Limits

[MNUser]

Type and clean at the same time....you are truly multi-talented! ; )

[Farley]

A lower limit or statewide slot wouldnt bother me a bit, because I rarely achive my limit and also have a personal slot that I go by anyway. Do I think we need lower limits or statewide slots? Not really. I think Eyehunter10 hit the nail on the head by saying people now are too busy and dont have the time to get out there for the prime bite. I dont think the lack of good fishing reports from this weekend has anything to do with how the slots and limits are set up.

[bigbucks]

I pretty much agree with that. There aren't all that many people that have the time or the energy to get out there night after night & pound them when they're really going, some yes, but not that many. I personally don't like slots, too much to keep track of & too much measuring. Let's just say today I want some fish & have a few at home & need a few more for a meal. I get a 15"er or two & then gut hook a 12 or 13. I might as well clean that fish as let it die & it might help me get that meal I want. I generally throw those little guys back, but not always depending on how badly I want a meal of fish. I don't think we need to drop the limit from 6, but wouldn't be all that opposed to dropping it to 4. It's not often that you'll go beyond that anyway, unless you really fish a lot & really know where they are & like someone said, you don't really need more than that. If you want to catch more fish take another person & introduce them to fishing.

I kind of like SD's regs where the limit's 4 but possesion's 8.

[TBone1]

Quote:

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Why the bickering I don't believe there was any.Just a few people with opinions.

[Wavey Davey]

It doesn't matter what the limits or slots are if people don't follow them. I witnessed a guy keeping a fish in the release slot on opening day and have seen people keep every fish they caught, no matter what kind or how many. Instead of changing the regs, how about more C.O.'s / DNR to make the laws we have now work.

[james_walleye]

You guys that dont like slots because its all too much too keep track of from lake too lake, a statewide slot would be a benefit too you guys then. Instead of having too check from lake too lake wouldnt it be much easier knowing any lake you go too all eyes from 20-28" (or something like that) have too go back? Everyone knows there is a 1 fish over 24" rule, its universal in this state. A universal slot would be just as easy too follow, and improve the fishing on many lakes. I have still yet too hear of a lake with a slot where the fishing actually got worse. I dont think it would ever hurt a lake too put back a 24" walleye that you just caught out of it, pretty sure of that. It was told too me that putting back a prime spawner not only saves that fish, but that fish on average will produce 1,000 walleyes that survive the next time it spawns. The DNR spends how much money each year stocking our lakes when just releasing and not keeping these prime spawners will produce like that? The math isnt that hard fellas. If you guys all put back 20"+ fish and everyone you knows puts them back then i dont understand the problem. Yeah i put them back too, my buddies do too, but we have all seen a hot bite on our favorite lakes and witnessed first hand multiple big fish going into livewells. A lot of us know the benefits of releasing these fish, but a lot of people dont know too, and that is the problem. There are alot of people that seem too have a clause in their religion that says they cant put a walleye back in the lake whether its 12" or 25". Wavey there are definately people who break the current laws, probably too many no doubt, but for the most part i think people obey them. I hope when you witnessed this that you called the TIP line. I have done so and have been put directly through too a warden and within no time watched the officer pull up and do what needed too be done.

[EYEHUNTER10]

I should have said just finished cleaning walleyes oops. I just put a aqua view in my boat, I had a problem I had to pull it out I couldn't take it anymore, yesterday I had walleyes all around me in 15 ft of water some were hogs too, I'll just say the camera didn't help me catch a thing just made me realize that my lake doesn't need a slot limit at all, just some stable weather I guess.

[Borch]

I just saw on the news last night that the statewide one over limit may change from 24" to 20".

That's quite a change!

It's the first I've heard anything about it. I think I may have to dig into this a bit more.

[Borch]

Here's a reponse with a link to the bill info from the DNR.

Mr. Borchardt:

The change was included in the omnibus game and fish bill that recently passed and is awaiting the Governor's signature.  The specifics can be found in the conference committee report on HF847 in Section 47.  The complete text of HF847 can be found on the legislature's web site at:

http://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/bin/bldbill.php?bill=ccrhf0847.html&session=ls84

 

Here is some additional background on the rationale for the change from the DNR Game and Fish Omnibus Bill Fact Sheet: Anglers have become increasingly sophisticated in both the technology they use and their knowledge of when, where and how to catch fish. This change would reduce the harvest of bigger fish on some lakes, spread the harvest among more anglers on most lakes, and likely increase the voluntary release of big fish.  Voluntary release of large fish, for example, increased when the length limit was decreased on Lake Mille Lacs in the early 1990s.  This change is not intended to generate trophy fisheries but rather improve the quality of existing fish populations.

 

The change takes effect March 1, 2006.

 

--Ed Boggess

 

Edward K. Boggess

Chief, Policy Section

Division of Fish and Wildlife

Department of Natural Resources

500 Lafayette, Road

St. Paul, MN 55155-4020

 

Phone: (651) 297-2072  Fax: (651) 297-4961

[HC Eye Hunter]

My opinion is a 4 fish limit, 8 in possession and 1 over 22". I also think we should be allowed 2 lines.

[ozzie]

I agree HC eye hunter with you but I don't see why two lines in the summer. Winter two lines is understandable but why in the summer?

[Quackaddict9]

Like I catch my limit of 6 walleyes when I'm out on the water every time or 1 time. Never limited out on walleyes in MN except for Lake of the Woods in Baudette/Buffalo Bay/ Kenora in Canada...

14"-22" and one over 28"

[MRWALLEYE2005]

2 Lines would be nice, you could have bobbers on one side fishing for panfish and walleyes and you can cast rapalas and jigs on the other and cover alot of ground. I wouldnt mind that they change it to 1 over 20 inches because there the fish that makes more walleyes and 1 that big is plenty.

[gunflint]

Two lines would be nice for open water trolling. Using planer boards is something that I would like to add to my fishing arsenal but I can't see it with just one line.

[HC Eye Hunter]

Ozzie,

I agree with the other posts. It would be nice to have the opportunity to use 2 lines cranking as well as slip bobbering and jigging on rock piles. The idea of making 2 lines legal in MN doesn't make it a requirement to use 2 lines. It would just be nice to have the option available in those situations where 2 lines can be used.

[Ole #1]

What if we could use two lines, but had to pay an additional fee to do so? I would do it, if it was double the cost of a license or less. This would bring a lot of extra money in and that would be good if it were put to good use.

[ozzie]

I guess it wouldn't be bad to have two lines in the summer but I like Ole's idea of extra fee like an endorsement on your license.

[bigbucks]

I don't know that I'd be opposed to an extra fee to use a second line, but that would never happen. Talk about a CO's nightmare. How in the world would they ever know unless they started checking everybody? Granted they don't know if you have a license at all without checking, but it'd just be one more thing to deal with. I think they have enough to worry about. I'd say it's either everybody or nobody. I'd vote for everybody, but since I'm used to only one line it's not that big of a deal.

[waltinader]

its better for the fish.

[TBone1]

I agree , who wants to be bothered with paying for a second line and then possibly getting checked by the COS more often and it's one more headache for them. I have fished Wisc. and SD where 2 lines are legal and have done it, and it can be a pain in the arse. I dont believe fishing with 2 lines would make that much difference in the livewell.

[WILDEYES]

I grew up in Michigan where two lines are the norm. It's just my two cents worth but having one line in the water at times is a pain in the butt especially when trolling or when your on fish... I love to get my limit and get home . It also gives you the opportunity to rig two different offerings so that I'm able to get a pattern going quicker. Remember, a limit of fish is a limit

regardless of how many rods you have in the water

[Neiko]

Well you are in MN and we do things differently here. 1 line per person and the limit for perch is 20 and the possession is 40 . You cannot take a possession limit if you are by yourself. Incase you didn't know.

[WILDEYES]

Quote:

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Well you are in MN and we do things differently here. 1 line per person and the

limit

for

perch

is

20

and the

possession

is

40

. You

cannot

take a possession limit if you are by yourself. Incase you didn't know.

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I guess you folks in Minnesota sure do things differently. Like rape all the small Walleyes...don't you people realize where all the big fish come from The only bad thing about us Michiganders is we just don't know how to count GO BLUE

[Neiko]

Don't forget to mention you guyss hunt deer over corn.

Didn't you keep some 14 inchers this winter from Little Rock?

[WILDEYES]

Quote:

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Don't forget to mention you guyss hunt deer over corn.

Didn't you keep some 14 inchers this winter from Little Rock?

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Man neiko your as bad as my wife...The only 14 incher I keep is stuck neatly inside my pant leg