Do Prepared Fish Count Towards Your Limit?

[Ebiz]

I have a couple quarts of pickled northern left from my most recent winter batch, does anyone know if these count towards my possession limit come opener next weekend?

[Mark Christianson]

They are in your possession.

I dont see how a CO would look at these fish as non-posession fish. Better eat em up.

You could have fish in the freezer from 10 years ago, they still count towards your possession limit.

[Desperado]

If two Pike fillets in your freezer would count towards your possession limit, I don't think the possession concept changes when you store them in a jar of vinegar instead of the freezer.

Not tryin to give ya a hard time; that's just my reasoning. I think it's correct, but I wouldn't bet a paycheck on it.

[fivebucks]

They may look past them. Several years ago our camp on Winnie got checked very closely on Sunday. All people had limits they were bringing home and there were also cooked fillets in a cooler (that they looked thru) that would have put that person over. They did not pursue it although I think they could have if they wanted to.

[jbell1981]

I sent an email to the DNR and the was the responce:

"Yes they do, any fish in possession, whether fresh, frozen, pickled count as part of your possession. Kevin Kyle"

[Eric Wettschreck]

Eat em up. That way there's no worries.

[Rost]

If they counted the pickled fish as part of your possession limit, how would the CO know how many fish are actually in the jar? Is it 1 big pike that you pickled up? Or was it 4 little pike?

In my eyes, there's no way a CO could prove this.

What if the person told him it's pickled perch? And if he wants to he can send it to the forensics dept to verify..

[jbell1981]

Be ethical. Either eat them up or practice catch and release.

[Mark Christianson]

Totally disagree with that post Rost.

You knowingly would try to get around the rules by playing games?

Not good.

[QueticoFisher]

A CO would also have to be able to reasonably confirm that the cooked/pickled/whatever fillets were not purchased at a store, too, right? Might be difficult and that's probably why they'd not pursue that angle, especially in your home.

That said, if you caught them then they are part of your limit if you are ethical about it.

[nofishfisherman]

Now here's a question. If you eat the fish but have yet to...um... process them do the fish in your stomach count toward your possesion limit?

[Rost]

Wait a minute here BLB-

I was simply asking a question. Please do not attack me for that.

How can the CO prove what is in the jar?

How does the CO know how many of that particular fish are in the jar?

I was not suggesting that someone should break the law.

No games here...just asking a question.

[jbell1981]

Quote:

---

How can the CO prove what is in the jar?

How does the CO know how many of that particular fish are in the jar?

---

They would know by you doing the ethical thing, by telling whats in there. Also aren't frozen packages supposed to be marked with whats in them? If that is correct, then I would think a jar of pickled fish would need to be marked as well.

[nofishfisherman]

You guys are asking how a CO would know whats in the jar. The fact is how would he know you even had a jar? Chances are a CO isn't going to walk into your house and randomly start counting jars of pickled fish.

Truly the CO is counting on your honesty. they just assume you don't have 50 jars of fish at home while you are out catching and keeping more fish. If you had more then your limit in possesion when the CO finds you on the lake then he may decide to check into things further and yes he/she might decide to test the fish you have at home to see what kind it is. Or I atleast hope they would so that the fine and penalty may increase.

[Mark Christianson]

I was attacking this statement you made Rost:

"Just tell him it's pickled perch. And if he wants to he can send it to the forensics dept to verify.."

Pretty direct statement there with what to do to get around the situation.

If you don't think the attack was deserved with that statement, then I don't know what to say.

[Rost]

Personally, I'd be totally honest with the CO. Especially since I get my fillet knife wet about three times a year and the fish is usually eaten up within 24 hours. I was simply asking a question. Just because all of us are honest sportsman, doesn't mean everyone else is.

The forensics comment was a joke. Didn't mean to get everyone's blood boiling. I used that comment on a CO once and he laughed...I guess people around here don't have the sense of humor as he did..

[musky hunter]

It's fish in possession. I'd recommend a pickeled northern party soon so you can go out and get the next batch come opening and not run amuck of the CO!

[nofishfisherman]

Rost,

Sometimes humor and sarcasim don't always come through so well through our posts. We can't hear the tone in your vioce if you would have said it, all we can do is read word for word what you wrote. To me it didn't really sound like a joke, sounded more like it was a serious statement.

I know I have had jokes taken like I was being serious and I am sure thats what happened here. Those little Graemlins may be a little weird but sometimes throwing one of those in your posts can give us a hint as to if your post is a joke or a serious statement.

[Rost]

There you go BLB- I rephrased it from a statement to a question. That was my original intent.

[Mark Christianson]

Wasnt just me Rost. See above.

All is cool.

Text is hard to read tone or intent sometimes.

Attack is withdrawn.

[Rost]

Thanks Guys. Like I said before, my original post was not intended to justify this activity.

And the forensics was also an honest joke....Back in college, we lived in an apartment downtown above a business. Evidently, there was a scuffle in the alley and there was blood in the snow.(We lived right next to the pub ) Well, the business owner (downstairs) saw it the next morning and called the cops. Upon investigation, my dummy roomate just shrugged his shoulders and told the officer I shot a deer two weeks earlier, so it must be deer blood. Well, 10 mins later, a CO shows up at the door. Over the next two days, he searched our apartment three times. Finally, he came to my workplace and questioned me again. I finally said (in a pleading mannor)"Dude! for the last time...that is not deer blood! Call in the forensics!!" He bursted out laughing. I thought it was funny as well.

[cold one sd]

If ya had em for supper, they may want you to dump in their hand. I'd volunteer!