Was panfishing on Lake Minnetonka today and for the first time ever, I was stopped and checked by a Conservation Officer. They checked our licenses, PFDs, throwable, and watercraft registration. Also checked the fire extinguisher. Apparently they expire, and mine was expired, so he requested I purchase a new one for next time with a verbal warning.
Panfishing was decent, better than I expected.
I was also panfishing on Tonka today. Sheriff drove by right when I was taking the pfd off my kid to put his jacket on. Sherrif never looked up from his phone. Was having no luck with the crappie so switched to bluegill and kept the kids entertained.
Definitely need to throw my newest extinguisher in my boat as the one in there is probably original…
I must have a “pull me over” sticker on my forehead 
Seems like I get checked about once a year somewhere/somehow.
i dont think i’ve ever been checked open water…..3 times on the ice….twice on red back to back days by the same guy…..and we had moved a mile from the first spot!!! 
been checked twice hunting………..
Around 2016 fishing out of Ballards we (2 people) got checked on back-to-back days. On the first day he looked in the bucket which had a lot of fish in it and asked, “How many fish do you have?” I said I was going to count them after the next fish but should be 14 or 15. He said, “Oh, we’ll count them for ya.” There were 15. Limit was 8 each back then.
We have been stopped many times and were always deemed guilty until proven innocent, it seemed like.
I should say that they were very courteous, respectful, and professional with their approach. I don’t know if they could have given me a citation for an expired fire extinguisher or not.
Already bought a new one too. 
Was checked 3 times in MN last summer. Once on Tonka and a very polite young man. One boat nearby started packing up and was moving off when he was finishing with me. He had already checked the other two boats in the bay. CO followed him out of the bay after finishing with us. That never looks good.
Once on the ice on Lower Prior and once in Tenstrike on Gull.
Never before in my life before that.
Tenstrike guy was a dick.
Got stopped on Rainy last year.
Always try to be courteous with COs, they have a tough job. No one wants to see them unless there is someone else doing something wrong. Thank them for checking my license. Have mostly had good experiences with them. One near the deer shack was a dick, accused my crew of poaching. Turned the relationship around when we gave him the plate number of the guy actually poaching and he caught him with the deer hanging nis shed being butchered in August. After that the CO would stop by and have coffee with us occasionally, give us tips on hot lakes.
Been checked on Upper Red open water a few times. One time just checked safety equipment and didn’t even ask about the fish. I didn’t have my fire extinguisher because I forgot to put it in the boat after being inside the house for the winter. Just told me to get it in the boat when I got home. If the proper number of lifejackets are not onboard, a ticket will be written.
Another time, checked license and fish. I only had one since at that time they all had to be under 17″ and I was catching over 17″. He told me where to fish to get the unders.
I didn’t have my fire extinguisher because I forgot to put it in the boat after being inside the house for the winter.
Are you supposed to bring them in? I never have and the gauges make them look fine, never actually used them to see though.
I’ve been checked on Red several times ice fishing. One time the officer came in the house while I dug out my license. I only had one walleye in the bucket and I was pretty hammered. It was probably about 9 at night. He looked up at the TV and he said “oh you got Gunsmoke on”! I had the DVD in. I asked if he wanted some coffee and he said sure. Stayed and watched an hour long episode of Gunsmoke with me. Nice guy.
Back when I fished with my Dad open water, I swear we got checked everytime and he would get a warning or ticket every time. Always deserved. My old man is just a regular for trying to bend the rules.
I seem to get checked a couple times a year fishing Alexandria lakes. One year I got checked 4-5 outings in a row. Same guy. Every night he checked the community hole and then me last. He recognized me after the 2nd time and said he’ll keep an eye out for my blue truck as I always had a good bucket of fish while the groups usually didn’t. I told him to just check me last and don’t go spreading the word!
Also get checked often on Devil’s lake ND.
Seems about once a year for me. Been checked on the rivers a few times and seems like usually annually up in the chisago area. Never really had a bad run in…one guy checked me when it was 20 below and I was the only guy on the lake. I asked why he stopped and he said he was bored and wanted to see how the bite was in the cold. It wasn’t good.
I have been checked numerous times. It’s always been a good experience.
As for fire extinguishers go.
If they are non rechargeable they are good for 10 years. They will have a mfg date on them to go by.
If they are rechargeable they need to be sent in every year. The ones we use at work are rechargeable.
When I lived in MN I would get checked at least once or twice a year. I don’t think I was every checked during the open water season, but always during ice fishing. Checked 3 times duck hunting. Since I moved 3 years ago to SD I’ve only been checked once. Most commonly checked on Red Lake and up the gunflint trail trout fishing. All encounters were good except for 2. One warden asked how many crappies I had and I said 9. He then counted my 9 and proceed to start poking around and looking through all my stuff. Repeatedly asking me if I was sure that I only had 9. That rubbed me the wrong way.
Another time duck hunting we went out for the opener and got 5 birds between 4 of us. We were camping on an island (legally) and my buddy and I boated back to the launch to grab some things while my other 2 friends were on the island. The warden asked us how we did and we told him we got 5 and they were back on the island with our friends. He then proceeded to ask us “who shot them?” We said we all shot at them and we only had gotten 5. There was no problem. He then proceeded to try to accuse us of doing something wrong when we didn’t even have a 1 man limit or any birds with us. Very rude and accusatory.
I’ve never had a negative interaction.
I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve been checked on the open water. I attribute that to mainly their ability to watch from a distance. If a person has current registration, is wearing an inflatable vest, and watched me throw back a handful of eater walleyes in a spot…it’s probably a longshot that I’d not have a license or would be breaking a law.
Ice fishing in our area brings out more demographics of people…old, young, experienced, new to the sport, focused on fishing, there to get drunk and ride around on a 4 wheeler, etc. The local COs here seem far more visible on the ice and rarely go near someone without checking them as they may on open water
As for fire extinguishers go.
If they are non rechargeable they are good for 10 years. They will have a mfg date on them to go by.
If they are rechargeable they need to be sent in every year. The ones we use at work are rechargeable.
Thanks full draw, I’ll keep that in mind moving forward. The one I have is a non rechargeable version. I bought it when I bought the boat in 2015 so it expired in January.
It’s amazing to me that you’ve gone that long without being checked. I get checked 3-4 times per year on average.
This past winter I was checked 3 times in 3 different areas of the state.
I’ve never had a negative experience.
I got checked on a lake in January, he showed up right when I happened to be doing very well for crappie and walleye. Guess who was in my holes when I went back a couple days later? Mr CO himself. I can’t blame him, I’d probably do the same thing if I was in his shoes.
One the benefits of living in Illinois. There are no DNR officers where I fish since there is no money in the budget.
I looked all over my extinguisher a couple of days ago for a date. I didn’t find one, now I’ll have to go quadruple check…
It’s amazing to me that you’ve gone that long without being checked. I get checked 3-4 times per year on average.
I’ve always thought that too. I’ve encountered plenty of surveyors, AIS workers, and even the Hennepin County Water Patrol once (who mostly are looking for drunk boaters). But this was the first with an actual Conservation Officer.
It’s amazing to me that you’ve gone that long without being checked. I get checked 3-4 times per year on average.
This past winter I was checked 3 times in 3 different areas of the state.
I’ve never had a negative experience.
I got checked on a lake in January, he showed up right when I happened to be doing very well for <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>crappie and walleye. Guess who was in my holes when I went back a couple days later? Mr CO himself. I can’t blame him, I’d probably do the same thing if I was in his shoes.
I had the opposite a few years ago on the st croix. A Wisconsin sheriff checked me and we were joking about how he only checks Minnesota guys. It was a pretty slow day during the middle of the week and he gave me a few lesser known spots to try and all of them held fish. That was a great experience.
It’s amazing to me that you’ve gone that long without being checked. I get checked 3-4 times per year on average.
This past winter I was checked 3 times in 3 different areas of the state.
I’ve never had a negative experience.
I got checked on a lake in January, he showed up right when I happened to be doing very well for <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>crappie and walleye. Guess who was in my holes when I went back a couple days later? Mr CO himself. I can’t blame him, I’d probably do the same thing if I was in his shoes.
Matt was just telling this story Saturday.
I can’t believe you’ve gone that long without getting checked, you must have that Don’t Check Me Federal ID 
. I don’t think I get checked a lot, but at least once every year or two, and have been checked by DNR, Sheriff, USFWS, Border Patrol and someone’s grandma working AIS at a landing. She was the rudest of all of them.
Hahaha
Move along Betty 
Are you supposed to bring them in? I never have and the gauges make them look fine, never actually used them to see though.
I don’t know for sure but I always thought it was a good idea.
Side track on the extinguishers…if you haven’t seen the ones that come in a boat in use and their capabilities, I’d encourage you to try an expired one on a backyard campfire or something. The two I have used in this manner have been very underwhelming. I immediately went to a larger one and secured it in the tritoon. Boats, fuel tanks, batteries, etc. have gotten bigger and bigger but extinguisher requirements have not.
I might give that a try with the expired one. Good call
OK now i’m curious…….for those of you that get checked….just how big of lakes are you fishing…..specifically in the summer???
i typically dont fish big bodies of water in the summer, usually small lakes and generally off the beaten path but have decent accesses. mainly itasca county.
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