Not that I’m trying to bend the law, but…

I want to go fishing this weekend around Prescott and have both a MN and WI license. My wife and daughter-in-law would like to tag along just to enjoy the colors and the master baiter at work. My wife has a WI license only and the DIL has neither. I understand that my wife can fish the Croix and the Miss below Prescott.

Now for the questions. At what point is it considered fishing if we are in an area that they do not have a license to fish? I understand if they are casting or tending a rod, but is it when they enter the boat, if they offer to hand me a rod that is laying on the bottom of the boat, hand me bait or a lure, if they net a fish for me, hold up a fish for a picture, take a picture of me holding a fish, and then you get into if my wife catchs 6 fish on the Miss down from Prescott and we motor up towards Hastings, can we get pinched if we have more than one limit?

Please help, I want to make sure I don’t get a ticket. My family would never let me live it down.

If a person is attending a line that’s in the water, they need a license. Anything before or after is not fishing and no license needed (unless she’s in possession…which would mean either you are over limit or she was fishing)

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we motor up towards Hastings, can we get pinched if we have more than one limit?

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It’s your word against the CO’s but I’m guessing he wouldn’t pinch her unless he saw her fishing in MN (without a license)

Best guess from an armchair CO.

Fishing is the act of fishing. Handing a rod to you wouldn’t be a problem if there was no bait in the water. If they reel in a fish then they are fishing.

Most all CO’s closely watch boats before moving in and writing tickets. If they pull up and do a license check, fish check and you have more fish then license or more line in the water then license then you will get what you deserve.

At this point riding in a boat looking at nature is not a crime. Although………..if it can be linked to AIS it soon will be.

I am not a warden But I would not motor upstream into the MN inland waters with more than your limit and fish. I have launched in Hastings during the closed Walleye season and motored to the Croix which was open season caught a limit and motored back to Hastings launch where I got boarded by Warden. Checked license and fish and said they were watching to see that no one coming from the St Croix in possession of fish had stopped or slowed down except to remove boat from water. You would be better sticking to the Croix and Pool 3 below the confluence and not having to worry about the license situation. IMHO

Mwal

If they are holding a rod or hand line with anything in water (even a bare hook) they could be considered to be fishing. Just because the hook is bare now doesn’t mean it didn’t have a minnow on it 10 seconds ago. Handing you a rod is not a problem. I don’t think netting a fish for you would be a problem either, but that you might want to ask someone about. Running the boat, not a problem. Holding up a fish you caught, not a problem. Just don’t have more rods in use than is legal, and to be safe, don’t have extra rods sitting out. If you are the only one to be able to fish, it might look suspicious of there are 4 rods sitting out rigged and ready to go. Be sure to have everything else covered. Enough of the right kind of floatation devices, fire extinguisher if the boat requires it, etc.

I have had non-fishermen in the boat with me on occassion, and I am sure plenty of others have too.

Don’t give the state any more ideas for liscense fees.

Soon we will have to have one for leaf watching !

tweed