Limit/Regulation Clarification
 

I understand that there is a "Daily Bag Limit" and a "Possession Limit."

Daily bag limit is self explanatory, number of fish you can harvest in one day.

My question is about the possession limit. This is the number of fish that you can have in your possession if checked by a game warden and not on the water.

So, say I am spending a week in grand isle during June and will be targeting red snapper.
Does this possession limit, which is two day's bag limit for 2014, mean that we must stop fishing once we have caught two days worth of limits?
That seems unreasonable but I definitely do not want to break the law.

Thank you in advance.

You can fish three days in a row, but you better eat a days worth before you leave the island.

This is good to know.

I have never heard of being stopped by a game warden while leaving the island but I don't doubt that they would.

Its nevervhappened to me. Infigure if you can prove you were there 5 days and have a 5 day limit, I think they'd let you go. They are pretty cool to deal with over all. They want oitlaws, not the good guys

Pretty sure u can't even be in possession of over the possession limit at your home niether. So for example if the limit on snapper is two and only you have a liscence in your household you can only possess 4 if that's what the poss limit is.


"Go ahead, share your opinion! I won't cry"

That's how I understood the law also from reading the regulations.

Guess we are going to be eating a lot of red snapper in June!

We have to drive for 3 hours to get to the surf. We have made a few over night trips. If we limit on reds the first day we cant go back and fish with them in our possession. They want me to leave a cooler of fish at the motel? Legally we cant fish today with yesterdays limit of fish in an ice chest in the bed of the truck. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to tell what fish are fresh caught and what fish have been on ice over night.

I think I'd keep the previous day's fish in the vehicle and put the current day's fish in a different ice chest on the beach a bit closer to the rods.

I'm with mg on this one. I've done it plenty of times. One chest in the truck one chest in the boat. Never had any problems.

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I should also mention that while the possession limit on redfish is twice the bag limit, the possession limit on specks and black drum is the same as the daily bag limit for each.

And man I wish they would stop infringing my rights and let me keep more sailcats and hardheads! The peeps gotsta eat!

Might want to double check this but I do believe once they game is processed into food meaning cleaned and in bags frozen they don't count toward your possession limits

I was googling around last night and found that different states define this differently. I actually found some arrests from MN where the game wardens got a search warrant, found fish in a guy's freezer, and slapped him with possession charges. Other states you're clear once the fish arrive at the "place of consumption" so the home freezer does not count as "possession."

I went back to the LA regs a couple of times to determine whether it was clear in LA whether the home freezer or filleted or whatever counted as possession, and it was ambiguous. The way the deer regs are written (as a possession limit rather than a seasonal or annual bag limit) suggests that at least in that case, Louisiana views deer in the freezer as still in possession, and I was also able to learn that migratory waterfowl are still counted in possession when they are cleaned and frozen.

I know that once fish are filleted, possessing "over the limit" would be very hard to prove. How can one distinguish redfish from drum fillets or spotted seatrout from sand seatrout without DNA tests? But a firmer statement that fillets in the freezer do not count against the possession limit would give a bit more confidence in stocking up.

This is definitely something that should be cleared up.

Here's the statute on possessing deer beyond the possession limit:

125. Possession of game quadrupeds; tags; deer carcasses

A. A licensee may have in his personal possession anywhere during the open season the number of game quadrupeds permitted by this Subpart to be taken or possessed by him; but should he have in his personal possession at any time or anywhere more than the possession limit of such game quadrupeds, that fact is prima facie evidence of the violation of the provisions of this Subpart unless each such game quadruped in excess of the possession limit is tagged showing the species of game quadruped, the actual signature and license number of the licensee who took the same, and the date and place taken.

So it appears that to have more than the possession limit in your freezer, you need to document them as described above, or you are guilty.

Here's the statute on redfish possession. LRS 56:325

(2) The maximum size for red drum is twenty-seven inches in total length when measured with the mouth closed. However, no person shall have in possession while fishing, or while on the water, more than one red drum which, when whole, is or was over the prescribed maximum size of twenty-seven inches total length overall when measured with the mouth closed. Additionally, no person shall have in his possession at any one time more than two red drum or parts of more than two red drum, which, when whole, are or were over the prescribed maximum size of twenty-seven inches total length overall when measured with the mouth closed.

Since it refers to "parts" it seems like fillets in the freezer count towards the possession limit. However, since it also refers to bull reds, the question of 16-27" specimens in possession remains open.

I cannot find other specific details in the statutes beyond the definition of possess. LRS 56:8

(101) "Possess" means, in its different tenses, the act of having in possession or control, keeping, detaining, restraining, or holding as owner, or as agent, bailee, or custodian for another. When possession of fish or other wildlife is prohibited, reference is made equally to such fish or other wildlife coming from without the state as to those taken within the state.

A literal reading suggests that fish in one's freezer satisfy this definition and count against one's possession limit. The statement that reference is made equally to fish coming from other states further suggests that fish in the freezer count against the possession limit.

Combined with the possession limit of 15 spotted seatrout in the defined area in SWLA:

12” minimum total length, 25 fish per person daily bag limit. EXCEPT: 15 fish daily bag and
possession limit, with no more than two spotted seatrout exceeding 25” total length, regardless
of where taken in a defined area of Cameron and Calcasieu parishes located in southwestern
Louisiana.

It appears that one may only possess 15 specks in freezers in the prescribed areas of Calcasieu and Cameron.

A GW in grand isle told Chris D after checking him 3 days in a row with his limit that if he had all those fish in his freezer he was in violation.


Spiral Out

So , If you have more than 100 speck fillets (60 ) in sw La. in your freezer at any time You are over the limit.
UNLESS they are marked w/ another fisherman's ,Name address and valid fishing license number.
So if a guide takes out 4 fishermen and they all limit for 2 days (10) limits he cleans and packages the fish and freezes them . The clients go into town and aren't on the premises. Unless he marks every bag , he is now in violation of the law????

Sounds like it to me.

Kind of puts a bummer on a week long fishing trip.

We are blessed to live on the coast of one of the richest bodies of water on this planet. Yet we can only catch two fish a day for 6 weeks out of the year and cannot stock up on meat during theis 6 week season bc you must stop fishing after you have 4 fish...


Seems fair...

Yeah, I know what you mean. I tend to enjoy Louisiana fish on my table most of the year by stocking up on the less regulated species. I'll usually have nearly my possession limit of redfish in my freezer, but I've also got lots of sailcats, sheephead, black drum, gaspergou, freshwater catfish, etc.

I can appreciate that some people simply prefer snapper. Those should note that the possession limit of other species of snapper is much higher. I think (in aggregate) one may possess as many as 20-40 individuals of the other species.

But be mindful that DNA testing may not be able to accurately distinguish between species once fillets are bagged and frozen. You may want to protect yourself from overzealous agents thinking you're above your limit of red snapper by appropriately labeling bags of frozen fillets, "gray snapper", "lane snapper", etc. The other species of snapper are nearly indistinguishable from red snapper on the table and are often substituted for it in restaurants.

See: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/m...view/index.htm

Officer, ill I caught all weekend was white trout and mangroves.....tough fishin!

Or just hide it under the cocaine......

I thought everybody knew that's where you hide the snapper...

It is....and ive never gotten a possession limit citation!

I am not sure about fish, but I know a few camps that got busted for having over the possession limit on ducks. The cleaner they used would return the tags they make for her to pick them up, but when she would return ducks & tags once cleaned, they would just discard the tags. They are facing HEAVY fines, and probably community service, plus they confiscated all their ducks and gave them to a shelter!

U can buy all the red snapper u want from grocery store when they have them. No limit there n u bring em home???

Very good point.

A nother is that if you live on a boat If I read the regs right......you can fish and eat one days bag limit and have one in the freezer and one on ice.

Or you can look at it this way. Regarding helth. Due to suggested consumption rates two things come to mind. One you are supposed to only eat so much La. Fish per month. Two some people if freezing large quantitys of fish become complacent and do it wrong. Resulting in spoiled fish. With the possibility of food poisoning increased by large quantitys it seems regulating the limit of fish in position negates or just lowers the possibility of helth issues from mercury or other Hevey metals and or pathogens.

Best thing I can say is treat the regs like going shopping at the store. Let's say you like eggs as much as you like fish. You going to buy 12 dozen eggs and store um or even bread like twelve lofes.hummmm. I like eggs and bread but I like fresh eggs and fresh bread. So I buy one each. And don't eat eggs every day.then go to da sto when I am about to run out.

I like fish most of all but it really is better fresh. And I would eat it every day but one species of fish dulls the pallet. So I go fishing for what I can. If I limit on one species I look for another. And to fish for one like red fish and feel I should be able to keep more happens but I remind my self fresh is better than frozen and that bigger is better and that verity is the spice of life.:bluefish:.......:bluefish:

Good luck guys
Save your receipts , label your frozen catches,and don't freeze a species and catch more then eat the new fresh and leave the old to long.

The reasons behind bag limits and position limits are numerous . Wether to watch out for you or the species they also garrote we all can have the same chance to eat well after a day of fun and that we don't over do it.:bluefish:

IMO there really does need to be a clarification clause added to the law that states:

lawmakers please feel free to copy and paste this into your legislation lol

"the possession limits only apply to those in the act of fishing or have been fishing and are in transit to their destination. no daily limit or creel restrictions may apply to any fish or game species found in the home or residence that is not otherwise restricted or prohibited to take or have in possession. any game or fish that is found in the home or place or residence must be clearly labeled with the date it was taken as proof the possession limit was not exceeded for that day or time period."


this way if your freezer has over the limit of fillets you can still get a ticket for it but they cant ticket you for having a freezer full of fish legally taken within the law that you choose to freeze and save for later dates.

25-30% of what I eat is fish from the freezer that i caught and only limit out about 10% of the time so why cant I legally fill my freezer and not have to worry about some burocrat GW ticket writer trying to impress his boss by giving me a hard time about whats im my freezer at home? if I didnt have this source of food I would go hungry and need help from charity food kitchens.

I could be wrong but I am pretty sure they are not allowed to walk in and search your home unless you invite them to or they have cause such as watching you making more then one trip or physically follow your tracks to your home from an illegal game kill, otherwise they need a judge to sign a search warrant for your home or camp which as you can imagine needs more then just wanting to check you.

Wrong.

Game wardens are only officials that can search you and home with no reasonable cause.

that seams to be at odds with the constitution

Tell me about it.

Game wardens have more power when it comes to searching than FBI/CIA.

How many here have experienced a GW checking their freezer? My step daughters dad is a GW, stops by every other week for the exchange. We BS for a minute or two about hunting/fishing. Next time I'll ask him how all that works and post whatever his reply is.

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thanks, that would be great info, also ask him if you need you fish or game clearly marked and dated to avoid any "issues" if they ever did see you have several packs of frozen fish in the freezer. im curious if unmarked undated packs would be a problem or not.