Hey Roughfisher.....

[fiskyknut]

First off I'd like to thank you as you are an assett to FM.com, a true plethora of information regarding those 'under-utilized' fishes.

I do have a question for you.....I have seen you mention that harvest/possesion of certain Sucker/Redhorse species is a no-no. Can you direct me to where you have gleened this info? I have scoured the MN statutes to no avail. I have also reviewed my commercial wholesale Minnow regs, once again to no avail.

Please steer me to where I may find such info.

Iffin you ever make it up to the LOTW area get ahold of me.....I know of some streches of river on a particular Red River tributary near me you would just love. Chock full of different species you enjoy.

Regards.....fiskyknut

[Roughfisher]

fisky -

Thanks. As far as the sucker legality, it's not in the fishing regulations, it's in the Endangered and Threatened Species regulations. It is illegal to kill or possess any threatened or endangered species of wildlife. This includes the Timber Wolf, the Canadian Lynx, and the Paddlefish. It used to contain the Greater Redhorse, the River Redhorse, the Black Redhorse, and the Blue Sucker. But when I went to the list, it looks like all of the threatened suckers have been removed as of January 2004. Which means they are now legal to kill in Minnesota. Here's the most current list:
http://www.gen.umn.edu/research/fish/fishes/distribution_table.html

And the endangered species law (in brief):

http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/ets/index.html

The Blue Sucker is still listed as "Special Concern". The only two fish still listed in Minnesota are the Paddlefish and the Topeka Shiner.

I guess now it's more of a concern in Wisconsin than in Minnesota; where most of these species are listed as Threatened and are illegal to kill.

I guess this means now a guy could fry up some blue suckers if he wanted to.

[Roughfisher]

Also, I just might end up in your neck of the woods looking for goldeyes sometime.