New regulations updated. Walleye limit 3!

[fshhntfootball]

^^ I'm not saying C&R doesn't kill fish, but if I drive 2.5 hours up there and limit out by 10 I won't be going home when I put that last fish on the ice. Especially with the relatively shallow depth those fish are coming out of, not quite as much a stress as say when you're pulling them out of 30-35 ft on LOTW or similar lakes.

[CANOPY SAM]

Do what you will, fshhntfootball, but don't get caught actively fishing by a CO when you already have your 4 on the ice.

[ZachD]

Do what you will, fshhntfootball, but don't get caught actively fishing by a CO when you already have your 4 on the ice.

Can you point me in the direction where in the regs it says you must stop. I know in WI it says you must stop targeting the species but could't find the page in Minnesota

[Stick in Mud]

It would be interesting to see the hooking mortality data on fish caught through the ice, especially at the shallow depths you find on URL. When jigging, fish are almost never hooked deep. Obviously the fish gut hooked on the rattle reels are going to be a different story, though.

[Bureaucrat]

Do what you will, fshhntfootball, but don't get caught actively fishing by a CO when you already have your 4 on the ice.

This is a valid point. I've never had a relaxed run-in with a CO on Red. Every other place I've encountered CO's, they have been very cordial and talkative, but for some reason on Red Lake the two I have encountered various times came locked in bad cop mode.

Last year, he came in... Holes were sharp (just drilled), snow was clean, hadn't even opened our case of beer yet. We were grilled with three follow up questions about whether we just got there.

[aczr2k]

Do what you will, fshhntfootball, but don't get caught actively fishing by a CO when you already have your 4 on the ice.

Walleye isn't the only fish in the lake, the elusive crappie bites on the same lures. Have the CO try and prove what your fishing for?

[little chief]

Can you point me in the direction where in the regs it says you must stop. I know in WI it says you must stop targeting the species but could't find the page in Minnesota

[fiskyknut]

It's conside culling, you can not cull fish in Minnesota.

Might wanna bone up on them regs Chief.. You can indeed cull in Mn., but once you've boxed a limit then you cannot cull any longer.

[fshhntfootball]

Do what you will, fshhntfootball, but don't get caught actively fishing by a CO when you already have your 4 on the ice.

So C&R isn't legal on Red now, or......? Pretty sure I haven't seen that anywhere in the regs

Edit:

Not trying to start an argument by any means, but after checking the regs, they DO say that culling/live well sorting is not allowed after a limit has been reached, but didn't see anything saying you had to stop targeting that species.

• "Once a daily or possession limit of fish has been reached, no culling or live well sorting is allowed. No culling is allowed on Mille Lacs, or on Wisconsin, South Dakota, or North Dakota border waters (see pages 37 and 60-65)."

[little chief]

Risky- I just didn't type it right but we are saying the same thing. Didn't mean to confuse.

Fsn- so what happens when you have your limit and are in possession of another fish while catching and releasing? Is it not technically in your possession while doing so? Wouldn't that make you over the limit for that period of time your handling the fish?

[pikestabber]

What happens when you have your limit and are in possession of another fish while catching and releasing? Is it not technically in your possession while doing so? Wouldn't that make you over the limit for that period of time your handling the fish?

Well, not to jump on someone's answer, but no, you are not over the limit just by the act of catching another fish. If you set it on the ice or put it in a bucket, then yes, you have reduced that fish to "possession." You can catch it, take a picture, and release it all without "reducing it to possession."

If a CO wants to give you a hard time, he can write a ticket for just about anything...doesn't mean it will result in a fine/conviction, but a lot of things can happen at the COs discretion. An example would be fishing for a species out of season... People always make the argument that you can't be ticketed if they can't prove what you're targeting. Heck, you can say you're fishing for perch with a muskie plug in May, but if that doesn't seem likely, a CO can (and in that instance almost certainly WILL) write a ticket. People seem to have a lot of ideas of how to work around the regs, and even the soundest theories are often thwarted by a little piece of signed paper with DNR insignia...

In terms of URL, if you have your limit of walleyes on ice and you have a shiner down, you CAN say you're targeting perch or crappies, but it's still the CO's discretion on whether he thinks you are targeting 'eyes. Rule of thumb--be polite, be smart, and don't be a jerk when talking to a CO. 9 times out of 10 there will be no issue at all. If you are that concerned about it, and the fish are biting that well, don't reduce that final fish to possession until the end of the day. It's only illegal "culling" if you have a limit on the ice, catch another, and put one of the original limit down the hole (which I sure hope doesn't happen just from an ethical standpoint).

[PierBridge]

So you guys are saying its legal and a CO would have no problem with guys catching 50 Walleyes and taking pictures of every one after you have limited out on Walleye.?

Personally for me I/we stop 1 fish short of my/our limit and then play catch and realease on the rare occasion the bite is that good and we aren't quite ready to leave..

[fshhntfootball]

Well, not to jump on someone's answer, but no, you are not over the limit just by the act of catching another fish. If you set it on the ice or put it in a bucket, then yes, you have reduced that fish to "possession." You can catch it, take a picture, and release it all without "reducing it to possession."

If a CO wants to give you a hard time, he can write a ticket for just about anything...doesn't mean it will result in a fine/conviction, but a lot of things can happen at the COs discretion. An example would be fishing for a species out of season... People always make the argument that you can't be ticketed if they can't prove what you're targeting. Heck, you can say you're fishing for perch with a muskie plug in May, but if that doesn't seem likely, a CO can (and in that instance almost certainly WILL) write a ticket. People seem to have a lot of ideas of how to work around the regs, and even the soundest theories are often thwarted by a little piece of signed paper with DNR insignia...

In terms of URL, if you have your limit of walleyes on ice and you have a shiner down, you CAN say you're targeting perch or crappies, but it's still the CO's discretion on whether he thinks you are targeting 'eyes. Rule of thumb--be polite, be smart, and don't be a jerk when talking to a CO. 9 times out of 10 there will be no issue at all. If you are that concerned about it, and the fish are biting that well, don't reduce that final fish to possession until the end of the day. It's only illegal "culling" if you have a limit on the ice, catch another, and put one of the original limit down the hole (which I sure hope doesn't happen just from an ethical standpoint).

[pikestabber]

So you guys are saying its legal and a CO would have no problem with guys catching 50 Walleyes and taking pictures of every one after you have limited out on Walleye.?

Personally for me I/we stop 1 fish short of my/our limit and then play catch and realease on the rare occasion the bite is that good and we aren't quite ready to leave..

I am guessing they would view it exactly the same as stopping 1 fish short of your limit and playing C/R all day... By the letter of the law, yes, it is legal. Whether or not a CO would have a problem with it varies from CO to CO and depends on whether or not he wants to cite you for targeting a species you have a limit of... There is also a ticket they can write called "harassing wildlife," and that one is even more open to interpretation by a CO.

Another way to put all this is that if you have 1 short of a limit of walleyes on the ice and practice C/R all day, or have a limit on the ice and CPR fish while "targeting perch," there's nothing in the regs prohibiting you from either activity... but the CO ultimately decides if you are targeting walleyes and can write a citation.

Not in response to you personally, but related to the subject, if you find that in either activity the fish are so aggressive that they are swallowing a bunch of hooks, I think from an ethical standpoint you should stop. That's just my opinion.

[Nisswaguy]

From the DNR regulations: Daily and possession limits are the same unless otherwise noted. Fish are in an angler’s possession whether on hand, in cold storage, in transport, or elsewhere.

To me, that means that once you have your daily possession (3 fish in this case), and you reel in another fish (#4), you are now over your limit. Therefore, IMHO, you can keep two in the ice and then catch/release 50 more. But once you possess that third fish, your day is done. Unless you're party fishing.

[theharvester]

Unless your party fishing

[gunner55]

That's the way I've always thought of it too.

[FshBloodRiverMud]

Walleye is a harvest fish anyway...WHo cares how many die/ whether it be by plate or by hook mortality.

I quit caring about walleyes..Everyone is just out to harvest them anyway...Majority of walleye lakes have become Boom or Bust due to overharvesting.

I think the majority of people are out "Fishing for what i can eat" and not trophy fishing. That's one of the things that really pushed me away from fishing for walleyes over the last few years. You can C&R all your life, but you are not helping to create a trophy fishery because the majority is just going for their limit.

I'm definitely a guy who will C&R all darn day long and not feel the least bit bad about it. I'm not too worried about selective harvest on walleyes anymore either...Just a "Harvest" fish

[DrStizo]

Isn't culling the act of catching a fish and exchanging it for one in your live well, bucket, etc already? And has nothing to do with C&R?

[FshBloodRiverMud]

Isn't culling the act of catching a fish and exchanging it for one in your live well, bucket, etc already? And has nothing to do with C&R?

Yes, removing a fish that has been "Reduced to posession" to replace it with another fish that has been "Reduced to posession".

[pikestabber]

To me, that means that once you have your daily possession (3 fish in this case), and you reel in another fish (#4), you are now over your limit.

So if you catch your walleye limit, switch to a crappie jig and crappie minnow and accidently catch another walleye while trying for a crappie or perch you have broken the law? I'm sorry, but I just don't think that's accurate. It is my understanding that a fish only counts towards a limit when "reduced to possession," aka, put on ice, in a bucket, in a live well, thrown on shore, put in a freezer, cleaned on a cutting board, etc. Reeling one in does not make it part of your limit unless you make the effort to reduce it to possession. If it's May and I use a daredevil to catch a pike but accidentally catch a muskie, I have not broken the law...as long as I make no attempt to reduce it to possession, I am good to go.

Anyone here work for the DNR or know for sure? I guess I'd like to know if I am perpetuating bad information, but I don't think I am...?

[CANOPY SAM]

Just checked back here since last post.

Yep, the CO's are typically pretty uptight on URL. And personally, I don't blame em'. Too many are always looking for a way to bend the rules.

I wouldn't be looking for any "generous" discretion from the CO's out there. Given the opportunity, they're going to hold you to the letter of the law. It's their job.

Perhaps it's just my interpretation, but the way I understand it, if I've got 4 fish on the ice on URL, and I continue to fish, and the CO happens to pull up, and while he/she is there I happen to hook another walleye and lift it above the ice into my hand to unhook it...well, I'm gonna be sweatin' a little bit. I'd pretty much expect a ticket right there, whether I tell them I'm targeting another species or not.

There's been a few different analogies and comparison's here, and it's really not "on topic", but perhaps a simpler way to look at this would be to say I am casting a #5 Rapala over a well known walleye spawning area before the season opens, and I try to tell the CO's I'm actually just fishing for crappies. Common sense would likely prevail here, and in my mind at least, I should prolly be expecting some trouble if I get caught doing this. It's really no different then doing what is being implied here.

I can't honestly say I know exactly in the regs where it states this is against the law, but I know it is strongly discouraged. If I'm really hammering fish at anytime of year, and I fill my limit in the morning, take em' in, fillet em' up, and pop em' in my freezer, I'm really not supposed to go back out and keep fishing, even if I only intend to release whatever else I catch.

Why? Because the possibility is always there that I might inadvertently kill another fish, even though my only intention is to release them all!

What was stated earlier is really the only way to cleanly avoid this issue. If you wanna catch and release fish all day then simply just reduce 3 to possession, or 2 to possession (after Dec 1st), then just close out your limit of 4, or 3 respectively, at the end of the day. Easy peasey, and you won't have to sweat any CO's watching over your shoulder!

This is an argument/discussion here every year. It really shouldn't be. Use a little common sense guys. Stay above board and follow the rules and you'll have an awesome trip. Flirt with breaking, or bending the rules, and you may as well expect some trouble.

[DrStizo]

Well said canopy!

Just checked back here since last post.

Yep, the CO's are typically pretty uptight on URL. And personally, I don't blame em'. Too many are always looking for a way to bend the rules.

I wouldn't be looking for any "generous" discretion from the CO's out there. Given the opportunity, they're going to hold you to the letter of the law. It's their job.

Perhaps it's just my interpretation, but the way I understand it, if I've got 4 fish on the ice on URL, and I continue to fish, and the CO happens to pull up, and while he/she is there I happen to hook another walleye and lift it above the ice into my hand to unhook it...well, I'm gonna be sweatin' a little bit. I'd pretty much expect a ticket right there, whether I tell them I'm targeting another species or not.

There's been a few different analogies and comparison's here, and it's really not "on topic", but perhaps a simpler way to look at this would be to say I am casting a #5 Rapala over a well known walleye spawning area before the season opens, and I try to tell the CO's I'm actually just fishing for crappies. Common sense would likely prevail here, and in my mind at least, I should prolly be expecting some trouble if I get caught doing this. It's really no different then doing what is being implied here.

I can't honestly say I know exactly in the regs where it states this is against the law, but I know it is strongly discouraged. If I'm really hammering fish at anytime of year, and I fill my limit in the morning, take em' in, fillet em' up, and pop em' in my freezer, I'm really not supposed to go back out and keep fishing, even if I only intend to release whatever else I catch.

Why? Because the possibility is always there that I might inadvertently kill another fish, even though my only intention is to release them all!

What was stated earlier is really the only way to cleanly avoid this issue. If you wanna catch and release fish all day then simply just reduce 3 to possession, or 2 to possession (after Dec 1st), then just close out your limit of 4, or 3 respectively, at the end of the day. Easy peasey, and you won't have to sweat any CO's watching over your shoulder!

This is an argument/discussion here every year. It really shouldn't be. Use a little common sense guys. Stay above board and follow the rules and you'll have an awesome trip. Flirt with breaking, or bending the rules, and you may as well expect some trouble.

[kfk]

I've been checked several times when I've had a limit and I'm still fishing, just catching and releasing fish. I've never been fined or even warned.

[terrible_fisherman]

I agree with Pikestabber. I have been checked many times on URL and I have never had an issue with the DNR. They check your fish, make sure you are not doing anything illegal or stupid, have a license, and move on. Basically they do their job. They have asked how I am doing and I have told them before I have caught 30 - 40 a day as I am sorting a limit or deciding what to keep. They never seemed to care about it as long as I was not over the limit in my bucket. And yes I have had lines down, with a limit in the bucket, and been checked. They were fine with that too as I was obviously not keeping more then my limit based on what was in bucket.

These analogies are kind of silly. We have catch and release trout streams where nothing can be kept. By some of the logic in this post, those streams should not exist as catch and release is not acceptable if you cannot keep the fish. Same with slots. A fish is not subject to your daily limit until you decide to keep it, throw it in a bucket, on the ice, or in a live well.

[traveler]

Walleye is a harvest fish anyway...WHo cares how many die/ whether it be by plate or by hook mortality.

surprised nobody else jumped on this... Who cares? I'd bet most people on this forum care very much if a bunch of eyes are being killed (and wasted) due to hook mortality.

And frankly, I wouldn't want to fish with someone with such a wasteful attitude toward any fish or game species.

[CANOPY SAM]

I think he may have been just a tad sardonic with this comment, don't you think?

[Bureaucrat]

"Harvest fish" guy has a point. Of the guys you know that fish, how many keep a meal vs how many keep a limit? I personally only know my brother will keep a meal vs a limit. All else fill the pail to the legal limit. Same mind set is prevalent in the deer hunting world. Meat on pole is all too common a focus. Resource enhancement and development a distant second.

If you've never tried keeping just a few, I'd give it a try. It feels pretty darn good to leave some there.

[FshBloodRiverMud]

Me wasteful... No, but the majority wants nothing more than to harvest the walleye, not release it.

It took a while, but I finally got bored with trying to keep up with walleye populations in lakes. They swing up and down. When they're on their way up... Here comes the walleye fisherman to harvest walleye... Not long at all and the population is on the decline again until stocking and time bring it back up to be knocked back down. Just got bored with it and learned to accept it... Figured if I want to chase trophy fish; walleye isn't the best choice. So much happier accepting that the walleye fishery is what it is, and that's a harvest fish. Much better than getting bent out of shape every time a good fishery gets harvested out.... Same with sunfish and crappies. I've been much happier fishing for species rarely harvested and not worried anymore about what everyone else does with their walleyes.

[pushbutton]

Skol....carp, the kitties, and dinausors!!! And in this lakes case .....the sheepies Cool that the Red Lake Band is trying to bring back the sturgeon .......