# Flounder belly law.......



## LouDog (Dec 31, 2002)

Does anyone know the enforceable law as it relates to having flounder belly (or any other fish species). I was told you have to have the carcus to prove the flounder was legal....I'm having a hard time believing this. I like to clean a flounder (17.5+) and save the white side for future bait. A dude at Rudee told me a gamewarden caculated how many flounder a fisherman had by estimating the strips....I find this hard to believe.

I am aware there are rules about cleaning your catch...let's say I'm on the pier and I catch a flounder...before I leave, I clean it. I get stopped by the game dude at my car. Can he give me a ticket for an estimated undersized flounder? Maybe I'm just a bad filet-er.....


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## Wilber (May 20, 2003)

I belive you must have the carcuss to prove the legal size. If you clean a flounder on a pier just throw the carcuss in the cooler a put it in the trash at home, or run the risk. I was told by a warden to be safe not to clean fish on the boat and I must have the carcuss or get fined.


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## LouDog (Dec 31, 2002)

I've done the 'bring the carcuss home' thing......my neighbors don't much appreciate it...It seems I always get lucky (catch a fish) on Tuesday.....trash day isn't till the following week and by that time my trash is singing!

That's the whole reason for cleaning and leavin (the carcuss that is). The rules aare getting prety ridiculus if you ask me......I see of course the need but still does not limit the frustration.


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## wizardude (May 19, 2002)

What I do about summer "stink" is, I prefer to fillet at home as I do a much better job (don't want to waste any of this good stuff), plus they fillet a lot easier when "very" cold. I have a decent size freezer, so I put the carcuss(s) (hopefully more than one  ) in saved grocery bags in there if pick-up will be a few days. I do this with a lot of stuff in the summer, chicken stuff, etc. (not that I've never been known to cruise through an Apartment complex and check out the dumpsters  )

As far as pre-caught/filleted belly strips, I usually salt them down abit and freeze in a tupperware container "marked" bait, and take it with me. It makes it pretty obvious it has been prepared at home and shouldn't cause any concern from officials. If I do the belly at the location, yes the rest stays intact and goes in the cooler.


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## inawe (May 24, 2003)

LOU DOG yes they sure can ticket you and that goes for a state trooper to and also the same thing goes for huntig also they pull people all the time for these things had a state man pull me had a lite out on my trailer last thing he said to me was flip the lid to your cooler then told me to move the fish around so he could see


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## Bigblock (Dec 24, 2002)

Here's one for you. When you goto your local seafood shop to get bait you pick up a pound or two of flounder belly to use for that day/nights fishing trip? The flounder that you can pick up at the store can be much smaller than what you need to be a legal catch.


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## Digger (Jan 4, 2000)

As I understand it while on the fishing grounds you must maintain the carcus for any portition of a fish that has a min or max size limit. The State Trooper could not ticket you for having filets in your cooler while transporting on the highway. He could put them back together for a position limit infraction however(I believe you would have to have pissed him off and possibly deserve something). 
Now I wonder if you went to the store and bought flounder belly and took it fishing with the sticker and reciept what would happen? Well you maybe explaining that to the Judge and letting him decide. I don't think that is worth it.


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