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Buzz
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News Releases
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Public comments on special fishing regulations sought statewide (August 26, 2008)
Special and experimental fishing regulations for walleye, bass, crappie, sunfish, northern pike and lake sturgeon will be the subject of nine public meetings that the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will conduct across the state in the coming weeks.
The DNR will use Input gathered at these meetings to help determine whether to extend, modify or drop two existing experimental regulations and move forward with nine proposals for new special regulations. Also, the department will review a proposal to modify the existing angling season and minimum length requirement for lake sturgeon on Lake St. Croix and the St. Croix River in conjunction with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
“Fisheries managers welcome the opportunity to hear opinions from anglers,” said Al Stevens, DNR fisheries program consultant. “Public participation is critical in determining whether proposed and existing regulations are meeting angler expectations.”
Special and experimental regulations are intended to produce a quality fish population that can sustain increasing angling pressure and improved angler efficiency. During the past 20 years, fisheries managers have monitored a variety of regulations across Minnesota. Lakes with special or experimental regulations are regularly evaluated to determine the effectiveness of special regulations. Currently, there are special or experimental regulations in effect on about 7 percent of Minnesota’s fishable lakes.
“Much has been learned from our efforts to improve fish populations with length and bag limits,” Stevens said. “If successful, special or experimental regulations can be replicated on similar waters where fisheries managers and anglers agree they would help improve or maintain quality fishing.”
Lakes with proposed new special regulations or regulations that will be evaluated this year were posted at public access points this spring. Public notices for each meeting will be published in local newspapers. For more information about a specific meeting, contact your local DNR fisheries office.
Written or verbal comments will be accepted at local fisheries offices up to 10 days following a local meeting. Telephone numbers and addresses of local fisheries offices can be found on pages 74-75 of the 2008 Fishing Regulations booklet, or online at http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/contact/locator.html
Those unable to attend a local meeting may attend an open house from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 24, at DNR Headquarters, 500 Lafayette Road, in St. Paul. Staff will be available to take comments on any proposal.
Comments also may be submitted via e-mail until Monday, Oct. 6, to al.stevens@dnr.state.mn.us or by calling (651) 259-5239.
The open houses are scheduled for:
Anoka County/Coon Lake: New regulation proposal for walleye. Oct. 14, 7-8 p.m., Coon Lake Beach Community Center, 182 Forest Road, East Bethel
Anoka, Sherburne, Stearns, Wright counties/Mississippi River: Review existing regulation for smallmouth bass and proposal to extend regulation. Two meetings: Sept. 13, 3-5 p.m., Council Room, City Offices, 605 County Road 75, Clearwater. Sept. 18, 7-9 p.m., City Office Work Session Room, 2015 1st Ave. N., Anoka
Cass County/Inguadona and Rice lakes: New regulation proposal for sunfish and crappie. Sept 18, 6-8 p.m., Longville Elementary School gymnasium, Longville
Hubbard County/Belle Taine, Shallow, and Deer lakes: New regulation proposal for bass. Sept 10, 7-9 p.m., Northwoods Bank community meeting room, 1200 E. First St., Park Rapids
Otter Tail County/Clitherall Lake: Review existing regulations for smallmouth bass. Sept. 10, 7-9 p.m., Battle Lake Public School cafeteria, 402 Summit St. W., Battle Lake
Stearns County/Pearl Lake: New regulation proposal for walleye and northern pike. Sept. 9, 7-9 p.m., Holy Cross Catholic School, 10672 County Road 8, Kimball
Washington and Chisago counties/St. Croix River and Lake St. Croix: New regulation proposal for lake sturgeon. Oct. 22, 7-8 p.m., Room 100 A & B, Washington County Government Center, 14949 62nd St., Stillwater
Wright County/Sylvia and West Sylvia lakes: New regulation proposal for sunfish, crappie, walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike. Sept. 13, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m., Southside Town Hall, 8209 County Road 3 NW, Annandale.
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My comments should not necessarily be construed as representing the Minnesota Bass Federation Nation. While I spent many years as their Conservation Director and people have come to know me in that capacity, I no longer have any involvement as a board member.
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StaleMackrel
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Thanks for this post! I emailed my two cents worth! 
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Brian Hoffies
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I wonder if they will value the input as much as they valued the input for Mille Lacs and Red Lake? 
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Briank
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I asked the same question to the DNR Brian.
The response:
Quote:
The simple and succinct answer is, yes. We are required to hold pubic input meetings to gage sentiment for the regulation. A lot of time and effort is spent gathering and evaluating constituent comment and yes, it does make a difference. This is clearly shown by the recent reversal of the proposal to stock muskellunge in Gull Lake near Brainerd.
Moving on...
I'm going to try to boil my other long post in the catfish/sturgeon forum down to the facts for ease of reading.
* WI has changed the Lake Sturgeon rules covering their whole state that includes our only Sturgeon season with in an hour of the MN Metro area.
* A harvestable Sturgeon must be 60", upped from 50" as it has been. The season will be shorted by two weeks, it's currently at 6 weeks.
* These WI laws will take effect for the 2009 fall season.
* WI DNR feels that for ease of enforcement and to keep anglers from traveling across the state, taking advantage of the more liberal laws and adding more pressure to the St Croix Sturgeon population...the rules should be the same for all of their waters.
* WI's data shows a 50 Sturgeon will spawn once before it's of a harvestable size. Raising the minimum to 60 inches will allow them to spawn twice prior to being harvested.
* More than half of the Lake Sturgeon over 50 inches are females. The can't spawn until they are around 24 years old and reach 50". Then they only spawn every 3 to 4 years.
* Males spawn earlier in their life, about 14 years old and then every 2 to 3 years.
* Since the start of the need to possess a tag to harvest a sturgeon in MN and WI, according to the MN DNR...there have been 12 fish harvested From the St Croix River over the last two years. (The tagging law started two seasons ago.)
* The most recent population estimates on the St Croix is less than 4000 fish.
* There is very little or no hook mortality from catching and releasing of Lake Sturgeon.
* Lake Sturgeon can live up to 150 years.
Facts End Here and Opinion Starts*****************
Given the facts above, I believe the season on the St Croix should be left alone at 6 weeks at a minimum and possible extended making the St Croix River a catch and release fishery only.
My reasoning?
Based on the population sampling provided by the MN DNR, I think the population should be protected from harvest until the populations improve. Allowing C&R fishing will not hurt the fishery...although I doubt miss handling of a fish is calculated in the "minimal to none hooking mortality" numbers. This is why supporting a fish is so important!
If we could leave the big fish...the spawners in the river system, 25 years from now we could have a fishery almost equal to the Rainy River system.
* Fact: Over 5000 fish have been tagged in the Rainy River.
Wouldn't you rather release your fish and have a better chance at a 70 or even an 80 inch fish on the end of your line with in 10 years?
If our CO's need the same rules across the State of Wi...for ease of enforcement...what about us anglers that have to know the laws for each body of water we fish?? Not to mention the other border water conflicting laws.
Man that reason just don't cut it with me!
If the season was left at 6 weeks and the River was C&R only, improving the size and numbers of Lake Sturgeon...let the folks from out of town come. It shouldn't be too hard to enforce a catch, photo and release season.
Which reminds me. Have any of you St Croix River Sturgeon fishers ever been check by the MN or WI DNR while Sturgeon fishing?
Just wondering.
If the rules on the St Croix are to change, let's make a change that allows our Sturgeon to grow and reproduce at least until we know more about the numbers and habits of these great dinosaurs of the St Croix!
Whether you agree with my thoughts or not, please send your thoughts to:
Comments also may be submitted via e-mail until Monday, Oct. 6, to al.stevens@dnr.state.mn.us or by calling (651) 259-5239.
I hope to see a large turn out on Oct 22nd...although I have little hope...I owe it to myself to show up and ask the questions in person.
Quote:
New regulation proposal for lake sturgeon. Oct. 22, 7-8 p.m., Room 100 A & B, Washington County Government Center, 14949 62nd St., Stillwater
Briank...founder of the MN chapter of Sturgeon Inc.
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Wear it...Live with it!
Give the gift that keeps on stinking this Christmas! Gift Certificates available on line by clicking here, or at Everts Fishing Resort
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Brian Hoffies
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I'm certainly not a sturgeon guy. I was in Idaho years ago and watched guys fishing for Sturgeon. Never saw that before. Anyway I was told by the bartender that Idaho DNR would lock you in jail immediately if they saw you remove a Sturgeon from the water, even for photo's!!  What they did was hook them and as they fought them ease the boat to shore. Then the fisherman would hop out of the boat, drag the fish towards shore and actually beach the fish. They would then measure and photo the fish. At no time was it completely out of the water. Nobody weighed the fish, just measured them. Seems to work well in Idaho. 
My opinion would be to make it completely catch and release only. I could even go along with the keeping it in the water part. As I said I'm not a Sturgeon guy but it seems to make some sense to protect this species. 
JMHO
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Briank
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I'm not sure about the jail part...but taking them out of the water is still against the law.
The reasoning being that a 14 foot White Sturgeon weighing in at 1200 pounds wouldn't handle the winch that pulled it out of the water too well. 
The White Sturgeon are much larger than the Lake Sturgeon of the St. Croix...but you are correct. That would eliminate any chance of the dreaded gill plate hold.
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Wear it...Live with it!
Give the gift that keeps on stinking this Christmas! Gift Certificates available on line by clicking here, or at Everts Fishing Resort
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Briank
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Ohio's great White Sturgeon....
Awful big PowerPro tied to it's tail!!
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Wear it...Live with it!
Give the gift that keeps on stinking this Christmas! Gift Certificates available on line by clicking here, or at Everts Fishing Resort
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MN DNR requests comments
