What do they do with all the fish?

[fishnowworknever]

I cant speak for everyone, but when I go fishing I will keep my legal limit. Freeze and package them. Many times I will take it to a guys place and donate extra fish. If I have a freezer full, before i go i drop him off some.He keeps them at a freezer (not sure where could be at a church) then about 3-4 weeks before christmas they put on a fish fry, all proceeds from the fish fry are used to buy presents for children and people in need for their christmas & other fund raising stuff during lent.

I guess I figure the DNR puts laws into place, if we follow them its not my business or concern on what others do with their fish if legally taken. I don't feel like I'm gaming the system when gifting or dropping fish off for a community cause when the community is benefiting from a resource they helped pay for.

Not to be mean, but you sound like one of those grumpy guys that is [PoorWordUsage] off someone else is harvesting his "fish" we have a renewable natural resource that we all pay for with laws that protect it. Those that decide to keep legal limits are well within their rights, so regardless of peoples opinion it is perfectly fine. The DNR was created for a reason. Do some fish end up going to waste.....yes, but is it really any worse then other food going to waste?

You really don't get it, you say that you drop the "extra" fish off "at a guys place". What extra fish? Extra fish from your possession limit or fish you have over your possession limit? Do you understand when you have a limit full of a certain species you cannot keep fishing for that species let alone KEEP any number of that species. MN laws apply even if you're from Iowa.

If this "guy" you drop fish off with doesn't have a commercial license, he's not allowed to keep more fish than HIS daily possession limit. Do you also fill out the proper labels when gifting these fish? I'm betting not. This means those fish are still in YOUR possession, and you're breaking the law.

I'm really surprised someone hasn't called TIP on you.

[amateurfishing]

t's funny how quick you are to judge and point fingers with your guess. The ironic part is..............all the churches in the community get together and do this at a public location. Haven't counted but I believe there are a 5 different ones.

Also, I am not gifting fish to the entire community. I am gifting it to a group of select people that happen to belong to my church.

??????????????

[jmg]

Just so we can all know the correct answer to this, I am going to call the DNR Monday and explain and see exactly what the law states.

Hurry, Harvey Lee! this is gettin' ugly!

[Pat K]

This is an e-mail reply I got from the MN DNR. I also asked the Iowa DNR but haven't received a reply from them yet.

Watts, Pat M (DNR)

To Me*Info (DNR)

Today at 12:15 PM

No. Fish cannot be donated and used in a fund raising event. If you are trying to work through options for a fund raising event, I would recommend you work with your local conservation officer. There is a tool on our DNR HSOforum that can help you identify who the local conservation officer is, and how to contact the conservation officer: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/officerpatrolareas/index.html .

Pat Watts

Enforcement Policy/Legal Analyst

Minnesota Dept. of Natural Resources

[email protected]

651-259-5058

[CaptainMusky]

Uh oh, someone is in trouble!!!

[harvey lee]

Just so we can all know the correct answer to this, I am going to call the DNR Monday and explain and see exactly what the law states.

Hurry, Harvey Lee! this is gettin' ugly!

I just went to check as I had to go the hospital for an injection in my back this am, look's like it is all taken care of, no fish frys for fund raisers.

Day late, dollar short again.

[amateurfishing]

He will say he did not donate it, he gifted it.........just watch

George Carlin & Ron White would have loved this one

[Esox_Magnum]

In Iowa there is no possession limit on gills, crappies, yellow or white bass. So you can have all you want in the freezer as long as you are not breaking the daily limit regulation. All other species do have a set possession limit....

[Sandmannd]

t's funny how quick you are to judge and point fingers with your guess. The ironic part is..............all the churches in the community get together and do this at a public location. Haven't counted but I believe there are a 5 different ones.

Also, I am not gifting fish to the entire community. I am gifting it to a group of select people that happen to belong to my church.

??????????????

You can drive over the speed limit, break into someones home and steal, punch someone in the face, etc as long as you don't get caught as well. Doesn't mean it's OK to do it. Not sure I'd brag about it on the internet though.

[Pat K]

He will say he did not donate it, he gifted it.........just watch

George Carlin & Ron White would have loved this one

My e-mail to the DNR:

Is it legal for one or multiple fishermen to gift fish to a church or other organization for a fund raising dinner?

[amateurfishing]

You can drive over the speed limit, break into someones home and steal, punch someone in the face, etc as long as you don't get caught as well. Doesn't mean it's OK to do it. Not sure I'd brag about it on the internet though. whistle

Thats not me Lol!! I was referring to agronomist 2 statements where he contradicted himself

[amateurfishing]

My e-mail to the DNR:

Is it legal for one or multiple fishermen to gift fish to a church or other organization for a fund raising dinner?

Then he is SOL!

[B-man715]

In Iowa there is no possession limit on gills, crappies, yellow or white bass. So you can have all you want in the freezer as long as you are not breaking the daily limit regulation. All other species do have a set possession limit....

Sounds like the last 4 or 5 pages of bantering was pretty pointless......

[fishnowworknever]

Geez and here I was under the impression this guy was driving across the border, loading up on fish, driving back across and throwing them in the church's deep freezer.

I'll be the first to apologize for blasting you, Agronomist_at_IA.

[amateurfishing]

If he does it in IA,its all good......but if crossing the MN border, well......

He gets benefit of doubt for now....

[CaptJohnWis]

Also a fish brought in from 40+ feet are not 100% guaranteed to die. You really think a walleye that has been sitting in 45 fow most of the day takes 24 hours to come up to feed in 15-20' in the evening? I'm not advocating fishing deep water walleyes but, get real man.

One atmosphere in water is between 33.8' and 33.9' so throwing out 40' is just hearsay.

I'm off some. Looks like only 35% die. So the guys hooking them from forty feet only kill 35 of every hundred.

Click link to review study:

Deep water walleye study.

I helped with this study I can assure you every fish we caught from 40 feet died. They couldn't swim back down due to air bladder swelling up. Birds had a good feed. These were smaller fish and the DNR quit collecting the small ones after they got quite a few. If they had kept every fish, I think the ratio would have been much higher. The big ones seem to handle it better.

InFisherman has published other studies. Just because the fish swims away doesn't mean it survives. Just takes a few days before they die.

[Kyhl]

Sounds like the last 4 or 5 pages of bantering was pretty pointless......

[minnesotathorn]

agronomist loves to hear himself talk. look back at some of his other posts. last winter he spent days telling us how safe it is to refill 1# propane bottles. and under his handle he lists every piece of ice equipment he uses. very funny.

[B-man715]

You guys are right....... He is down right guilty....... Lets skip the judge and jury and just hang him right here on HSO.

And don't forget to keep ridiculing him about unrelated things like his gear list......

I always thought internet bullying was done by pubescent and insecure middle schoolers....... not fully grown adults......... I learn something new everyday

Quit making assumptions of your own on where this fish came from, how many, and what species. Unless he says flat out that he broke the law (ex. X amount of walleyes from Minnesota).........your assumptions are just as worthless as the time it took to type them.

[Kyhl]

If a "sportsman" is arguing poor sportsmanship on a sportsman forum, I think it is our duty to discuss.

You can call that whatever you want.

That said, I agree, keep it on topic and don't drag in history.

Edit, Capt, that was not directed at you, that is a forum reply quirk

[Pat K]

The Iowa DNR response:

Webmaster [DNR]

To Me

Today at 12:49 PM

Dear Pat,

Thank you for using the Iowa DNR HSOforum. 481A.50 states that a person can provide game or fish to a non profit organization to be used as part of a paid meal. The non profit organization would need to document all sources of fish as they would exceed the possession limits as outlined in the Iowa Code.

Please let me know if you have further questions or concerns.

So legal in Iowa not legal in MN.

[fishnowworknever]

You guys are right....... He is down right guilty....... Lets skip the judge and jury and just hang him right here on HSO.

And don't forget to keep ridiculing him about unrelated things like his gear list......

I always thought internet bullying was done by pubescent and insecure middle schoolers....... not fully grown adults......... I learn something new everyday ]

Quit making assumptions of your own on where this fish came from, how many, and what species. Unless he says flat out that he broke the law (ex. X amount of walleyes from Minnesota).........your assumptions are just as worthless as the time it took to type them.

Annnd you're from Wisconsin so you must be guilty of some illegal activity here in Minnesota. Take a seat, you're up next.

[B-man715]

Annnd you're from Wisconsin so you must be guilty of some illegal activity here in Minnesota. Take a seat, you're up next.

Nobody's perfect

Funny you mention that. I fished in Wisconsin for a couple weekends in a row this spring, then headed over to Forest Lake on a Sunday afternoon. I started trolling off the side of some humps with two rods After about 10 minutes I passed by another fisherman and he gave me a funny look.....it quickly sunk in that I was one line over

As innocent of a mistake it was, had I been caught I would have admitted to breaking the law..... even though I had zero intentions of doing so.

[nolte]

I find this topic very interesting. Mainly because of the way limits, possession limits, transportation and regulations work. A guy darn near needs a lawyer on speed dial to make sure he is compliant. In WI on water body A you can have 2 eyes, but it changes to 3 after such a date, but water body B you can have 1 over a certain size, 1 under. Then on this body you can have 5 over this size, but this one is 6 with a different size. If a guy bounces around to different bodies of water it can get tricky to keep track of. If one only fishes one particular lake it is usually easy to follow.

I also get a kick how the "holier than thou" crowd will blast one guy who fishes a handful of times but might be over possession in his freezer but is perfectly fine with say a retired guy who fishes every day and keeps his limit but gives them away each day to his neighbors so he can go again. In reality who is taking more from the resource. It's not illegal or even wrong, but it just strikes me as funny. Sometimes the "right" thing to do isn't legal and the "wrong" thing do is by the letter of the law.

If anyone has been to Alaska, you soon realize the difference in opinions on having/using fish and game for a main staple in your diet. There is a daily bag limit but once it is frozen/smoked/canned, it is not counted as possession. Granted some species are very closely guarded and an annual limit is put in place. Sometimes I wish that WI or MN had a similar stance on possession limits. It would sure simplify having to keep track what is in a guy's freezer. I'm 100 percent in agreement to nail the guys who are abusing our resources and being game hogs but I really could care less if a guy has a lost bag of fillets that got hidden behind the pan of frozen lasagna.

[CANOPY SAM]

Whoa whoa whoa!!!! Who here freezes their lasagna? Now you REALLY got my hackles up!

[Agronomist_at_IA]

agronomist loves to hear himself talk. look back at some of his other posts. last winter he spent days telling us how safe it is to refill 1# propane bottles. and under his handle he lists every piece of ice equipment he uses. very funny.

Wow, still bothers you that a person refills One # bottles? I guess I must be the only one that has bought a mass retailed adaptor from Mr. Heater & used it. Yes I do list my gear under my handle that I currently use. It's something that all the members on a golf forum that i go on once in awhile started to do years ago. They started to put the gear that they use in the handle/signature area. This way people can see what a guy is using and PM him with questions on the gear or get the users opinion on gear that he is trying out or using.

Reason for this is that some guys on the golf forum have become total @$$hats over simple things.............like someone buying a $500-$1000 driver or set of clubs and someone states an honest opinion only to be berated and criticized over the review because its difference of opinion with other users. (OEM & custom stuff)

FYI, i have been PM'd by people asking about gear in my signature. It's actually nice that way, because i can give and honest opinion without getting jumped all over. So while it may be funny to you, it does save me some grief by not having to deal with the drama on the open forum of posting an opinion.

While you might not care if information like that gets exchanged, thats one of the reasons i go on the forum. That and not having water time to fulfill my fishing desires.

[Agronomist_at_IA]

The Iowa DNR response:

Webmaster [DNR]

To Me

Today at 12:49 PM

Dear Pat,

Thank you for using the Iowa DNR HSOforum. 481A.50 states that a person can provide game or fish to a non profit organization to be used as part of a paid meal. The non profit organization would need to document all sources of fish as they would exceed the possession limits as outlined in the Iowa Code.

Please let me know if you have further questions or concerns.

So legal in Iowa not legal in MN.

Thank you for posting this, I've been on vacation a few day's, and see things were getting pretty passionate reading up to this. Looks like between the states we not only have a difference of opinion, but difference in law. Looks like both sides were right and wrong in there own rights/state.

[Agronomist_at_IA]

Geez and here I was under the impression this guy was driving across the border, loading up on fish, driving back across and throwing them in the church's deep freezer.

I'll be the first to apologize for blasting you, Agronomist_at_IA.

Thanks. for the apology.

I do fish in MN a few times a year. 3 times to be exact last year, besides a three day trip to upper red. Only time we limited on any fish was at upper red on walleye. You shouldn't have to worry, while i enjoy and want to be a good/great fisherman I'd say I'm average to less then average. If you ask me on the times I get skunked I'd say the worst (fisherman)which happens a few times a year in Iowa, but Iowa fishing and MN fishing seem to be two entirely different games. At least for me.

[Agronomist_at_IA]

You really don't get it, you say that you drop the "extra" fish off "at a guys place". What extra fish? Extra fish from your possession limit or fish you have over your possession limit? Do you understand when you have a limit full of a certain species you cannot keep fishing for that species let alone KEEP any number of that species. MN laws apply even if you're from Iowa.

If this "guy" you drop fish off with doesn't have a commercial license, he's not allowed to keep more fish than HIS daily possession limit. Do you also fill out the proper labels when gifting these fish? I'm betting not. This means those fish are still in YOUR possession, and you're breaking the law.

I'm really surprised someone hasn't called TIP on you.

I'll try to help clear this up for you. If I have a full possession limit of fish in my freezer. I will eat or gift/donate/give (whatever you want to call it) to friend, family, or an organization. I don't go over my possession limit. Those i gift all have a fishing license. Once they are out of my possession I will go fishing for that species. When doing this, i'm only figuring myself has the keeper of a possession limit in my house. I mainly do it this way because we rarely eat fish, and i want them fresh if we do eat fish. I maybe should or could figure possession limit for myself, wife, and three boys which i have paid for a full family licensee in IA,SD, & MN. Never bothered to check on possession limit for the family because using a simple one person limit has worked and been well within my needs.

The reason I haven't had TIP called is because I have followed the laws.

[Agronomist_at_IA]

Whoa whoa whoa!!!! Who here freezes their lasagna? Now you REALLY got my hackles up!

i hate to think about it, but the beef, pork, and chicken have been drained down next to nothing in my freezer. the wife just put a bunch of these crock pot "meals" together in ziplock bags and froze them. I think lasagna was in the mix.