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Posts: 468
Location: Not where I wanna be! | Having grown up in Iowa and not counting the Iowa Great Lakes, there is no Musky season that is abided by in Iowa. However, in MN there are season dates and in WI. I fully understand those dates and have never thought twice of compromising them.
recently in a conversation i had with a fellow teeth freak, i was told that in MN you can "PIKE" fish and if a ski is caught, it isnt your fault, just release it....... the way that was stated is true, but intentions were to ski fish, but use pike fishing for a cover up in the event of gettting stopped. I realize Pike season opens at a specific time as well.
I told this individual that targeting a species out of season is illegal in MN, am i correct on this assumption?? And, because i like to educate myself before i argue, i looked through the MN regs and was unable to find specific documentation to support my side.
so my question is, can an angler who is knowingly musky fishing actually pull off the "Pike" fishing thing and get away with it, and (i'm obviously missing it) what do the MN fishing regs say about this subject? if i am missing something (which i very well could be) this appears to be a gray area......
so when walleyes are out of season, if you are jigging for crappies and bluegills but accidently catch a walleye, can you take a picture of the walleye, or is it not to be even removed from the water?
just looking for input to better equip myself the next time this discussion comes up!
Thanks!!!
Edited by THA4 5/29/2008 12:45 PM
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Posts: 203
Location: Minnesota | This topic has been discussed in several forums... and its such a sensitive issue...
Yes you are correct... to target a species when the season is closed is illegal... but the DNR/CO pretty much has their own guidelines when it comes to accidental fish... as long its immediately returned to the water, you should be fine...
Basically... its pretty much unethical to be using pike fishing as a cover-up for muskie fishing... Normally Pike season opens 2-3 weeks before Muskie season opens... So if you're fishing with muskie lures on a lake with no Muskies in it... you could get away with it... but I dont think the CO would believe your excuse if you're fishing on a lake with muskies in it... the COs in MN pretty much wouldnt bend any rules...
There are several reasons why there are season opening dates for each species... and thats to let them spawn uninterrupted... there are talks online about how if you fish for them during spawning seasons, chances are that you could be disrupting the spawning process... and how would you feel if you just happened to catch a muskie, then it turns out that you're unable to revive it... and its a female... with thousands of eggs inside her??? I think that is basically a good reason for not fishing for them out of season... I do realize that there are chances that few would have eggs inside after the season opens... but you get the general idea...
If I ever know anybody who were intentionally fishing for muskies but using pike as a coverup... I'd immediately call the TIP line... that person isnt above me... why should I allow that person be above anybody just because he or she wants to fish for muskies out of season while there are thousands of muskie fisherperson waiting patiently for the season to open... If you CANT wait, then go somewhere else where the season is open... if you cant afford to do so, too bad... suck it up... have some respect... after all, theres reasons why those regulations are in place... I can wait til the season opens... I mean... after the MN Muskie Expo, it was 80 something days left til season opener... now its 8 days left... time flies... Its not going to kill anybody to have some respect, be ethical, and wait til the season legally opens... |
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Posts: 468
Location: Not where I wanna be! | Thanks, i completely agree with your statements, and i figured this has been talked about on here already but couldnt find any old threads.....
let me reiterate, I am not vicariously asking for myself, i have never broken the law, and do not intend to.....EVER. i do have an aquaintance who was recently bragging about fishing for ski's under the cover of Pike, in MN, i told him it was wrong, he challenged me and i had nothing to officially back up my point. I agree fishing during the spawn is a bad idea, and agree with the season dates but I was just asking if there was a specific area in the regs that states you "cannot pursue out of season fish." Period.
have i missed that part in the regs that state that? |
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Posts: 2378
| THA4 - 5/29/2008 1:13 PM
there was a specific area in the regs that states you "cannot pursue out of season fish." Period.
have i missed that part in the regs that state that?
I do not believe there is a statement like that in the regs, but there are open seasons listed.
Open season means legal to target these fish between these dates.
targeting muskies under the guise of pike fishing before muskie opener is pretty common in MN and Canada. Specifically targeting muskies before the opener is illegal and you can be ticketed/fined/etc. It is kind of at the discretion of the CO whether they believe you are targeting muskies or not...based on gear, baits, etc.
Bottomline, your buddy is being a jerk and a crappy sportsman by pretending to fish for pike before the muskie season opens |
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Posts: 3480
Location: Elk River, Minnesota | Here is what I found from the Minnesota state Fishing regulations for 2008. This is a copy of part of page 8 under Angling
Methods. Go down to the 4th bullet. Plain as day...
• Anglers may use only one hook. An artificial lure is considered one
hook. A treble hook, when not part of an artificial lure, is considered
three hooks and is not legal. The exception is three artificial flies may
be used when angling for trout, crappie, sunfish, and rock bass.
• Anglers may use only one line during the open water season and two
through the ice (other than on designated trout lakes and streams)
unless otherwise noted.
• Using whole or parts of game fish, goldfish, or carp for bait is
unlawful.
• You may not intentionally fish for any species during its closed season.
• Angling with an unattended line, a setline, or a trotline is unlawful.
• Using an artificial light to lure or attract fish is unlawful. Exception:
While angling, a person may affix to the end of a fishing line a lighted
artificial bait with hooks attached. Any battery that is used in lighted
Steve |
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Posts: 2378
| VMS - 5/29/2008 1:39 PM
• You may not intentionally fish for any species during its closed season.
there you go |
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Posts: 3147
| Rob kimm did an excelent article on this subject last year in the outdoor news it was in may of 07,,,,,,,,You should try to obtain a backcopy of it and show it to your friend,,Rob just nailed it has far has how bad it is for the fish and unfair and selfish an act it is
Edited by happy hooker 5/29/2008 2:20 PM
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Posts: 468
Location: Not where I wanna be! | cool, thanks guys! I completely agree with your statements wholeheartedly!!!!
Lets get this one thing straight.....
This is an acquaintance of mine....... nothing else |
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Posts: 897
| Don't forget about the curse that is put on you if you fish for muskies prior to season. Karma will get ya... |
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Posts: 313
Location: On your favorite spot | you can't have a conversation about ethics with someone who has none.......
T - hoping this post is good KARMA for us!!!!!
Edited by Marc J 5/29/2008 3:30 PM
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Posts: 552
Location: WI | I was talking to a conservation officer the other night about this while bass fishing. He said this is a frustrating time of the year for him b/c while it is pretty obvious that people are targeting muskie, there's little he can do b/c most of the time the citation won't hold up if people contest it. On this particular evening in fact, he talk to two guys soaking large suckers in a lake that is 3:1 muskie:northern and there wasn't a thing he could do. Just a frustrating for me a week earlier was seeing a nice 40incher soaking up the sun in the shallows w/ some nice gashes in its mouth. People are definitely targeting them and I hope they all get a nice 8/0 treble in the back of the head. |
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Posts: 203
Location: Minnesota | Just steer him to this posting and he'll see how unethical he is... |
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Posts: 20
| I agree. Do the right thing and it will come back to you, ...maybe |
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| Yeah, this topic comes up every year and I still got problems with it. The whole open closed season thing, while well intentioned, is really pretty stupid if you think about how a CO could ever enforce it. You simply have to rely on the ethics of the fishemen to do the right thing.
What about a well intentioned guy truely targeting pike? This time of year pike love small bulldawgs, small gliders, 6" twitch baits, Rad Dawgs, etc. Pretty much the same things I'd use for ski's this time of year - can't one ethically target pike with the tools they know will work? Conversely, one could use small spinnerbaits and husky jerks that most would never consider "musky baits", intentionally target ski's and catch a few. SO again, the law is pretty much useless. Fishermen simply need to do the right thing.
I was out on Forest yesterday twitching a 6" Jake and doing pretty well on the pike (and few bass). I like Forest because there's a good population of larger pike. NO SKIs caught or followed. As I was fishing, along come two guys both throwing good-sized bucktails - definitly not a bait most would choose to target early season pike. I really wanted to say something like "I hope you guys are not fishing for ski's" but what would be the point? They could have just as easily accused me of fishing for ski's.
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Posts: 552
Location: WI | How about DCG's? I was throwing some spinnerbaits for the bass yesterday when I heard the distinct sound of a double ten flying through the air. I couldn't not confront the guy on this considering the lake's lack of northerns and all he simply said was "don't you know how big northerns get?" Ethics at there finest. Ironically, I did catch a northern and it is the third time I caught this particular northern from this lake and it is the only northern I've ever caught from this lake. Six days people, we can make it. |
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Posts: 656
Location: Forest Lake, Mn. | This is debated back and forth all the time as was mentioned. I make it easy to avoid the entire situeation. I don't go on any waters containing muskiie before the season.
My truck and boat are covered with Muskie Inc and muskie fish decals. I figure that I'm guilty of "muskie fishing" just by pulling into the parking lot at the ramp of any muskie lake. UNLESS, it's April or early May ice out panfishing. Then all I have in the boat is ultra light spinning gear and then I figure no one can even accuse me of muskie fishing.
It is a matter of honesty and ethics. and thus is very personal. I choose to err on the safe side and not be on those waters. To each his/her own.
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| What do the regs say about trying to revive a fish in your livewell and then releasing it later? I assume if you have one in the live well you are done fishing till it goes back in the lake.
I have also read posts about "night stocking" moving fish form one lake to another in the live well of a boat. Is that ethical? I know it's illegal. |
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Posts: 32885
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Illegal 'milk can' stocking is just that, and is definitely unethical if there are not Muskies in that water. |
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Posts: 3147
| is there a shortage of pike waters in Minn,,,,I can see if you own a cabin on a lake that has muskies or staying at someones cabin on a muskie lake but why not just target northerns in other non muskie lakes,,,pike are EVERYWHERE in Minn,,we catch them in Brook trout streams on the north shore fishing mepps spinners,,
if you live in Minn and go to your sink turn the water on and a 'pike' comes out the tap would you be that surprised  ,,no shortage of pikewater here |
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| What are the top 3 pike lakes in the metro area? I live in Iowa and get to the ities once in awhile and like to fish for pike as well as ski's |
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Posts: 3147
| eaters/action,,,,or trophy????? |
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Posts: 1516
| Looking for action. I would not take any eaters out of a metro lake I think there is enough pressure on those lakes to just catch and release. |
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| "Gill net catches revealed a pike population at its highest level since 1979. Sampled pike averaged approximately 27 inches and 4.7 pounds with the largest individual measuring over 36 inches. Approximately 71 and 24% of sampled pike were over 25 and 30 inches, respectively." Would this be considered a good metro pike lake to fish? Would anyone care to guess the name of this lake? |
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Posts: 767
Location: Ames, Iowa | One's character is defined by how they act when no one else is around.
"I will not lie, cheat or steal, nor will I tolerate those who do".
United States Air Force Office Training School Honor Code
And from my deceased dad, a 20 year Navy veteran (Korea and Vietnam),
"You have to live with yourself".
All the best |
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Posts: 33
Location: Prior Lake, Minnesota | Its my own OPINION that pike fishing has degraded quite a bit in the last 10 years (at least the waters that I frequent) , and I PERSONALLY wouldn't mind seeing the DNR push back the pike opener to June. I know this would not probably change much since the northern spawn so early, but it is deffinately is one of my pet peeves watching people target skis early. Same goes for BASS. Walleye opener you see all kinds of people running boats in 6 feet of water casting spinner baits in 1/2 feet of water. Pike fishing - yeah right! At least if the nothern season was pushed back to June, you could more easily turn poachers into the T.I.P. line.
My two cents.
Good luck to all the lungers this weekend. - Leave some for me I have a walleye tournament. Probably hit French mid week.
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Question about MN Regs