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Acknowledging new State Records


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I do not want to offend ANYBODY, no, I am not a PETA member and our diet is over 90% wild meats and fish. That being said I would like to get the opinions of others on this website on one aspects of the state records.

I believe on the 17th of this month a lady on the Rainy River landed a 79" Lake Sturgeon which I am told would have been the state record. Saw a picture of it and it is massive. Under the present rules to be elegible for the state record the fish would have had to have been hauled in to be officially weighed etc, and yes the harvest season was not open at that time. Sure this would have been only one fish but how many offspring would she/he have had. In my opinion this seems to be an outdated rule. What if this fish had been caught through the ice again when the non-harvest season was on, should it still not have been recoginized? I have read the opinions of handling of Sturgeon and yes they are a hardy species but why risk the loss of such a breeder, when they take 25 to 30 years to get to start to reproduce.

Could there not be a seperate catageory for C & R state records? In Manitoba we have Provincial records and a Master Angler program where you will see most of these fish are by C & R. One has to have witnesses and a photograph showing the length. I am sure there was much dicussion when they put the rule in about being able to keep one, if U have a permit and the harvest season is open but why not give somebody the option of entering a fish for the state record on a C & R basis?

Maybe I don't even have a right to voice an opinion as I am not a resident of MN or for that matter the USA. I am just a Canadian (Manitoban) who has been coming down for the past couple of years just to fish in this fantistic fishery for the sturgeon.

Oh yes, the Fisheriers people and the guys using the fishery deserve a big pat on the back for helping to bring this fish back on its recovery. From my limited observations the numbers and size are only increasing every year.

I don't often post these days but feel rather passionate about sturgeon. Thanks for your opinions and if you disagree, that is fine too, I am just looking for your opinion.

Enjoy and maybe our paths will cross on the water.

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Canuck,

Most of your countrymen who venture south, go a LONG way south. Glad you're stopping short to enjoy our sturgeon!

I couldn't agree with the concept of your post more. Shouldn't have to kill a fish to be credited with a record. Kinda flies in the face of all the effort to revitalize the species.

I know the DNR fisheries & enforcement guys monitor these posts & I would have to defer the logistics to them but I for one am all for it.

Sad to say, but the cheaters may keep it from happening. Difficult to make it cheat-proof without having the critter for inspection.

Good luck!

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I agree Doug.

With only a pic and a tape measure it would be though. Its pretty amazing what photoshop can do these days!

Its a great idea though! Hate killing a big fish.

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I hate killing a big fish just as much as everybody but if we opened the MN records up to fish that were C&R'd (even out of season), where would that lead us??

MN has a hard enough time keeping folks from targeting fish out of season. Now if we were to let these out of season fish (even though they were C&R'd) into the books, that would open the floodgates.

Another argument would be "fair" rules. Why change the game now? Its worked for many years and allowing fish that were C&R'd now out of season might bring down many, many records that were set within the laws years ago.

I want to see some of these records fall as well but the ladies that caught that big sturgeon could have killed the fish and claimed the record! BUT... they didn't! That deserves a bigger pat on the back than anything IMO. We've also had the musky record come very, very close to falling more than once in the last few years and all of those fish have been released as well.

A "kept" vs "C&R" record book might not be a bad idea, In-Fish does this with their Master Angler program. But it still brings up a very gray area of C&R "out of season" which many of us Minnesotans don't reflect highly upon!

I don't know... its a major overhaul if something was to change.

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I bought a sturgeon tag for one reason. If I get one over 75 inches, I plan on calling DNR to see if they can meet me at the boat landing to weigh it officially. I will then let it go but will have the tag to be legal. If nobody can weigh it, I will just have to release with only a tape measurement.

Course this won't work during closed season.

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