Jawjacker or Auromatic Fisherman?

[papadarv]

Minnesota is the ONLY state in all of the Ice States that does not allow JawJacker or Auromatic type of "Tip Up" devices. The reg's state you cannot use any "Spring Device" for fishing, while at the same time they promote Down Riggers and Out Riggers which is the same technique/process used on the Jawjacker or Auromatic Fisherman. I feel we in the hardwater arena are being short changed by the law. Anyone else have an opinion on this?? Is there any actions we as a group can take to change this?

[Jarrid Houston]

Write them.  Thankfully I live on the border so I am able to use my jack jacker on WI waters.  Fun fishing device for the Brown trout of Lake Superior..

[papadarv]

3 hours ago, Jarrid Houston said:

Write them.  Thankfully I live on the border so I am able to use my jack jacker on WI waters.  Fun fishing device for the Brown trout of Lake Superior..

Tried writing last winter, no response. I believe a lot of ice guys need to write for anything to happen.

[MN BassFisher]

I know there was a petition going around 2 years ago and it gathered a few 1000 signatures but I don't think anything was ever done. I have spoken to the owner of JJ and he has said that the head of the MN DNR is very bullheaded and he doesn't see them being legalized here anytime soon. Which sucks. I had 4 from when I lived in CO and they are highly effective and perfect for a 2nd rod. I use them still when I fish in WI but unfortunately that's not more than a couple trips a winter.

[Big Kype]

Minnesota, the land of 10,000 rules where it's barely legal to fish.

The main selling point is that the JawJacker and Autos are a conservation tool. It sets the hook right away as soon as the fish bites. So a lot less fish get hooked deep and die after being released. There are limits on all these lakes anyway so it's not like people are going to over-fish lakes because the limit is the same regardless of what you use to fish with. There is a rule in the Minnesota rules that says you can't fish with spring loaded hooks. A spring loaded hook is actually a device from the 1920's and 30's that was banned because when a fish bit it would somehow latch onto the fish's mouth and disfigure destroy the fish it clamped down so hard. So the rule dates back to the 1920's and 30's and was put in the regs to ban that specific device. You might be able to find these spring loaded hooks somewhere like a fishing equipment collectors guide. So they have forgotten the specific reasoning behind that regulation and interpret the bent rod as being a spring loaded hook now which it is not and deviates from the original intent of the regulation. To change laws and regs you almost need to have some sort of a lobbying group, like a sportsmans group to pick up the cause to push the issue or talk with your local state government officials to pick up the cause. In Wyoming a CO once was saying that if a sportsmen's group or activist group comes to them and shows how the regulations have changed in states around them and they feel like they are falling behind the times on certain things then they will review the issue and change the regs if they feel that is necessary.

[oilandwater]

Guys, this could be doable, but we need to look at what the law is and where it is.  MN State Statute (state law passed by Legislature, can only be modified by legislative action, not DNR Commissioner rule) 97c.325 says that fish “may not be taken with a spring device that impales, hooks, or captures fish.”  That’s different than a “spring hook” or a bull-headed Comissioner’s rule. If our elected legislators get enough pressure, and yes that means from angling individuals and groups, they will change it. The DNR may try to influence one way or the other depending on their science of the day and internal politics, but ultimately they are an administrative agency that answers to legislative law and funding.