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Most of the time I don't think it's is or will be an issue but thinking about it and how to handle the question is something that may help. If an officer see's a violation you should expect a ticket, but sometimes a slight oversight or interpretation can cause a ticket also. A friend was fishing a few years back was perch fishing and having some luck while an elderly fellow beside him was not. Like most people would do he offered the gentleman a few fish to take home with him, then caught a few more and headed home. On his way to his truck he was stopped by an officer, asked for his license and how many fish he had. Asked him to count them out and then told him he was getting a ticket for over his limit. He had 15 perch and asked why he was getting a ticket, officer said because he had caught and kept 18 fish. He had watched him give the elderly fellow 3 fish which put hi!m over his daily limit. Cost him over $100 in fines, simple mistake but costly.

If you don't think they watch,,,,,,,, they do. Last time I was checked was a few years back. I was checked in the late fall, at the marina after on was on the trailer. Same questions,"how was your day"? "how many perch"? "would you count them out for me'? I was off 4 marker and catching and sorting. I was observed thru field glasses from the National Park parking lot.

I will agree its a gray area, but if someone reeled in a 6th fish on my boat and was issued a ticket, I'd take it to court (more likely the prosecutor's office.) I'd say, "Judge, it's my boat, I set the rod, I selected the lure, I put the lure in the water: in fact I paid for the boat and lure. Then I drove to the place the salmon were hiding and when it bit my lure, I allowed my friend to hold the rod and turn the crank on the reel and coached him how to do it. Then I scooped the fish out of the lake with the landing net. I ask you, who caught that fish? The guy who only cranked the reel handle or me, who did every thing else but turn the reel's handle?" I'm thinking it would be a very weak case for the prosecutor to win.

The keep/caught thing is huge in other states that I fish. Ohio, and Michigan come to mind really fast during Walleye runs. I've heard of drones busting boats, zipped fillets being counted as 2 individuals all sorts of stuff. I feel we have a great group of conservation officers and DNR in NWI who really want to make this a fun sport to do with friends and family and only hassle people who are breaking the rules completely to help educate if they are ignorant or prosecute if they are poaching of any sort. I don't see, not saying it will or wont happen, our officers hassling folks by splitting hairs who are playing by the rules and keeping traditions alive.