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| Just a heads up to all of the guys who use suckers in minnesota. A buddy of mine recently got ticketed for using a 14" sucker this weekend while fishing. Apparantly you cannot use a sucker that is more then 12". I didnt believe it either until I looked it up and found it on page 8 of the booklet. It is a new law. Thought you guys would like to know |
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Posts: 2378
| That is a pretty stupid reg IMO. Just more anti-livebait sentiment from MN. |
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Location: Contrarian Island | that is not the way i read it in the manual..but it does say it is illegal to transport minnows (including suckers) into Minnesota for use as bait without a permit...maybe that is why he got the ticket?
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Posts: 2378
| yeah, not sure I read it that way either. Page 8 is just a definition of minnow. I cant find anywhere where it says it is illegal to use large suckers as bait. |
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Posts: 239
Location: Madison, WI | I called the MN DNR office before my last visit and was informed of the 12” sucker law. I was also told that you have to attach a spinner blade to your leader classifying it as an artificial lure. The 1st treble has to be within 3” of the spinner blade. You can add an additional treble no more then 3” beyond the 1st.
This was directly from the MN DNR agent I spoke to.
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Posts: 1243
Location: Musky Tackle Online, MN | I actually heard this about suckers about a month ago. The bait supplier where I work told us that it's illegal to have suckers over 12". I've never seen anything in the regulations though.
Aaron |
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| Having suckers longer then 12 in your boat or vehicle is considered 'transporting roughfish",,in fact I know of a Minnesota dnr biologist who was told 'flat out' by his boss he couldnt put suckers in a broodstock lake to winterover the fish,,we WILL be getting the spinnerblade thing eliminated on quickstrikes maybe has early has 06,,that way it will be easier for people to start using more quickstrikes |
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Posts: 185
Location: Mendota Heights, MN | So all of this kind of begs the question: If it is illeagal to transport, or use suckers over 12 inches, why and how do bait shops legally carry and sell them? Why aren't they being fined? To what end are they being sold, if not to fish with?
In my view it would take a very anal retentive DNR person to actually tag you for this. The whole spinner blade thing raises the same questions. I put them on but really wish I didn't have to.
I wonder if using tail gunners would satisfy this Reg?
Hooker, what can I do to help get this stupid regulation changed?
Steve
Edited by Phoenix 11/16/2005 6:27 AM
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| Pretty funny regulation. One I flat out won't be following. I am sure none of you guys ever go a single mile and hour over the speed limit and everyone also makes a complete stop at the sign! |
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| PHI
This is the first time I EVER heard of anyone getting tagged for this ,,,The MMA is trying to get the spinner blade reg changed and think it will happen,,Ill bring up the size reg too when we start the new meeting season in dec,,,With the added intrest in Musky fishing in Minn these laws should be banished,,call the dnr and give your input on this,,,
651-296-6157 |
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| I just got off the phone with the DNR and the agent I talked with said it is NOT ILLEGAL to fish with a larger sucker over 12".
The new 2006 regs. define a minnow as :members of the minnow family, goldfish, bullheads, ciscoes, lake whitefish,goldeyes, and mooneyes, not over SEVEN inches long, leeches, tadpole madtoms and stonecats. The 7 inch length limit has to do with the bullheads that are over that length being a gamefish with a 100 possesion limit.
Suckers are defined as rough fish that can be legally bought and sold. pg. 54
Possessing or transporting white perch, ruffe, round goby, blach carp bighead carp, grass carp, or silver carp is unlawful, except when taking them to the DNR. Pg. 11 NOTE THAT SUCKERS AREN'T INCLUDED IN THIS LIST!!!!
Anypone telling you it is illegal to fish with large sucker minnows is wrong!
There is one more intresting thing I found in the 2006 regs. In the 2005 regs the first line under Transporting Fish says: All fish must be killed before transportation. The 2006 regs. do NOT contain that sentence. |
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| Thanks for the clarification DJS. MN Big Sucker Club |
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| If you look in the statutes (which are the LEGAL rules), instead of the booklet, you will find (Chapter97A.015, Subd. 29.)
Minnows. "Minnows" means: (1) members of the minnow family, Cyprinidae, except carp and goldfish; (2) members of the mudminnow family, Umbridae; (3) members of the sucker family, Catostomidae, not over 12 inches in length; (4) bullheads, ciscoes, lake whitefish, goldeyes, and mooneyes, not over seven inches long; (5) leeches; and (6) tadpole madtoms (willow cats) and stonecats.
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| That is the definition of a minnow in the statutes. That still doesn't say you can't fish with a minnow longer than 12".
Bottom line fish wit as a big a sucker as you like. |
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| This is a VERY confusing issue
Now Ive heard 'yes' you can use larger then 12 suckers but you cannot transport them,,,which means you have to use suckers from the water your fishing,,which means you would have to catch them at the lake,,,which is stupid,,,,this law needs to be reexamined and already its been proposed to the MMA |
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| Happy, the 2006 regs say the following under the section titled Possessing Fish: -Possessing or transporting white perch, ruffe, round goby, black carp, bullhead carp, grass carp, or silver carp is unlawful, except when taking them to the DNR.
MN statute 97C.341 CERTAIN FISH PROHIBITED FOR BAIT -A person may not use live minnows imported from outside of the state, game fish, goldfish or carp for bait.
The conclusion is this: suckers can be possessed, transported and used for bait.
I have got all of the sucker haters in a box oin this one! |
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| if the regs state that a minnow is any fish (in that defined group) under 12" and bullheads among other fish under 7", then anything over that mark would not be a minnow this is how i see it. i found out that bait shops are allowed to sell them because they are used as decoy minnows, hence the term i guess. it did take a very anal retentive officer to give him a ticket. kind of funny to read this post way later and have people argue that one cannot be given a ticket when it happened. |
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Posts: 135
Location: Elgin, IL | It's hard enough to follow the rules sucker fishing in MN to begin with. One line per angler, quick-strike with the spinner blade... but I don't think I've ever fished with, or seen a sucker for sale up there that's less than 14 inches! I can see us now... walking into Bluewater in Bemidji... ruler in hand. "Nope... that one's just a hair over 12... got anything smaller?" That would be the last straw for me. Force me back to the 100% "flog the waters to foam" approach.
At least it sounds like the consensus is that the "foot or less" rule for suckers doesn't hold much water.... I think? |
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| Jon, I am not arguing at all I am simply stating the statutes and what is written in the 2006 regs. Your buddy got a ticket for something that is NOT illegal he certainly should fight it. The conservation officer was flat out WRONG. I did call the MN DNR and talked with an agent who said it is perfectly legal. Your buddy should have known that what he was doing was legal all along.
Read the statutes and regs that I posted above and tell me again how fishing with a sucker greater than 12" is illegal. Call the DNR if your still not clear. |
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| Seems relavent to the sucker discussion for those in MN |
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