A couple of years ago I was fishing Namakan Lake and stopped by Red on the way home to try to top off out state limit and with what we had in the truck we were over the Red Lake limit and were stopped at the ramp. Long story short I explained to the CO where we came from and he told me as long as you have proof of your stroy it is ok. I had to dig out my camping pass that was dated to show we actually came from Namakan. No issue after that at all.
That’s just it… you shouldn’t have to call a CO for the answer… from everything I have been taught/read..there are different meanings for limits. Simply put…
Bag limit = what you currently have caught, in your livewell, in your “bag” (may vary from lake to lake)
Daily limit = amount you can catch in 24 hours, in 1 “day” friday, saturday etc. (may vary from lake to lake, but is never more than possession limit either))
Possession limit = ultimately, what you can have total, maximum, including all limits and places combined. (did not know this can vary from lake to lake, a month after fishing ? can be more than a specific lakes daily or bag limit)
I have never read or heard where you can only have 4 Mille Lacs walleyes, in your freezer at one time, when the possession limit for the state is 6…. (I understand 4 in your bag and allowed daily) I don’t doubt what a CO would say, but how can they be expected to enforce a law that is #1, not spelled out in the regs and #2 , virtually impossible to enforce ???? Just looking for some documentation as a court would. 
big G 
Just because the law is impossible to enforce doesn’t mean it should not be understood and followed.
-J.
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Just because the law is impossible to enforce doesn’t mean it should not be understood and followed.
-J.
But I think at the very least, it SHOULD BE clearly defined.
T
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Just because the law is impossible to enforce doesn’t mean it should not be understood and followed.
-J.
But I think at the very least, it SHOULD BE clearly defined.
T
They make perfect sense to me. 
I think G is getting stuck on the meaning of “Otherwise noted…” When the lake has special regs that is the “Otherwise noted” lake. The special regs override the state regs.
-J.
I am with Jon on this one. If you are on a water with reduced limits, you cannot have any more than that limit from that water.
Now, if you have two in your fridge at home (better be miles from the water!), you can have 4 more from Mille for a total of 6.
If those 2 from home are in a bag labeled with the name of a Mille Lacs resort, you are over your limit of 4.
Big G, do you think you can catch 4 before midnight and 2 after for 6 in the well? How would this be any different than having 4 in your fridge at the cabin? Is the possession any different (assuming no other people are involved) if you are on the water or off?
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Big G, do you think you can catch 4 before midnight and 2 after for 6 in the well? How would this be any different than having 4 in your fridge at the cabin? Is the possession any different (assuming no other people are involved) if you are on the water or off?
Nope, in your well, they are in your “bag”….
big G
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1. Daily and possession limits are the same unless otherwise noted. For me this seems to be the written in stone rule. 4 Mille Lacs Walleye in possession/person, period. No matter if they are in my freezer in Rochester or in a cooler at a resort on Mille Lacs.
That’s just it…. UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED….. daily limit for walleyes in MN = 6, same as possession. Daily limit for Mille Lacs = 4, so this is noted otherwise…. where can I read that possession limit of Mille Lacs is 4… not the Bag or Daily limit…. 
big G
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Now, if you have two in your fridge at home (better be miles from the water!), you can have 4 more from Mille for a total of 6.
Here is where I will pick a nit with the argument. I don’t care how far your fridge is away from Mille Lacs – once you leave that shore, you are not on the lake. If you live on the shore of the pond and fish another lake….that does not limit you to four fish in posession just because you are close to the lake….
I am siding with G on this one. I see nowhere that the laws tell you that posession limit is the same as the special reg limit….but it IS clearly defined that daily bag limits can not exceed posession limits. 10 feet or 10 miles away is irrelavent.
T
I’m just enjoying the debate. I really don’t care as I keep just enough for a meal and I hardly ever have fish in the freezer. Can’t tell you the last time I’ve kept a limit except Red where the limit was 2 fish.
Just trying to help you guys stay away from a ticket. I’ve been there myself once. That was enough.
I have a call into the DNR. Holding for a call back….
-J.
Great topic guys! Clear as mud. 
I always wondered why I can snowshoe into Basswood, catch 6 pike which is legal, get stopped by a CO on Fall Lake on my walk out, which has a 3 pike limit, and the CO takes my word for where I caught my fish and says “Have a nice day!”, yet if I tried to do the same on Red Lake with a limit of LOW walleyes they would throw me in jail for life?!?
WARNING!!!(That last part is tongue in cheek for you soft-skinned politically correct fellas.) 
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I have a call into the DNR. Holding for a call back….
-J.
Sounds good Jon
I am trying to give Sue Ellen at the DNR emails a break from me… 
I too enjoy the discussion, if I am wrong, I want to find out here where it is free
big G
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This topic has come up many times when talking about ice fishing LOW and Red. It has been explained that if you have fish from LOW (for example)that those fish need to be kept on shore before fishing on Red. So I would think the same would apply on open water no matter the 2 lakes in question.
that’s what the CO told me in a freindly gas station conversation, and regardless oof where they are you are allowed 4 fish if that’s the regs for that water. Example being you can’t take 4 the first day and eat 2 and freeze 2 then go get 4 more the next day, regardless of the possesion limit.
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This topic has come up many times when talking about ice fishing LOW and Red. It has been explained that if you have fish from LOW (for example)that those fish need to be kept on shore before fishing on Red. So I would think the same would apply on open water no matter the 2 lakes in question.
that’s what the CO told me in a freindly gas station conversation, and regardless oof where they are you are allowed 4 fish if that’s the regs for that water. Example being you can’t take 4 the first day and eat 2 and freeze 2 then go get 4 more the next day, regardless of the possesion limit.
OK, how about we catch 8 in May… my wife and I eat 2 and freeze 6. (they are in the freezer at the house, 70 miles from Mille Lacs) then in Sept, I go fishing on Mille Lacs… my limit is then 2 ? How on earth would a CO enforce this ? How on earth can you expect people to follow this ? If that is the law, it should be written that way…. that’s all. I have yet to read that the “possession” limit of walleyes from Mille Lacs is different than the possession limit of the rest of the state….I am not talking about bag or daily limits… I find it hard to believe something a CO says at a conveinence store will hold up as law in court, either way. If this is a gray area, it should be cleared up and I would say it is very gray….
big G
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——————————————————————————–1. Daily and possession limits are the same unless otherwise noted. For me this seems to be the written in stone rule. 4 Mille Lacs Walleye in possession/person, period. No matter if they are in my freezer in Rochester or in a cooler at a resort on Mille Lacs.
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That’s just it…. UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED….. daily limit for walleyes in MN = 6, same as possession. Daily limit for Mille Lacs = 4, so this is noted otherwise…. where can I read that possession limit of Mille Lacs is 4… not the Bag or Daily limit….
big G
Unless otherwise posted means for example, a limit of 4 Mille Lacs walleye in your freezer at home that you personaly caught. You wife can have 4 Mille Lacs walleye as well that she caught. You can each have 2 walleye from some other waters as well. If you fished in Wisconsin with a Wisconsin lisense, I believe you are allowed a Wisconsin limit as well. Legally, you can’t have more than 4 Mille Lacs walleye that you personally caught.
And if you get lucky and catch 2 28+” walleye yourself on Mille Lacs, you can’t keep both in your freezer legally. You have a limit of 1 28+” walleye, and your wife also can have one 28+” walleye that she caught. If you make the mistake of telling a CO you personally caught both of them, you can expect a ticket, just like a friend of mine got. Those fish were in his freezer in the cabin he was renting for the week.
Now, PROVING that you and/or your wife are over the limit of Mille Lacs walleye in your freezer at home wouldn’t be easy, although it could be done by testing the fish. The only realistic way you would get in trouble there is if you told someone you have more than 1 possession limit of Mille Lacs walleye that you caught in your freezer.
And this is written where ? I see no mention of Mille Lacs Lake Walleye Possession limit.. I see bag and daily limits referenced only. I know all about the 28″ rule…. at what point does a 28″ hanging on your wall, not become in your possession anymore ? I think it is when the filets are removed & eaten/destroyed, but am not sure. Can you have 1 at the taxidermist shop in his freezer and go fish for another ???
big G
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Can you have 1 at the taxidermist shop in his freezer and go fish for another ???
big G
That’s a great question. I know my taxidermist gets a copy of my license so if he gets checked. He can prove the legality of all the animals he’s got.
Simple solution there, CPR the fish and get a replica.
I don’t think anyone is saying you can’t have 6 fish in the freezer. But the way I read it, you can ONLY have 4 MILLE LACS walleye in the freezer per person. Along those same lines, Red Lake (4 fish/person).
If you have 4 Red Lake or 4 Mille Lacs walleye in your freezer, legally you cannot fish AND keep any more fish from the same lake (Red or ML respectively).
FROM THE MN REGS
Red Lake, Upper including Shotley Brook and Tamarack River (Beltrami Co.). Northern pike: all from 26-40″ must be immediately released. Only one over 40″ allowed in possession. Walleye: Restrictions or changes will be posted at public access sites and on the DNR Web site.
****A person’s statewide bag limit may not include more than current daily bag limit of Red Lake walleye.****
We will wait for Jon’s return call I guess, I can’t read that anywhere in anything you posted ???
I love my 29 3/4 on the wall… I always look at replicas and say.. “yeah right” to myself… I have been in enough boats with people, when we get done, in the bar they are talking about the fish they caught….. I swear sometimes, I must have been in a different boat …???
big G 
JJ is right on. We have had this exact discussion while camping on the North side of Mille Lacs with two CO Officers checking our zip locks in our cooler. The only way way we got around to having 6 walleye (per person)in our possesion whether in the livewell, cooler or in the pan cooking was to show a bait or gas receipt from a surrounding lake or town, (in our case we ran to to a lake north for an afternoon and kept a couple walleye and perch) otherwise without proof anyone fish Mille Lacs exclusivly can not have more than 4 in possession per licensed person. MN couples and kids under 18 can have their own limit. Non res. if you have a license with your wife=one limit and if you have a kid with you under 18 or doesn’t have their own license his/her fish count toward limit/possession. This was they way we understood the rules, and was verified when were were being searched.
See that leaves so much to chance…. what if you didn’t stop anywhere, to get bait or gas ??? What if your like me and just leave the receipt or toss it on the way out the door ??? Leaving a law so gray & trying to have CO’s figure out how to enforce it, is not a good idea. Had you not had a receipt, they would have ticketed you ??? Sounds like a fishy fine to me…
big G
they said it still would have been up to the DNR to prove those fillets didn’t come from other waters. Geez stop and get a coffee or a Snickers and get a receipt, take a cell phone picture of you backing your boat into a different lake, it’s really not that hard. Or just do as the law states only keep 4 walleye from Mille Lacs. I feel that there is too much confusion in the regulations, but each lake is managed differently and thus we better know the rules of the waters we fish.
I’ve heard, if a person really wants to contest the legitimacy of their fillets/catch, they can be DNA tested by request.
That’s what I am trying to do, learn. Should you really have to take a picture of yourself, fishing another lake for 2 walleyes ? Should you really have to pull the gang over, so you can get a receipt from to local gas station ??? This all really sounds rather dumb to me…. what is simple ? Lake regs and state regs… once you leave a lake, state regs take over. Simple and clear… I doubt they want a bunch of potential court cases over 2 walleyes… tha may or may not be in the Mille Lacs slot …
big G
So to keep it simple, then it’s 4 in physical possession while on the water or cabin adjacent to water. That’s the way I’ve been explained to many times by different CO’s. If you bring two walleyes from a different lake and engage in fishing on Mille Laces, then you’re should only be looking to obtain in physical possession 4.
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Can you have 1 at the taxidermist shop in his freezer and go fish for another ???
big G
The fish is considered in your possession until the mount is physically received back from the taxidermist.
If you want to cheat, you will likely get away with it.
As sportsmen, we need to understand the spirit of the law and be stewards of the resources.
How does someone know my fish in the livewell on Pool 2 didnt come from the MN river just a few miles upriver where it is legal? Well, unless they saw me catch a fish and not release it, they wouldnt.
You probably dont need to stop at stop signs or obey speed limits when nobody is around either.
To the person that says they have to prove that you caught them on Mille Lacs? Um, not really. If you walk to your cabin on Mille w/ 4 in the freezer and 2 on a stringer, you will need to create a reasonable doubt. Their “proof” is the fish.
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And this is written where ? I see no mention of Mille Lacs Lake Walleye Possession limit.. I see bag and daily limits referenced only. I know all about the 28″ rule…. at what point does a 28″ hanging on your wall, not become in your possession anymore ? I think it is when the filets are removed & eaten/destroyed, but am not sure. Can you have 1 at the taxidermist shop in his freezer and go fish for another ???
big G
Daily and possession limits are the same unless otherwise noted. Daily limit on for Mille Lacs walleyes is 4 fish, so the Possession limit for Mille Lacs walleye is also 4 fish.
Also note (straight from the DNR fishing regulations website):
The daily and possession limits include fish possessed by the person at all locations including such places as livewell, cold storage, at home, or at a resort. Daily limit is the number of fish an angler can take in one calendar day. Eating those fish or gifting them away on the same day does not allow an angler to possess additional fish taken in the same calendar day.
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Lawfully taken fish may be transferred as a gift if accompanied by a receipt containing: name and address of the owner, name and address of recipient, date of transfer, description of the gift, and license number (DNR number or transaction number) under which the fish was taken. The receipt must remain with the gift. The recipient cannot possess more than the statewide possession limit.
Note that the person you give the fish to doesn’t have to have a lisense, but needs to be in possession of your lisense number to legally have those fish.
That is what the law is, anyway. And remember the CO has a lot of discression when writting a ticket. You can always fight it later, but it is easiest just not to try to push the limit or otherwise annoy a CO if one asks questions.
Hello….. Jon ??? The fact that nobody can show it in writing, bothers me. A simple blurb, no person may possess, either in their bag, daily or otherwise, at any time, no more than 4 walleyes from Lake Mille Lacs….. that right there should be written… rather than obscure laws like “unless noted elsewhere”… why would you even put that in the sentence, unless it actually applied somewhere ??? In fact, if it does not apply to Mille Lacs and the like, where does it apply ??? I ask because I do not want to be over my limit. Quite honestly, I have gone home with over 8 walleyes between my wife and myself. It doesn’t happen much, but it could and I would not know any better, because I haven’t had the talk with a CO, I read the regs.
big G
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