% of Anglers who overlimit

I quit freezing fish years ago. I either eat it fresh or give it away and I know before I keep them.

suzuki wrote:

I quit freezing fish years ago. I either eat it fresh or give it away and I know before I keep them.

I also don’t freeze fish either. When I bring fish home I usually eat it that night or the next day.

Do you guys have fish in your area that have a set season and not year around? I can a lot of fish and save a few limits in the freezer to make it worth while to get out the pressure canner. My State does not consider your residence as “in possession” territory so it isn’t a problem.

Jonesy wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>suzuki wrote:</div>
I quit freezing fish years ago. I either eat it fresh or give it away and I know before I keep them.

I also don’t freeze fish either. When I bring fish home I usually eat it that night or the next day.

My only exception is when going on big ice trips with buddies far away. Winni, LOTW, etc. But I eat those frozen fish soon and before keeping any more.

If you want to keep piles of fish go to clear lake IA. Keep 100,500,1000, what ever you want to clean of yellow bass. Keep them in the spawn whenever.

tegg wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>boone wrote:</div>
But I’ve often wondered how the possession limits are determined. In Minnesota the daily and possession limits are the same. But the daily limit on the Mississippi is six while the daily limit on Mille Lacs might be one. So can you have six or just one in the freezer? Now what if you have licenses from multiple states, say Minnesota, Wisconsin, and North Dakota? Is the possession limit the combination from all those states?

This is a very good question. Does anyone know how a CO handles something like this? Per letter of the law (on paper), I’m inclined to believe if someone started on ML and harvested 1 walleye they could continue to fish other waters and harvest their daily limit. If they started on other waters and harvested walleyes below their daily limit and then fished ML I’m inclined to believe they can not harvest anymore walleyes WHILE ON ML if they are already at or have exceeded the ML daily limit even though they may have been harvested on other waters. At least that’s my impression how WI handles the ceded territory waters with 1,2 or 3 bag limits. You can go from a 1 bag limit lake to a 2 or 3 bag limit lake but not the other way around. I may be wrong on that…

I emailed the DNR about this and it’s what you would expect:
If you were ice fishing Lake X and harvested some walleyes and decided to fish Mille Lacs in the afternoon on the way home you’re good to go as long as you don’t bring your walleyes on the lake. You have to leave them off site or at the landing. Your total possession limit (daily/in the freezer) follows the general state guidelines. If you have them with you on the ice your in violation.

Hmm…hard to say, but from a personal standpoint I can honestly say I so rarely come anywhere close to a limit that the risk is nil.

Joe Scegura wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>steve-fellegy wrote:</div>

Small enough that the “over the limit group” has no noticeable negative impact on any fishery…

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I’m not sure how you can even pretend to know this? If I’m right don’t you fish like two lakes in MN?

I’ve personally seen numerous lakes fished out to the point it doesn’t even pay to fish them anymore. I’ve seen a lake filled with 9-11″ gills fished out in one year and yes it was by people catching over their limit. As well as exceeding their possession limits. One guy even bragged he caught and cleaned so many he couldn’t even give them away.

I also witnessed a premiere northern lake get cleaned out in a year and half. Again I overheard one guy bragging he speared 10 over 5 pounds in one day. What are you supposed to do with guys like this? Call the DNR? Most of these guys are smart, they make sure they never have more than a daily limit on hand.

My question isn’t how many people poach… because I know there are plenty of them. We could all live on a rainbow and say, no… people don’t poach, but that wouldn’t do anyone any good. My question is how do we catch these guys?

The fines are too weak. Heck the DNR even gives poachers a quantity discount if they have a lot of fish. If you’re one fish over I think it’s like $80, but if you’re 100’s over you pay what… $1000-$1500?

I could go on and on. This happened just last week. I was out with my 2yr old son catching a few crappie for supper on a lake where the crappie are almost jumping out of the hole. Then I here a couple guys talking louder than they should have been and it goes something like this… “This is where we fished the last few days.” Then as they are headed home. “You want my fish? No.. I have more than enough at home… we’ll find someone to give them to”

I should have probably called these guys in but I hate to be that guy calling the DNR once a week.

My best call to the DNR did result in an angry old guy getting caught with over 150 walleye in his freezer. So I am not afraid to call the DNR I just need proof that the guy is not only breaking the law but the DNR can bust em. When the DNR talked to me about the bust he also told me they busted a father and son with 109 walleye in there boat plus another guy with 150 walleye in their freezer. Too many anglers are just flat out greedy! If they’re not poaching, then they’re hitting a hot bite day after day until the fish stop biting or are gone. Sad to see.

Sorry for the long post but I could write a book on poachers and it’s not like I even see a fraction of the illegal activity. I just spend a lot of time on the water.

I to have spent my time on the water watching this madness I commend you for being able to be proactive please don’t stop we need more like you!

My only exception is when going on big ice trips with buddies far away. Winni, LOTW, etc.

Not picking on your comment Mike, but keeping in mind that P4 is a big trip for those from IL and IA.

It seems we protect our home waters more then we protect waters a little further away even if it’s just putting a legal limit in our freezer.

I know back in the dark ages when I fished walleyes, I wanted to bring home a limit from winni. BUT on P4 now, I’m happy with a meal or two that don’t get frozen.

I fish a lake in Wyoming that is 850 miles one way trip. The fish limit is 3 a day and 3 in possession. It is a real ball buster to drive 1,700 miles for 3 fish. My best solution is getting the wife and one of her friends to make the trip with me so that they can catch a limit too. I confess that I do secretly wish that one day they would change the possession limit to 2 daily limits.

Along the MN/WI boarder most fishing licenses that are sold to non residents are WI.

MN 6 fish daily and possession for walleye
WI 6 fish daily and 12 in possession.

Over the years there have been guests staying at the resort that have been seen taking limits each day. The tip line has been called and boats and cabins searched.
Tickets have been issued and fish confiscated.

Resort are not immune to searches.

I find it interesting the Mississippi walleye limit
and the Detroit river walleye limits are the same.
are they equal fisheries??

I think the river could use a little more protection.

Brian Klawitter wrote:

Over the years there have been guests staying at the resort that have been seen taking limits each day. The tip line has been called and boats and cabins searched.
Tickets have been issued and fish confiscated.

Serious kudos to resorts everywhere who display such righteousness when it comes to protecting the resource. Possibly its just me, but I feel there are more than a few out there who do not.

Lots of resorts these days have seasonal campers. These are mostly guys who are on the water every weekend fishing. Most the guys I know are catch and release. I know for a fact that every year guys who rent cabins and come to rape the fishery for a week get a visit from the DNR. We watch the cleaning house, if a guy has a short fish we let them know, show them how to properly measure. We educate once, if that doesn’t work a phone call gets made. If we don’t monitor our fisheries who will? Poachers aren’t limited by what state they are from, what species they fish, what ethnic group they belong to. Guys on this site take their limit more then once a day. Anybody you see might be a poacher. As sportsmen it’s our job to either educate those poaching or turn them in. If we ignore the action or turn our backs to it we are as guilty as the guy doing it.

Well with Minnesota having done away with possession limits on most species, its all one in the same.

Most people don’t believe they need to count those in the freezer at home, but they are the ones technically in violation and don’t believe it as they only take there 15 or 30, whatever the limit each day. Any number over that whether with you in the boat, at the Cabin or back home is included.

Personally being a Bass Tourney guy, I rarely keep a fish, but maybe once or twice a year. Even more rare is when I keep a limit, which is usually when I go with a group up north and chasing Perch or Walleye’s. We’ll keep a few to eat there and then keep a limit a piece to bring home for the families.

nhamm wrote:

Always hear tales of anglers who go above their limits, but don’t know or seen anyone who has. Not saying it doesn’t happen, but

If you had to put a percentage of those who do, what would it be? Curious to others opinions who have fished much longer and fish networks are much larger than my own

To answer the Question, if after first speaking to the party they blew me off or were threatening or got arrogant, etc.: YES

If they took me serious and showed remorse for their wrong-doing, I’d figure then learned something and NO!