Lowering daily limits?

[Law Firm]

I grew up fishing for the sport of it. We always kept enough if we wanted to have a meal. 5 years ago, I moved down to the St. Cloud area and I cannot believe the mentality of fisherman down here. It is all about catching their limits, nothing else! Maybe I have been too spoiled from good fishing back home but, fishing around here is completely different. The size of fish that people keep, just to get their limits, is embarrassing. I would not be opposed to lowering limits for all popular species except northerns whatsoever! What are your opinions?

[bigb56303]

hey there you say your form up north what part? i am from makinen or central lakes area and i agree that down here is totally different, i have live in st.loud for about 8 years know and let me tell ya its no iron range fishing, all i can say is stick with your up bringing and let the little ones back, i can t see keeping fish just to get your limit, all that does is deplete the source, its nice to see a fellow northerner with some common sense

[CrappieJohn]

Lowering limits already in place will do nothing about the "mentality" of which you speak. We all have to set our own standards with limits on sizes for any species we keep.

Bear in mind that each water is unique unto itself and what might be good in one aspect or area may not be of worthwhile merit elsewhere.

As mentioned, everyone needs to do their part. If this is an issue with you, openly practice what you preach and let your actions do some teaching. Personally I don't hardly ever keep a full limit unless I expect company. And too, I have set different length limits for one body of water and had other limits for the same kind of fish in yet another body of water.

If you are talking about sunfish, be thankful that the smaller fish are taking the brunt of this and not the big bulls. Smaller fish will replace themselves in a couple years, those big guys don't do it so easy. Same way with the truely huge crappies.

Keeping limits of any fish, just because a license allows it, is poor judgement in my opinion if the fish is to get frozen for more than a few days. Much of this is done because of the way children were taught by elders. Times change, and so does the way we need to approach commonsense limit setting. There are many who read this that are already amoungst the ranks of converts who limit their take and what they keep falls into a specic set of personal size limits. Actions can, and do, speak loudly. Just doing your part is giving a lesson.

Lawfirm....if you read this and get a chance, can you drop me an e-mail by clicking the addy in the signature?

[eyepatrol]

I for one would be opposed to lowering the limit for sunnies and crappies for sure. Those limits have decreased enough I think over the years and are at a decent level/number right now. As for pike, I think the limit is fine where it's at. As for walleye, I think the limit is fine where that's at too, but I wouldn't be completely against a 4 fish limit. I don't think it needs to drop as it is, but if it ever did, it shouldn't drop under 4.

As for people taking their limits of fish...there are those in the southern part of the state who practice plenty of catch and release. You really shouldn't generalize us all into one group by saying "I can't believe the mentality of fisherman down here"....when you say that, you're saying all fisherman down here, and NOT ALL FISHERMAN all like that. However, the law is the law, and it allows people to catch and keep a certain number of fish for the certain species of fish. Everyone in the state can keep their limit, that's what the law is set up to do. If people abide by those laws, then for the most part I don't have a problem with them. The only new law I'd like to see go into effect is a state-wide slot size limit for those lakes which don't already have special regulations. Something along the lines of 6 fish between 14" and 18" and only 1 of the 6 may be over 28"...something like that.

Just my $.02

[Bigfife]

I am not for a statewide lowering of limits, mainly crappies. I fish a lot of lakes that don't have big fish, but great numbers. I love to catch fish, and it is not uncommon for me to catch 60-100 fish in a day. On these lakes I will keep fish over 9 inches from time to time for the frying pan. It takes a limit of 9 inch crappies to fill my family up. I do know a couple lakes that are very capable of limits of 11+ inch crappies. Those would be great candidates for individual regs. 5 or 6 fish would be plenty from there.

Last Thursday I came off the lake, and a couple guys asked me how many I "got". I told them I had a good day and that I "caught" fifty fish today. They looked at me wierd and then glanced at my bucket. I think they were both getting ready to call TIP because they assumed I had 50 in the bucket. I only had 8 in the bucket that I decided to keep. I think too many people measure success by how many they "got", and not by how many they "caught".

[doser]

I think they should lower the limits even more. For crying out loud who needs 20 sunfish ? Should be lowered to 10 sunnies. Crappies I'd be all for six. Walleyes 4 State wide. Why you ask? Because most people in the the winter try to keep limits. Majority out there that fish through the ice do. Most of the people that frequent these message boards my not, but we aren't the majority of the sportsmen out there. Plus the way technology and popularity of fishing has taken off in the last 15 years puts an awful lot of pressure on the resource. Six crappies or 10 sunnies should be plenty to feed one or two people if you want a meal of fish. The other night I fried up one walleye, three crappies and six sunnies and that was more than enough fish for myself, my wife and son. Plus people need to realize that after you fillet a walleye you can cut it in half length ways so the fillet isn't so thick and you get twice the fillet. Cooks better too.Times are changing in the world so we need to do what's best to protect OUR resource and not worry about what's best for our own personal standards for fishing or whether we will be able to bring home a meal every once in a while.

[Law Firm]

Well said doser! I realize that 95% of the people on FM practice good hunting/fishing ethics. My apologies if I offended anyone from central MN. I work in a sales/service job where I talk to several people a day. Often times I see what fish they are bringing home. I'm not going to preach to them what I think they should do, but instead I just tell them what my personal guidelines are. Hopefully people hearing different viewpoints will help them look at things from a different perspective.

[eyepatrol]

I disagree with you completely DOSER! We should increase the limits and fill our freezers full!!! Just kidding! How's everything been going for ya? Been doing some ice fishing this year? I'm headed to URL on Thursday...can't wait to see what that's like. Went to Lake Washington by St. Peter...crappies have been going pretty good there...pretty good quality sized fish too. Hope all is well with you and your family.

Later

bc

[jblabsnduck]

So screw the guy that doesn't target walleyes then??????

I can tell you right now that 6 crappies and 10 sunnies would not feed my family and the law would say that is all I can have in my freezer do to position limits. So basicaly I could never feed my family a fish dinner.

No thanks. My family and I like to eat fish and I don't go after wallys. I love panfish.

I could see having a couple wallys and then the sunnies and crappies but like I said I don't go after the wallys.

What would I do then??????????

I guess I could be like the guy I heard talking yesterday on the ice how he had 15 trout being smoked that HE caught and then he took home 5 more???? Position limit people.

[Mark Christianson]

I would be for limit changes on a lake by lake basis.

But, in the same breath, it makes things way to complicated.

Limits are too tough to just generalize and say that every lake will be better off by just lowering them.

There are some lakes that need higher limits to weed out certain species.

Just not enough man power in our DNR to micromanage everything.

The limits are fine where they are at for my tastes.

I dont keep any bass or northerns. I rarely walleye fish, and I target some panfish in the spring time for a few meals.

Lowering limits wouldnt bother me for what I take, but again, lowering limits across the board isnt the answer to make everything "better".

[katoguy]

I am not commenting pro or con lowering limits.

In regards to jblabsnduck:

Take your family members fishing with you. That is one of the great things about fishing - young and old can do it together! Each member can get a limit!

[Mr. Pike1]

With all of the increased fishing pressure in the last 10 years, the improved technology, and available information to find and catch fish one will not have to worry about lowering the limits. The panfish population will simply not be large enough any longer to support catching a limit. The days of the 1 lb sunfish and 12" crappies on metro waters are close to a thing of the past. Just like urban sprawl the angler will push outside the metro confines and eventually reduce populations to the point that the sport of panfishing is no more. Keep in mind that the panfish also provide a foodsource for bass, pike, walleye, and Musky. If they disappear as a foodsource so do those higher on the food chain.

I support reducing the harvest numbers for panfish. Ultimatly I would really like own property on a private lake with no public access. I could then manage that paticular body of water in the best interest of the fishery.

For now I will live with the laws of the state and support them. I will also continue to be as active as I can personally, politically and financially to suppor the DNR and keep our fisheries in the best shape possible.

Keep in mind just because something is legal does not make it right.

I will continue to practice catch and release and encourage other to do the same or at least practice selective harvest.

[kslipsinker]

I have seen serious declines in bass and muskie quantities and size in the south metro area in the last five years. Some lakes where catch and release are required have shown great fishing. Panfish can usually withstand pretty good pressure, so the limits are fine.

[doser]

Katoguytook the word right out of my mouth in terms to jblabsduck reference. No, that many would not feed your family so take a rug rat or two with you out there on the lake. I'm sure you do anyway from the your post I've read of you in the past not only on this forum but others you frequent often.

I'm real familiar with your post and I'm not concerned about guys like you in terms of conservation.

On another note yeah panfish can survve the pressure, but look at the quality of fish you'll catch......3 to the size of a snuff box. I think most of the guys on here are smart about it. It's the others that are ignorant we need to educate.

P.S. basscatcher, I've heard URL is slow this year for crappie wise , but you don't have to worry about not having fun because you won't keep the Walters off the line. I was up there last year and had 22 Walleye one day and first fish I pulled through the hole was a 6lb. walleye. If the crappies do pick up the ones you catch you'll be laughing because of the size. You just don't catch crappies like that on any lake. Sad thing is I think the Crappies have come to an end up there. Reports are 1-2 crappies on average people are catching for a weekend trip. It will be a good time though.Have fun and I;m sure the bottle bass will bite all the time.

[eyepatrol]

doser

I've heard it's been slow too, but it does appear to be slowly picking up week by week. The guy I'm renting from seems to be on a few, so hopefully it all works out. I'd like to go there next year too, but might go in February instead. I think the fishing picks up a little more in Feb. than it does in Jan. The bottle bass will certainly be jumping through the hole...that is, the one on my face! No matter what the fishing is, I'm certain it will be a good time.

[Guest]

Cant we just leave the regs alone for a few years?

Fishing "out" bodies of water for panfish? I dont think so. Yes, the larger panfish are in trouble everywhere people discover them. Some people just dont know when to quit harvesting, we all know that. Changing the limits to next to nothing is not reasonable to those who like to eat panfish.

When lakes with large, catchable panfish are discovered they get hammered. Panfish are still the most targeted species out there.. why? Because it doesnt take $50K worth of equipment to catch them regularly, John and Jane Doe can have a great time catching them, and they taste good.

Panfish will sustain their population in the long run, but numbers of large panfish wont if there are 23 people with Flashers and power augers looking for them, or a shoreline/several boats full of people targeting them for everything they can get of quality size... you dont see this out of the metro where the panfish are small... in the metro the little guys arent safe either.

I hate to say it, but I would rather see stringers of panfish going than larger gamfish going on stringers because panfish are not worth fishing because you cant keep a meal.

I am not targeting metro folks for overharvesting on the average. To be honest, most avid fishermen in the metro are better about selective harvest than anyone... BUT ... there are a lot more people overall in the metro, and lots of people who fish. If 1/10 people harvest fish to the limits of the regulation... that leaves a lot of people who will be harvesting every day.

If the limits are cut too much more.. what your going to be hurting is the mom and pop bait shops and any business that relies greatly on the fishermen who target panfish... which is a big chunk of most bait shops income in the spring rush... and hurting people like me.. who like to have a meal of crappies to eat, but that also involves feeding 2 other people in the family when I want to have a meal.. 10 crappies now.. 3 people. I cant keep small ones.

[WigglinMyWorm]

I agree with leaving the regulations alone, with the exception that some of these pan fishing lakes that are hurting need a slot limit on them, just like alot of the major walleye lakes do.....keep the reproducing fish harvest down and pan fishing would flourish again and everbody would be happy.

[almosthaddabite]

Sometimes it helps to know the laws. Kids 15 years old and younger are allowed a possession limit without a licence.

If you don't want to take your kid fishing, gift him/her a limit.

[Guest]

almost had a bite..

the same kids that are allowed to keep a limit of fish are supposed to catch them on their own line. In fact, the fish that would be a *gift* are supposed to be part of YOUR limit until they are consumed.

To think that anyone would actually abide by that is a thought far less than naive.

The point I am making, I have a lot of family around.. this doesnt mean that I can harvest fish until everyones limit is sitting in a freezer. I wouldnt even consider the thought.. but at the same time I dont mind giving my mom a couple fish to eat from time to time when she has the desire. That kind family gesture would be difficult if the limits were further depleted.. to say 5 crappies.

To say the least. the laws are getting crazy as they are, and more added all the time because people keep insisting on ways to stretch the law to a way they feel fit. If people would quit trying to stretch the laws and only take what they are going to eat when they want some fish.. we wouldnt have all these crazy laws in place. If people only took fish when they desired to eat fish(or mount on a rare occasion).. there wouldnt be a problem for the bachelor fishing guy, or the guy trying to feed his family of 8 regularly. The problem is.. there is always going to be the group of folks in EVERY area, legal or not, that is going to harvest every keepable fish and create a stockpile of meat in the freezer. Most will not exceed a daily limit per outing, but many will go out more than once a day and harvest limits each time when fishing is good. Or they will go out every day, or often when the fishing is good and keep an excess amount of fish from an area. This is what decimates a population of quality panfish, walleyes, whatever the specie that is readily available and easy to harvest.

The way to stop this is not by reducing limits and crunching everyone. The only way to stop it is to educate the people that are doing it. THose people still have the right to a meal of fish like everyone else, but that doesnt mean they have the right to harvest in an unlawful manor. My dad was one of those people and his ways did change over time. I thought he was going to jump out of the boat when I realeased 3 walleyes over 4 pounds on a metro water in one outing... but he all of a sudden wasnt heartbroken anymore when there were a couple eaters meeting the fillet knife when we got home and had a good meal of fish. The following day he landed a walleye that was about 7 pounds from the same lake unassisted.. I expected he was going to throw it in the livewell.. I almost unexpectedly ended up sitting 3" higher on my chair when he unhooked the fish and quickly put it back into the water and smiled. That was the last thing I ever expected to see from him.. and that same practice continued until the day he passed away several years after. Eater fish were going to get eaten, but fish that exceeded the need went back in the water.

I guess the moral of the story is some people dont know any better, but are willing to learn under the right circumstances if its brought up in a proper way. There are others out there that are a bit on the stubborn side that dont really care and they are going to do what is in their best interest, no matter what the laws state(this is where heavy fines are the only answer). There are others out there that do fish for groceries and depend on the fish, its not as common as it used to be, but its still present.

I dont think the answer is more laws to protect potential trophy fisheries in most cases(with the exception of muskies, etc). We might have to work a bit harder to catch large fish of any specie, but those who like to eat fish still have the right if they buy a license.

We dont need any more laws..

I would agree there are certain lakes out there that need extra protection with laws(slots, etc), and should be adressed properly for that body of water... I think we all agree on that.

Common sense in this world is about gone... So we come up with new laws all the time that try to protect us from what is not sensable... In the end, there are so many laws that many of us cant make any sense out of them.

On an outside note.. I will be feeding my family tonight on the $2 worth of minnows, and the 1/2 gallon of gas I used to get to the lake last night, and I still have lots of minnows left over to try to get a couple more fish this evening.. for $5, I am feeding my family of 3 a quality meal, and enjoyed a few hours of recreation close to home. That makes sense to me.

[MuleSkinner]

Wow. Seems to be lots of different opinions expressed in all these posts. I do like hearing the stories about people being converted to CPR. I practice that, but not always...I do keep eaters on occasion. Like some others alluded to, it seems ice fishing might involve less CPR than open water fishing. But it would be tough to have different seasonal limits??

While I believe in slot limits for different lakes, I have always thought lowering general panfish or walleye limits might lead to the over-harvest of larger fish, especially walleyes. I hate the thought of people constantly upsizing fish in the livewell, just because of a lowered limit.

Many of you also pointed out the bad economic effect that lowering limits has, or might have, on resort and bait shop owners. The few times I was on LOTW with a group on a charter, it amazed me that we were expected to keep pretty much all the walleyes and saugers, regardless of size. The charter guides mentality seemed to be "bring back a limit". I understand why. They have a living to make. Putting too restrictive a limit on might cost them business.

Seems the DNR always encourages harvesting some of those 2 lb. Northerns to eat. I like the taste of Northern, but until they genetically alter them snakes to not have a zillion Y-bones, I don't keep any Northerns.

As a kid, we ate lots of bullheads. But that was only in the southern part of the state. Don't know that I have ever seen anyone bullhead fishing north of Alex or St. Cloud, myself included. Hey, maybe the panfish people should try some springtime bullhead?? no one seems concerned about bullhead limits. But don't expect me to practice what I preach.

[huntingmaxima]

I am from the st cloud area and the people around here are nuts. I am not for lowering the limit but they should have lowered it a long time ago(like 10-12 yrs ago). What they call a half poud bluegill and what i call a half poud bluegill are 2 different things. I know some (Contact US Regarding This Word) that thought it was cool to go to minnewaska a few years ago and catch their limit every day, now they wander what has happened to minnewaska's panfish. Just -isses me off!

[Bart Sterling]

The one thing I do not understand is when people catch so many fish that they do not know what to do with them. They give them to their neighbors, their cousins, their co-workers, their co-workers friends and so on. I like to catch a meal of fish, but when I get enough for me the rest get released.

B. Sterling

[jblabsnduck]

My daughter is only 2 1/2 and she loves to eat fish but I would NEVER take her out ice fishing(summer fishing, different story) My wife loves fish but once again she would never go ice fishing.

This is the reason I like the limits where they are at.

I would be all for slots but leave the limits alone.

Whatever happened to " the man of the house who brings home dinner"?

My daughter will be fishing with me come summer time, she already told me she wants a fishing pole for her birthday in june.

I hope to have her hunting with me by the time she is 5 or so.(when the weather permits)