Regulations discussion

[CrappiePro]

I pretty much try and do my absolute best to stay under the limit. On rare occasions when the fishing is fast and furious and only during cooler weather will I cull just under the limit to fish a little longer. I have always loved the numbers 10-30 keepers, Good day of catching, easy to clean, great for a meal, and the game wardens seem to love those numbers.

These Hog Land Boy's will pull up on you out of nowhere and manhandle you real fast. Had one check me, said he watched me for hours with Binoc's, said I was catching them, keeping and releasing soo fast he couldn't keep count, so he had to check me. LOL

[CrappiePappy]

KY has size limits and creel limits that differ from one body of water to another, so you do need to be aware of those, as they pertain to the body of water you're fishing. Statewide there's a 30 fish/day/angler creel, with no size limit ... BUT, many lakes have size limits of at least 9", and creel limits of at least 15 fish/day/angler. Other lakes have 10" size limits & 20 fish/day/angler creel limits ... so you do need to be aware of the regulations of the body of water you're fishing.

But, as far as culling your catch ... no problem. Holding more than one angler's catch in the same livewell ... no problem. Having more than the "possession limit" in your residence ... no problem. And the interpretation of a "possession limit" IN THE FIELD refers to "unprocessed" fish, and is twice the daily limit AFTER 2 or more days afield.

Personally speaking, I rarely catch a limit ... and that's fine with me. I throw back more 9" fish than I keep, and any fish that isn't obviously well over the size limit is put on the Golden Rule measuring board ... and it better reach 9.5" or more, or it don't go in the livewell.

... cp

[Eagle 1]

Mississippi says you are over the limit once the limit is in the boat regardless of you intention with the next fish . EX. -IF THE LIMIT IS 20 , YOU BETTER NOT HAVE BUT 19 IN THE BOX .HAVING TWENTY AND TELLING THE WARDEN YOU PLAN TO THROW THE REST BACK WILL COST YOU !

[glasseyes]

Like someone has already mentioned its the people that want to see just how far they can go before getting caught. I know when I don't have any in freezer and I plan on keeping CLOSE to a limit I will cull when I have 20, and we have a 30 fish limit. I don't see the point in keeping 29 and then cull to 30, LOL my luck I would miss count anyway. Jokes aside I just like catching them and most trips turn most if not all back anyway. Just the wife and I now and once in awhile I'll give a few packages away to a friend or two but mostly I just like to fish.

[Ketchn]

well I do know when I asked a warden here in texas about it ,he was quite clear about not ketchn and holding anymore of whatever species we had limited out on . and I was warned before we hit the water in Alaska to only string up one short if we wanted to continue ketchn fish as well .
I imagine some of it is up to the individual law enforcement person as well , but I don't like to worry about it so I keep under if I am keeping most of the time

[doggone]

From Missouri regs
DAILY AND POSSESSION LIMITS

You may possess no more than the daily limit of any given species while you are on waters, or on the banks of waters, where daily limits for those species apply. Any species taken into actual possession, unless released unharmed immediately after being caught, shall continue to be included in the daily limit of the taker for the day.
Where only catch-and-release fishing is allowed, fish must be returned unharmed immediately to the water after being caught.
The possession limit is twice the statewide daily limit. Fish you take and possess must be kept separate or distinctly identifiable from fish taken by another person. If you are away from your catch, the device holding the fish must be plainly labeled with your full name and address.
"Any fish you catch is included in your daily limit unless you release it unharmed immediately. You may not replace smaller fish in your possession with larger ones caught later. You need to make a keep-or-release decision as soon as the fish is caught."
My understanding has always been you make a decision to take a fish into possession if you do not release it immediately.As long as you throw it right back it is not in your possession.

It always seemed like such a common sense rule it just never occurred to me it may not apply elsewhere. HUH...course the way my memory is I may HAVE KNOWN that at sometime and now I don't remember LOL.

Too much information make a redneck go crazy

[crappielimits]

here in indiana you are allowed 2 days possession limit(25 fish per day). daily refers to midnight to midnight. if you catch a limit by 11:45pm, you can put them in your truck(or leave them in the boat i assume, would be no deference) and go back out for the second days limit. as long as you dont have over 50 fish, in your possession, there is no ticket to write.

This is absolutely not consistent with the law in any states I have fished. You can never have over the limit in your boat. I personally have been checked after midnight in Florida and told I could not go back out after putting limit in cooler at my camper had to wait 24 hours in Florida.

[INTIMIDATOR]

From Missouri regs
DAILY AND POSSESSION LIMITS

You may possess no more than the daily limit of any given species while you are on waters, or on the banks of waters, where daily limits for those species apply. Any species taken into actual possession, unless released unharmed immediately after being caught, shall continue to be included in the daily limit of the taker for the day.
Where only catch-and-release fishing is allowed, fish must be returned unharmed immediately to the water after being caught.
The possession limit is twice the statewide daily limit. Fish you take and possess must be kept separate or distinctly identifiable from fish taken by another person. If you are away from your catch, the device holding the fish must be plainly labeled with your full name and address.
"Any fish you catch is included in your daily limit unless you release it unharmed immediately. You may not replace smaller fish in your possession with larger ones caught later. You need to make a keep-or-release decision as soon as the fish is caught."
My understanding has always been you make a decision to take a fish into possession if you do not release it immediately.As long as you throw it right back it is not in your possession.

It always seemed like such a common sense rule it just never occurred to me it may not apply elsewhere. HUH...course the way my memory is I may HAVE KNOWN that at sometime and now I don't remember LOL.

Too much information make a redneck go crazy

That pretty much does away with "culling" right there...I don't think Missouri could have spelled it out much better!

I have been on boats with guys and watched people gut hook fish, toss fish from the front seat into the live-well, leave fish on the deck and later put them in the live-well...and then when they get close to their limit, they want to cull...normally they listen, but I'm sure when I'm not there, they are throwing fish back in that have no chance of living!
I've even watched Mr Crappie playing basketball with Slabs at Reelfoot on one of his shows, and I thought that was a poor choice for someone who people look up to...the good thing is that he wasn't show culling!

[Firehyd]

Does Missouri have bass fishing tournaments? You see the bass guys culling for bigger fish a lot. Not saying bass guys are bad it was just a thought.

[INTIMIDATOR]

Does Missouri have bass fishing tournaments? You see the bass guys culling for bigger fish a lot. Not saying bass guys are bad it was just a thought.

FROM BASS.com for learning purposes only!

Rules are rules: The culling penalty.
B.A.S.S.
Culling looks easy, but a culling oversight cost Bill Lowen a Bassmaster Classic appearance.

Bernie Schultz is an Elite Series pro and nine-time Classic qualifier. Connect with Bernie on Facebook and his website.
By Bernie Schultz
Nov 30, 2015



B.A.S.S. tournament rules state that we’re allowed a 5-fish limit anywhere we compete — so long as it’s in accordance with state or federal regulations. When a sixth fish is caught, we’re obligated to cull immediately. Not 10 or 20 minutes later … immediately!

You’d think this would be a simple rule to follow, yet, from time to time, someone will lose count of their catch, and that’s when they get into trouble.

The rules also state that if an angler discovers he is in possession of more than the legal limit, he must first attempt to contact the tournament director and report the infraction. Whether that angler is successful in making contact or not, he is then obligated to cull to a legal limit (starting with his smallest fish first). For every fish exceeding the legal limit, a 2-pound penalty is imposed.

Even with such a stiff penalty, it’s surprising how often culling violations occur. And they happen with some of the biggest names in the sport … and at times, the punishment can be very costly.

Lowen’s loss, Brauer’s gain

While competing in the final event of the 2009 Elite Series season, Bill Lowen learned the culling rule the hard way. His punishment was not only self-inflicted; it was unnecessarily excessive.

On Day 2, Bill and I were fishing in close proximity to each other. The fishing was good. We both caught quick limits and were culling steadily throughout the morning.

At some point, however, Bill lost track of his catch. Realizing his mistake and believing the infraction automatically disqualified his limit, he released all of his fish and started to leave. That’s when I flagged him over … to ask why he threw them back.

Bill said he broke the culling rule and that he was headed in to report it to the tournament director. At the time, I wasn’t sure what the penalty was. But I did know he shouldn’t have released all of his fish before checking with an official.

Eventually, Bill learned how costly his mistake had been. All he had to do was cull to his five best fish and suffer a 2-pound penalty — which would have kept his Classic chances alive. Instead, he took a zero for the day.

With his Classic hopes dashed, Bill offered his fishing location to his friend, Denny Brauer. Denny was also trying to qualify for the Classic, and with Bill’s help, he did just that.

Palaniuk’s predicament

Who could forget Brandon Palaniuk’s plight during the 2013 Mississippi River tournament — an event in which he established a commanding lead, only to have it stripped away.

In Brandon’s case, it was more about losing track of his location than the number of fish he had in the livewell. He confused the boundary between Wisconsin and Minnesota. The culling rules in those states are quite different.


When a culling violation costs you a tournament lead, it's big news. Here, Brandon Palaniuk answers questions.B.A.S.S.When a culling violation costs you a tournament lead, it's big news. Here, Brandon Palaniuk answers questions.


In Minnesota, you’re not allowed to cull … period. Once you have a fifth keeper in the boat, your day is done. Wisconsin, however, allows you to cull throughout the day (as long as the tournament has been properly permitted by the state).

Brandon was catching and culling fish so fast, he lost track of his location — which in that particular part of the river is easy to do.

For inexplicable reasons, the state boundary on Pool 8 doesn’t always follow the centerline of the channel — at least not below the upstream lock and dam. It does for a distance, but then it angles through several midstream islands, and there are no markers to reference.

In the frenzy of catching so many fish, Brandon forgot where he was and inadvertently culled in Minnesota water. Several other Elite pros did the same. When another pro observed the violation, he informed the tournament director and those guilty were penalized. Brandon suffered the biggest loss.

At the time, he was running away with the tournament. Prior to his Day 2 catch being disqualified, he had amassed a 6-pound lead over second place. The penalty would have cost him a trip to the Bassmaster Classic, but Brandon achieved the unthinkable: He bounced back to win the very next event on the St. Lawrence River, thus punching his ticket to the Classic!

Rules like these are challenging. No Elite Series pro consciously breaks the culling rule. When it happens, it’s always due to an oversight.

If the culling rule has cost you a high finish or a qualification to a year-end championship, share your story in our forum below. I’m sure others would love to hear it.


BASS Official rules
16. SCORING:
Tournament standings, contingency awards and final winners shall be determined by the pound-and-ounce weight of each competitor’s catch during the competition days of the tournament. Only Largemouth, Smallmouth, Spotted, Redeye or Shoal bass will be weighed. The Pro limit shall be 5, Co- angler limit shall be 3, of the above species and varieties per day, unless otherwise specified by tournament officials (example – hot weather/fish care concerns). At no time shall a competitor have in his or her possession more than the tournament limit. If a competitor determines they have over the limit they must immediately reduce his catch to the tournament limit with a live bass of their choice from their catch. Each returned bass will result in a 2 pound penalty to be deducted from their daily score. In this case, competitors must attempt to notify tournament officials and if unsuccessful must notify officials at check in. Once a competitor checks in they must present all legal bass to tournament officials at the verification table. If competitors at the verification table have more than the tournament limit, the competitor will reduce with live bass to the tournament limit and each returned bass will result in a 2 pound penalty to be deducted from their daily score. The official length for bass shall be determined by the Tournament Director and announced at the Tournament Briefing. In most cases it will be the longest state limit covering the tournament waters. Only bass as described above which measure the official length or more on the longest straight line, shall be weighed. Bass presented for weigh-in, which fail to measure the official length, shall result in a penalty of 1 pound for each such bass, which penalty shall be deducted from the total score of the competitor. Any bass that appears to have been mangled, mashed, mauled or otherwise altered will be weighed and credited only at the discretion of tournament officials. After competitors check in at the official checkpoint they MUST present all LEGAL fish in their possession to a tournament official to be counted, measured and weighed. Once a competitor’s catch is measured, counted and verified by a tournament official, that competitor may not return to the boat until their catch has been weighed and recorded. Bass must not be stringered at any time during the tournament. Culling tags or clips are allowed. Specially designed bags which increase survival rate will be furnished by the Tournament Director and must be used for the weigh-in.
17. CATCH AND RELEASE: CULLING OF DEAD BASS IS PROHIBITED.
For each legal dead bass presented to weigh-in officials, the competitor shall be penalized 4 oz. to be deducted from their daily score The Tournament Director, or his/her designees, shall have sole authority for assessing penalty points. In addition, the Tournament Director, or his/her designees, may reduce tournament hours or tournament limits for fish care purposes. It is suggested in warm weather tournaments anglers keep extra ice for fish care. Contestants are allowed to purchase ice on the water; however they are not allowed to receive ice from non contestants. Upon mutual consent of both pro and co-angler paired together, for fish care concerns, the verification table will open one hour prior to check in time of the first flight. SMALL DIP NETS FOR CULLING PURPOSES ARE ENCOURAGED