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Fish house removal date - extension?


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I am 99% positive the DNR has extended the season for having your permanent fish house on the lakes in the past. Maybe it was 15 years ago? Does anyone remember this happening?

Wouldn't this year be a good example of a time when this should be considered? It just seems a little silly to have to take your house off the lake which has over 22" of ice. Especially if there is a cold forecast.

Thoughts?

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I haven't heard anything about an extension (although I'd be all for it!) but I do question the allowable fishing time frame after the date until ice-out. Both the '07 and '08 regs state that you cannot have a fishhouse, attended or not, on the lake between midnight and 1 hour before sunrise, period. Why is there a time limit on a day's fishing after the removal date?

Believe me: I don't want unattended houses left out too late and sank into our lakes, but how about attended houses? For example: you drive out house-in-tow Saturday, stay there (truck parked outside and all) fishing during the day and sleeping overnight, and leave house-in-tow Sunday. What's the harm?

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I was wondering the same thing. As I was reading the regulations this weekend I had to read it about 5 times to make sure I was understanding correctly that houses cannot be on the lake after midnight? crazy.gif That doesn't seem right, what if I'm on the night bite and it takes me past midnight? I know we are getting into fine lines here but we should be perfectly safe staying in our houses into March this year given the ice thickness.

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I believe it's "unattended" after midnight. If you're occupying the house, you're okay. You can use your wheelhouse until the ice starts cracking and the water surrounds you if you like as long as you don't leave it there overnight and go home.

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 Originally Posted By: broman
I believe it's "unattended" after midnight.

I believe that is wrong.

From the DNR website

 Quote:
Minnesota’s ice fishing shelter removal dates are fast approaching. Dark houses, fish houses and shelters must be off the ice of inland waters no later than midnight on Feb. 29 in the southern two-thirds of the state and March 15 in the northern third, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

If houses or shelters are not removed, owners will be prosecuted and the structure may be confiscated, and removed or destroyed by a conservation officer. Contents of the structure may be seized and held for 60 days; if not claimed by the owner within that time, the items become property of the state of Minnesota.

After the date when ice or fish houses or shelters must be removed, portable shelters may be placed on the ice and used from one hour before sunrise to midnight, but only if there is an open fishing season on the lake. Storing or leaving fish houses or dark houses on a public access is prohibited.

And no, unfortunately just because your house has wheels, it is not "portable".

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on the URL forum, they commented that the CO determines "unattended" by noone being there. So if they are fishing over the weekend, it sounds like they let it slide. Not sure if the local CO's are that willing to cooperate.

And yes, it seems that these rules are tilted a little toward the older days yet. As they seem to point toward the permanent shacks on skids, where they have to be off the lake and can't just be stored at the access. One would think that they could re-write the regs to allow for wheel houses to be out overnight as long as they are occupied. As long as the ice is safe of course.

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I think you can drive your permanent out if you do not leave it out...leave it attached to your vehicle.

I am not sure about this but I would imagine with the safe ice there wouldn't be a problem...

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My mistake. I was thinking about the licensing of the house.

 Quote:
Dark houses, fish houses, and portable shelters placed on the

ice for shelter while fishing do not need new

a license unless the house

will be left unattended overnight.

It's the following that was already quoted by JoeR67 that does suck.

 Quote:
After the date when ice or fish houses or shelters must be removed, portable shelters may be placed on the ice and used from one hour before sunrise to midnight, but only if there is an open fishing season on the lake.

So, yes, if the bite gets hot after midnight, then you would need to take the portable off the lake (or stick it in your vehicle) and then start fishing again at 12:01am from atop your bucket in the freezing cold and wind. Kinda stupid. Yeah lawmakers, way to go.

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 Quote:
what if we take it off march 1 that morning is that allowed or not

Not legal, law clearly states Feb 29th by midnight. Really it makes for you to be a sitting duck for a ticket.

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 Originally Posted By: broman
So, yes, if the bite gets hot after midnight, then you would need to take the portable off the lake (or stick it in your vehicle) and then start fishing again at 12:01am from atop your bucket in the freezing cold and wind. Kinda stupid. Yeah lawmakers, way to go.

I was thinking the same thing. Makes no sense. What difference does it make to the DNR if we're sitting in a portable or sitting on a bucket?

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 Originally Posted By: cjac
 Quote:
what if we take it off march 1 that morning is that allowed or not

Not legal, law clearly states Feb 29th by midnight. Really it makes for you to be a sitting duck for a ticket.

They ought to make it the first Saturday in March that perms need to be removed. Doing it during the work week is hard for a lot of people.

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Maybe they dont want anyone on the lake during those hours so that they can simply drive by lakes after midnight and make sure there are no perms on the lake, instead of having to go to each house and make sure they are "attended"?

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I called the DNR today and got the scoop. the DNR doesn't care if it's a wheeled house, house on skids or portable. They can all be on the lake after Feb 29, but they all have to be off by midnight each day.

Hope that clears up some confusion

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