Knowing your fishing Regulation
By Charlie Worrath
www.mnfishingpros.com
In this day and age knowing and keeping up with your fishing regulation is not all that easy. With each coming year there’s many law changes made to our area lakes. Such as slot size, limit reduction, limit increases, state slots and much more. Everyone should get a new regulations book, when they purchase their new fishing license for the up coming fishing season and read it from cover to cover, and make note of any changes to lakes you fish this coming season.
This law change occurred a couple years ago, of only 1 walleye over 20 inches may be taken in one day on all state inland waters. Instead of the previous 1 over 23 inches, this could have been over looked my many. Just because certain waters don’t have it’s own special regulation and a 20-inch walleye not being all that big, the state slot could get over looked if you don’t keep up with the changing regulations.
Another big change last year on area lakes of Round, Sand, Bowstring and joining waters, are all northern pike 22-36 inches must be immediately released. One over 36 inches is allowed in possession with a possession limit of nine! The idea of increasing the limit on these small northern pike is limit some of the predations on the small walleyes. If you ever fished on one of these lakes, can you imagine what it would be like to be a small walleye and swim around for 365 day a year and not run into one of those hunger little northern. If you’re fishing one of these lakes take advantage of the liberal limits. These are a great couple spots to fish, for all you pickle fish eaters. The state law on inland lakes for northern pike is 1 over 30 inches of your limit of 3 pike total. Again check your regulation on the lake you plan to fish for special slot for northern pike. A lot of lake have special release clause on northern pike.
The big change for all you muskie fisherman and women is the new Experimental/Special regulations, on 47 muskie lakes and connecting waters and two rivers, 48 inches minimum size limit. Some of the area lakes are Big & Little Boy, Cass, Deer, Leech, Big & Little Moose, North Star, Pokegama, Blackwater, Blandin Reservoir, Big & Little Winnie, Boy River, and Big Fork River. This sure should help improve the quality of mukies fishing in this area.
The regulation that I run into a lot when fishing with non-residents which seems somewhat confusing, is that kids less than 16 years old don’t need a license too fish, so they can fish, but they can’t possess a limit of fish, unlike all resident under age of 16 can possess is own limit of fish. The parents have to purchase a family license. If they have purchase an individual license, the child can purchase his own fishing license so he or she can posses is own limit. Something to keep in mine if you’re having friends and relatives coming up this summer and plan to do a little fishing.
These are some of new and old regulation for the up and coming fishing season of 2009. Some of the older rules like lake slots. That have been on for some time, and people always asking about, if it helps. I know on those days when you only catch a few fish and they all happen to be on the release side of the slot and you go home empty handed it hurts. My personal experience with many days on the water in heavily fished lakes I’ve seen a lot fish return back unharmed to the lake to spawn and restock the lake in futures years ahead. This definably can’t hurt. Most of those fish; I know would have all been put into the fry pan years ago. With slot sizes and reduced limits, there are no lakes left that you can keep every fish you catch, so a meal of fresh fish is all that can and should be expected out of wonderful day on the water.