What does "I caught my limit" mean?

[Philo]

Was up at LOW this weekend doing some hard water fishing. Ran into a guy on monday night and asked him how his group did, he answers "we limited out". Talked to him on Tuesday night and asked him how he did, he answers "we caught our limit". Does catching a limit mean something other than what it means to me, which is I caught and kept as many as allowed by law - 8 walleye/sauger on LOW? How would you guys take these statements? Is this poaching? (I asked him how he did at dinner in the restaurant, so I am assuming that they didn't cook the fish in the cabin at night.)

[TurnUpTheFishing]

I usually dont take much stock in what another fisherman says unless....

I know them.

They have proof.

It goes along with what others have reported.

[blkfrg]

Wait, your not telling me fishermen lie?

[Corey Bechtold]

Sounds like a poacher to me. Or else a person who can't get enough fish to eat in one day. I run into answers like that in the metro as well. It is kinda disturbing to think that there are people that have no idea what the laws are. Back to your "limit" buddy, the only way to really know is to ask him straight out what he did with the fish and if he knows that "posession" and "daily limit" are the same.

Let us know what you find out,

Corey Bechtold

[hanson]

Philo-

I think TurnUpTheFishing is right. Fisherman will be fisherman and tell tales and stretch the truth... BUT

Keeping a limit on Lake of the Woods is not that hard to do anymore. To catch 2 days limits in a row without eating any is way over your possession limit = Poaching. That is cut & dry.

I'm curious, most of my trips to Lake of the Woods are day trips from my parents place and we generally will keep 4-6 fish to eat and thats it. For you guys planning 3-4 day weekends, there is no way to keep a limit every day without eating a ton of fish while you are there

[TurnUpTheFishing]

Quote:

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Wait, your not telling me fishermen lie?

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Sorry I had to be the one to break it to you.

[arbuck]

This could be taken this way:

"We limited out" = we cought and kept our limit

"We caught our limit" = we cought and released our limits worth of fish meaning 8 or whatever the limit is.

I think that to some people that there goal is to catch there limit of fish weather its 20 sunnies, 10 crappies, or whatever. I think its kind of a status thing for people. I could go home a lot of days (ok once in a while) and say I cought my limit and have no fish to show for it because I released them all. This drives my mother-in-law nuts sometimes "where are all these fish you catch" I think she thinks I'm in the bars all day.

Goldman - "The Green Hornet stricks again........caught my limit.....I see you only snagged one"

Gustofson - "TWO fish are on there and you know darn well I throw back what I'm not gonna eat"

Also it could be that is all this guy was capable of saying, complex numbers like multiples of eight could have escaped him. I know I can lose track of fish on a long (thirsty) day in a fishhouse. LIke an earlier poster said I don't put alot of weight on what a fisherman says.

Hopefully he wasn't poaching.

arbuck

[hanson]

Grumpy Old Men

Gave me a chuckle. Thank you!!!

Caught & Kept are 2 distinctly different words. I never tell anybody I caught my limit without actually keeping my limit. In years past, I've caught & released 40+ saugers a day under 12" on LOW but I don't consider that limiting out.

[arbuck]

Quote:

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Goldman - "The Green Hornet stricks again........caught my limit.....I see you only snagged one"

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Stricks First off I wouldn't take gramer/english advice from a guy that spells like that.

I think what I was trying to say was that you could catch your limits worth and not necessarily keep them. But to say you limited out would (to me) mean that you are now in possesion or your limits worth of fish. We are probibly splitting hairs here and missing the point of the topic. But in answer to your question about a 3-4 day trip to LOW I have no problem (acctually perfer) fishing for 3-4 days and maybe keeping A limit of fish and putting everything else back.

Thats why I don't hunt much I enjoy being out there but usually could care less if I catch/shoot anything. I like the thread in the photo sharing forum "Shoot and Release" I need to get a good camera

arbuck

[mrwalleye_13]

The Green Hornet's caught more fish then you've lied about gustafson

[arbuck]

Quote:

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Goldman - "The Green Hornet stricks again........caught my limit.....I see you only snagged one"

Gustofson - "TWO fish are on there and you know darn well I throw back what I'm not gonna eat"

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I forgot part.

Golman - "Ya like that 40lb Musky yer always yakin about......It's a shame nobody ever see you with these monsters."

My wife refuses to watch these movies with me because I usually recite the line before they do in the movie.

arbuck

[SD Fisher]

Several years ago, we fished with a low-key local guide at a resort in northern MN. He guided 2-3 days a week and kept the fish he caught and, since his wife didn't like fish, he gave most of his fish to his neighbors. Since the fish were no longer in his "possession", is this legal ? I considered this unethical, but not sure it is illegal. Any thoughts on this ?

[LocalGuide]

Sometimes I go out a catch fish and give them to our neighbors. I go fishing a lot and to me it isn't a issue giving them fish as I eat plenty of fish a year.

The reason for giving fish to my neighbors is either I have used their tools, trailer, or just something else. Its just something nice to give to them in return and I think they enjoy it too!

It is legal IMO. To be really safe just make sure you don't have any fish in your freezer so your not over your possession.

For me that isn't a problem. I don't like freezing fish because I normally forget them in the freezer anyhow.

Is it unethical? Maybe, depends of how you perceive different people and the reasons for doing it. If it wasn't for me borrowing my neighbors stuff I probably wouldn't do this.

[northman]

A few years ago when I was ice fishing on this one lake for crappies. When I got to the lake, there was a guy fishing near by where I set up. He came over to say hello. I asked him how fishing was. He said slow. Then he said you should have been here yesterday. We caught our limit. Well for one time. I was on the lake the day before and me and my grandpa and uncle were the only ones on the lake all day. When I told him that, he put his head down and walked away. YES FISHERMEN ARE LIERS! SOME SAY WE ARE THE BIGGEST LIERS OF ALL! - NORTHMAN

[psegriz]

We may steatch the truth, fib, exagerate but lie come on that sounds pretty harsh.

[berke99]

Just remember- "All fishermen are liars except for me and you!"

[nolte]

berke

You forgot the last part of that statement

"and I'm not so sure about you"

[Philo]

Couple more thoughts. The guy was from the south - Alabama I think, so maybe this was a southern expression that meant something other than keeping 8 fish a person per day. On the other hand, I am not sure why someone would brag about catching and releasing 8 walleyes/saugers on LOW - unless they were all 20 inches or more.

I guess I should have inquired more as to what he meant by these statements.

[katoguy]

What is the law about keeping a limit every day and giving them away?

"It is legal IMO" doesn't cut it. Legal or not?

[Northlander]

"Limited Out" or "Caught our Limit" to me doesnt mean they were kept. I catch lots of limits but dont always bring fish home.

[loebs93]

When I catch my limit I will say so, but will hardly keep and bring a limit home for a meal. The main reason is I'm not a big fish eater. If anybody asks I will bring them fish but they'll usually have to clean them.

[arbuck]

I guess what I was trying to say is what if the guy said we cought 30,40,50,whatever........ would we assume he kept them all? Maybe he was just substituting "our limit" for a number. It's them darn multiples of 8 again.

arbuck

[LocalGuide]

"It is legal IMO' doesn't cut it. Legal or not?"

Legal as long as you don't have over the allowed amount of fish in your possession. Like when you bring them home and clean them.

Thats the way I understand the rules in the book. Some one correct me if im wrong though.

[Northlander]

No I wouldnt assume he kept them but may ask him if he did. There are days on LOW where you can catch more than he did but not keep them. Heck ya can get that many small eyes and saugers. In the spring its not uncommon for us to catch 100 eyes in a day. People ask how we did and we tell them we did real well. They of course ask how many and we tell them. That doesnt mean I kept any. Usually I keep 2 cause thats the limit on the St.Louis. I dont think anybody thinks I kept 100 fish. Although there are some fools/poachers that do.

[blue_healer_guy]

This season down in southern mn, catching a limit means 13-14 silver and blues!