2 lines legislation

[uwecsteeple]

I didn't see this anywhere yet, but just wanted to share with everyone that there is a proposal before the state senate to allow 2 lines for angling all year.

http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/cco/journals/2007-08/J0212076.htm#7607

Search this page for the term "section 97C.315" and you will see the introduction of the bill.

[NCLaker]

That would be kind of nice. Since I also enjoy ice fishing, you get use to the advantages of having one static line (bobber/deadstick/tip-up), while using another rod for jigging/hole hopping/searching with another rod.

I've have often found myself wishing I could do the same in Minnesota. Bobber with a big sucker/shiner while using another rod to cast cranks/jigging. It is my understanding that they allow this in Wisconsin. Especially handy for trolling.

Perhaps they will go to 3 lines for hardwater as well (like Wisconsin).

[DonBo]

Wisconsin is 3 lines year round.

[Sandmannd]

ND is two lines summer and four in the winter. I've never seen a bad impact of it. I hope they do two lines. One was very hard for me to get used to. I like to try different things and it's much easier with two lines.

[Nick Kuhn]

It isn't as productive as you think it would be. Usually when I go 2 lines in WI I eventually end up using exclusively 1 of the presentations. Either they are hitting the live bait or the artificials. Often it just creates more clutter. In the winter though it leads to more harvest. People catch limits in no time in WI and they tend to keep that limit.

[DTro]

I was wondering if this would come up again, thanks for the link. I should probably fire up my yearly petition.

[cjac]

Fire it up!

I know you cat guys would be all for "double clicker"!

Muskie too, casting one line with a sucker on a QS rig off the other side is a great way to get follows to hit on the bait dangling.

Chris

[DTro]

I bumped a thread in the Outdoor Discussion.

I have 119 signatures so far, with a lot of positive as well as a few negative comments.

[DTro]

Wow!

I just sent an email over the Rep Juhnke and got a reply in minutes.

Sounds like it's gaining some steam.

This from the Duluth News Tribune

Tall tales of the big one that got away rarely include second chances. But that’s precisely what the Minnesota Legislature has been given with regard to allowing anglers the use of more than one fishing pole.

A measure permitting two lines in the water at the same time has been defeated in the past, but was reintroduced this year by Rep. Al Juhnke, DFL-Willmar. The measure was received favorably a week ago today during a hearing with the House Game, Fish and Forestry Division. The law appears headed for the House omnibus policy bill.

“I’ve really received no negative comments,” Juhnke told the News Tribune editorial page yesterday. “Fishermen say, ‘You know there are slow days on the lake.’ So why not let them put out a bobber while they’re casting into the weeds? The long and short of it is if the fish are biting you’re only using one pole anyway.”

Not allowing more than one line makes Minnesota a bit of an island. Iowa, North Dakota and South Dakota all allow anglers to use two lines at a time. In Wisconsin, you can soak three baits at once.

“A lot of people want to come to Minnesota on vacation, but they figure why come here?” professional walleye fisherman Pete Harsh of Sauk Centre, Minn., said a year ago when the issue last came up. At sports shows around the country, he said, Minnesota is sometimes referred to with disdain as “one-rod Minnesota.”

Resort owners, fishing guides and tackle manufacturers all stand to gain a much-needed boost from Juhnke’s measure. As he put it: “We have to do something to enhance the enjoyment of fishing around here.”

And soon. According to the National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Recreation, the number of young people taking up fishing dropped dramatically between 1990 and 2005. In 1990, 53 percent of young people said they had gone fishing. Fifteen years later only 42 percent said they cast a line. In addition, while the Gopher State’s population swelled by 843,000 people between 1982 and 2002, fishing license sales dropped by 53,000, according to the House Game, Fish and Forestry Division.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources consistently argues against allowing more lines for the simple reason that anglers will catch more fish, something that could affect fish populations. Could? That legitimate concern already is being addressed by daily catch limits and by the establishment of fishing seasons, either of which can be adjusted annually and even from lake to lake to ensure healthy fish populations.

Fishing is supposed to be fun for serious anglers and for fishing families picking vacation destinations. Doing away with an antiquated one-line law could help them both.

[dakotakid31]

Its about time!!!!

[Hardwaterjigin]

I like the idea of being able to fish w/ a snell for sturgeon and being able to jig for walleye at the same time. I cannot think of a real downside to the argument other than the possability of killing fish because the 2nd line was not watched well enough. Does anyone know why MN has not yet enacted this legislation while many other states have? One woul assume that they have a good reason.

[Chode2235]

I grew up fishing the Mississippi (pool 5a) and was always used to fishing 2 lines, it seems silly to not let you. You should be able to manage it. I love to throw out a bobber with one and cast with the other.

Also, I live in OH for a while too, and you can use 2 lines and up to 4 or 6 tip ups on the ice I believe. That was also very nice, but that many tip ups can lead to trouble sometimes.

[candiru]

I keep wondering when something has to give. We have become more efficient than ever at catching fish. Transportation, equipment, electronics, comfort, communication, knowledge, and other things have improved to make us more efficient. I could sit here and list specifics for quite a while. This may be going the wrong way. This is more lines on the sring bobber bite on Mille Lacs, trolling on our prairie lakes, the spring crappie run into the shallows, on a hot bluegill bite, and for the double-trippers and others that are determined to put as many fish as possible in the freezer. This proposal is going to kill fish. This needs to be carefully thought out not just a hasty political decision. We all would like to use 2 lines but we need to think about the consequences.

[davesfriend]

I somewhat agree but at the same time double trippers are going to double trip weather or not they can use two lines. Even if you can use six lines you still can only keep your limit. It kinda seems like if you can only use one line, duck hunters should only be in possesion of 5 bullets. Please don't get upset at this. Now matter how you fish a limit is a limit. If everyone followed the rules the fish population would be managable. Safe release methods, and more DNR presence on the lakes will make this work. Other states do just fine with more lines. What's the big deal..

[Schloogs]

Davesfriend, I agree. That is why there is a limit, a limit is a limit, no matter how you get to it. Also, if the bite is really on you will probably only be using one pole anyways, unless of course you have 4 hands

[candiru]

I agree that a limit is a limit. But we usually don't catch our limit. For example: If the average catch on a trip goes from 2 to 2.5 fish because of the extra line, that may add up. Or if a population that wasn't getting exploited such as open water suspended walleyes starts getting caught because it is now worth going after them, that may cause problems. Maybe this needs to have a sunset provision so if there are problems it can be allowed to expire. Even more fish caught and released = more hooking mortality. I saw in another thread there are about 1.5 licensed anglers in the state. That is more than many of the surrounding states. The MN DNR also seems to be allergic to stocking where the agencies in some of these other states are proud of their stocking efforts. This needs to be looked at carefully as a whole, not just passed because it sounds good.

[Sandmannd]

I always used two lines in ND and it might have produced a little more. Still didn't get my limit everytime out. The people that break the law are going to do it with one or six lines. I've seen folks using two lines even though it's not legal. Like said before, if the bite is hot you won't be using two per person anyway.

[Schloogs]

 Originally Posted By: candiru

I agree that a limit is a limit. But we usually don't catch our limit. For example: If the average catch on a trip goes from 2 to 2.5 fish because of the extra line, that may add up. Or if a population that wasn't getting exploited such as open water suspended walleyes starts getting caught because it is now worth going after them, that may cause problems. Maybe this needs to have a sunset provision so if there are problems it can be allowed to expire. Even more fish caught and released = more hooking mortality. I saw in another thread there are about 1.5 licensed anglers in the state. That is more than many of the surrounding states. The MN DNR also seems to be allergic to stocking where the agencies in some of these other states are proud of their stocking efforts. This needs to be looked at carefully as a whole, not just passed because it sounds good.

Touche....

[candiru]

Not to go off track here. I know one thing we need is more enforcment. I believe ethics have gotten better but there are still the same amount of CO's around as there were many years ago. They now have to also deal with wetlands enforcment, personal watercraft, offroad vehicles and, other things. Now it sounds like they might have to be out measuring docks. I would be happy to pay more license fees for more CO's but I think some should come out of the general fund because a healthy enviroment benefits everyone.

[fishorgolf]

Very well said candiru! I can only imagine and cring at the thought of what two lines would have meant during the bite on Mille Lacs last spring and early summer. It would have been devastating! May have had to close the lake down not just tighten the slot. This needs to be very well thought out before jumping on the bandwagon on this one.

[Daze Off]

Never heard of using only one line until coming to MN - I see no problem. If people are uneasy why not limit it to panfish and crappies and keep other gamefish the same?

[Grant]

gawd double clicker would be fun.... especially fishing alone

[primetime49]

Al Juhnke is a sportsman,if he works as hard at this as he did for bill to authorize rights to fish and hunt in his first term this will pass.

I got to know him before he was in legislature and after and found he does pretty good things most of time for outdoors.

He made a couple of new boat purchases from me [19 footers] that were big enough boats for pulling two lines each ,or fishing with 2 or 3 freinds at a time.I am sure that he realizes that nobody fishes all the time and that when we are the ability to catch another fish would be nice.

2 lines should pass or we will all have to keep the message out that we want it.

[Sandmannd]

That brings up an interesting point Primetime, who's passing this law? I mean how many are outdoors people or fisherman? How do they know what it does or doesn't do? Just curious.

[Farley]

Sandmannd:

This is the committee the bill got appointed to. You might remember the chair of this commiitee as the guy who introduced the bill to lower the limit and a statewide slot:

Minnesota Senate Committees

Environment and Natural Resources Committee

Number of Members: 14

Chair: Satveer S. Chaudhary

Vice Chair: Dan Skogen

Ranking Minority Member: Pat Pariseau

Member: Ellen R. Anderson

D. Scott Dibble

Steve Dille

Dennis R. Frederickson

Bill G. Ingebrigtsen

Gen Olson

Tom Saxhaug

Kathy Sheran

Katie Sieben

LeRoy A. Stumpf

Jim Vickerman

Here's the link to the page I got this from:

http://www.senate.leg.state.mn.us/committees/committee_bio.php?cmte_id=1006

[Chode2235]

I have said it before and I will say it again. If we are really serious about protecting our fish, don't open the season until after Memorial Day. Not my original thought, but in the DNR conservation volunteer article "Why we love Walleye"

So many fish are taken that weekend by causual anglers, and they are particularly vulnerable at that time of year too. If we can just protect them until after that weekend the walleye fishery would be better off.

If we are really serious about protecting the fish, there are much more effective tools we can use, although slightly more painful.

[primetime49]

FARLEY

LOOKS LIKE A GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT HAVENT DROPPED A LINE FOR MOST OF THEIR LIVES

TRUMPED

[ozzie]

I would love in certain situations to use 2 lines...one is when the fish aren't biting!!! but I am not sure that I would really want this bill to pass. We seem to do fine with 1 rod in the summer why change.....I have a tough time believing people don't fish in Minnesota cause they can only use one line!! I also see alot of people using 2 lines when the bite is good and having alot of problems from this...catching more fish and having more fatalities from deep hooked fish.....It definatly would be devastating in the early part of the year. I guess if they opened the ability to use the 2nd line say july 1st to the end of September when the fish are a little harder to find I would like this bill otherwise we already have a good thing going why change it????

[blackdog1101]

There will be some incremental increase in harvest, but I doubt significantly so. A guy who only has, for example, a few hours to fish might only catch 7 crappies on one rod, but may limit out in the same period of time with 2 rods.

[Farley]

What's wrong with catching a limit?

So all you guys who are against the bill now are going to stick to your guns once this passes and still fish with only one rod right??? Not directed at you Blackdog, I meant to reply to the thread as a whole.