Thread: Over the possesion limit on weiss

2 times in the past 8 months with a friend. Both times fished with a guide and caught a lot of fish. In late October we fished 2 days and limited out each day. The possession limit was not mentioned. In fact, the place we stayed provided freezer space if we wanted to freeze our catch. The second trip in February we fished with the same guide 1 day and fished on our own for 2 additional days. Didn't limit out any of the days, but we had more than 60 for the 3 days we were there. Stayed in a different location, but they also had freezer space available if we wanted to utilize it. Apparently, the possession law is not rigorously enforced. If it was, the local economies that depend on the fisherman's dollars would suffer greatly from a lack of business.I made an 800 mile round trip both times and wouldn't consider it again if all I can bring back is 1 day's limit.

I live within an hour of Lake Talquin and I have seen out of state fishermen (groups of 5 or more, mainly from Alabama, Georgia, and Kentucky) camping out on sites with elecricity furnished and freezers hooked up to store their catch. And I've seen some of them cart the freezers back to their home state, empty them and bring them back for refills. Many of these fishermen catch multiple limits each day, with no regard for the law regarding possession limits, which are not rigorously enforced in Florida. Over the years this has had a negative impact on the lake's crappie production and Florida doesn't stock Talquin with crappie as Alabama does on Lake Weiss.

I'm not an accomplished crappie fisherman so I don't usually have a problem exceeding limits, and I don't keep a large cache of fillets in my freezer. I usually consume what I catch shortly after they are filleted.

Sorry for the rant, but I can understand some of the resentment locals have for out of state fishermen that I have noticed in some posts on this site over the months. How much someone may pay for the privilege of fishing in another state doesn"t give them the right to violate that state's laws.

Hard not to post something here. I read all this banter about the hundreds of fish caught and kept. What the hell does any human need with hundreds of fish??? I personally wouldn't mind catching hundreds but how many damn fish can a person actually eat themselves?? I personally can eat about three maybe four nice crappie and get filled up. Maybe this is why America has an obeisity problem. Point is; catch what you can eat and leave some for the rest of us, out of state or in don't matter.....

Thats why I will stop at around 20

These guys could have very easily been fined $2000.00 here on Weiss Lake and chances are it probably had NOTHING to do wth how many fish they transported across state lines or how many they cleaned at the dock!! And just for the record I think the law about how many can be transported out of state is crazy. As long as a guy does not catch more than his limit per day...I think he should be able to fish all week and carry his fillets back home. But I dont make the laws. Anyway, I am sure these guys met the new game warden we have here on our lake and he is really checking fish and strickly enforcing the 10" SIZE LIMIT!!! He is not picking on the out of state guys because he has already checked several guides, including myself....several times this year! This is probably where they got their big fine. It is a $100.00 fine for each short fish you have in possession. Between the 2 of them they would only have kept 20 short fish!! That would have got them that really nice fine. If this really did happen...CHEERS TO YOU MR GAME WARDEN!!! I think it is great that they were caught...with the huge number of 10+ inch fish we have here there is NO REASON why anyone should keep short fish. I know a lot of fishermen come here from out of state and fish because of the quality & quantity of fish we have on this lake but if you are going to keep the short ones...find another lake to fish!! That way we keep a great population of nice keeper fish for the future and they can keep $2000.00 in their pockets.

See Ya on the Water!

Darrell Baker
Weiss Lake Crappie Guides
PO Box 778
Centre, Alabama 35960
Tele/ 256-927-2232
Cell/ 256-557-0129
www.weisslakecrappieguides.com

Some of the laws make no sense to me. If you are allowed 30 fish per day what does anyone care how many rods you use to catch them. I can only take 30 if I want to fish with one rod or five rods what is the difference. Again I see no reasoning for such a law. And the one day in posession law I still don't understand. As I said I fish Weiss many times each spring and I see many out of staters load up coolers of fish where there are 4 guys that have stayed for a week. Again they are allowed 30 per guy per day but can't legally transport them home. They are not breaking any limit laws on a day to day basis but when it comes time to leave big time consequences could be levied against them if caught with fish that were perfectly legal day to day.

I don't mean to say that I would leave with 4 fish. I live on Logan and can fish any time I want and guess I might be missing the actual point. I have however driven hundreds of miles and paid a lot of money to fish for the sport and fun and brought none home just for the experience. I have actually heard of baking stuff just I still cant really eat more than a few fish at a time. I must assume the crappie population can stand the pressure so it really isn't any of my business. I was just stating my "opinion" which is worth nothing to anybody but little ole me.

I started out with the best of intention's on this thread.I just wanted to know if anyone knew about those 2 from ky and the huge fine.The farther this went the more out of hand I got.I sincerly apoligize to any and all I have offended.We all enjoy this sport and we all want it to be fun for us and our familie's.That is what this site is all about and I seemed to forget that.I understand we all dont think alike but we all love to fish.Again I am sorry.

don't think you offended anyone,,,at least not me.