Confusion about creel limit and possession limit?

[QUOTE=RoadToad;409517]It's not accurate to say "You can possess as many fish at home or camp as you like." At HOME, yes, but not in your camp. The possession limit does exclude "processed fish," so I guess if they were filleted you'd be okay. But if you had more than a possession limit of "unprocessed" fish in your cooler at your camp, you'd be in violation. The possession limit even applies to a cabin that you OWN, unless it's your "primary residence." I'm sure people's coolers/fridges in their campsites or cabins rarely, if ever, get checked, but that's what the LAW says.

This has been discussed extensively on this board in the past. And if you'll just visit the link I posted previously, you'll find a good explanation from KDFWR. One correction to what I posted previously is that for rainbow and brown trout, the daily creel limit and the possession limit are now the SAME (total of 8, only 3 of which may be browns). I'm pretty sure this is new for this year.[/QUOTE]
We are both correct! The possesion limit only takes effect while in the field ( or water ) actively engaged in pursuit of your limit. I would say you could have a limit of filleted crappie and a limit of live ones while fishing, I wouldnt attempt it but why would anyone?

I just got tot get my dog in this hunt. I have had some experience with some of these questions in past. Barren River lake has special regulation for Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass. I was fishing some club night tournaments and wanted a clarification on the KDFW rules as to what we could weigh in.

Barren River Lake:
Daily limit is 6 and possession limit is 12.
Spotted / Kentucky Bass have no minimum size limit.
Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass have a 15-inch minimum size limit except 1 fish in the daily creel limit or 2 in the possession limit may be less than 15 inches long.

I could not find definitions in the manual to cover some of the terms they where using so I contacted the KDFW at Frankfort and asked them to send me in writing the answers to these questions which they did.

Q-What determines a possession limit.
A-Number of fish allowed in your possession after 2 or more days of fishing.

Q-When does a day start and end.
A-Starts at 12:01 am and ends at 12:00 pm.

Q-If I start fishing before 12:00 midnight and quit at 3:00 am can I have 2
Largemouth or Smallmouth Bass under 15" in my livewell legally.
A-Yes.

Q-What legally determines a Spotted / Kentucky Bass.
A-Any Black Bass with a rough patch on its tongue except Smallmouth Bass.
We know some Largemouth Bass may have a small tongue patch without
the other determining characteristics of a Spotted / Kentucky Bass but we
will not require them if a tongue patch is present.


I had this in writing from the big wigs in Frankfort. I don't know why they don't print this more clearly for everyone to see and understand in their rules and regulations. This was about 8 -10 years ago and as far as I know none of these rules have changed, but maybe the Big Wigs in charge have.

Just my 2 cents worth....!

[QUOTE=Bronze_Back;409606]I just got tot get my dog in this hunt. I have had some experience with some of these questions in past. Barren River lake has special regulation for Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass. I was fishing some club night tournaments and wanted a clarification on the KDFW rules as to what we could weigh in.

Barren River Lake:
Daily limit is 6 and possession limit is 12.
Spotted / Kentucky Bass have no minimum size limit.
Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass have a 15-inch minimum size limit except 1 fish in the daily creel limit or 2 in the possession limit may be less than 15 inches long.

I could not find definitions in the manual to cover some of the terms they where using so I contacted the KDFW at Frankfort and asked them to send me in writing the answers to these questions which they did.

Q-What determines a possession limit.
A-Number of fish allowed in your possession after 2 or more days of fishing.

Q-When does a day start and end.
A-Starts at 12:01 am and ends at 12:00 pm.

Q-If I start fishing before 12:00 midnight and quit at 3:00 am can I have 2
Largemouth or Smallmouth Bass under 15" in my livewell legally.
A-Yes.

Q-What legally determines a Spotted / Kentucky Bass.
A-Any Black Bass with a rough patch on its tongue except Smallmouth Bass.
We know some Largemouth Bass may have a small tongue patch without
the other determining characteristics of a Spotted / Kentucky Bass but we
will not require them if a tongue patch is present.


I had this in writing from the big wigs in Frankfort. I don't know why they don't print this more clearly for everyone to see and understand in their rules and regulations. This was about 8 -10 years ago and as far as I know none of these rules have changed, but maybe the Big Wigs in charge have.

Just my 2 cents worth....![/QUOTE]
New regulation now in effect. The presence of a tooth patch is no longer the regulatory method for identifying spotted bass.

[QUOTE=slobslayer;409344]"The daily creel limit is the number of a particular sport fish species you may keep in one day's fishing. A possesion limit is two times the daily creel limit for all species with a daily creel limit and excludes processed fish." That is the how KDFWR defines the difference on their website. It sounds to me like the most you could have in your boat would be 40 if there are 2 or more people in the boat, if you are alone you could have only 20 in your boat. That's a very interesting question and if there is anybody out there that knows for certain please let us know.[/QUOTE]

No if there is three in the boat you are allowed 60 if the daily limit is 20. It is 20 per person per day. Possesion is if you are staying in a cabin or motel , camping or something like that you can only keep 2 times the daily limit until you get home or eat some of them, give them away. something to reduce the amount you have in POSSESION

[QUOTE=parker;409439]I can clear all this up! Each person in the boat can have their daily limit, period! If you return home or to a camp, doesnt matter, fillet your fish and leave them at home or camp and catch another limit each day. You can possess as many fish at home or camp as you like but dont get caught with more than the daily creel while fishing.;)[/QUOTE]

Trust me you would get cited . Reason being how do you prove how many you caught after midnight. Don't push it catch your daily limit and go home !!!!

[QUOTE=Bronze_Back;409606]I just got tot get my dog in this hunt. I have had some experience with some of these questions in past. Barren River lake has special regulation for Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass. I was fishing some club night tournaments and wanted a clarification on the KDFW rules as to what we could weigh in.

Barren River Lake:
Daily limit is 6 and possession limit is 12.
Spotted / Kentucky Bass have no minimum size limit.
Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass have a 15-inch minimum size limit except 1 fish in the daily creel limit or 2 in the possession limit may be less than 15 inches long.

I could not find definitions in the manual to cover some of the terms they where using so I contacted the KDFW at Frankfort and asked them to send me in writing the answers to these questions which they did.

Q-What determines a possession limit.
A-Number of fish allowed in your possession after 2 or more days of fishing.

Q-When does a day start and end.
A-Starts at 12:01 am and ends at 12:00 pm.

Q-If I start fishing before 12:00 midnight and quit at 3:00 am can I have 2
Largemouth or Smallmouth Bass under 15" in my livewell legally.
A-Yes.

Q-What legally determines a Spotted / Kentucky Bass.
A-Any Black Bass with a rough patch on its tongue except Smallmouth Bass.
We know some Largemouth Bass may have a small tongue patch without
the other determining characteristics of a Spotted / Kentucky Bass but we
will not require them if a tongue patch is present.


I had this in writing from the big wigs in Frankfort. I don't know why they don't print this more clearly for everyone to see and understand in their rules and regulations. This was about 8 -10 years ago and as far as I know none of these rules have changed, but maybe the Big Wigs in charge have.

Just my 2 cents worth....![/QUOTE]

Yes the tongue patch rule was changed this year . Saw it on the ky afeild call in show..

The new regulations for Kentucky Bass are in this years fishing and boating guide, they even have pictures.

When these guys are saying you have 3 people in a boat, you can have three limits, that is true, But, each limit of X fish MUST be kept seperate from each other. MUST MUST MUST.

That's odd, I've NEVER been told (or had a problem) with MUST keep separate. I don't know any boats with three livewells either. We (wife, two boys, myself) have been checked on our pontoon with all of our fish in one LARGE livewell and never had an issue?

Also I'm unable to find anything even suggesting they can't all be in one livewell as has been stated here?

From the KDFWR website

Q: How is a daily creel limit
different than a possession limit?


A: The [B]daily creel limi[/B]t is the
number of a particular sport fish
species you may keep i[B]n one day’s
fishing.[/B]

A possession limit is two
times the daily creel limit for all fish
species with a daily creel limit and
[U][B]excludes processed fish[/B][/U].

[URL]http://fw.ky.gov/pdf/2010fishguidefishingregs.pdf[/URL]

[QUOTE=parker;409439]I can clear all this up! Each person in the boat can have their daily limit, period! If you return home or to a camp, doesnt matter, fillet your fish and leave them at home or camp and catch another limit each day. You can possess as many fish at home or camp as you like but dont get caught with more than the daily creel while fishing.;)[/QUOTE]

WRONG.............that is bad advice.

If you are at camp, and have fish in the cooler, that counts towards your possession limit. DO NOT go over the possession limit.....PERIOD.

Example: 5 day crappie massacre at KY LAKE. You're REALLY on the fish. You CATCH a limit day 1, a limit day 2, a limit day 3. Day 1 and Day 2 are back at camp in the cooler. Day 3 is in your livewell. You are breaking the law.

[QUOTE=GeoFisher;410211]WRONG.............that is bad advice.

If you are at camp, and have fish in the cooler, that counts towards your possession limit. DO NOT go over the possession limit.....PERIOD.

Example: 5 day crappie massacre at KY LAKE. You're REALLY on the fish. You CATCH a limit day 1, a limit day 2, a limit day 3. Day 1 and Day 2 are back at camp in the cooler. Day 3 is in your livewell. You are breaking the law.[/QUOTE]

Well.........I'm WRONG......

It looks like they clarified the rule on possession limits. It used to be 2x the creel, with no exclusions on processed fish........so my example above is only illegal if you had those fish on ice and NOT processed.

I guess if you caught a limit each day on a 5 day trip and processed them EACH day, you would be OK.

Of course, this possession limit clarification will definitely lead to people cheating by taking a limit in the morning, cleaning them, and then heading back out to take another limit that evening. If possession limit does not include those that are processed, this is a HUGE MISTAKE by the DNR, if you ask me.

Later,

Geo

I'm curious.. have any of you ever had a warden come to your campsite and count the number of fish in your possession?

[QUOTE=GeoFisher;410214]Well.........I'm WRONG......

It looks like they clarified the rule on possession limits. It used to be 2x the creel, with no exclusions on processed fish........so my example above is only illegal if you had those fish on ice and NOT processed.

I guess if you caught a limit each day on a 5 day trip and processed them EACH day, you would be OK.

Of course, this possession limit clarification will definitely lead to people cheating by taking a limit in the morning, cleaning them, and then heading back out to take another limit that evening. If possession limit does not include those that are processed, this is a HUGE MISTAKE by the DNR, if you ask me.

Later,

Geo[/QUOTE]
Hey man, its ok! The law concerning this is hard to understand for anyone. Lots of people have gone to their favorite lake for a few days of fishing and camping while the bite is on. I have never heard of anyone getting their cooler or fridge checked.