Question on licenses/limits

[frazwood]

This has never been an issue for me, but my kids are now getting old enough to fish so it might come up in the next year or two (especially if I buy a conservation license).

When my under-16 kids are fishing with me, do their fish count against my limit?

I had heard when I was younger that the fish of underage anglers counts against the limits of their parent/guardian/etc, but it was in another state. I've never actually seen an actual rule on this.

If the answer is yes, then could I purchase them a license (even though they are under 16) so that they could keep their own limit of fish?

[Dylan33]

They can each harvest their own limit...from the reg handbook...

License Requirements

All people 16 years and older need a license unless otherwise noted.

To purchase a noncommercial game or fish license, nonresidents and

residents must have their social security number on file with DNR or

must provide it.

Residents

• To qualify

as a resident,

a person must maintain a legal residence

in Minnesota

for at least 60 consecutive days before purchasing

a license.

• Residents 21 or older must provide a current Minnesota Driver’s License

or ID card, unless exempt under the Religious Freedom Act.

• A nonresident under age 21 whose parent is a Minnesota resident is

considered a resident.

• All residents age 15 and younger are allowed to take their own limit of fish

without purchasing a license.

[rmb]

on a side note at what age does legal fishing begin.

obviously my 7 day old little girl will not be able to fish this summer but what about when she is 2/3/4 years old?? what is the legal definition of old enough to fish? is it when they are able to hold a pole? what standards do the DNR officers observe??

seems silly and i'm not advocating it but what is to stop somebody from bringing a 1 year old in the boat in order to double their limit. or more likely tansporting twice what the single limit is and when caught claim that one of the limits belongs to the sleeping baby in a car seat?

[Dylan33]

Thats a good question....if you read the regulations and take it as written, All residents age 15 and younger are allowed to take their own limit of fish without purchasing a license.

so, technically, they would have to have taken their own limit. Not having mom and dad take their limit for them.

So I suppose it would be a judegement call by the CO?

[Nick Kuhn]

If you have a child with and you are keeping 2 limits, you had best be able to demonstrate that the child is capable of catching fish themselves.

[TooTallTom]

If you have a child with and you are keeping 2 limits, you had best be able to demonstrate that the child is capable of catching fish themselves.

I agree with you, Nick. But I know adults who aren't capable of catching fish themselves.

[frazwood]

Thats a good question....if you read the regulations and take it as written, All residents age 15 and younger are allowed to take their own limit of fish without purchasing a license.

so, technically, they would have to have taken their own limit. Not having mom and dad take their limit for them.

So I suppose it would be a judegement call by the CO?

This is kind of where I was going with this, although I rarely keep more than a few fish at time (i.e., so I doubt that it'll be a big deal, but...). I have a 5-year old who can cast a spinning rod with a bobber on it, wait for the bobber to get pulled under, set the hook and reel in a bluegill. She can't bait a hook or unhook a fish (or, I should say, I won't let her...). In contrast, her younger sister (4-years old) can probably only reel in a fish if I hook it for her.

When is it her fish vs. my fish?

[Brad B]

Thats a good question....if you read the regulations and take it as written, All residents age 15 and younger are allowed to take their own limit of fish without purchasing a license.

so, technically, they would have to have taken their own limit. Not having mom and dad take their limit for them.

So I suppose it would be a judegement call by the CO?

it is such a gray area. technically there would be no law broken if mom or dad caught both limits since it would techinally fall under party fishing regs and because the child is with you when you would transport both limits there wouldn't be a issue there since each person is transporting their own limit. is this right to do ? that is up to the person's own morals to decide. but legally can you get in trouble, my opinion is no because statue doesn't set a minimum age requirement by the way I am not a lawyer but I have read the game and fish stautes. another thing I feel is a gray area is they do not define artifical lures in the statues. this is how people get around the multiple hook law. they simply add a spinner blade to a treble hook which then makes it a artifical lure .

to my knowledge there has never been a test case in the courts so I don't know how the courts would decide this.

[Brad B]

the other thing I could see happen is a parent catches a limit takes it home then "gifts" it to their child. this is also a gray area because techinally the fish would then become part of the limit for the person that recieved the fish as a gift thus this would open it up for the parent to go out again the next day or when ever and catch their limit. Here again is the question "is it right". it is up to the person's morals. personally I wouldn't do this but I am just throwing out the "what if's". I guess I am getting at is if people want to find ways around the rules then they will, be it right or wrong. alot of these issues could be fixed if they would clarify and define stuff in the statues.

[LakeDocktor]

They don't have to catch the fish themselves. There is "party fishing" in Minnesota.

• A party is defined as a group of two or more persons:

– angling from a single watercraft; or

– if not in a watercraft, maintaining unaided visual and vocal contact

with each other.

• The total number of fish possessed by the party may not exceed the

combined limits of the numbers of the party.

• Each party member may transport only an individual limit of fish.

• The use of explosives,

firearms, chemicals (not including

fish scents),

spring devices, or electricity for taking fish is unlawful.

[LightningBG]

In my mind, I have always felt like if they are able to control a pole, they are legal to keep a limit, but I have no evidence to support this.

[Camp Bob]

I actually went through this when my boy was just under 3yrs old. Had a CO visit us in the fish house and we had 7 walleye. He brought up the fact the child needs to be capable of taking his own fish with reasonable support from the parent. In the midst of the explanation, my son who was jigging caught and reeled in a perch. He gave him a coloring book and so began my son's addiction to fishing. In regards to focusing on using kids as a way to keep more fish, Now he's 8yrs and I'm proud to say that he measures our success by counting the fillets we'll have to feed our family and always tells me it's time to go home when we have enough and is not focused on limits. He even turned down a crappie offered to us the other night when a lone angler offered his only fish, in his words, "no thanks, we have enough"