I have a question about eating your catch (fish) while camping.

[imograss]

I was just thinking about this the other day. Is it legal to eat fish you catch while camping? I'm talking catfish, redeye, bluegill. If so does a pic suffice as proof if questioned by a game warden, since you have altered the species ect., after the fact? What about guides that do shoreline lunches, do they use what was caught or bring from home?

Thanks in advance, and sorry if this has been covered before.

 

[swampbadger]

You might want to check with your local GW, but I'd think you'd be just fine doing so. The GW needs evidence to build a case if he chose to do so. If he asked I'd be honest and show him my valid ID and fishing license.

If there's no fish remnants laying around in the open and there's no disturbance, drugs or a plethora of beer cans and liquor bottles littered around the campsite, I'd suspect it would be just fine.

 

[MickThompson]

If you're eating all your catch, just abide by size and bag limits and you'll be fine. Toss the heads but reasonably close in case someone wants to look at them to verify species. Gets a little more complicated if you plan to keep some across days with needing proof of species and size and separating different days and fishermen

 

[Kevin Snook]

Eat your catch-throw the heads and or carcass out in the water..
Always remember "No body-no crime "

 

[DaveTN]

I never thought about that. But I don't think you would need anything to prove your innocence.

 

[M T Pockets 000]

The only time I have ever had any problem was with a newbee. I was fishing for trout and had my 7 limit. My cousin still needed one. I was cleaning my fish as I always had when all # broke loose. The newbee went off on me cutting the heads off the fish. He totally wrecked my tackle box dumping it out. Said he was looking for hidden fish. I asked why I couldn't cut head off fish and he said size limit. He couldn't measure fish. I apologized and said I had cleaned fish this way since I was a kid. He said he didn't care and wanted to check my vehicle for coolers. I was starting to get pissed when the other game warden stepped in. He had met me several times before and was getting a chuckle. He told the newbee he knew me and my cousin and told us not to be cutting the heads off because of the size limit. I said sure. So now trout go in the skillet with the heads on .