Fishing Regualtions

I have a question about fishing laws, really don't want to loose by boat over a few fish. Here is the scenario, if my wife and I go fishing some evening and catch our limit in perch but get back to late to take them to the fish cleaner so we decide to pack them in ice and take them in the morning to get cleaned, is it legal for us to go fishing and bring another limit to the cleaner the same day, even though we caught the first batch the day before? Please keep in mind this is strictly hypothetical, it is very unlikely that we would catch our limit in perch that quick but I guess I doesn't hurt to dream a little, right?

Pretty sure you can just don't take yesterday's catch out with you in the boat.

If you take the perch back to your hotel/camper/house that one thing, but the next day when you haul two limits of un-cleaned fish to the cleaners is where you could get into trouble. I would clean the first limit myself and then take the next days limit to the cleaner. Or make two trips. You are not supposed to have more than one days limit of fish while at the water, even in your truck or car. It is all about proof and it is hard to prove well enough to please the ODNR. That's what I have gathered from a lot of input from the wisdom of those on this site. Call the ODNR Findlay office. I have gotten a different story from them but I am too leery to go with it.

Good luck

To be safe I would take the new catch to a different cleaners. I say that because cleaners are required to keep a log of what is brought in to be cleaned along with the name and address of the person they are doing the cleaning for. It may look suspicious if they see the same name or address or both on the same days log. They normally do not put the number of perch caught on the register/log but I believe they do record the wt. of the perch. The same name and address with 2 entries on the register in the same day and with wt's high enough may raise the red flag for that name or address.

Or there could have been 5/6 people on the boat and only 2 brought the fish in?

there has been years when my freezer is full of fish but i still want to go fishing we take a crew of 6 get limit and maybe 2 people take the fish they are caught legal and took to a bait shop for cleaning and i have been on charters with my kids and family when i took 8 limits in with my address i could of really been fined say 30 is the limit and i had 240 perch unless the captain has a log book i got a buddy that never keeps fish we get limits and i take all the fish

I think when you're on the lake or at the dock it is a matter of your limit. Once you are "away" from the lake it becomes a matter of what you are allowed to possess. They can't check your freezer to see if you are over your limit. I have taken many limits to the cleaners for people on my boat and never had any problem what so ever.

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Originally Posted by Eyezcrazy

I think when you're on the lake or at the dock it is a matter of your limit. Once you are "away" from the lake it becomes a matter of what you are allowed to possess. They can't check your freezer to see if you are over your limit. I have taken many limits to the cleaners for people on my boat and never had any problem what so ever.

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Oh yes they can check your freezer. Game warden doesn't even need a warrant. Be carful

You are absolutely correct there.....according to the law you are required to date and maintain the license for the year those fish are caught until that years catch is depleted from your possession. Now are they going to come in your house and enforce that? Probably not.. but that is the law. According to Ohio game wardens it is also unlawfull to cath fish beyond your limit and put them into someone elses cooler! Once you have caught your limit you can only catch and release by law. Sharing fish with others is "technically" illegal according to the law but enforcing it is another thing. Getting back to the posters original question... if your taking more than one days catch in to the cleaners simply use another name just in case. But....if they should decide to check you while traveling home from the cleaners and you have more than your licenses allow then you are over limit and it gets expensive. According to a dnr friend...take along two coolers and make them believe you are picking up a batch for your neighbor or brother or somebody and you shouldn't have any problem. Game wardens are not out for blood unless they know your hiding something serious....then lookout!

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Originally Posted by Bggeary

Oh yes they can check your freezer. Game warden doesn't even need a warrant. Be carful

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What I said was they can't check your freezer for your limit. It becomes possession at that point. You can possess more than your limit.

They can be tough

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Originally Posted by airshot

You are absolutely correct there.....according to the law you are required to date and maintain the license for the year those fish are caught until that years catch is depleted from your possession. Now are they going to come in your house and enforce that? Probably not.. but that is the law. According to Ohio game wardens it is also unlawfull to cath fish beyond your limit and put them into someone elses cooler! Once you have caught your limit you can only catch and release by law. Sharing fish with others is "technically" illegal according to the law but enforcing it is another thing. Getting back to the posters original question... if your taking more than one days catch in to the cleaners simply use another name just in case. But....if they should decide to check you while traveling home from the cleaners and you have more than your licenses allow then you are over limit and it gets expensive. According to a dnr friend...take along two coolers and make them believe you are picking up a batch for your neighbor or brother or somebody and you shouldn't have any problem. Game wardens are not out for blood unless they know your hiding something serious....then lookout!

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I would say you are legal as long as you have proof you were there yesterday. I was going up to erie for 2 weeks on our fishing trip. we stayed at Geneva state park camp grounds. I was told to put the date fish were caught on the bags they are stored in. and that we could have a days limit for each day that we could prove we were there.

I was checked at the dock by ODNR and asked him what I should do with my fish if I stayed to fish a second day. He said as long as I could show proof I was there the day before it wouldn't be a problem. He said a gas receipt, hotel receipt, bait store etc. now that being said, I'm sure it would come down to the individual officer who checked me and another one might not feel the same. I believe the burden of proof would be on them. Like I said in an earlier post, possession is not the same as a daily limit.

I was once ticketed for having a fish that was 1/4 inch short in my cooler. The ODNR asked me who was going to claim it. I said well since it's my boat I guess I will. The fact is, we don't know who caught and kept the fish that was short so I wonder how that would play out if know one stepped up to claim it. Sort of difficult to prove who to ticket. From now on I make sure to personally check every fish.

Game wardens are people too. I've been checked a lot as long as you are doing things right and are respectful they are generally pretty easy to get along with. Boat owner should always be the one to measure fish and have last day as to what gets kept. Then there's no question. Just my opinion. Good luck all

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Originally Posted by wakina

To be safe I would take the new catch to a different cleaners. I say that because cleaners are required to keep a log of what is brought in to be cleaned along with the name and address of the person they are doing the cleaning for. It may look suspicious if they see the same name or address or both on the same days log. They normally do not put the number of perch caught on the register/log but I believe they do record the wt. of the perch. The same name and address with 2 entries on the register in the same day and with wt's high enough may raise the red flag for that name or address.

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I tend to clean most of my own fish but have certainly taken quite a few to the cleaners over the years and I don't ever remember being asked for my address. Generally just name and phone. If I'm going to wait for them they don't even take my phone number.

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Originally Posted by dunn782

I tend to clean most of my own fish but have certainly taken quite a few to the cleaners over the years and I don't ever remember being asked for my address. Generally just name and phone. If I'm going to wait for them they don't even take my phone number.

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If you go to Cutchers they will take the information as I have stated. It is on what I believe to be an official ODNR letter head form. Bomba's was the same way, I believe they went out of business though.

bays edge asks for name city and state

Correct! Bombas is out of business. Been past their cleaning house on way to Mazuriks several times this season. Has for sale on side of building.

just to be safe i only put 42 walleye in my freezer me wife and 5 kids all living in the same house and 210 perch. now guess what my 20 year old moved out to her own apartment now what do i do. i have to eat 6 eyes and 30 perch better get me a 12 pack a cigar and start the oil

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Originally Posted by Eyezcrazy

I was checked at the dock by ODNR and asked him what I should do with my fish if I stayed to fish a second day. He said as long as I could show proof I was there the day before it wouldn't be a problem. He said a gas receipt, hotel receipt, bait store etc. now that being said, I'm sure it would come down to the individual officer who checked me and another one might not feel the same. I believe the burden of proof would be on them. Like I said in an earlier post, possession is not the same as a daily limit.

I was once ticketed for having a fish that was 1/4 inch short in my cooler. The ODNR asked me who was going to claim it. I said well since it's my boat I guess I will. The fact is, we don't know who caught and kept the fish that was short so I wonder how that would play out if know one stepped up to claim it. Sort of difficult to prove who to ticket. From now on I make sure to personally check every fish.

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I bet if you wouldn't have stepped up, the warden would have written a ticket to everyone, and let the judge sort it out. I think your double checking policy is a good idea.