Fish "culling" in MN

[REW]

There was a recent post on "fish culling" on this board.
Since the rules in the MN DNR rules book were unclear; I sent an E-mail to the MN DNR asking for clarification.

The DNR response was as follows -- This applies to MN.

Once you take a fish out of the lake and put it in your livewell, on a stringer or otherwise - posess, the fish - it is in your posession.

As long as you have a total number of fish of a particular species that are LESS than the TOTAL limit for that species on that body of water - you can CULL fish at will. i.e. you can remove any or all of the fish and replace it / them with a different fish.

However, once a limit of fish of a particular species has been reached for the body of water on which you are fishing, you can no longer "posess" any more fish of that species. i.e. you can no longer "Cull" if you posess - or have a full limit of fish in your livewell.

Take care
REW

[John in Mn]

I wish they would just print those 3 paragraphs in the regs. Thanks REW for the post.

[REW]

I couldn't agree more.
Since Jim from the DNR was able to say this to me in the E-mail, why can't the rules be clearly stated in the rules book?

Take care
REW

[Pitts]

Rew
It says right on the front 2004 fishing regs but I think it is more close to 5000 regs or so :)

Pitts

[DaveB]

What if there are 2 fisherman w/ 11 eyes-can both cull? Or if each is seen culling will one be in violation?

[Buster]

one of you better not be fishing as one of you has a limit;you can not ech have 5 1/2 fish.lol

[REW]

That is exactly what Jim from the DNR told me.
If there is a 6 fish limit on a lake of a given species, there needs to be 1 fish per person less than his/her limit in the boat - if there is to be any culling in the boat with all of the folks fishing.

As a matter of fact - folks in a boat have been given a ticket if there are enough rods for everyone to fish in a boat, and there are enough licenses's in the boat for everyone to have fish, then only one person is fishing, and yet culling is going on in violation of the rules.

Many times it seems that the DNR enforcement folks take the point of view that if there is a rod in the boat, it is essentially in use - whether or not, it is in the hand of a fisherman.

Also, remember that all of the DNR folks carry extended vision enhancemt devices so that they can observe a person fishing from a very long way away.

Use common sense - follow the laws - implied or stated and you will be in good shape.

Take care
REW

[tbomn]

They must have done some clarifying of that since last fall, because that is not what they told me on the phone. I was told that if you put it in the well, it's yours, no matter the number of the limit. Oh well, I would guess that whatever is said by the office in St. Paul, it has been interpretted in the field differently.....so, whatever happens, happens. It is a government office, can we expect anything more?

[REW]

Joe,
I really think that your suggestion is really the best policy.
Culling, in general, is not good for the fish or any thing else.

I simply wish that it would be clearly stated in the rule book that once a fish has been taken into your posession; you may not release it.

Take care
REW

[MINK TRAPPER]

So let us say that the limit is six fish you catch 6 walleye and have them in your livewell .Then you decide to go fish for smallmouth. About the time you cast your Hopkins spoon a DNR guy pulls up within 5 ft of your boat , You pump the rod one time WAM you set the hook ,yea it is another walleye . Should you net it and bring it in the boat with the DNR there ,will you be breaking the law by doing so ?

[tbomn]

Don't even go there, you won't like the results. Take your limit of eyes back and take them out of the boat, then go bass fishing. Once you have your limit, those CO's don't care what your "fishing for". Don't put yourself in that situation.

[SUPERTROLLER]

Why can't you catch and release (immediately) more fish above your limit? You are not "possessing" them if you immediately release any fish. If you catch a fish out of season and let it go, you are not in possession of it. I don't quite understand your rules in these "No Cull" States. You can not really be ticketed for a fish that bites out of season or after you already have a limit of one species in the livewell, Can you? This seems to be utterly ridiculous. You can't control what the fish do. Taking a limit of Walleyes back to the dock and returning to catch more fish would appear to an officer to be more sneaky and the actions of a poacher, even if you don't put another walleye in the livewell! You can only be over your limit if you have too many fish in the livewell or your possession in Michigan. I realize you are referring to Minn. reg.'s in your postings but they don't make sense! Why can't you switch targeted species and keep fishing? If you catch another walleye, toss it back. Seems pretty simple.

[rickn]

so if culled fish are part of your daily limit, what is the purpose of culling? Just curious, as I stated in the other post, I seldom keep anything, but have aways felt that, in the box, stayed in the box. If you replace a smaller fish with a larger fish, but have to count the smaller fish, AND the bigger fish, what is the advantage?

[hgmeyer]

Ask the "little fish"; that just got to swim away...about the "advantage"... Bet, he sees one... LOL