Creel Limits

[Hal]

This explains the question/answer thread that we had a week or so ago about creel limits. I didn't understand it and I bet there's lots of others who don't either. Better get to eatin' those fish emoSmile
I think it sucks but that's the way they spend your license money, to make laws like these>>>

Possession limit, daily creel limit, and "afield" explained.

Even in a freezer at home or at a temporary residence*, one can never possess more than twice the daily creel.
Daily creel limits run from midnight to midnight.
One cannot have more than one daily creel limit while "afield".
Example: Say an individual is fishing Cherokee Lake for a week and is camping* along the bank. During that week, the angler could possess no more than four striped bass or hybrid striped bass or any combination of the two. It also means an individual could not possess more than 30 "stripes" (white bass) at any given time during the week.

Now, if one harvests a possession limit over a period of time and eats a few of these fish, they could then harvest more to replace them. One can never have in their possession - be it at home or anywhere else - more than twice the daily creel limit.

Remember that creel limit is written as "daily creel limit". One cannot catch a limit, process the fish or give them away to someone else, and go back and harvest more of the same species during a 24-hour period which runs from midnight to midnight.

Say an individual is fishing from 8:00 pm to 3:00 am - they may only have a daily creel limit in their possession while "afield". They could, however, stop fishing before midnight and drop their catch off at their campsite* or home and return after midnight and catch another limit. Overnight anglers who are not camping* are limited to one daily creel limit.

*Campsites or houseboats, etc. qualify as temporary residences as evidenced by sleeping bags, tents, cooking utensils, etc.

 

[dlmille]

That is true!!!!!

 

[Punisher]

well i got more than my limit of crappie in my freezer and they can't have them emoEnforce

 

[Ronnie Garrison]

So how many fish do you think a fisherman should be able to kill a day?

 

[Hal]

Ronnie Garrison - 11/11/2008 7:01 PM

So how many fish do you think a fisherman should be able to kill a day?

I don't have a problem with the daily limit at all. As a matter of fact, if you look at my posts you will find that I seldom keep crappie less than 11 inches. My problem is with the amount that you can have in your freezer. What if you want to have a fish fry for family or friends emoQuestion Guess I'll have to keep some of them green fish and maybe some big cats that everyone wants turned loose, well maybe you see my point, emoBigsmile

 

[epaul]

Has anyone ever heard of them raiding somebodies freezer?

 

[mallardecho]

epaul - 11/13/2008 7:36 PM

Has anyone ever heard of them raiding somebodies freezer?

Not without "cause".

 

[rsimms]

epaul - 11/13/2008 8:36 PM

Has anyone ever heard of them raiding somebodies freezer?

mallardecho is correct... Wildlife folks are never going to check your freezer. Only time that would ever happen is if they had probable cause to believe you might be dealing commercially. And of course they'd have to get a judge to sign off on a search warrant.

Possession limit most often, if not always, comes into play if you are on a camping trip or some other road trip.

Friends of mine who go West pheasant hunting say that wildlife folks out there will conduct road stops and every single bird (dressed or not) must have a wing attached (to confirm it's a rooster)... and each bird must be tagged identifiying who killed it, when, etc.

 

[Dixie Boy]

If they have probable cause, searching your house is just like searching your vehicle, no warrant needed! Game Wardens are the only law enforcement officers that can do that, at least that is what I was told by a lawyer.

 

[Hal]

Dixie Boy - 11/14/2008 1:01 PM

If they have probable cause, searching your house is just like searching your vehicle, no warrant needed! Game Wardens are the only law enforcement officers that can do that, at least that is what I was told by a lawyer.

I too was told, by a Game Warden, that they could search anyone, anything, anywhere without a search warrant. I didn't ask about "Probable Cause". That might be something that a Judge would have to decide.
Of course if you have ever seen the real Game Laws book they could get you on something if the really want to.
It's best to not hassle an officer if stopped. It could turn into the old Country Constable "broken taillight" scenario. I, myself, am not gonna test 'em, emoSmile
I still think it would be nice if you didn't have to be concerned about having too many in the freezer while saving for a big family fish fry, emoRolleyes

 

[sprestwood]

I once was fishing on a pier last winter. A park visitor walks by and we just talk a little. In that conversation I learned that some one limited out 19 days in a row. I just assumed that he wasn't raising a family of 10, and that there was no way he couldn't be violating possesion limits.

 

[Dixie Boy]

You know I was thinking??? I have 4 dependents living in my house, all with lifetime licenses, whos to say that the other fish in the freezer arn't theirs!? I could have 150 fillets in my freezer.

 

[epaul]

OOO its about not being able sell sport fish otherwise you could go get crappie at a restaurent emoBang emoBang emoBang

thats ok I'm allittle slow

 

[mallardecho]

Dixie Boy - 11/15/2008 5:09 PM

You know I was thinking??? I have 4 dependents living in my house, all with lifetime licenses, whos to say that the other fish in the freezer arn't theirs!? I could have 150 fillets in my freezer.

You can have Possesion limits for all dependants in the household I believe, and I do not think they need to be lic, I may be incorrect on the lic.


This is a thread that one of our resident Game Wardens need to reply on.

 

[Carl Guffey]

Limits are counted by <font color="#ff0000">licensed</font> anglers <font color="#ff0000">currently living</font> at the residence. The area where this is of the most concern is if a Wildlife Officer watches you catch one limit, leave and then return to fish again. If they catch you doing that, they can and will search your residence and charge you for each and every fish over the prescibed limits. <font color="#0033ff">Best rule of thumb, take what you need and leave the rest for another day or person. Don't get greedy......</font>

 

[m17glock]

emoThanks carl for your input ... that is the way is explained to me many years ago ..... guys better be safe than sorry