7lb 14.9 ounce Smallmouth from Mille Lacs

[Cecil]

I think I'd want my name in the books Sorry, but we will forget about this in a month and move on. If my name is in the books, its in the books and not up for debate or anything...

[Nick Kuhn]

If my name is in the books, its in the books and not up for debate or anything...

Still plenty of debate over what the world record muskie is...

[Cecil]

Thats true, but there would be little debate in 2011 with all the certfication that goes on...

[topcat3820]

Quote:

IT WASN'T OUT OF SEASON...IT WAS PERFECTLY LEGAL TO BE FISHING FOR IT.

Technically, yes... but it was still illegal to reduce that fish to possession, so just turn off the caps lock & admit that this guy was breaking the law .

[CAMAN]

Correct me if I'm wrong but part of the certification of a record requires killing the fish (to make sure you didn't jam 6 ounces of lead down it's gullet). This means a record cannot and will not be certified in a catch and release situation.

The reason you need to kill it is because the law states no live fish and no water in the livewell during transportation. So you have to kill it in order to leave the lake and find a scale. If you are able to get it weighed and certified at the lake and release it the DNR would be able to accept that.

Remember back to the LMB record, the fish died of stresses from the transportation in a livewell. They did not, nor want to kill it to get it certified.

[CAMAN]

so just turn off the caps lock & admit that this guy was breaking the law .

And you should admit you wouldn't have done the same thing if in the same situation...

BTW...I didn't say he didn't break the law.

[pisces]

How about this? He hooked the fish "near" the islands, and while playing, landing, removing hooks, getting the camera ready etc. (during which he kept the fish in the water in his net); the boat drifted near to shore and he is actually standing in his boat while having the picture taken after which he immediately returned the fish to the water? Boy, I'll think twice before posting any photos on this site!

[cruiseforever]

*NOTE TO SELF

If I catch a potential state record smallmouth out of season, throw it in my livewell, zoom across the lake and have the fish weighed on a certified scale...REMEMBER to take the picture with the lake in the background instead of the shore so there's no controversy...

These are the same people that are fishing for Bass,, oh I mean "Northerns" before the Bass season opens.

[topcat3820]

so just turn off the caps lock & admit that this guy was breaking the law .

[DTro]

Just think how many times the Lake Sturgeon record has been broken over the last 10 years, yet the books never change? Why? Because they are either caught during C&R season or don't fall in the slot.

From what I understand, the only way the MNDNR will certify a fish is to examine it after it's dead. Not because of any AIS laws, but to make sure the fish is legit.

[Raider4ever]

Hasn't this dead horse been beaten enough?

[thatoneguy]

How about this? He hooked the fish "near" the islands, and while playing, landing, removing hooks, getting the camera ready etc. (during which he kept the fish in the water in his net); the boat drifted near to shore and he is actually standing in his boat while having the picture taken after which he immediately returned the fish to the water? Boy, I'll think twice before posting any photos on this site!

if you post photos that are legal, i doubt you'll catch much flak