Never gave it much thought just throw them all on ice I might get some cutting board material and make some dividers in my igloo now!

On the boat no need to separate them. On the bank or on a dock fishing, always.

Ticket the boat owner, and do not have to worry about separating the fish. If they really want to be that picky.

I never thought about this subject until Mo brought it up. I e-mailed The Parks & Wildlife Department & received this in reply:

It's true that each licensed angler is legally responsible for his own daily bag limit: for example, if you are allowed to keep 25 crappie, your buddy can also keep 25 but he manages to catch only 10, that doesn't mean YOU get to keep 15 more. However, we usually depend on the honor system to enforce this. According to our chief of fisheries enforcement, Game Wardens have not generally expected folks to separate their catch on a fishing trip.

An exception to this might be shad collection, since we now have a container size requirement. Any person who is collecting shad in containers that total 82 quarts or more, for either personal or commercial use, needs a Permit to Possess or Sell Nongame Fish From Public Fresh Waters

Dyanne Fry Cortez
Web Coordinator, Inland Fisheries Division
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
4200 Smith School Road, Austin, TX 78744
512-389-8055

Remember that your partner(s) CAN keep the ones you catch after you're over 25. You just can't keep 30 and your buddy keep 20... Boats are allowed to keep the catches together, on the shore though each person is responsible for what is in their possession. If you bring your 5 year old to the creek and both limit, that 5 year old has to haul out their own stringer if you're keeping them. Even if they are on a separate stringer you can not carry both, you'd be in possession of more than your limit.

Eric

I've only had one bad experience with a game warden... well two actually.

One came up on me at the lake in his big bay boat to check me. He was coming at me waaaaay too fast and T-boned the side of my boat. There wasn't any damage, rub rail caught most of it, but never apologized or anything.

The other time a game warden came to my parents house with an 8x10 picture of a buck I had killed. Woke my dad up. He was working night shift at the time. He asked him where the buck was tagged. Half asleep, my dad said,"In the woods." The game warden the said he meat where on the animal did we put the tag. Dad told him on the back leg. Apparently the warden came across the pic from someone who works with my Dad and the tag on the back leg wasn't visible in the picture. Even though it's completely legal to tag them on the leg, the warden thought it was strange that we didn't put the tag on the antler. After we told him it was at the taxidermist and processor, he said, "Nevermind then. I know you're legal if you sent them there."

Sounds like he got some false information from someone on your deer.

"In the woods" , good answer!

That funny right there.

Likely that very few people have ever been issued a citation for this, but don't go around thinking you're innocent until proven guilty. That just ain't so.

If a person isnt breaking the law, they should not be bothered. As I said, the "safety inspection" is just an excuse to gain access to a vessel. If they were really concerned abt safety they would be at the ramps inspecting boats BEFORE launch. making sure that there are lifejackets for everyone, fire extinguishers, sober captains, seaworthy vessels, ect. Or have boat inspections at the wildlife and fisheries offices before the 2 year stickers are given.. Most folks got to the lake to get away from the rest of the world, and dont really enjoy being disturbed and given the shake down by anyone. If the game warden pulls out the foot long binoculars and sees a current registration sticker on the boat, and no unsafe or illegal activity, that should be all thats needed.
Its the deception used to gain access that I dont like. They know they cannot approach and detain you without cause, so to circumvent this right, they claim " safety inspection". If you dont believe you are being detained, just try to leave before they are done with thier " safety inspection"..
what you are really being subjected to is an unlawful detaining and criminal investigation without evidence or specific reason of wrongdoings.
when game wardens board your boat, they always ask to see a fishing license.. is it UNSAFE to fish without a fishing license? This is all just an excuse to spend more time evaluating you.
If you are wearing a PDF and a fire extinguisher is mounted in plain view, with the fill gauge clear and visible, you dont have a 200 horse motor on a 13 foot boat, or other unsafe things, what else would they have to check?

Right or wrong, the �Rewards� collected by TPW, from trophy assessment fines, do embolden the game wardens to push the letter of the law, on occasion...o f course watching too many episodes of North Woods Law will do the same thing...new wardens are also more apt to push the limits of decency on occasion, as well.
That Said, a warden has more power than a Texas Ranger, and don�t need a warrant or even justifiable belief of a game violation to enter your residence. Further, anything they uncover regardless of type, can result in other agencies being called and violations cited, and it�s all perfectly legal. You want c