Originally Posted By: Shorty
In NE it is best to buy your fish and keep your receipts locked in a fire proof safe. State regulations apply if the state provides the fish, if your pond is connected by inflow or outflow to other bodies of water where state fish "might" gain entrance to your pond, state regulations also apply if you cannot provide receipts as proof of purchase. If you buy your fish, keep your receipts, if there are no outflow or inflow issues you are free to ignore state regulations and harvest your fish as you like.

Our current state regulations were changed for 2009 and all LMB under 15" are now catch & release, private ponds included. Special waivers are now required from the state if you want to cull any overabundant LMB under 15", that is unless you have receipts for all your fish and no inflow or outflow issues.


Thanks for sharing this Shorty - and that's great advice regarding preserving one's stocking receipts. Although I have no inflow issues, almost every pond with a spillway technically has outflow issues, right? I also am not stocking LMB and won't be harvesting any. However, it's amazing to me the state feels they have the right or ability to extend their regulations to privately owned waters. I'm certain there's logic in this new regulation, but it's not immediately dawning on me. I don't count myself as one of them - yet I'd love to see the state try and enforce that regulation on some good ol NE boys I know with ponds. Funny.

Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. ~ Henry David Thoreau

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