Laws of collecting and keeping native fish in nj?

BuildingBlocks

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jun 16, 2011
126
0
0
Nj, flanders
Okay well I thought you could collect and keep any fish in nj as long as you caught it legally; I.e. : The size requirements, liscense to fish, etc.

Now I go to a fancy new petstore an hour away from my home. I'm buying black worms(treat for my sunnies). Guy asks me what I'm feeding it to. I tell him my redbreasted sunfish. He then out of nowhere tells me that's cool but that it's illegal to own any native fish from nj in nj. Though I don't see any ordinance or anything. Guy isn't a cop he even told me just not to be saying it around. But it does piss me off when people try to alter the law to their own meanings. It clearly states I can own NATIVE fish except snake heads or anything endangered in nj. Which I don't. I barely have luck catching bass sometimes why would I have any luck catching anything endangered or even a snakehead?

I kinda want to know if anybody has a recently updated laws and ordinance stating otherwise that I can or cannot keep natives in nj; because this isn't the first time it happens to me. One time I was collecting a few baby snapping turtles. CLEARLY says on ALL rule books you can catch, collect any; there are no sizelimits, and at most you can only own 3 or something.

You don't even need a permit or a special permit to collect it or keep it. But some jerk of a warden thought he's an actual cop and started telling me that it is illegal. So I show him the laws (back then I carried them with me just incase of some wise cracking cop)and he tells me "what are you talking about the laws? I AM the law and anything I say goes".

This place also has no such regulations stating which fish or turtles you can or cannot take. Just I guess some stupid angler got annoyed that I was searching for them when he was trying to fish(he even told me -though I arrived early and a few minutes after I did I had a problem with the guy like he owned the place).

Still. I'm not sure how to deal with these people who are pretend cops and think I'm going to take them serious when I see some people dumping stuff in the river and yet they say nothing to them. Oh but wait- what's funny it says NO LITTERING! :l so I'm kinda mad because I hate and I mean I hate being accused of doing something illegal. I love my country and I'm proud to be an american. But when the heck did it go from the land of the free; to the land of not so free unless I told you so?

So what I'm asking and pardon my rants. Is if there is a piece of paper I can print out with signatures of whomevers the head honcho of making the laws and enforcing them so that whenever these smart allecks come up I can show it to them and make them get all embarrassed. Sorry I know it's a fish forum but I assumed since this is the greatest fish forum I know and it already has stickys(from 2007) on legallities on natives I was wondering if someone could make another and tell me where I can go to. Because apparently even calling the hotlines and such for the state; they just let their emotions and what they think is right get in the way. If it's legal it's clearly legal. They told me it's legal to catch one and take it home to eat but not keep one because that's not what that law was meant for.

Again this isn't the first time. It's already happened on several occasions in fact once I caught a nice fish and I was actually going to eat it, it was a big bass but the guy made me let it go because he thought I was going to keep it in an aquarium.

So any help would be appreciate so ima just post this before I keep ranting some more. :x
 

trick1441

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Apr 9, 2012
212
0
0
Minnesota
Okay well I thought you could collect and keep any fish in nj as long as you caught it legally; I.e. : The size requirements, liscense to fish, etc.

Now I go to a fancy new petstore an hour away from my home. I'm buying black worms(treat for my sunnies). Guy asks me what I'm feeding it to. I tell him my redbreasted sunfish. He then out of nowhere tells me that's cool but that it's illegal to own any native fish from nj in nj. Though I don't see any ordinance or anything. Guy isn't a cop he even told me just not to be saying it around. But it does piss me off when people try to alter the law to their own meanings. It clearly states I can own NATIVE fish except snake heads or anything endangered in nj. Which I don't. I barely have luck catching bass sometimes why would I have any luck catching anything endangered or even a snakehead?

I kinda want to know if anybody has a recently updated laws and ordinance stating otherwise that I can or cannot keep natives in nj; because this isn't the first time it happens to me. One time I was collecting a few baby snapping turtles. CLEARLY says on ALL rule books you can catch, collect any; there are no sizelimits, and at most you can only own 3 or something.

You don't even need a permit or a special permit to collect it or keep it. But some jerk of a warden thought he's an actual cop and started telling me that it is illegal. So I show him the laws (back then I carried them with me just incase of some wise cracking cop)and he tells me "what are you talking about the laws? I AM the law and anything I say goes".

This place also has no such regulations stating which fish or turtles you can or cannot take. Just I guess some stupid angler got annoyed that I was searching for them when he was trying to fish(he even told me -though I arrived early and a few minutes after I did I had a problem with the guy like he owned the place).

Still. I'm not sure how to deal with these people who are pretend cops and think I'm going to take them serious when I see some people dumping stuff in the river and yet they say nothing to them. Oh but wait- what's funny it says NO LITTERING! :l so I'm kinda mad because I hate and I mean I hate being accused of doing something illegal. I love my country and I'm proud to be an american. But when the heck did it go from the land of the free; to the land of not so free unless I told you so?

So what I'm asking and pardon my rants. Is if there is a piece of paper I can print out with signatures of whomevers the head honcho of making the laws and enforcing them so that whenever these smart allecks come up I can show it to them and make them get all embarrassed. Sorry I know it's a fish forum but I assumed since this is the greatest fish forum I know and it already has stickys(from 2007) on legallities on natives I was wondering if someone could make another and tell me where I can go to. Because apparently even calling the hotlines and such for the state; they just let their emotions and what they think is right get in the way. If it's legal it's clearly legal. They told me it's legal to catch one and take it home to eat but not keep one because that's not what that law was meant for.

Again this isn't the first time. It's already happened on several occasions in fact once I caught a nice fish and I was actually going to eat it, it was a big bass but the guy made me let it go because he thought I was going to keep it in an aquarium.

So any help would be appreciate so ima just post this before I keep ranting some more. :x
Just read the nj rule book didn't see anything about keeping fish for a tank but you do have to have a permit to collect turtles and frogs it is $2. I'll keep looking on keeping fish for a tank and let ya know if I find anything. If I were you I'd just call the head office you will probably get told one thing from one person and the opposite from another.


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BuildingBlocks

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jun 16, 2011
126
0
0
Nj, flanders
To be honest I just want to get assured first off that what I'm doing is legal. You don't need a permit to collect turtles except for a fishing license. I just want to be able to get proof though and something written in paper so that whenever I get harassed by some jerkwad I can just show it to them and have them immediately leave me alone or I'd sue for harassment. I'm completely sick and tired of getting embarrassed infront of others in public by some guy who thinks he's a cop. You know what's funny? I talked to an actual cop they said it's not even illegal. If nothing states otherwise on a darn piece of paper what I specifically cannot do; then I don't have to be bothered by people. I lost a huge catch lemme tell you. THE biggest friggin' bass a couple of weeks ago cause of a hotshot warden. I got so mad because you know how long I waited for this guy? After catching little basses hour after hour. 5hours. 5 HOURS. :< SO I would also love to know where I can get a handbook on these things. And I mean a legit handbook that has some kind of seal of approval by the state head honchos. I would talk to the guy whose the "above". But I feel as people are kinda corrupted now adays so I'm afraid he wouldn't do anything unless I had so much stuff to back me up that he has no choice but to take me seriously. I got mad cause the thought of turning my fish loose cause of those guys makes me gag. First off it's bad to turn something that was already in a tank loose. And it's worse to kill it because someone thinks they know better. I won't let it go for many reasons. This wasn't the first or the tenth. I actually started counting back to how many times. I mean I wish I could have a little badge on my clothes saying. Don't bother me.

Sorry had to keep ranting. I called the office again today; nothing. Same as the guy before. Saying sir these are meant to be eaten not be kept in aquarium that's just cruel. That made me even more angry.
 

trick1441

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Apr 9, 2012
212
0
0
Minnesota
I think you need to move sounds like nj isn't for you haha. If you waited 5 hours for a big bass you gotta come to Minnesota we have a grip of big bass.
And idk if you know this but in most states a conservation officer or game warden have a tremendous amount of power, they can pull you over for speeding and other things in some states. Yeah most of them are dicks and think you're poaching or doing something illegal


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BuildingBlocks

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jun 16, 2011
126
0
0
Nj, flanders
I think you need to move sounds like nj isn't for you haha. If you waited 5 hours for a big bass you gotta come to Minnesota we have a grip of big bass.
And idk if you know this but in most states a conservation officer or game warden have a tremendous amount of power, they can pull you over for speeding and other things in some states. Yeah most of them are dicks and think you're poaching or doing something illegal

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How? How do they have this power and don't use it for good? I see people littering and they don't do squat about it. It's stupid.
 

trick1441

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Apr 9, 2012
212
0
0
Minnesota
That's a good question that's probably why all there funding and budget is cut. I know mn had 26 unfilled conservation officer spots probably because a lot of them do care about conserving the environment they just care about being the law and having the authority to tell someone what to do.


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BuildingBlocks

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jun 16, 2011
126
0
0
Nj, flanders
I hate that very very much. It gives environmentalist and the likes (and pardon my language for saying this) look like a bunch of pompous asses. :/ It's funny they make exceptions for some because their friends but to strangers whatever we do as much as minor as it is. even if it's legal we get screwed. I wish I was friends with somebody with the higher power to screw over that warden and see he gets his arse fired.
 

trick1441

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Apr 9, 2012
212
0
0
Minnesota
Very true I guess if I were you I would just keep doing what you're doing. If they havnt given you a citation they could just be trying to be a big man and act like its illegal.
If I were you I'd just start bowfishing for snakeheads no ones going to yell at you for that.


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