possesion limits

[pansycity limit]

I recently spoke to someone who left whitemouth lake with a limit of pickerel. When stopped by CO he mentioned that he had limited out the previous day and still had some fillets in the freezer. He received a $400 ticket for being overlimit. Is this for real? The old fishing guides had a daily limit and a possesion limit of double the daily limit. What is the current law?

[greenbackhunter]

Your limit includes what's in your possession.... That includes at home. That person was an idiot for admitting that. If you have three in the freezer at home, legally you can only catch and keep three more( based on a six fish limit.) it's all in the regulations.

[fishin_guy]

Limits and Possession
Fish are considered to be in possession if they are not immediately released into the water from which they were taken. Possession limits are the same as daily catch limits in Manitoba. You may possess no more than one limit of each kind of fish at any time. This includes all fish you have in hand, camp, transportation, at home or for use in a competitive fishing event. The limits on this page apply to most Manitoba waters. Special limits on specific waters are listed in the individual fishing divisions (pages 8-10; 13-15).

This was taken right from the fishing regulations.

[johnny-walleye]

Limits and Possession
Fish are considered to be in possession if they are not immediately released into the water from which they were taken. Possession limits are the same as daily catch limits in Manitoba. You may possess no more than one limit of each kind of fish at any time. This includes all fish you have in hand, camp, transportation, at home or for use in a competitive fishing event. The limits on this page apply to most Manitoba waters. Special limits on specific waters are listed in the individual fishing divisions (pages 8-10; 13-15).

This was taken right from the fishing regulations.

From this quote directly from the regs, if you have a limit of walleye at home and catch one in a derby, even though it will be released, you are over limit.

[cuttlefish]

If the guy who got fined had eaten the ones from his freezer the night before, and then kept the ones he caught the next day then that would still have been the same number !
I think in this case the guy was obviously honest and thought he was doing the right thing and the Conservation officer could have given him a warning...if he was a poacher he would hardly have told the CO.
However there are people who turn up and take dozens of fish each time out...should spend more time finding these guys and maybe issue bans more often.

[Crash1433]

So the question i have is how long does the fish being "In your possesion" last? Lets say I caught a limit of fish yesterday. And 2 months from now I go again, not having eaten any of the previous fish. Am I still illegal? That law makes no sense

[Ovaleyes]

Still illegal as long as its in your freezer it's still in your possession.

[firefighter]

Could the guy be charged by simply admitting he had fillets at home? Would these extra overlimit fillets not have to be seen my the officer? Are they infact walleye fillets in the freezer or some other species? Is there another licenced angler(s) that reside at that location?  Sounds like a lot of gray zone there...

FF

[fishin_guy]

Could the guy be charged by simply admitting he had fillets at home? Would these extra overlimit fillets not have to be seen my the officer? Are they infact walleye fillets in the freezer or some other species? Is there another licenced angler(s) that reside at that location?  Sounds like a lot of gray zone there...

FF

Grey area yes.....But the person admitted to limiting out the day before and had fillets in the freezer.  Much different if he would have said that his wife limited out yesterday and now he left her at home so he could have a chance to catch up.  This would put the limit at home on his wife.

[unclebobber]

let's just say the guy in a real munson, brag to the conservation officer how u have more fish than u are allowed. duh

[greenbackhunter]

From the reports lately out of white mouth, appears to be a slaughterfest out there. Constant poaching, repeat offenders. No sympathy here. Drill them all.

[Crash1433]

That seems to be one of the dumbest rules I have ever heard of. I completely agree if a guy is walking out with double his limit or something like that yes, drill him. But if I'm there one day and limit out and go back at some other time and catch fish again how is it fair that I'm treated the same way. What if its a full yr before I go back and I still for some reason have fish in my freezer? How can I still be considered illegal if that much time has elapsed?

[pansycity limit]

let's just say the guy in a real munson, brag to the conservation officer how u have more fish than u are allowed. duh

I don't believe it was bragging. When he said he had caught the previous day the co said "I bet you had a good fish fry" to which he replied that he had eaten most of them, not realizing there was anything wrong. How many of you guys out there have only 6 fish in your freezer. I'd robably have more if I ever caught anything

[fishin_guy]

That seems to be one of the dumbest rules I have ever heard of. I completely agree if a guy is walking out with double his limit or something like that yes, drill him. But if I'm there one day and limit out and go back at some other time and catch fish again how is it fair that I'm treated the same way. What if its a full yr before I go back and I still for some reason have fish in my freezer? How can I still be considered illegal if that much time has elapsed?

What is the difference between having 6 frozen and 6 just caught fish vs 12 just caught fish?  How does the CO know you didn't just finish running home after limiting out and coming right back?  There are lakes around Brandon that have had people catch their limit drop off at home and come right back to do it again.  That is why they are called possession limits. 

[hot shack]

From the reports lately out of white mouth, appears to be a slaughterfest out there. Constant poaching, repeat offenders. No sympathy here. Drill them all.

That's right, well said! If you can't follow the rules, you deserve to get caught. If you don't want tickets / fines......follow the rules.
I kinda feel bad for the fellow that got the ticket because it seems as though he really didn't know he was doing anything wrong and I agree he probably wasn't trying to break the rules but hey, then again, not knowing the rules or not understanding them is no excuse.

[The Beachcomber]

Without any evidence there is no ticket, the guy can go to court and say he didn't say that, I think this guy is a story teller.   I don't think the CO would go all the way to the house, apply for a warrant and then search it.   It like saying to a cop that I was drinking and driving last night, there is no evidence unless they stopped me and gave me a breathalyzer.  I call BS on the ticket but the law is clear!

[JAMOKIN]

Honesty doesn't pay.

I will remember this next time I am stopped and questioned by CO.

[johnny-walleye]

And I thought Whitemouth was slow...where else is this guy fishing that he's limiting each time out?

[firefighter]

Without any evidence there is no ticket, the guy can go to court and say he didn't say that, I think this guy is a story teller.   I don't think the CO would go all the way to the house, apply for a warrant and then search it.   It like saying to a cop that I was drinking and driving last night, there is no evidence unless they stopped me and gave me a breathalyzer.  I call BS on the ticket but the law is clear!

...what he says. And if the person charged decided to plead not guilty then it would be up to the crown to prove he was overlimit. Nobody saw or siezed the fish so it never happened. Just a bunch of local yada yada....

FF

[HighlandGlen Guide]

Bs doesn't exist on internet fishing forums does it!    lmao

[gatorhunter]

The regulation could not be any clearer.  Possession is possession.  You only have to know or remember 1 or 2 numbers that apply to which license you have (6 or 4).

If you have 6 walleyes in your freezer for 6 months, those walleyes are NOT getting eaten by you.  They're getting tossed in the garbage or bush for critters to eat.  In essence those fish are now wasted.

As others have stated, if you bring 6 walleyes home and there are other people in the house, you can gift those fish to someone in the home.  They are no longer your fish so tomorrow you can go back out and catch and keep another 6 walleyes.  If you didn't gift any of the fish, but ate all or any of them, you can go back out tomorrow and top up that limit.

Saskatoon guy.  Almost guarantee that SK fishery regs are applied in the same manner.  If not, SK would be the only jurisdiction in North American that does not apply limits in that fashion.

Fishing is a recreational activity that permits us to take some fish home to eat if we so desire.  It's not a means for filling up freezers with fish to be eaten later.

As for the events related to the alleged infraction at Whitemouth Lake, unless one was the person charged or the officer involved, we don't know what the exact circumstances were.  And if I was the person charged, how honest would I be with my story when posting on the world wide web for all to ridicule me!

[mikeypikey]

Could the guy be charged by simply admitting he had fillets at home? Would these extra overlimit fillets not have to be seen my the officer? Are they infact walleye fillets in the freezer or some other species? Is there another licenced angler(s) that reside at that location?  Sounds like a lot of gray zone there...

FF

x2. This CO can't charge by here say!!!

[hot shack]

Fishing is a recreational activity that permits us to take some fish home to eat if we so desire.  It's not a means for filling up freezers with fish to be eaten later.

Unless that is, if you hold "the card" (metis or aboriginal). I was told they are allowed to possess 75 lbs of fillets at a time with the harvester card, is this true? Apparently came right from the book they were given at the metis center.
Also can you "gift" fish even to family with out a valid license?
Gee, they should remove the sticky on bait shops (no one uses it anyway) and replace it with an "ask Andre" section.

[avidangler]

I was reading the regs for North Dakota a year or 2 ago and in that state you are allowed a legal limit every time you go out fishing .There was no possession limit

[bigman from the north]

hot shack , us metis are allowed 50 lb of fillets and treaty have no limit i don't believe

[hot shack]

hot shack , us metis are allowed 50 lb of fillets and treaty have no limit i don't believe

Thank you big man for the info. I was wondering how that worked.

[Ovaleyes]

Simple solution to possession limits don't be greedy and fill your freezers and just take enough for a meal a d start thinking about the next generations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[oldccm]

IMO possession is possession like speeding is speeding. Could he have gotten a warning for being honest? Maybe. Unfortunately Whitemouth has been a reported slaughterfest of people catching their limit daily or just over catching all together. As for the ticket, again IMO the evidence is the persons admitting to having fish at home and a full possession on their persons. I personally (if I didn't know the possession limit) would go to court and plead guilty with an explanation and hope for a fine reduction. If you go to court and plead "not guilty". The evidence is your admission to a Conservation OFFICER that you were over limit. It is now his word over yours in a court of law. You could be found guilty AND made to pay court costs. You may on the other hand get off Scott free, but considering you we're technically over limit and guilty it's not something I would risk in court. Again this is all just IMO and nothing else. To the guy that got busted I'd say sorry dude tough luck. And to the guy who posted honestly doesn't pay, what makes you so special you can keep as much fish as you want. The season is open 335 days a year. If you want more fish than the limit buy it at Safeway.

[r.mazur]

The regulation could not be any clearer.  Possession is possession.  You only have to know or remember 1 or 2 numbers that apply to which license you have (6 or 4).

If you have 6 walleyes in your freezer for 6 months, those walleyes are NOT getting eaten by you.  They're getting tossed in the garbage or bush for critters to eat.  In essence those fish are now wasted.

As others have stated, if you bring 6 walleyes home and there are other people in the house, you can gift those fish to someone in the home.  They are no longer your fish so tomorrow you can go back out and catch and keep another 6 walleyes.  If you didn't gift any of the fish, but ate all or any of them, you can go back out tomorrow and top up that limit.

Saskatoon guy.  Almost guarantee that SK fishery regs are applied in the same manner.  If not, SK would be the only jurisdiction in North American that does not apply limits in that fashion.

Fishing is a recreational activity that permits us to take some fish home to eat if we so desire.  It's not a means for filling up freezers with fish to be eaten later.

As for the events related to the alleged infraction at Whitemouth Lake, unless one was the person charged or the officer involved, we don't know what the exact circumstances were.  And if I was the person charged, how honest would I be with my story when posting on the world wide web for all to ridicule

You sure about the gifting ? This has been a topic on other forums and according to many is a big no-no . What you catch is yours and you can not give it away, if they observe you doing so, a NRO will charge you for being over your limit !

[pansycity limit]

when I go fishing I usually bring my dad a fish fry. Because he does not have a license his possesion limit is 0 according to the logic here. Is he illegally in possesion of fish?