# florida saltater fish possesion limits



## Mike in Al (Jul 31, 2016)

I have been trying to find and understand how fish possession laws work. Here is an example of my typical fishing trip to florida and why I want to know. I leave Al early Saturday morning and arrive at the bay  at daylight. my son and I will fish until we can check into a motel early afternoon . We will rest awhile and back to fishing that evening. When the trout are cooperating, we will have our ten fish limit in the cooler. The next morning we get up ,check out and go fishing again before heading back to AL. My problem /question is the ten trout sitting in my cooler in the truck(from the previous day) while we are wading . If a warden was waiting to check us when we return to the truck with more fish, would we be seriously questioned or suspect ,or would it be obvious to the officer that those in the cooler have been dead longer or do I have anything to worry about as long as he has not seen us bring more than ten to the truck. Thanks for any thoughts /experiences you may have had with this. It seems like most times we fish there we see a warden ride by , but have never been checked. We always try to  be totally legal , but  this scenario of having extra fish in the truck worries me.


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## skiff23 (Jul 31, 2016)

Been there Done that ----- ended up with a ticket . The officer was a straight dirt bag.


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## Tony p (Jul 31, 2016)

Only keep one daily limit its the possession limit til put in freezer at home


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## Tony p (Jul 31, 2016)

May help


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## oops1 (Jul 31, 2016)

You have to be a rocket scientist to keep up with Florida's notorious fishing seasons/limit laws. Good luck.. Buddy!


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## Tony p (Jul 31, 2016)

oops1 said:


> You have to be a rocket scientist to keep up with Florida's notorious fishing seasons/limit laws. Good luck.. Buddy!



I gave up on off shore reg to many seasons size hook venting tools fed water state water  your right!


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## Mike in Al (Jul 31, 2016)

I'm only fishing a weekend, not all winter. But, if I cleaned my fish Saturday night , froze them in my motel room minfridge/freezer and then had  the frozen bags of fish packed in ice in a cooler while I fished on sunday , would I be ok to come back to the truck with another limit. I know most of yall aren't lawyers , but what is your opinion. I posed my question to the FWC via email earlier and will let yall know if I get a response. Depending on their answer I may have to be more specific and ask them if frozen fish in my possession is acceptable.


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## ForsythGlock (Jul 31, 2016)

Based on the letter from the FWC, you would be getting a ticket.


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## Dr. Strangelove (Jul 31, 2016)

No lawyer here, but reading that it looks like if the fish are frozen and packaged for transport (think zip-locs or vacuum sealed), you are fine.  

Just on ice in a cooler? Eh, you're probably getting a ticket.


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## donald-f (Aug 1, 2016)

Dr. Strangelove said:


> No lawyer here, but reading that it looks like if the fish are frozen and packaged for transport (think zip-locs or vacuum sealed), you are fine.
> 
> Just on ice in a cooler? Eh, you're probably getting a ticket.



That is what I make out from the thread also. I would make sure they are frozen and not just cleaned and on ice.
Not cleaned and on ice I see you getting a ticket.


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## MudDucker (Aug 1, 2016)

Dr. Strangelove said:


> No lawyer here, but reading that it looks like if the fish are frozen and packaged for transport (think zip-locs or vacuum sealed), you are fine.
> 
> Just on ice in a cooler? Eh, you're probably getting a ticket.



Nope, they are not fine until they are at your residence in the freezer.

You can have a limit in a cooler onshore where you are not fishing or in a houseboat, but you can not have more than 1 days limit in the cooler with you in the boat or on the shore fishing, you are over the limit.


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## arrendale8105 (Aug 1, 2016)

This makes me wonder. I now have a place at Mexico beach and we clean the daily catch every day, vacuum seal, and put in freezer. When we pack up to head home we take them all with me. Had I been checked heading home the week of Federal snapper season I guess I would have been in trouble with what I brought back to GA


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## Tony p (Aug 1, 2016)

arrendale8105 said:


> This makes me wonder. I now have a place at Mexico beach and we clean the daily catch every day, vacuum seal, and put in freezer. When we pack up to head home we take them all with me. Had I been checked heading home the week of Federal snapper season I guess I would have been in trouble with what I brought back to GA



You are fine long as fish ain't with you adjacent to fishing site like pier beach boat ramp in the boat therefore would have to be at hotel beach house or home not in back of your truck


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## FishingAddict (Aug 2, 2016)

Interesting. I fish at least once a year with one of two operations that fish for two full days, and we bring a two day limit home.

And more than once the DNR has either been on the boat or at the dock (wants to do fish biology stuff) and it's never been a problem.


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## Mike in Al (Aug 28, 2016)

I never received a reply from the fWC (possibly because of some computer problems I was having about that same time). This weekend while at SGI I saw a  game warden at the fishing bridge and pulled down there to try to get some clarification from him. he said you are allowed two possession limits in transport. The part that gets a little fuzzy is that they are in my truck ,BUT it is parked by me where I'm fishing. He said depending on experience, most officers would know that  and understand that stiff discolored fish were from the previous days catch. He suggested keep the fish in a separate cooler and take a pic or a video on my smart phone as further proof since time and date of your pic would show up on the phone. That  got me thinking I could write on a paper the number of fish and there measurements and take a pic of the paper with the fish. He agreed I wouldnt get a ticket with that evidence . But he said they had lot of discretion and he couldn't speak for other officers. In his opinion though a judge would throw that out even if a warden wrote it. The officers partner was across the parking lot and saw me talking with them . Two hours later , my kids and I are fishing at state park boat ramp when the partner shows up on the bank and waves us to the shore. When I get close, he remembers me and says I wouldn't of bothered  yall if if I new it was you. Said he didn't need me to go back to truck for my license because he new I was trying to obey the laws. We talked awhile about the possession question and he agreed with the other officer. Then they other one shows up. Turns out they both fish and they talked ten to fifteen minutes with me sharing the whens, where,  and how to fish SGI. Another pleasant surprise from them was how respectful and polite they were. I am 50 years old and both these guys looked to be around 25-30 years old. I was very impressed that each time I asked them a question I was always answered with a yes sir or no sir. I certainly didn't expect or need that from them, but it was refreshing to get it. I put there names in my notes in my phone incase I ever have the possession problem with a different warden I can atleast tell him I was acting on advice given by his coworkers. Armed with this info and cell phone pics and measurements I will not be worried  about possesing the previous days catch.


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## FishingAddict (Aug 30, 2016)

Thanks for the info, Mike- good stuff


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