Smallie Regulation St. Cloud to Coon Rapids - your input

[Wallyeyes]

Moses, I fish the St. Cloud to Becker streach of the river, and last year one evening I saw a guy and his three kids(teens) stringing up every smallie they caught. The regulations never once popped into my mind, as I don't keep them(smallies). I wish I'd have remembered the slot and called TIP. As it was, earlier in the day, one of the boys in that party I talked to had a little conversation with a CO and was cited for fishing without a license. I wish that CO would've come back and tagged them all for keeping slot fish. There is a semi-happy ending however. Their stringer came untied from the tree and all those fish they had took a ride downstream. Boy, was daddy pi$$'d. He made the last one to string a fish wade that water to try and find them. I can only hope some of them made it off that stringer.

Extend it. And change to one over 21".

[misterj1954]

Just a thought for those of us who fish the river with the slot restrictions: How about we all try to carry a few copies of the regs with us. When we see someone keeping slot fish we provide them with a copy of the regs. Maybe they really are unaware of the slot??

Give them a chance to become educated, and if they don't immediately release the fish in question then call TIP.

If we present the information without being a harda$$ we may be able to promote more respectful use of this fishery.

[Chisox]

I vote A. But I also would take it a step further and make it C&R only. I have taught my 10 year old son (then 9) how to fish a jig and plastic and I would love to see the river get only better so he can teach his kids how to fish the same way and catch the trophy of a life time and have a replica made for the wall.

[Shack]

I vote A.

I would like to see it a catch and release only area as well.

I have for many years thought it has been “catch and release” only, being a smallmouth sanctuary in all. I have also told many others this also, untill I read the reg's closer last year.

[river rat316]

I love smallies as much as the next person and certainly don't want healthy big fish taken out of the river, but there is nothing wrong with a little selective harvest, and as far as 21+"ers, I personally would never take one out, but its been my observation from the few 20"ers I have landed that these fish are at the end of there lifespan, I personally don't think I should be responsible for killing something thats usually lived for 20+ years and is the best of the best, but if people want to keep one for the wall and it is a true trophy in there minds, then I don't have a problem with it. If there keeping it to eat on the other hand, I would rather just eat a mercury thermometer

[Shack]

RR13,

I do see where you hit home at!

I hate to see a license paying angler “have” to throw back a trophy fish. The time, the effort and the skill should be rewarded.

I had this in the back of my mind when I made my post and I thought of you as well. LOL.

I think a Trophy slot would be good. Like you said, they are at the end of a life cycle anyways.

[Shack]

I will add I am not a bass fisherman, but have a high respect for the Miss. North Smallmouth and would like to see it stay the way it is.

[mrklean]

A. I love to fish smallies on the river, one of my fav things to do since i have been up here for school. I would love to see it C&R as well, i havent seen anyone keep one besides as tropy fish. One story i will tell which made me very made was fishing a different spot on the river and ran into a kid about 15 i think caught a dandy smallie 24+ i think it was a beast he said he was going to take it home take some pics then THROW IT AWAY. It was already dead in his backpack but boy did i want to dunk him in the deep spot of the river a few times. I wish the COs would patrol the river more, in my 4 years i have been stopped only once.

[Stick in Mud]

24+ sounds a little big. That was probably a state record.

I've been stopped around here more than a guy would suspect, but I do fish almost every day when the fishing is good. The guy around Sartell can be sneaky, which is wonderfully fine by me, because I'm always legal. He is usually very difficult to distinguish from a regular joe until he comes up and asks to look in your bucket or for your license. I've heard rumors of him actually carrying around a fishing pole to help him "blend in," which is a good idea. I was actually stopped south of Royalton by a guy a while ago...I was the only person on the river...and he comes cruising up in his jetboat. Sure was surprised to see him.

[Tippman]

A

[Neighbor_guy]

The "...chance to KEEP A TROPHY..." has always bothered me. The graphite or fiberglass replicas turn out better and are cheeper than a mount now anyways. the last taxidermist I talked to said when it comes to fish he charges between 1/3 and 1/2 more if you bring him a fish. He called it a hidden "kill fee". Let those fish go, reproduce, get caught again.

[REDGammi1]

A.

i favor the hole thing, and honestly i think that they should swagger a regualation on the walleyes up around st.cloud because there are alot of them, but they arn't getting any bigger when people take the

[Dean Schellinger]

B. 24 inch smallie = [PoorWordUsage]

C. There is no reason to keep a smallie, unless you accidentally gut hook the him and cannot revive the fish. Then I think you have the duty to cut it up and eat it.

[Stick in Mud]

Yes, but that's only true if you are on water that doesn't have a slot. Last year I "released" a few obviously soon-to-be-dead smallies on Mille Lacs and in the Miss because they had slurped the lure into their gills. Even after cutting the trebles with a wire cutter, there was still no way those fish would make it. It's always a shame, and it makes a guy feel horrible, but I guess the only way for me to have zero impact on the fishery is to only use the lake for skipping rocks and sun tanning.

[Neighbor_guy]

I hate to say it, but eagles and turtles gota eat to.

[smallie_hawgin]

 Originally Posted By: carmike

It's always a shame, and it makes a guy feel horrible, but I guess the only way for me to have zero impact on the fishery is to only use the lake for skipping rocks and sun tanning.

Yes there are some lost due to hooking mortality.... but overall survival based on all of the work done out on the river has been in the range of 50-75% from year to year.... Through age 9 adults...

Besides..... if you release it it still has a chance.... if you cook it, it doesn't.

Harvest would still be considerably higher if the reg was not in place and certainly even hooking mortality accounts for far less than actual harvest would... Typical hooking mortality rates are in the neighborhood of .02-10% of overall mortality.

[Stick in Mud]

Very true. I have no problem with the regs, and I don't think I should be able to keep the fish because it's going to die. It just makes a guy feel horrible to see a 19''er float away belly up.

[Daze Off]

Add my vote to the A column!

[fishuhalik]

If this was florida, I'd vote A, A, and A again.

[smalliestalker]

A

[smallie_hawgin]

Well folks, you will have your chance... to let the DNR know what you think. The regulation proposal is a 12-20" protected slot, 3 fish daily bag limit, with one fish over 20". The regulation is intended to go from St. Cloud Dam to Coon Rapids dam and include the mouth of all tributaries to the first public road or dam. (Rum River would be to the dam).

The public meetings have been set

September 13, 2008, Clearwater City Hall, 605 Co Rd. 75, Clearwater, MN 320/558-2428 3-5 pm.

Anoka City Hall, Sept. 18, Anoka City Council Work Session Room, Upstairs, 2015 1st Avenue N, Anoka, MN 7-9 pm.

You will also be able to email or write, up until Oct 1, 2008.

Please do your best to come to the meetings no matter what your opinion is. These will be open house style meetings where you can come and talk it over with the biologists. The DNR needs to hear all sides of the issue, in spite of the fact that apparently most folks on this forum support the extension.

Thanks.

[Sartell Angler]

smallie-hawgin--

If you're gonna be going to the meetings and are willing, you might want to print off this topic and take it with you. That way you'd have proof of what a lot of serious smallie fishermen are saying about this issue. Ideally we'd all be at the meeting but that isn't gonna happen.

Also, THANK YOU for your dedication to the improvement of the fishery!

[smallie_hawgin]

Thanks SA.... I actually had that exact thought in mind..... Trust me... I want to make sure we have all the available information for sure....

[Mark Christianson]

If you are not able to attend in person, by all means contact Jeff Weaver on the Anoka City Council via their "contact us" page and let them know how you feel about this effort.

Here is the link to the Anoka website(just copy and paste the link in your address bar):

http://www.ci.anoka.mn.us/index.asp?Type=DYNAFORM&SEC={128F2653-178F-4261-9EBF-C6795F88E749}

PS-This should be a legal link on here, since its a government site. I hope.....

[smallie_hawgin]

BTW: I will be giving an informational talk to the City of Anoka, Monday the 28th sometime after 5PM also @ City Hall in an effort to get the information out there to the concerned parties. Anyone is welcome to attend.

[rockman]

Smallie Hawgin,pardon me for asking this,but is the public going to vote at any of these meetings on these reg. changes, as to whether or not they will be implemented? Not puposely trying to look like a smart aleck,but I already know the correct answer to this.There is a good reason why I post the question here.This meeting is a public input/information meeting only,correct? Thanks.

[smallie_hawgin]

Rockman:

The meeting tonight is simply an informational one. You are more than welcome to come by... I would love to talk with anyone there... I'll be glad to answer any questions.

The public input meetings in September are intended for you to fill out a form (Vote/voice concern/support) and have a chance to talk with the biologists. You can also email.

Hope this helps.

[rockman]

Thanks,SH. There is a similar issue/question of a public input-info. meeting, I am addressing in another forum here at FM.com.Your reply just proved my point,that's all.I probably won't be attending the meeting because I am having health issues right now.I did a reply in this thread already, supporting the changes, so you can take that with you for more input.Thanks,again.

[riverwader]

Well the meeting happened and the public spoke. The bad news was that the public was all tourney participants that wanted the tourney to continue and with a change in the regulations the tourney would be over. I am not trying to sway your choices, since I have fished this tourney in the past and had a blast at it. This is a one day event and it is in itself a great tournement where all of the fisher persons do their very best to keep every fish alive. Remember this is just one day on our entire season of small mouth fishing on the Mississippi river. Email the Anoka mayor with you thought on the regulation. [email protected]

[MSRiverdog]

Interesting meeting, some seemed to be well schooled in the "I don't believe that" train of thought, best remarks of them all was Mr. Weaver saying (paraphrasing) the tournament was an event that many people started fishing and spending money getting ready for the next year's tournament. Well, it does give the Cub Scout's something to do that day.

I'm a C and R person and that's not going to change, cept for Walleye's, and have seen a lake I grew up going to (Mantrap) turn into a trophy Musky lake because of C and R, when I was a kid a 20# fish was a big deal, now there's 30's in there with regularity. I believe the Miss is a pretty good fishery and can see it getting better with C and R. Knowing Eric as well as I do I believe everything he presented tonight. As a biologist he's top notch, cept for not believing in my 23 inch Miss River Smallie.

http://www.fishingminnesota.com/forum/ub...r_a#Post1343803