March Madness

[oboyoboyoboy]

Nice weekend and nice job guys. Thanks for sharing. Hopefully the fish you released don't ever hear about the comotion caused on the forum. They might getted stressed.

[CaptainMusky]

A person may legally release a fish that was "reduced to possession", there are no laws against that. The regulation that people keep mentioning is incomplete as it goes on to state that people may not wantonly waste fish by releasing them dead, essentially. See page 13 of the regulation book.

Page 10 of the regulation book states that a person may "sort" fish in their livewell, meaning release them for freshly caught fish, as long as they have not reached their possession limit. Once a possession limit is reached a person may no longer sort their fish.

In the case of these fisherman, they appear to have reached their possession limit based on the pictures, and assuming the fish are in a healthy state, they may be released to the lake. At this point, even though the fish were released, the fisherman have still reached their possession limit and it would be a violation to reduce another fish to possession.

From page 13 "Any fish that is caught and will not be utilized must be immediately returned

alive back into the water. A person cannot wantonly waste a fish that is

caught by leaving it or any usable portion on the ice, thrown up on the

bank, or intentionally killing it and returning it back into the water unless

authorized." So, technically, i guess it could be debated that they "intended" on utilizing them but later had a change of heart.

[jerkbait]

So, basically the regs contridict themselves.

[Boar]

Weired, MN regs that contradict themselves, how could that be.

[Boar]

Im gona bake some cupcakes, whos with me!

[slicker]

Hey guy’s thanks for all the feedback it sure has been awesome. I never expected the thread to blow up like this meanwhile I have been sitting by eating popcorn and watching the show. I would like to set some things straight though.

Let’s begin with the controversial topic of the live well.

A. The live well is 6ft by 10 ft with a depth of roughly 2 feet or so.

B. There is a hole in the corner of the live well that is cut all the way through so the fresh water supply was constant.

C. This live well is much different than a boat’s “live well” as you all know in the summer those live wells in fact do very little to keep these fish alive. Meanwhile with the water being so cold there is little stress done to the fish in our live well.

D. As far as grabbing the fish out of the live well and having them injure their selves, well I’d like to state that this is a fallacy. When grabbing the fish out for the end of day pictures we simply grabbed the tail moved our other hand up the belly and there was very little to no struggle at all, in fact the handling near the stomach softly actually seemed to subdue them for the most part.

E. We didn’t sit and play with the fish all day long. They were out of the water max of I’d say 2 minutes with the group picture at the end. There were 2 people taking pictures with 2 cameras thus the process was very quick.

F. There is talk of reaching limits in the picture and sorting fish. This is also a fallacy. There were 8 of us and 7 fish in the picture. All those fish in the live well were over the slot and we actually never hit our limit or “swapped” any fish out.

G. When the fish were in the live well they just sat there very relaxed as you can expect them to do being a predator fish. Everyone here has seen northern in very shallow water sitting in the sun in a very relaxed manner, well this was essentially the same. Thus I don’t see much stress being put on said fish.

H. Another thing. You cannot possibly tell me that these fish don’t go through much more stress when they are swimming up shallow ditches, as shallow as 6 inches, in water that is at least 10 to 15 degrees warmer.

I. When released these fish swam back much easier and much faster than if we would’ve snapped pictures after the catch and sent them back. We didn’t have to revive the fish at all it was a quick tail flip then they were off like a prom dress.

Now some of you may take offense to this, but I and the others in this photo sure took offense to some of the comments that were posted on this thread. I would like to first start out by saying that 5 out of the group of 8 are actually fishing guides, 3 of which on lake of the woods. So by saying we don’t respect the fish or don’t know what we are doing is absolutely ridiculous. We respect these fish as much if not more than most people out there, it is indeed our livelihood. In the summer I have guests ask me can we keep more than our limit, well give you a little extra tip etc, the reason I don’t do this is because I, and the other guys in this photo agree, that being game hogs is just wrong and that conservation of this valuable resource is incredibly important. Now this is where it gets a little bit personal. For those challenging our ethics out there, might I remind you ALL of these fish were RELEASED UNHARMED. These following comments are basically directed at the people trolling these boards just to find fault with a great story and a great day of fishing. I can see why people don’t post more pictures and stories on here and this is because you, the thread trollers, find fault where really there is none and do whatever you possibly can to wreck a great story. Is it because you’re jealous, is it because you want attention, who knows? All I do want you to know is we respect these fish more than most people out there. I bet some of these people that find fault in this thread have never had a day like this and probably never will…maybe a congratulations would do. I even am willing to bet that some people saying that we don’t respect these fish don’t even touch the water as much as we do. In fact I guarantee you at least 3 of us fish this lake in one Summer more times than you will fish it in your entire lifetime so don’t say how we don’t know the laws, how we disrespect the fish, etc. I now know to not post any more stories in the future. Some people don’t get out to do this kind of stuff so I like to share the experience with others and promote lake of the woods as best I can. So getting to the end of my rant here. Basically what I have “learned” from this thread is:

a. Don’t ever post pictures of a great day of fishing on HSO to share with others

b. Next year just to really [PoorWordUsage] some people off we can have a day like this and then show how to properly fillet each fish over the slot, then we can cook them and show that process, during the process of cooking we burn the fish so we in turn have to throw them away, so that should really get people riled up

c. I was just kidding about b. because I am a true sportsmen and promote catch and release so no matter what everyone on here says were going to keep doing what we are doing, maybe people will be lucky enough to have days like this as well.

Once again I thank all of you for taking the time to read this thread and read this post. I hope everyone gets the chance to get to Lake of the Woods and have days like this one. Nothing beats a day on the water, or in the stand, or even in the field for that matter. Everybody have a good day.

Sincerely,

A true fisherman, sportsman, and conservationist

[Mozer]

Slicker, nice fish and I agree with most of what you say but please stop with the jealousy talk I don't think that's the issue with anyone making comments its more about ethics I would bet. Everyone has good days on the water man not just you. In the "livewell" pic I assume the fresh water hole is in the corner that the fish are piled up in, maybe another hole in the opposite corner would circulate that water better so they aren't stacked up on each other.

[Boar]

So whos ready for some crow?? anyone?

[BlackLabGuy]

Slicker and crew,

I applaud you and your group for the fun time and sharing the trip you had. The people that posted negative comments please direct your mouse to a different website and never come back. I watch this site to see what people are doing while I'm at home and at work not to be preached by people who obvioulsly are jealous and have never come close to having the day you guys had. If you negative people think there is something wrong with the day these guys had you are nuts, have no clue to a real sporstsman's day and should just go hang with your liberal friends and leave the rest of us alone !!!

[Mozer]

Its a fantastic day nobody is trying to take that away from what I have read, people are upset about the live well obviously, and lets not let the thread get locked down with name calling, its a good debate

[MNfan]

Sure glad I didn't drive into the 6' x 10' hole two feet deep the next day!!! Oppps what will that start?

[slicker]

Sure glad I didn't drive into the 6' x 10' hole two feet deep the next day!!! Oppps what will that start?

Before you start this. Being that it was that late in the season in a spot that only us have fished in all season no where near any roads or trails that problem would be highly unlikely. We are smart enough to realize what would happen which is why this isn't done anywhere else.

[Hoffer]

Scaup3, I have read all of the posts and understand that many replies have been in regard to ethics. My message was intended to say exactly what it said, that they have done nothing wrong legally and it is silly to condemn people for something that one may think is morally or ethically wrong. Everyone has their own moral and ethical standards and as long as they are living within the actual laws that exist it is not important that they follow anyone elses personal beliefs and standards nor should be criticized for it.

Yup!!

[Hoffer]

Hey guy’s thanks for all the feedback it sure has been awesome. I never expected the thread to blow up like this meanwhile I have been sitting by eating popcorn and watching the show. I would like to set some things straight though.

Let’s begin with the controversial topic of the live well.

A. The live well is 6ft by 10 ft with a depth of roughly 2 feet or so.

B. There is a hole in the corner of the live well that is cut all the way through so the fresh water supply was constant.

C. This live well is much different than a boat’s “live well” as you all know in the summer those live wells in fact do very little to keep these fish alive. Meanwhile with the water being so cold there is little stress done to the fish in our live well.

D. As far as grabbing the fish out of the live well and having them injure their selves, well I’d like to state that this is a fallacy. When grabbing the fish out for the end of day pictures we simply grabbed the tail moved our other hand up the belly and there was very little to no struggle at all, in fact the handling near the stomach softly actually seemed to subdue them for the most part.

E. We didn’t sit and play with the fish all day long. They were out of the water max of I’d say 2 minutes with the group picture at the end. There were 2 people taking pictures with 2 cameras thus the process was very quick.

F. There is talk of reaching limits in the picture and sorting fish. This is also a fallacy. There were 8 of us and 7 fish in the picture. All those fish in the live well were over the slot and we actually never hit our limit or “swapped” any fish out.

G. When the fish were in the live well they just sat there very relaxed as you can expect them to do being a predator fish. Everyone here has seen northern in very shallow water sitting in the sun in a very relaxed manner, well this was essentially the same. Thus I don’t see much stress being put on said fish.

H. Another thing. You cannot possibly tell me that these fish don’t go through much more stress when they are swimming up shallow ditches, as shallow as 6 inches, in water that is at least 10 to 15 degrees warmer.

I. When released these fish swam back much easier and much faster than if we would’ve snapped pictures after the catch and sent them back. We didn’t have to revive the fish at all it was a quick tail flip then they were off like a prom dress.

Now some of you may take offense to this, but I and the others in this photo sure took offense to some of the comments that were posted on this thread. I would like to first start out by saying that 5 out of the group of 8 are actually fishing guides, 3 of which on lake of the woods. So by saying we don’t respect the fish or don’t know what we are doing is absolutely ridiculous. We respect these fish as much if not more than most people out there, it is indeed our livelihood. In the summer I have guests ask me can we keep more than our limit, well give you a little extra tip etc, the reason I don’t do this is because I, and the other guys in this photo agree, that being game hogs is just wrong and that conservation of this valuable resource is incredibly important. Now this is where it gets a little bit personal. For those challenging our ethics out there, might I remind you ALL of these fish were RELEASED UNHARMED. These following comments are basically directed at the people trolling these boards just to find fault with a great story and a great day of fishing. I can see why people don’t post more pictures and stories on here and this is because you, the thread trollers, find fault where really there is none and do whatever you possibly can to wreck a great story. Is it because you’re jealous, is it because you want attention, who knows? All I do want you to know is we respect these fish more than most people out there. I bet some of these people that find fault in this thread have never had a day like this and probably never will…maybe a congratulations would do. I even am willing to bet that some people saying that we don’t respect these fish don’t even touch the water as much as we do. In fact I guarantee you at least 3 of us fish this lake in one Summer more times than you will fish it in your entire lifetime so don’t say how we don’t know the laws, how we disrespect the fish, etc. I now know to not post any more stories in the future. Some people don’t get out to do this kind of stuff so I like to share the experience with others and promote lake of the woods as best I can. So getting to the end of my rant here. Basically what I have “learned” from this thread is:

a. Don’t ever post pictures of a great day of fishing on HSO to share with others

b. Next year just to really [PoorWordUsage] some people off we can have a day like this and then show how to properly fillet each fish over the slot, then we can cook them and show that process, during the process of cooking we burn the fish so we in turn have to throw them away, so that should really get people riled up

c. I was just kidding about b. because I am a true sportsmen and promote catch and release so no matter what everyone on here says were going to keep doing what we are doing, maybe people will be lucky enough to have days like this as well.

Once again I thank all of you for taking the time to read this thread and read this post. I hope everyone gets the chance to get to Lake of the Woods and have days like this one. Nothing beats a day on the water, or in the stand, or even in the field for that matter. Everybody have a good day.

Sincerely,

A true fisherman, sportsman, and conservationist

AMEN!

[Hoffer]

Oh yeah. One last thing. You never answered my question. Can I go with you next year?

[tolle141]

Awesome! Absolutely incredible. In any case, like he said they were over the slot and they had enough guys for possession. They would've been clear one way or another. Way to go on the CPR!

[NAMASafetyDirector]

Atta boy Slicker! Great post. NUFF SAID!!!!! And if I were you I would post pictures every time you have a day like that and the haters can.....well, you know....... Jimmer

[CaptainMusky]

Slicker, it was nice you came back here to share more detail to the entire situation. Most people would have just turned and ran after a thread like this blew up, so for that I commend you.

A couple things though. You said the fish were out of the water for 2 minutes. Have you ever tried holding your breath for 2 minutes? This is essentially what the fish would be doing because they are unable to extract oxygen when not in the water.

Also, I think your comparison of "keeping and extra fish" is kind of poor. As guides, you know you have your livelihood on the line and to me it wouldnt be for respect of the fish you wouldnt choose to be a gamehog, but the ability to pay your bills, etc.

[jbeck33]

Sure glad I didn't drive into the 6' x 10' hole two feet deep the next day!!! Oppps what will that start?

And to be on the safe side we do mark out these holes, treat them just like a spear hole, if we know its going to freeze hard over night fill them with snow and they freeze solid over night. It's common sense, were not out there trying to get anyone hurt, just out having a good time with some good friends. People have made their points that some feel what we do is ethically wrong, well everyone's ethics vary, if for any minute we believed putting fish in a lake fed livewell would do harm to the fish we wouldn't do it. We keep a very close eye on the fish throughout the day to make sure they are doing well, and to prove one final point that these fish aren't stressed, I've seen them eat hearing we throw in there for them, a stressed fish is not going to have an intentions of eating.

[Handsonthepole]

Captainmusky. It doesn't matter how many facts are thrown at these guys no one is gonna step up and say that maybe, just possibly there is another way to handle that type of situation. Constructive critisism is good for discussion but some can't handle it. I think it has been a good discussion but when the jealousy issue and name calling starts you know it's a dead end. Correct me if I am wrong but I dont recall at any time showing jealousy but just the concern for how the fish were being handled. Any facts I stated were a result of years in the field and the education to back it. Good discussion boys. Truly awesome fish and thread to go with it.

[i'majigger]

As I stated earlier in a post GREAT JOB GUYS, they kept them in a huge livewell with plenty of fresh cold water to keep them healthy and somebody just has to bust their chops for this. What I can't figure out is that in the summer when they have the big walleye tourneys the guys haul the fish around all day in a boat livewell in sometimes 80 degree heat, then they take them back to the weigh-in and throw them in a plastic bag and take them to he scale and stand in line to weigh the fish and they try to tell me that this not hurt these walleyes. No one says a thing about this. Instead of jumping all over these fellas, the summer tourneys are the ones that need some toung lashing, unless you care more about northerns than you do about walleyes.

[Mozer]

I see a dead horse over there lets all go beat it...

[shamrock7]

Mozer, if there was a like button on your post, I think it would get worn out really quickly.

[Bigguyone]

AMAZING FISH! Dream day for sure!

Also the regs say returned to the water and these were immediately returned to the water. If a Barney Fife CO gave you a ticket for this it would be one you may have a judge frown at you for but tough to lose in court due to the technicalities in your favor. It would be a function vs form issue as you are legally correct but the function is where it would get dicey. I would not push it with them but if you were to deal with one you could probably win the battle in court (but rarely worth the atty fees - unfortunately) - just my .02

PS - NICE FISH!

[walleye 4 me]

can a mod please delete this topic already???

[LABS4ME]

can a mod please delete this topic already???

Really? why?

All sides have had a mature conversation... It was debated the legalities of such. It sounds like they are confident in it being legal... Even those who questioned it, congratulated them on a great day...

I see no reason for it to get deleted.

Good Luck!

Ken

[CaptainMusky]

Agree with Labs4me. Though its obvious that not everyone agrees, it was very civil I thought compared to some topics where people have differing opinions.

[minnygriff]

I wish every fisherman in the state had the same respect and knowledge these guys have shown. They caught some great fish, took pictures, all while trying to put the fish in the best scenario to survive. Seriously, if people are up in arms over this live well shock, why even fish at all? It's far too stressful to be caught, so let's stop throwing hooks in the water.

Sometimes it's nice to use common sense over a rulebook. If the guys had simply caught the fish and turned them all into giant fillets, they would have been in perfect compliance and no one could say a thing. Congrats on the trophy catch and release. Just remember to eat them all next year to satisfy the local CO and whistle blowers.

[Dan Brelje]

Quite possibly the best picture display I have seen! Congrats guys!

[JPowell]

36 days and still going...WOW. This post should have it's own Twitter account so more people can follow it.

JP