Possession Limita

[Danbo]

We had 100 fishes each in our possession when we left Florida. Possession is 60 in Ga. What would a mullet Marshal in Georgia say if he checked yo cooler in Georgia?

Let us ponder.

[T.C.]

Dont quote me on this Danbo but I feel fairly certain you would be breaking the law. Whats legal in one state isnt legal in another. I know this from going duck hunting in Arkansas several times. The limit on ducks are all different in each state between Arkansas and South Carolina and you have to be VERY careful about how many ducks you bring back with you or you will be in a world of hurt. Saying this, I dont know they look at bream fishing as serious as a federally protected species like ducks.......I think the game warden one have to be one hell of a prick to try and make a case against you if you have all the proper documentation showing you were in FL for 2 days and accumulated the legal possesion limit in FL. I do like discussions like these, they keep people informed about things. I cannot count how mnay times I have had to explain the possesion limit rule to people. Alot of folks dont know that fish in the freezer count in that possesion limit law. You cant have 200 bream in your personal freezer and your the only one in your home with a fishing license.......thats breaking the law. You can only have twice the daily bag limit at any given time, in any given place. Doesnt matter if they are in a freezer, fridge, cooler, livewell or anything else. This is one reason i think you would be technically breaking the law. If you put 100 gills in your freezer and a game warden comes and checks your home (which is very rare and highly doubtful) and find 100 gills you would be breaking the law if the daily bag limit is less than 50 in Georgia.

[Danbo]

You are 100% correct.

[Shine Runner]

GA possession limit appears to only address daily limits. I didn't find any printed or online section stating a possession limit beyond the daily combined limit of game fish being 50 total individual fish. The way I read it is an example of catching and keeping a limit of crappie (30) and then catching and keeping no more than 20 bream even though the bream limit is 50. Other states do address the possession limit beyond daily limits, but I do not see that for GA. Crossing state lines with wildlife or game fish seems to require a lawyer now to understand what you can and can not do and when. Just like offshore fishing has turned to in the Gulf.

[T.C.]

I just looked as well, i did not see anything about possession limits in GA......maybe yall dont have one. I looked thouroughly through the site and did not see a single thing about possession limits. If there is a possesion limit law in GA the dnr doesnt do a very good job of informing fisherman. I went to the horses mouth and there is nothing about it.........

[T.C.]

This is the opening statement on the "fishing regulations" page from the GA DNR:

It is unlawful to take in one day or to possess at any one time, except at a residence or commercial storage facility, more than the daily creel limit for each species. It is unlawful to possess more than a total of 50 individuals of all the game fish listed in this section, except channel and flathead catfish.

To me, the highlighted section is saying that you can ONLY have the daily limit of fish in your possesion unless some are in a "residential or commercial storage facility". The "residential storage facility" is reffering to your home freezer of fridge. They do not say there is a limit to how many fish can be in your "reidential storage facility" so I am assuming you can have as many as you want.....which is defferent from alot of states. The main difference I see is that in FL if you are on a fishing vacation you can have a cooloer in your hotel room with twice the daily bag limit and you will be ok, it seems that in Georgia you can ONLY have the daily bag limit of fish in your possesion unless they are in a freezer.