Transporting Fish Question ??

[Allen]

Ok, so they changed to any time you travel with them, gotcha. I know there's no freezer law in ND, yet, but I thought that after you had them at you're home and packaged, you'd be good to take them anywhere. I know SD has a freezer law, and even remember an old guy getting raided in the 90's.

I read the regs about transporting but didn't see the part about how many. Did I miss it or is it in the possession limit section? Just wondering if I can send a buddy home with his possession limit after I clean and freeze them for him.

Technically speaking, if you gift a fish to a person, whether it's on the water or cleaned in a ziploc bag, it counts as a fish in both of your daily and possession limits. Not only that, but you are supposed to supply the person you gift the fish to with a letter stating the date and the amount of fish you have gifted.

How many of us have had a day where we only caught one keeper and at the end of the day you give it to the guy at the ramp who was heading home with 4 fish? Yep, illegal as hell without said letter. So, if you gift a package of 6 fish pieces to the little old lady down the street, you have also just made her a lawbreaker if she doesn't have a fishing license.

Now, do we have wardens out busting little old ladies and the people that donate a meal of fish to them? No, can't recall anyone ever getting busted for that, but that doesn't mean it can't happen.

These "new" rules about zippering walleye filets and gifting requirements are excessive.

Straight from the proclamation:

Any fish (whole and/or fillets) may be given (gifted) to another individual, but the fish must be counted in the donor’s daily limit. Individuals who receive gifted fish may not exceed the possession limit while the fish are being transported.

Gifted fish, including packages of fish, must be accompanied with the following information from the individual gifting the fish: name, fishing license number, phone number, date, species and number of fish gifted.

Except for legally gifted fish, it is illegal to possess or transport another individual’s game fish or parts thereof without the license holder accompanying or as otherwise permitted.

 

[Allen]

The possession limit is defined as the maximum number of legally taken fish (by species) that an individual may have in their actual possession during any phase of any single fishing trip of more than one day. At no time may an individual transport more than a possession limit without written approval of the Game and Fish director.

OK is just me or does this mean you can only take home 1 days limit of fish?

No, if you are on a 2-day trip, you can take home 10 walleyes (the possession limit). The details here are in the definition of daily possession limit and possession limit. You probably best not store yesterday's catch in the cooler you are using on today's fishing trip. That might be tough to explain to the warden.

https://gf.nd.gov/fishing/regulations-guide/2024-26#manner-hook-line-limits

 

[Rowdie]

No, if you are on a 2-day trip, you can take home 10 walleyes (the possession limit). The details here are in the definition of daily possession limit and possession limit. You probably best not store yesterday's catch in the cooler you are using on today's fishing trip. That might be tough to explain to the warden.

https://gf.nd.gov/fishing/regulations-guide/2024-26#manner-hook-line-limits

Where does it spell that out? I cut and pasted the definition and they don't say it's TWO limits of fish anywhere I could see.

 

[remm]

Where does it spell that out? I cut and pasted the definition and they don't say it's TWO limits of fish anywhere I could see.

If you fish for 1 day, you can take your daily limit. If you are on a trip for more than the one day, it doesn't matter if you fish for 2 or 10 days, can only have your possession limit.

 

[Allen]

Where does it spell that out? I cut and pasted the definition and they don't say it's TWO limits of fish anywhere I could see.

It's in the section you posted on Possession Limit. You are allowed to have two daily possession limits to reach your overall Possession Limit. Thus, you are allowed to legally transport twice your daily possession limit on a multi-day trip. But like I said, I probably wouldn't want to have the fileted fish from yesterday in my boat cooler. That's pretty much a gray area that could lead to a ticket. Often thought the same thing for campers who are shorefishing. If you caught a limit yesterday, and then had a limit today on a stringer...it would seem up to a warden's discretion on whether to give you a hard time about being in possession of two daily limits while still actively camping, or maybe even fishing for another species. Nonetheless, it could be a difficult conversation if the warden, for whatever reason, claims you had only been fishing one day. In court though, it's pretty hard to prove a negative (that you hadn't been fishing the day before). Back in the good old days, we used this concept heavily when paddlefish rules allowed one per day with a possession limit of two. You'd go fishing Friday night, hopefully catch a fish before midnight, and then start fishing again after midnight. Of course, nowadays the daily and possession limits for paddlefish are one fish...not to mention all the other changes in the rules. The wardens were right there at most all hours of the day to keep an eye on us.

 

[Rowdie]

I always knew it was 2 limits, but after reading it I became confused. It doesn't say it as clearly as you did and they should clearly state that a possession limit is 2 daily limits. I used to camp in a tent down by the water and always kept a possession limit, knowing the laws technically didn't allow it. This was in SD though. I haven't done that in years and really miss it.

 

[Perch_herder]

I have a freezer plugged into an inverter so fillet strait into the freezer in my pickup ND doesn't have a freezer law I can have as many as I can fit.....

Unlimited applies only to your permanent residence.
"The storage limit at one’s permanent residence is unlimited." We've had some discussion about how it applies to a lake place that is not your permanent residence.

 

[wslayer]

Where does it spell that out? I cut and pasted the definition and they don't say it's TWO limits of fish anywhere I could see.

Statewide Daily and Possession Limits and Exceptions​

Statewide Daily and Possession Limits

Species	Daily Limit	Possession Limit
Walleye, Sauger, Saugeye or Combination (a)	5	10
Northern Pike	5	10
Yellow Perch	20	40
White Bass	20	40
Bluegill	10	20
Crappie	10	20
Brown Trout, Cutthroat Trout, Lake Trout, Rainbow Trout, Tiger Trout or Combination	3	6
Salmon	5	10
Burbot (Ling)	10	20
Channel Catfish East of ND Hwy. 1 (b)	5	5
Channel Catfish West of ND Hwy. 1	20	40
Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass or Combination	5	10
Muskellunge (pure or hybrid)	1	1
Paddlefish	See Paddlefish Snagging
Nongame Fish (other than legal live baitfish)	no limit	no limit
Legal Live Baitfish (c)	150	150
Leeches	300	300
Smelt	5 gallons	5 gallons
Frogs	50	50
Salamanders	50	50
Crayfish	50	50
Snapping Turtle (d)	One annually
a–Zander are included as part of the walleye, sauger, saugeye combination in Spiritwood and Alkali lakes (Stutsman Co.). b–In the Red and Bois de Sioux rivers, the limit is 5 catfish regardless of the number of state or provincial licenses purchased by the angler. c–Aggregate of all legal species (see Section 4). d–Only one snapping turtle may be harvested with hook and line equipment between July 1 through November 15 of each fishing year.

 

[Pheasant 54]

And dont forget you cant split them anymore , or 1 fish turns into 2 . We now cut about 80 % down the blood line .

 

[Kurtr]

Ok, so they changed to any time you travel with them, gotcha. I know there's no freezer law in ND, yet, but I thought that after you had them at you're home and packaged, you'd be good to take them anywhere. I know SD has a freezer law, and even remember an old guy getting raided in the 90's.

I read the regs about transporting but didn't see the part about how many. Did I miss it or is it in the possession limit section? Just wondering if I can send a buddy home with his possession limit after I clean and freeze them for him.

Nope that went away i would guess almost 10 years ago.

here it is in the book

POSSESSION LIMITS The possession limit is the maximum number of legally harvested fish that a person may possess or control. The fish possession limit is unlimited at a person’s domicile. A domicile is a person’s established, fixed, and permanent home to which the person, whenever absent, has the present intention of returning. Places that are NOT domiciles include hotels, motels, gfp.sd.gov | 605.223.7660 | 37 GENERAL DEFINITIONS summer cabins, campers, sleeper ice shacks, travel trailers, etc. Nonresidents may not exceed the established possession limit for each species of fish because they do not have a domicile in South Dakota. Fish taken under another state’s valid license do not apply to South Dakota’s possession limits, unless taken on a South Dakota border water.

 

[cooter00]

Unlimited applies only to your permanent residence.
"The storage limit at one’s permanent residence is unlimited." We've had some discussion about how it applies to a lake place that is not your permanent residence.

Maybe I live in my truck I sleep in it more days then my bed it seems like does that count

 

[shorthairsrus]

van hook - GW at the fish cleaning station. I throw my fish in a bag counting them. Shit one over i look over he is busy checking people. I put back in the box whip out a bag of ice - ice em in the live well and take off. Next thing i look in my rear mirror and the GW is tailing me. My livewells are open dripping more than usual. I keep driving--- he tailed me till i swear till 83. I went back to my trailer in DL went to the cleaning station --- recounted and i was spot on. OMG --- Stilll had to lie though at the cleaning station as you had these guys whispering and asking where i fished --- i said up north.

 

[Rowdie]

Maybe I live in my truck I sleep in it more days then my bed it seems like does that count

More and more people have converted vans and trucks into campers and are living in them. They're all over YouTube

 

[Rowdie]

Statewide Daily and Possession Limits and Exceptions​

Statewide Daily and Possession Limits

Species	Daily Limit	Possession Limit
Walleye, Sauger, Saugeye or Combination (a)	5	10
Northern Pike	5	10
Yellow Perch	20	40
White Bass	20	40
Bluegill	10	20
Crappie	10	20
Brown Trout, Cutthroat Trout, Lake Trout, Rainbow Trout, Tiger Trout or Combination	3	6
Salmon	5	10
Burbot (Ling)	10	20
Channel Catfish East of ND Hwy. 1 (b)	5	5
Channel Catfish West of ND Hwy. 1	20	40
Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass or Combination	5	10
Muskellunge (pure or hybrid)	1	1
Paddlefish	See Paddlefish Snagging
Nongame Fish (other than legal live baitfish)	no limit	no limit
Legal Live Baitfish (c)	150	150
Leeches	300	300
Smelt	5 gallons	5 gallons
Frogs	50	50
Salamanders	50	50
Crayfish	50	50
Snapping Turtle (d)	One annually
a–Zander are included as part of the walleye, sauger, saugeye combination in Spiritwood and Alkali lakes (Stutsman Co.). b–In the Red and Bois de Sioux rivers, the limit is 5 catfish regardless of the number of state or provincial licenses purchased by the angler. c–Aggregate of all legal species (see Section 4). d–Only one snapping turtle may be harvested with hook and line equipment between July 1 through November 15 of each fishing year.

I scrolled right by the chart. I thought it was the weight/Length conversion chart I had checked out earlier.

 

[tikkalover]

The camper rule sucks as sometimes I camp for 2 weeks at a time

 

[johnr]

The camper rule sucks as sometimes I camp for 2 weeks at a time

I just cant eat that much fish. I probably still have 10 bags from last summer in the freezer, plus the few I caught this winter. We eat fish maybe twice a month.

 

[Rowdie]

I never freeze fish unless its just for a week or 2. I just give it away to family if I get that much. I haven't had extra for 3 or more years.

 

[remm]

I know this is borderline blasphemy for some of you, but you can go fishing and throw them back...

 

[espringers]

nearly every time i fish ^^^^ unless its perch in the winter. if i've got a few bags in the freezer, i will do everything in my power not to have to clean fish once i am done fishing. seems like a good way to wreck a good day.

 

[guywhofishes]

nearly every time i fish ^^^^ unless its perch in the winter. if i've got a few bags in the freezer, i will do everything in my power not to have to clean fish once i am done fishing. seems like a good way to wreck a good day.

I normally ice them down good at the ramp, add more ice at home, then filet them the next morning.