all these fish? I'd be happy to come out to your spot with you to discuss this. I'll even bring a regulations book for you to read while I watch your lines for you. Does anyone know how I can expand the amount of waypoints I can store on my GPS?

[Liar]

Tom is right you have to stop targeting that species. Now if you are done with crappies and you switch to a jigging spoon for northerns or eyes, and you get a crappie it must be returned to the water pronto. Thats why I stop one short of the limit in case you get the "big one" I would hate to have to throw it back w/o getting the measurements for a mount. The law does not say you have to keep every fish.