limit laws

[wicked walleye]

I'm a PA resident.  My question is if I purchase a NY licence can I launch out of North east Pa, go to NY waters (It's just a few miles), catch a limit, then return them to the truck and go back out and catch my pa limit in pa?

[BSmaster]

This is an excellent question.  I have both state licenses and I always wonder since a few of the rivers I fish are in both states.  Better yet...  The limit is 6 bass 6 walleye in PA but 5 bass and 5 walleye in NY so what happens if I return home from PA with any limit (never happens) and I get questioned for being over the limit.  Do they have to prove I caught the fish in NY or do I have to prove that I caught them in PA?  Even if they test the fish it is the same body of water - how can they tell without visual evidence of me catching?

 

Isn't this like the question last year about people going out before midnight catching a limit, returning to port dropping off the fish and then going out after midnight for another limit?  Good questions.

[mr 580]

IMO if you were checked at the ramp in Northeast and you had two coolers of walleye that you would be under Pennsylvania regulations and limits without any consideration of N.Y. limits.  Suggest you check regulations as that scenario is likely covered-same would hold with bringing fish back from Canadian waters.  If the Pennsylvania limit is 6 walleyes then that is what will be allowed as you can’t designate New York fish or Pennsylvania fish.

[Fishnut]

I also fish out of the North east and asked this question to the guy that checked me at the marina. He said if I fish out of New York and return with my limit before catching my Pa. limit and they are already fillet and on ice in my car I should be fine.  he also said you are innocent  until proven guilty. that being said I have never done it. 

[wicked walleye]

I just talked to the regional office and was put on hold for a while (they were'nt really "positive").  But the final answer was they didn't "think so" because of the "possession" law of one daily limit with the only exception being if you fished for two days then you can have two limits.  If you went home and filleted them then went back out in pa an got a pa limit I don't see how it could be illegal since at one time I was technically in "possession" of about 60 walleye in my freezer.  Hmmm.  I'm not trying to be greedy but I have a lot of people who don't/can't fish that I give fish to and a limited amount of time that I can fish.

[mr 580]

The possession limit is the issue.  If you were staying near Northeast then you could fish Northeast in the morning then drop that catch at camp then trailer to Barcelona to fish NY in afternoon so you never exceeded each states daily limit with you.  Even then I don’t believe you can travel with more than two days limit.

[TyeeTanic]

Not that I'm an expert here, but if I had to play devil's advocate and put myself in the shoes of a NY authority, I'd say the following.

 

The limit is associated with where you caught the fish, not where you store the fish.  If you were caught in possession of all 6 of those fish on your way back to PA, but still in NY, what would happen?  You would be charged, I would think.

 

So really what would be happening is you would be over the limit (and breaking the law) hoping not to get caught until you are back in PA.  Then no one would both questioning you, as you'd be within the PA limit.  But if you were to admit you caught the fish in NY and kept more than the limit ... you'd be admitting to breaking the law in NY.

 

I wouldn't do it.

[TyeeTanic]

59 minutes ago, mr 580 said:

The possession limit is the issue.  If you were staying near Northeast then you could fish Northeast in the morning then drop that catch at camp then trailer to Barcelona to fish NY in afternoon so you never exceeded each states daily limit with you.  Even then I don’t believe you can travel with more than two days limit.

 

Possession according to Canadian law is fish in your possession, immediate or remote (think in your freezer back at home), including fish you may have given away to others under your catch limit.  I know proving that is difficult, but that's technically the law.

 

So the only thing I can see working is you catch 5 in NY (within limit) and then travel back to PA to catch the last 1.  It means you've complied with the catch limits while and at the time of being in both states.

[wicked walleye]

Freezer doesnt count. I do know that. 

[Gator]

Yeah, I mean how can it? You can purchase walleye fillets from Palmer's, and they don't restrict how many fillets you can buy, nor do they get arrested for having over their "limit". I don't really understand possession limits at all. The number of fish of a species you can transport or control? What does that even mean?

[jimski2]

A charter captain dropped off his party at the car and took his boat to his dock. There he was charged with being over the possession limit. I was stopped going into a biogist station with ten ducks over my
Limit . They were tied up in separate strings and when my companion showed up he dropped the charge. If you fish on a head boat the mate takes your fish and places it on a stringer and your fish are tallied to keep them within the limit. On a salmon charter after you take the salmon out of the water you must sign and fill out your permit card in Alaska. At that point you have your limit and you must put your line away and stop fishing.


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[Ready or Knot]

Hey guys check the regs. You are allowed 6 eyes in ny waters of lake erie. Has been that way for a few years now