Thread: Fish stored at home

Originally Posted by MDCAgent663_Clay

Guys, I put the Code up so that you are provided with the regulation in its truest form. My hope is that by doing so I can help clarify questions and not further confuse anyone. I’m more than happy to clarify beyond that were needed. I recommend that if you have very specific questions regarding a personal situation that you contact a local Agent via the phone. That being said…

Your possession limit includes all fish that you have in your “actual and constructive possession and control”, including fish stored in freezers etc. Your possession limit includes fish you have caught and fish you have been given.

You can have in your possession (stored etc), limits of fish for each state that the fish were legally taken. However, on Missouri waters or the banks thereof, you may only have your Missouri limits of fish (Some reciprocal agreements with neighboring states apply – check with your local agent).

Children 15yo and younger and others without fishing permits may have a state limit of fish if the fish were legally taken and given to them in accordance with regulations in the Wildlife Code for labeling etc.

The statewide possession limit of Crappie is currently 60 (Subject to change), twice the legal daily limit ON MOST WATERS. That should provide 120 fillets. Given that 120 fillets would meet YOUR possession limit for fish taken in MO, any extra fish from MO would put you in violation.

**Several lakes have a 15 Crappie daily limit. Check local regs.



3 CSR 10-6.405 General Provisions

(F) A person may possess no more than two (2) statewide daily limits as prescribed in 3 CSR 10-6.505 through 3 CSR 10-6.620.

** 6.505-6.620 are the species by species regulations/limits/etc.


3 CSR 10-20.805 Definitions
(45) Possessed and possession: The actual and con*structive possession and control of things referred to in this Code.

Excellent post!!! Thank you!!!

That should clarify it for everyone. Thanks for the reply. This forum has been a great addition thanks to you and other answering our questions. Thanks again.

I agree with Speck and Jared. Excellent reply. Answered all my questions. Thanks.

Thanks for clarifying.

As with all things that have to do with With the MO Dep't of Cons. it all depends on who you know. If you are just an everyday Joe like me and the agent decides to write you up for something, you are going to pay big time. The regulations are so poorly written, and so confusing that a Philadelphia lawyer couldn't figure it out. Straight out of the manual:

Stored fish must be labeled with your full name, address, permit number, species of fish

Sooo... if you are an old codger like me (68) you are no doubt breaking the law because you don't have a permit number. In addition if you have ever caught a mess of crappie and had a kicker walleye or white bass and put all the filets into one bag, you are in technical violation of the labeling requirement. What I'm saying is that no matter how hard you try to follow the rules they are going to get you for something.

Several years ago I fished a 3 day tournament on Truman. There were guys there from at least 20 states including CA, FL, NY, and MN. The DOC guys checked every boat for compliance and wrote hundreds of tickets to out of state guys for things their states didn't require (registering trolling motors for example). To make matters worse the same guys checked every boat on all three days and wrote multiple tickets to the same guys for the same things. To top it off they put up a temporary no wake zone by the island outside Sterett Creek and ticketed even locals that knew the zone wasn't there! Great bunch of guys they were and the organization that ran the tournament never came back to MO.

Sorry for the rant but, I went nearly 20 years and never bought a single license in MO.

you say the reg are hard to gollow, you say putting different fish in the same bag will get you into hot water, well the reg. says lable type of fish,,, it is not hard to spell walley,and crappie,on the same bag. as far as out of state no reg of trolling motor, or say trailer license for example,,, Mo. does not punish one for not complying with our laws on that, If I am not required to have a lets say a license plate on my trailer and I come from Kansas to Mo. I will not get a ticket because the Great State of Kansas says I don't need a license, as for not having your number on the bag of fish, you got a driver license, it has a number, you have a SS number, VA card, No driving ID. lots of ways to id your catch. most people, not saying you..but most people complicate the manual and over read it,,, you say you never came back to mo. where are you now?

you say you never came back to mo. where are you now?

I said I never bought a liscense in Missouri for 20 years. At the time I lived in Cape Girardeau and purchased licenses in IL, KY, TN, MS, and AR.

When I moved to Boonville I quit fishing all together until just over a year ago. The tickets to out of State fisherman did happen. It was over 20 years ago and apparently things may be different now. You don't know me but you can call me a liar. I don't know you so can I call you a smart ass?

IIRC the Tournament was sponsored by Western Bass in 1980 or so and was a team tournament for Bass Clubs. Each club entered 6 members (3 boaters and 3 non boaters). The first prize was to be 6 fully rigged Rangers. It turned out to be a bust and the purse wound up being 1 boat not 6 and a team from Springfield won it. The format was 3 practice days and 3 days of competition on 3 different lakes. I was there and weighed in 13 lbs on Truman. I ran all the way from Sterett Creek to Osceola and caught 2 - 6 lb+ bass in Wableau Creek.

I also have had other run ins with the DOC. My son joined the Army when he graduated out of high school. He was in for 3 years and his last assignment was a year in Nicaraqua. He got out, just in time for deer season. Unfortunately the 3 safety courses that he took in high school didn't count for the new (at the time) safety requirement and he was refused a license. After the season was over we both went to the 1st safety course available. At that time the DOC instructor says "Why you should have called me. I would have fixed you right up."


It is not what you do that counts... it is who you know.

I too say they are hard to follow. Even when the authority copy/paste some of the reg people were still confused and quoting sections that didn't have anything to do with stored fish at home.

I have a beef with some of the idiotic laws that seem to do nothing more than what a speed trap does for the local pd as far as raising revenue.

A. What difference does it make if you keep your fish identifiable from another licensed fisherman in your boat or on the bank with you. Husband and wife fishing side by side dumping their catch in the same fish basket. If they aren't clipping fins or something they are breaking the law on the 16th fish placed in the basket. Using Truman's limit here.
B. What difference does it make if someone catches and stores fish. If they aren't keeping more than the daily limit, what diff does it make if they accumulate some for winter when fishing gets tough or impossible due to work. I guarantee you this, I never waste one fillet. If it is thawed, it gets cooked, if it gets cooked it gets eaten, if not that night I save it for a fish sammich at the office the next day.

Here's the difference. It generates revenue. Nothing else. It does not stop over harvesting in any way shape or form.