How old?

[Doop]

Hey guys,

How old does a child have to be in order to count them towards your fishing lines? I believe they don't need a license until they are 16, right? Wasn't sure how old they needed to be in order to have two more lines in the water...anyone know?

[Hoffer]

Good question...I know I have had my kids out with me when they could feasibly walk around and have some kind of coordination with a line. I think I had them out when they were between 2 and 3 years old....maybe I waa breaking the law?? never thought to check - as they could pick up a line and attempt to real it in etc...

[Jim43]

Quote:

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Hey guys,

How old does a child have to be in order to count them towards your fishing lines? I believe they don't need a license until they are 16, right? Wasn't sure how old they needed to be in order to have two more lines in the water...anyone know?

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You are correct, they don`t require a license until they turn 16. Just pulled out my fishing reg book pdf I keep

handy on the computer. You want a copy ?

MN DNR Fishing regulations PDF

[Guest]

i had friends that had them out in a car seat and counted them...talk about lines down while northern fishing..

[hitthebricks]

Without a license the kid can fish but not keep their own limit, but only add to your limit. HTB

[Ralph Wiggum]

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Without a license the kid can fish but not keep their own limit, but only add to your limit. HTB

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Uhhh, I doubt that. You're saying that a 15 year old can't go fishing and keep fish without an adult.

[schweady]

Quote:

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Without a license the kid can fish but not keep their own limit, but only add to your limit. HTB

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That's for a non-resident family license. It's on page 8. Jim just posted you a copy of the regs...

[Black_Bay]

Quote:

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Without a license the kid can fish but not keep their own limit, but only add to your limit. HTB

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That is not correct. Look at page 8 in the regulations.

IMO a child has to be able to fish without too much assistance from someone. Baiting the hook, casting not included. I'm thinking more that the child can set the hook and reel in a fish. I've never seen a specific age given for being able to keep fish. That being said I wouldn't go out with a 6 month old and have 12 walleyes in the live well.

[Kylersk]

I've heard stories about tickets being issued because the kids didnt actually fish. The DNR was watching and never saw the kids pull up any fish, so they were ticketed for having to many under possesion.

So, if you plan on counting your kids line, you better be sure they are going to be the ones pulling it up.

[riverrat56]

I would say as long as they can fish by themselves it is acceptable, not do everything but at least reel in a fish.

[BobT]

If you have more than one line in the water and you are fishing alone, the extra line is considered unattended and it is unlawful to have an unattended line. If you have a child with you, it would seem feasible that child must be able to attend the line. To me that would imply some level of ability to manipulate and control the line without help. I think having a child in a car seat is pushing this a bit too far.

Bob

[Sandmannd]

Forget about handling a line, what kind of person takes a 6 month old out on the ice in a car seat. I could see in a perm, but never a portable.

[Guest]

Doop.. the answer is.. the kids will NEVER count towards your own lines!

They can use their own lines to catch fish and keep their own limit of fish.

My 5 year old this summer was quick to tell the CO this summer on several occassions which rod was his. The kids are basicly on their own if they have their own line in the water... from the cast, to reeling in fish.

You can get a ticket for an extra line if you are assisting in any way... however, I highly doubt you would get a ticket for casting, or putting a line down the ice hole for a kid... but when that bobber goes down, they are on their own.

[stmichael]

If you look on page 8 of the regulations...

License Requirements:

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 valid 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.

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

of fish without purchasing a license.

Then it goes on to talk about NON RESIDENT:

Nonresidents

• All nonresidents age 16 and older are required to have an appropriate

fishing license while angling. Nonresidents under age 16 don’t need a

license if an accompanying parent or guardian is licensed. Children of

an adult who has a Minnesota nonresident family license may possess

their own limit of fish. However, if the adult has an individual license,

the child’s fish are included in the adult’s limit. Nonresidents under

age 16 may purchase a license and possess their own limit of fish.

Someone please point out where the child has to be able to fish by oneself... I thought it was here but I cannot locate it.

[ghotierman]

The closest phrasing is here:

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

of fish without purchasing a license.

but "to take" is not clearly defined as it is in the hunting regulations. Methods of angling are outlined. This is a bit of a gray area. Saying that they have to catch their own is a slippery slope...party fishing is allowed. (if I out-fish my buddy and pull in 10 walleyes to his two...we have our limit.)

We also have the issue of daily and possession limits. Could the angler catch a limit of fish, and 'give' them to the kid in the car seat....and keep fishing? As long as the kid is present would this negate the concept of 'double tripping' ?

I guess what this may come down to is the individual's sportsmanship. The regulations may be read to say an infant can take their own limit of fish, but what do our angling ethics say?

[chaffmj]

Take your kids fishing because you want to spend some time with them and teach them to love the outdoors and take care of it. If you bring your kids in a car seat and you take home their limit of fish to me you are no better then someone who keeps more than their limit. Based on the regulations (• All residents age 15 and younger are allowed to take their own limit of fish without purchasing a license) and if I was the CO I would fine you. Notice it says take their own limit of fish not have your Dad take them for you. I don't have a problem if you help them but having them strapped in a car seat WOW. It is no wonder why we have all the regulations we do.

[Cowgirladdict]

i had my 3 year old out this year and was trolling 2 lines for Muskies and a CO pulled up along side me and started to shoot the breeze and told me it was great to see me taking my kid fishing........he knew that a 3 year old couldnt reel in a Muskie, let alone the bait on the other end of it..i think its up to the CO's discrection, and if people are not abusing the rule...like having there kids in car seats to get more tip-ups out, then there ok with it

[art]

When I had my first kid about 6 years ago I checked the regs carefully and could not find anything that says even a baby can't fish. That being said, my 2 kids have been fishing since they were 1.5 years old. No, I don't do that so I can have more lines in and catch more fish. I have set the hook when they were really young but let them reel in the fish. Now I always let them set the hook and reel the fish in. They love the activity on open water and ice fishing. My kids have been bugging me to go ice fishing since it got cold out. I'm hoping to get my eldest to catch a fish on a tip-up this year. Until now I didn't feel they could handle the concept so I didn't put down extra tip-ups. I think it's a matter of ethical thinking. If they really aren't fishing I wouldn't consider putting the lines down appropriate. But if they can reel it in the smile, excitement and the feeling of accomplishment they get from it is priceless. Most of the time I even hand them what I consider to be my rod. Sure I lose more fish but who cares. I do it for them and I get more enjoyment out of it.

[Sutty]

Anyone that thinks you are going to take a kid along just to bring home extra fish doesn't have kids of there own.

-I have to go potty

-I'm bored

-Are the fish going to bite soon

Not to mention all the exta tangles and headaches. People that bring kids fishing more often than not don't get to fish much themselves...And they should be commended for bringing the kids!

[markzeke]

My son is 6 now, but when he was 2 I bought him the MN lifetime sportsman license. Would this qualify him to be a licensed fisherman? Also, take the kids to spend time with them, not for an extra limit....just my 3 cents

[Bob_D]

We took my daughter out several times when she was a couple months old. Never counted he towards the limit though. We always made sure she was warm and with one of us at all times.

Until my kids can handle the lines on their own, they fishing under my limit of lines. I don't keep a lot of fish, so the daily limit for my wife and me is more then enough.

[Hammer Handle]

My brother had his 2 year old daughter fishing by the twin cities and the game warden was fishing beside him (which he didn't know). The warden came up to my brother and identified himself and was stunned that such a young girl was catching fish by herself...and even casting a little.

He stated that normally she would not be able to keep a limit herself, but she was one of the kids that would be the exception to the rule. He says he runs into lots of people claiming kids count as a limit and the kid is way to young or doesn't even fish. That is why he was by this lake "fishing". He was busting people who came down with 3-4 kids and the dad would catch all the fish and go over the limit.

[Dave B]

Regarding unattended lines and young kids, I have rods out for my kids (now 6 and 3) but they never care to real in a fish. All the rods are in rod holders. I was using the "party fishing" explanation on page 10 of the regs.

I believe this would apply to ice fishing as well.

[Sutty]

Yes it qualifies him as a licensed fisherman, it is just not needed till he is 16. He (you) just gets a discount off of the price of the lifetime since it isn't needed for years.

[ice toad]

You Guys,

I don't know if you have any kids, but my 3 year old can pull string up out of the water on a tip up. To me the boy can fish, now if he has a 40" northern on, he may have to do some wrestling and have some help from his old man. I think that is what makes it an American Past time or family activity.

I know a 5 year boy in Mason City Iowa who caught a 48" Muskie on a snoopy pole with 4 lb test. on Clear Lake. His Mother helped him net it. I believe it is a record in the state of Iowa for 4 lb test. That was in the Mason City paper two years ago.

To me not all kids can hold fishing poles, but a Tip up is a little different story. Tip fishing with a 3 year is a little different. What do you think?

Yours truly in Fishing,

Catch and Release so our Children can have some fun!

ICE Toad