Can you cull at Mille Lacs for the MWC tourney?

[JB]

Does anyone know the rules for culling at Mille Lacs?

Any info is appreciated.

Sincerely,

JB

[s.f.]

hey jb,

i always like an optimist! lol

yes, culling is legal at mille lacs. unless something that is exclusive to the mwc event changes things, the rules are that you can cull, within the slot limits issued by the state, until you and your partner have the state daily/possession limit in the livewell.
that means until you have 12 fish within the slot or ten plus two over 28", or 11 slots plus 1 over 28". you can still cull at number 11. not after 12.

so i think i'll follow you! lol

#49
steve fellegy

[Goldpig]

I hope that I have to worry about culling within the slot:)

[JB]

Steve,

Thanks, I was hoping to see your response.

JB

[REW]

Of course with the new three year plan for Mille Lacs - the total number of fish between two folks will be 8 fish - not 12 - since the limit has been reduced to 4 fish.

Take care
REW

[EYESCHOOL]

Mr. Fellegy is right as always. ;-) However, JB, it looks like the culling will be closed at 8 fish this year. The new slot and bag limit proposal for Mille Lacs 2002 season is has changed from 6 fish/per/day down to 4. The new slot would be 3 fish 14-16" and 1 over 28". Gonna make tournament weights very tight this year!

[s.f.]

i stand corrected. obviously i have hit one too many waves.lol
this is the first change to mille lacs limits in around 47-50 years.
tough to teach an old dog new tricks. lol lol

#49

[pwuebker]

You might want to check further. I believe culling is illegal in MN.

[Bad Finger]

Pete,

I cound not find a rule in the current regulations that states culling is illegal. However, I do have experience in obtaining tounament permits in Minnesota. Every permit I have ever recieved explecitly states that "Culling during the Tournament is not allowed".

Not to mention that Culling is an Unsportsmen like activity in my book. It should be unlawfull anywhere!

[s.f.]

as far as i know, since the culling law in minnesota was re-defined in 91 or 92, for the purpose of making tournament rules, it has been legal to cull. anyone who has fished a mille lacs event since then surely would remember that culling has been allowed, to the point of how it was explained in an earlier post. BUT maybe i'm wrong. i just know that this has Not been an issue for quite some time at mille lacs.
#49
steve fellegy

[Malmo]

Regulations from DNR web site (www.dnr.state.mn.us/fish_and_wildlife/fishcontest_chapter6212.html)regarding fishing tourneys:

Minnesota Rules, Chapter 6212, Fishing Contests
6212.2600 POSSESSION OF FISH.

Subpart 1. Possession limits. Possession limits for contest waters apply to all contest participants at all times except that the total number of fish killed by a contest participant may not exceed one possession limit per event.

Subp. 2. Restrictions on sorting. Once a limit of fish has been reduced to possession, no culling or live well sorting of that species is allowed.

[Jim Carroll]

Is "culling" defined as removing a fish from your LIVEWELL and then releasing that fish back into the lake to replace it with a larger fish caught later?

Or are you talking about keeping fish to the MN possession limit and weighing your largest fish for the tournament limit?

I think this is where the confusion comes in...

[Bad Finger]

Steve,

That is probably true....for Mille Lacs anyway.

Each DNR office must have different guidelines on issuing permits. All of the permits from the Rochester, Mn office have excluded culling in the permit rules.

I would like to see uniform rules across the state. All permits should be issued from one office.

[Bad Finger]

Yep, that is exactly the wording used in the permits I have recieved for the last few years.

[Bad Finger]

Culling is defined as release any fish that you have reduced to posesion. Meaning, if it is in your livewell, you weigh it.

[eyewitness]

Still sounds confusing to me. Does this mean that technically possesion means "to kill"? Also, it sounds as if the sorting rule applies only if in "possesion" of a limit of fish. Does that mean that if you are under your limit you can cull? I'll be fishing a few tourneys there this season and this really does need clarification.

[Jim Carroll]

Hey SF, You Said-
"as far as i know, since the culling law in minnesota was re-defined in 91 or 92, for the purpose of
making tournament rules, it has been legal to cull. anyone who has fished a mille lacs event since then
surely would remember that culling has been allowed"

Is that how you won all that money? :+ }> Just kidding, of course...

Is culling, as defined by removing a fish from your livewell, allowed in this Mille Lacs tournament or not? We are back to the original question. Its clearly against the state law.

[FJH1]

"Subp. 2. Restrictions on sorting. Once a limit of fish has been reduced to possession, no culling or live well sorting of that species is allowed."

The way that I read this is that once your limit has been filled you are done fishing. If your livewell does not have a limit of fish in it you may sort fish in the livewell. If the limit is 8 fish and you have 8 fish in the livewell you are done fishing, period. I think the wording is confusing though...what's it called?...a loophole.

Best Regards,

FJH

[s.f.]

thank you for clarifying the law. as i read this, as i said earlier,
when you reach the POSSESSION limit for the contest waters, no sorting can be done.
all who are concerned about this rule...please give me your boat number so i can follow you. don't anyone follow me...i won't be culling.

#49
steve fellegy

[FJH1]

Remember, it says once a "limit" of fish has been reduced to posession. It does NOT say once a "fish" has been reduced to posession.

I believe that culling is legal in this wording.

Best Regards,

FJH

[s.f.]

i might add one key element..the limit (possesion limit) for mille lacs, for fish 28" or over is one each per day. i vaguely remember, that in a past event i was in recently at mille lacs, the big fish couldn't be sorted for that reason.
now..rather than us debate this issue further, allow the event director, for which event you are planning on fishing, have the final word. it's just too early to lose sleep over what most likely will be a mute sugject.

steve fellegy
#49

[Jim Carroll]

OK, I get it! Regs are different here in ND- once its in your livewell you can't remove it. Sorry for the confusion...

[BW]

What are the rules on the Mississippi at Red Wing?

[Bad Finger]

Culling on Border water (WI/MN) is illegal.

[s.f.]

because of the wisconsin "no culling" rule, red wing and the like, including the st. louis river, where this rule was hashed over extensively in '96 at the nawa event.
you guys got me sweat'n bullets already and the ice ain't even gone!
and you guys have your limits already!

now what juls?! lol

#49
steve fellegy

[Gonzo]

I heard it from a DNR officer's own mouth!
Culling is legal in Minnesota. In a tournament
after you have filled your livewell with the tournament
limit you are done fishing and no "sorting of fish"
is allowed after that. Before that you can cull as long
as the fish that is being returned to the water is in a
releasable condition. If you release a dead fish and get
caught....well I'm not sure of the DNR's penalty but I'm sure
it's not pleasant.


"If a man does his best, what else is there?"
- General George S. Patton (1885-1945)

Gonz

[wawalleye]

Steve,

The wording is very similar (virtually identical) here (WA). Culling is allowed up to the point there is a limit of fish for two anglers in the livewell. Typically the tournament limit is lower than the state limit (i.e state limit is 10 with two over 24, tournament limit is 6 with two over 24) which eliminates the possibility of an infraction of the regulation. I believe that if the tournament limit was 10 it would be considered an infraction to continue to fish after the tenth fish went into the well. It sounds like the same is true at Mille Lac, but only the D of F can truly answer the question. I wish I had this kind of problem on a regular basis lol.

Tight Lines

wawa

[s.f.]

are you saying that the dnr enforcement officer said "tournament limit" or "possession limit"? who, by name or office did you talk with?

steve fellegy

[Juls_WI]

Hey partner, don't sweat it...you had the rules right the first time, ok, the second time...there was an ammendment to your first post as I recall...lol

"We won't be culling", as you said earlier.. :7 wink wink!

Juls

[Fireman(MN)]

I've fished tournaments in Minnesota for a number of year and "culling" is illegal... Once a fish is caught and placed in the livewell it becomes a part of your possession limit. For a tournament, if the possession limit is lower than the states defined legal possession limit for all anglers for a day, you can continue to place fish in your livewell until the daily possession limit of fish is reached for that tournament's day of fishing... ( State limit = 6 fish per person, per day... Tournament director says only eight fish allowed in the boat per day for the tournament... the daily possession limit "in the livewell" cannot exceed (8) fish with a two person team). Once the tournament limit is reachd and placed in the livewell you are done fishing... If you are allowed to weigh (6) fish, per day, but the tournament director said that a total of (8) fish could be "in" the boat, you can have more fish in the boat - up to the limit allowed in the boat per day by the tournament director, and weigh your largest fish you have caught, while leaving the "smaller" fish allowed by the tournament limit in the boat to be released, after the weigh-in...

[SUPERTROLLER]

Not if you do it BEFORE you have a limit of fish IN the livewell.

[john mannerino]

Now there is a new twist to the question.It sounds like a a cabalas/mwc question. Tourney rules are often different than dnr rules.[limits] Cabalas has not released there rules so it is up in the air as far as I see it. John Mannerino