With the disparities between state and fed regs

[notnksnemor]

Seems like a good time to ask:

If you're checked at the landing with legal state reef fish that are out of season in fed waters, how do you prove they were taken in state waters and not fed water?
My chartplotter has so many tracks on it it would be hard to show the one I just ran.

 

[RedHills]

I don't imagine you'd have to.

 

[Limitless]

Technically, they would have to prove the fish were taken in fed water.

 

[lampern]

I found out it depends on the species

Highly migratory species like tunas and billfish follow federal regs

 

[notnksnemor]

I found out it depends on the species

Highly migratory species like tunas and billfish follow federal regs

Huh?

 

[lampern]

Basically the feds require permits to specifically go after tunas and billfish

Everything else states can set different limits on in state waters- drum, snapper, grouper, ect.

 

[notnksnemor]

Basically the feds require permits to specifically go after tunas and billfish

Everything else states can set different limits on in state waters- drum, snapper, grouper, ect.

I think you missed my point.
The state sets regulation in the their boundaries (out to 9 miles) and the fed sets regs for 9.1 to 200 miles.

Gag grouper is a classic example with the state even opening some counties in the bend before others even in their waters.
There are places I fish less than a mile apart that are in different boundaries with different regulations.

How do you prove where your catch came from if asked to?

 

[RedHills]

I guess you're asking rhetorically. But if you still have reservations and concerns...."actively fishing for" and "possession" are key terms. When checked out landing, from an enforcement standpoint, you have not broken any laws of "possession" based on your example, "Fishing for" reef fish in Fed waters while having a legal State fish in "possession" (or vice versa) opens up that different enforcement issue.

 

[notnksnemor]

I guess you're asking rhetorically. But if you still have reservations and concerns...."actively fishing for" and "possession" are key terms. When checked out landing, from an enforcement standpoint, you have not broken any laws of "possession" based on your example, "Fishing for" reef fish in Fed waters while having a legal State fish in "possession" (or vice versa) opens up that different enforcement issue.

It is somewhat rhetorical, but your scenario is spot on to actual experience.

I have been gag grouper fishing in state waters with a couple in the box, got a call about a cobia bite a few miles away in fed water and went to try for cobia.

That's when I first started thinking about the possibilities that might come up.

 

[seachaser]

If you are fishing in a area that is closed don’t have anything your not supposed to have even if it was caught somewhere else. If you are passing thru a area I have never had problem just don’t have lines in the water.