Eating fish on the ice..

[Kylersk]

Did they change the law on that this year? I found this on another HSOforum, but cannot find the original article..

Fee dropped for portable fishing shelters

Doug Smith,star tribune

Minnesota's ice anglers won't have to license their portable fishing shelters any more -- unless they plan on leaving them on the ice overnight.

That's the result of a new law passed by the 2007 Legislature. Owners of about 60,000 portable shelters will be affected. Few portable shelters are left on the ice overnight.

Ice fishing shacks left overnight, which obviously would include most of the state's 90,000 permanent shelters, still must be licensed.

"The Legislature decided we shouldn't be licensing portables anymore," said Bob Meier, assistant commissioner in charge of government relations for the Department of Natural Resources. "They wanted to give people with portable shelters a break."

That saves anglers with portable shelters $11.50 a year but would cost the DNR about $768,000 in lost revenue. So the Legislature increased nonresident fishing license fees to offset that loss.

The cost of nonresident individual fishing license, now $34, will increase to $37.50 next year. The increase is expected to raise about $680,000 yearly.

Nonresident anglers took another hit: A $2 surcharge for aquatic invasive species management also is being added to all nonresident fishing licenses.

With the usual $1 issuing fee, that means a nonresident individual will pay $40.50 for a Minnesota fishing license. The state sells about 266,000 nonresident fishing licenses yearly.

Minnesota residents pay a $5 invasive species surcharge every three years with their boat registration fees.

Permanent shelters, whether with wheels or skids, still need a fish-house or dark-house license if they stay on the lake overnight.

There is a new three-year fish house license for permanent shelters.

Lawmakers extended the date on our fishing licenses to April 30 also.

An angler in a dark house or fish house can fillet fish or possess fish fillets within size limits if the angler is preparing the fillet or fish for a meal. In the past, anglers could not possess fillets on lakes with special regulations because DNR officers have difficulty determining if the filleted fish were within legal limits.

[irishjigs]

Yep, they did. This was reported in the Star Tribune a couple months ago. I don't know if you can actually eat the fish on the lake though. That might need some more explanation. It states you can prepare a fish by cleaning them...but it doesn't mention anything about consumption of said fish. Maybe a question for a DNR officer. Also, would this be state wide, or will their be limitations on certain lakes (i.e. Mille Lacs, Red Lake) where there are imposed slot limits and other restrictions that differ from state possession laws?

[Ron Burgundy]

How about a refund If I bought my shelter license last year when I bought my fishing license? I bet not. I only have a portable and won't leave it over night.

[dirtking]

I hear you Ron - I bought 2 last year one for the wheel house and one for the portable. I am very happy they changed the rules on cleaning fish on the ice. One less law I will *clears throat* be tempted to break. A three year license and an extension date to April 30 are both great too. Way to go.

[Bassboy1645]

DANG! I was just tryign to decide on how to tag my fish trap!

[CrappieAttitude]

Once again this will be one of those areas that will be debated for a while

Can you fillet them, can you consume them, how can you prove that they were legal fish, If they are consumed do you need to count them in your limit. I fear that this will be one of those grey areas that may open the door a little wider for the unethical.

As far as the portable licenses are concerned, I am glad that they got rid of them, however It doesn't seem to me to make that much sense if they are actually losing money out of the deal.

The verbage that goes with the overnight requirement for portable houses is another thing that needs to be clarified. I would hope that overnight means "left overnight unattended". It would be a shame if guys were out fishing from 11:00pm-6:00am would have to license their house. Does anyone know for a fact what "overnight" is referring to?

For those of you who have already purchased them, try and play the card to the better half that you now have to build another permanant. (since you have the license already) Good luck with that.

CA

[Zdaddy76]

Well, I have the same question about the tag I bought last year for the portable. Is there a refund? I would guess not.

---Zdaddy

[Kylersk]

If you take fish home and eat them, it counts as your daily limit.

I look at Ice houses the same way as a shore lunch. In both instances, it's hard to prove they were legal fish..

And according the the regs:

While on or fishing waters with size restrictions, all fish for which the size restriction applies must have their heads, tails, fins, and skin intact and be measurable except when a watercraft is docked or moored to shore and the person is preparing and using the fish for a meal.

[irishjigs]

I don't know if you can get a refund. Maybe go back to the place you purchased it and see if they can do anything. I actually had to correct a G.M. kid who told another guy that he needed a license for a portable a couple weeks ago.

Crappie-this cleaning of fish on the ice does open a whole new gray area...I know that a lot of people will abide by the rules, but there are always a couple out there.

[Kylersk]

Let me also add, in the past, it was legal to eat fish on the ice as long as that fish was not slot protected on the lake.

For example, you could eat saugers on LOW, but not the Walleyes. I called the DNR last year and asked the question.

[Mike L]

The commissioner of natural resources shall amend Minnesota Rules, parts

47.306262.0100, subpart 5, item D, and 6266.0700, subpart 3, to allow an angler in a fish house

47.31or dark house to possess fillets of a fish with size restrictions if the angler is preparing and

47.32using the fish for a meal. The commissioner may use the good cause exemption under

47.33Minnesota Statutes, section 14.388, subdivision 1, clause (3), to adopt rules according to

48.1this section and Minnesota Statutes, section 14.386, does not apply except as provided

48.2under Minnesota Statutes, section 14.388.

The above went thru the legislature this spring.

[Grant]

Quote:

---

If you take fish home and eat them, it counts as your daily limit.

I look at Ice houses the same way as a shore lunch. In both instances, it's hard to prove they were legal fish..

---

hard to prove it was illegal as well

that is a bit of a sticky one every time it's looked at - Proving the legalities of the fish either way will be argued again and again...

[fishinalot]

Does anyone know for sure if you can fish in a portable from 11:00 pm to 6:00 am without a shelter tag?

[Ryan_V]

as long as you're fishing. it's only when left unattended on the ice that the shelter will need a tag....from my understanding of the law..

[walleyeking19]

well last year i left my portable on the ice while i went to my house to get a sandwich and i came back twenty minutes later and it was gone . thats the last time i do that.

[cRaPpiEMaN8265]

I dont worry about all this shelter stuff because i normally just fish in wisconsin You know how it is minnesota may have 14000 lakes but wisconsin has 13000 with fish in them

Ryan

[ripstick]

Only fish houses left unattended on the ice over night must be licensed; portable shelters not left unattended overnight do not need to be licensed. The shelters still need the ID on the outside, but no longer need the license. Kevin. this is from the dnr.