Question about bag limits

[IrishAyes]

Let's take it one step further, if we want to do 'what its'.

What if 'the man' is watching you with his binoculars and sees just who is catching and keeping. You get a summons for over the limit fish, who is wrong, the CO or the fisherman?

Now, I'm not saying catch five and take a nap, I'm just pointing out what the regulations are. Know what the regulations are and be willing to pay the price if you are not following the letter of the law.

As a side note, it is for each of us to made a decision on what to do, and it's not in your best interest to post online that you would break ANY law. 

[DJ76]

Let's take it one step further, if we want to do 'what its'.

What if 'the man' is watching you with his binoculars and sees just who is catching and keeping. You get a summons for over the limit fish, who is wrong, the CO or the fisherman?

Now, I'm not saying catch five and take a nap, I'm just pointing out what the regulations are. Know what the regulations are and be willing to pay the price if you are not following the letter of the law.

As a side note, it is for each of us to made a decision on what to do, and it's not in your best interest to post online that you would break ANY law. 

[Ms Fish]

Dad taught me one way.... the right way! Nuff said 

[wb]

NOT speaking from experience, strickly supposin':
If I catch 5 keeper fluke in one day and my buddy is with me and he has 5 too and we are not dreaming, 
we have to switch to seabass but oh no seabass is closed but it don't matter anyway cause we caught another keeper fluke,
and now my buddy wants to keep that too and makes it look like he released it to me but he secretly hid it in a deep dark locker on YSA, and now we are getting boarded and the man finds the poached fish there is no way the man is writing two tickets for one fish over. No way.

and boat limit is some made up useless term like irregardless or orientated - it is and always has been a per person, per day, usually of a certain size

[IrishAyes]

As for the one fish over with two men (or any similar scenario, 2 over, etc) The CO can (not saying he will) write both if no one fesses up to ownership. It is called constructive possession (reasonable to believe either one could be in possession). Same as if you had contraband in your car and no one owns up to it. BUT, would your 'friend/fishing partner' do that to you? I know (hope) none of mine would, but there is that possibility. And you can bet that friend/fishing partner relationship would be over.

[Luna Sea 5]

OK.. just so everyone knows, I know the rule of bag limit.  The situation I am referring to, clearly, If you get boarded and have 2 guys on the boat and you have 10 Fluke, Does the CO go any further?  NO.. In his eyes, he will always assume that each of the guys caught 5 each.  He wouldn't waste his time asking, knowing that reguardles who caught what, he knows what the answer will be for the mere fact of avoiding a fine.  So, there is no such thing as a boat limit, we know that, but again, there really, kinda is a boat limit based on getting boarded. 

So, Me and uncle Luna fish the Luna Sea, we bring home 10 fish, enough said and no questions asked.

[DJ76]

As for the one fish over with two men (or any similar scenario, 2 over, etc) The CO can (not saying he will) write both if no one fesses up to ownership. It is called constructive possession (reasonable to believe either one could be in possession). Same as if you had contraband in your car and no one owns up to it. BUT, would your 'friend/fishing partner' do that to you? I know (hope) none of mine would, but there is that possibility. And you can bet that friend/fishing partner relationship would be over.

I believe the Jaimace ran into something along these lines earlier this year with sea bass??  Captain tried to play the old I didn't know my customers placed the illegal sea bass in the coolers I'm not responsible...but fish and game had another thing to say about that.  could have my details wrong but its similar.

[Luna Sea 5]

As for the one fish over with two men (or any similar scenario, 2 over, etc) The CO can (not saying he will) write both if no one fesses up to ownership. It is called constructive possession (reasonable to believe either one could be in possession). Same as if you had contraband in your car and no one owns up to it. BUT, would your 'friend/fishing partner' do that to you? I know (hope) none of mine would, but there is that possibility. And you can bet that friend/fishing partner relationship would be over.

I believe the Jaimace ran into something along these lines earlier this year with sea bass??  Captain tried to play the old I didn't know my customers placed the illegal sea bass in the coolers I'm not responsible...but fish and game had another thing to say about that.  could have my details wrong but its similar.

I think on a party boat, it is every man for himself with the limits, because party boats are licenced to accommodate individuals.  On private boats, it is a little different since you are a private party and grouped together as one.  If I am not mistaken.. Just like sitting on the beach next to someone, make sure you don't share your cooler, because if the guy next to you takes a walk and his fish are in your box, you get the fine.

[IrishAyes]

The captain on a party boat (or any boat) can not enforce the regulations. He can advise you what they are but can not enforce them. Some try to, some don't. Can you see a 150#, 5'8" mate telling a 275#, 6'3" patron that he will throw his illegal fish overboard? Good possibility that it will be the mate going over the side. 

On the same token, the mate can not cut a short fish. If he does, then he is in violation.

[Ms Fish]

The captain on a party boat (or any boat) can not enforce the regulations. He can advise you what they are but can not enforce them. Some try to, some don't. Can you see a 150#, 5'8" mate telling a 275#, 6'3" patron that he will throw his illegal fish overboard? Good possibility that it will be the mate going over the side. 

On the same token, the mate can not cut a short fish. If he does, then he is in violation.

I have heard and seen this on headboats... especially with the realllly close short flukes... they put them in their cooler and move on. I dont like that... I prefer to follow the rules, I feel better about myself and if I am with someone that doesnt know about them, I hope I can teach and show them the right and wrong way to do things like my dad. I have seen the mates cut the fish too, which I am sure was by accident...they are so busy wacking the fish that everyone caught, they miss it. And that is not their fault, its the fault of the person that not only kept the fish but had the nerver to give it to them to clean.      

[Takes Prizoners]

The real problem with using a boat limit vs per person would be when the trip is over.  If 3 people are on my boat fluking, I drive by myself and my friends drive together.  We catch our boat limit of 15. One of the friends decide they don't want 1/5 and I opt to take it.  Then I surpass my per person daily limit.  NJ could be a lot worse with limits.  I just got back from fishing in FL for a month and their regs are outrageous. Boat limits, Personal limits, Creel lmits just become an area of mass confusion.  And all 3 limits vary from fish to fish an species to species.

[Ms Fish]

The real problem with using a boat limit vs per person would be when the trip is over.  If 3 people are on my boat fluking, I drive by myself and my friends drive together.  We catch our boat limit of 15. One of the friends decide they don't want 1/5 and I opt to take it.  Then I surpass my per person daily limit.  NJ could be a lot worse with limits.  I just got back from fishing in FL for a month and their regs are outrageous. Boat limits, Personal limits, Creel lmits just become an area of mass confusion.  And all 3 limits vary from fish to fish an species to species.

WHAT A MESS!!!!! The thing with me is i am the only one who has a boat, AND the only one who cleans the fish so I wont run into thoes problems. 

[IrishAyes]

The Florida regs book is almost as large as the book on how to understand women. Here's the book on how to understand women for comparison. 

[Takes Prizoners]

The real problem with using a boat limit vs per person would be when the trip is over.  If 3 people are on my boat fluking, I drive by myself and my friends drive together.  We catch our boat limit of 15. One of the friends decide they don't want 1/5 and I opt to take it.  Then I surpass my per person daily limit.  NJ could be a lot worse with limits.  I just got back from fishing in FL for a month and their regs are outrageous. Boat limits, Personal limits, Creel lmits just become an area of mass confusion.  And all 3 limits vary from fish to fish an species to species.

WHAT A MESS!!!!! The thing with me is i am the only one who has a boat, AND the only one who cleans the fish so I wont run into thoes problems. 
[/quote just as long as you stay under YOUR limit. lol.  I don't eat fish but I bring it home for other people.  Usually only if Im on a party boat do I even do that anymore.

[Takes Prizoners]

The Florida regs book is almost as large as the book on how to understand women. Here's the book on how to understand women for comparison. 

It's damn near close. lol.  I saw an ad in a fishing magazine down there for an Ipad app of regs.  I downloaded for $1 and looked through but I don't think it was very thorough when compared to the FWC's website.  If I remember also, the regs change depending on the region of the state.  I just throw everything back. lol.  Unless there's someone around me that assures me it's a legal fish or it's listed in the Ipad App. lol

[BigAl13]

Regs are state wide, there are different rules for the 3 mile mark as well as the Delaware but for the most part if its 5 fish @18" it doesnt matter if your in Barney or Raritan

[Luna Sea 5]

that is a good scenario.. What If myself and uncle each catch our legitimate man limit of 5 each.  I get back to the dock, clean the fish and my uncle decides that he doesn't want any and gives his fillets to me.  Now, from that moment forward, I am double my limit for my car ride home.  At what point during your day does these rules dismiss.  What if I am a passer by and happen to walk near a party boat where patrons are giving away their cleaned catches.  Am I only supposed to keep 5 fish.  If these people are giving away there fish fillets, can I keep more?

[Takes Prizoners]

I believe it's 5 fish per person, per day.  so by law, you should never have more than 5 fish in your possession each day.  If it's already filleted, then it's going to be pretty well hidden by size.  I take my fish home whole so I always have my giant coolers in the truck which makes me more a target for inspection. 

[Takes Prizoners]

Regs are state wide, there are different rules for the 3 mile mark as well as the Delaware but for the most part if its 5 fish @18" it doesnt matter if your in Barney or Raritan

I didn't mean about up here in NJ. I was just referring to FL

[BigAl13]

sorry i didnt see that o  the flswf site