Thread: do fish have to be keep separate when two or more people are fishing in same boat

I called dnr today, you don't have to keep fish separate,no reason they can't keep a limit

Go fish below the damn you can keep every single crappie you catch regardless of size.

Go to Lake Mattoon no creel limit or size limit

None for crappie on Highland silver lake either.

Originally Posted by ichabod

I heard a game warden at sangchris say that you had to keep your catches separate.On here someone said the dnr said no .would like to know what's true.I would also like to know if someone under the age of 16 without a fishing license can keep a limit of fish if they catch them?

I believe that even the game wardens don't know! A friend and I was checked several years ago and asked if we could tell him which ones was his and ones that was mine? So I believe also it really depends which game warden you get and if they are having a bad day. Or if you have a target on your back! JMO

I know for sure thats the case in Missouri but not in Ill

You can call whoever you like and get an answer, and you can believe that you are in the right until you get popped. Unless you have a notarized written statement from a official that has the authority to give it or you can show in the SOI fish and game code where it says you can do something, your taking the chance of getting SCREWED!

Each angler has a daily limit on certain lakes.

Lets say that I am a game warden and I pull up on you to run a check. It is now up to you to prove that your live well contains the correct amount of fish by length for each angler. How do you prove it??? You can keep a tally book, put them on snap hooks that are color coded, use different live wells, ETC.

If the warden wants to write a ticket they can on what they "choose" to believe, then it is on you to prove your innocence! And here is the rub!

If you live 150 mi from where your fishing and have to work a full time job, can you afford to fight the ticket?

Now if you think I am talking out my rear end, I will give you a true story that actually happened to me. This will prove that some, officials have sense and others are nazi's.

Duck hunting on Shelbyville one fall(it was sucko) saw the IDNR and they didn't bother us while we were hunting, they like to hang back with binos and try to catch you breaking law first.

They were checking everyone at the ramp when they were coming out, one male officer and one female. The guy came up and said "did you do any good", the female stated "conservation police" and we will be checking you for compliance.

My partner walked up to get the truck and she followed him all the way up and back. The guy waded out in the water and held the nose of my boat and asked about the hunting while I waited on the truck and trailer, even hooked up the strap and winched me on.

The female stated that we were to pull up to the parking area and wait.

Get parked and the female started in on lack of current tags on my truck and trailer, the guy says" we checked and we know they are current". I was at a loss as to where my stickers were until i realized that I had been driving my other car when I did the renewals and that they were probably in the glove box.

They went and deliberated and he came back with a warning, she came back with a $75.00 ticket and told me that" we can let you go for one but not the other", I said you know they are paid and your still gonna write me? YEP.

She left and the guy came over and "quietly" Told me to go see the state attorney, and he would drop it if I showed proof.

Lucky for me I only lived 17 miles from the county courthouse, so I found my stickers put them on. Monday i an running to courthouse with registration papers and get it dropped. Was told by states attorney to "get them tags on" I said they are. Then he told me she wrote the ticket for the wrong reg anyway.

What I'm saying is this. They can write anything, but it comes out of your time and money to beat it. And it shows the difference from one officer to the other!

Sorry got so long winded
Mildot

PS: I hear that nasty female isn't with the IDNR anymore!

Simple solution, follow the rules.. It's black and white. Each license is entitled to so many fish, no more. Honesty goes along way and we all know if we are breaking laws. use culling tags or rubber bands or separate livewells or what ever it takes. I'm not being holier than thou, just saying I love my fishing too much and have too much invested to lose that privilege. Hate to see anyone put in that position but who's to blame?