We are going to learn that Minnesota is a bit better than most states. That right wing or left wing we believe in communinty, the public good and the need for competent public office holders and public officals. And we are all going to learn that its really easy to get fat quick.

We are going to learn that Minnesota is a bit better than most states. That right wing or left wing we believe in communinty, the public good and the need for competent public office holders and public officals. And we are all going to learn that its really easy to get fat quick.

They are considered Under-utilized fish per p[age 13 and on page 23 whitefish and underutilized fish are listed as having a continuous season and no limits except on leech lake.

Within an hour’s drive Wisconsin offers easier to access streams, with decent numbers of fish. However MN also has some good water, its just harder to find and fish. The red wing area in particular offers streams with easy access and good fish, and they tend to be less crowded than the more popular Wisconsin rivers. So my advice is fish both states, try lots of different streams, and with a bit of work you’ll be rewarded with plenty of good fishing. I can’t give out to many specific spots, but try Hay creek in the hay creek day unit of the Richard J. Doer Memorial Forest. Its real close to Red Wing, is all public land, and has decent numbers of fish.

total weight= 26.3
big fish= 6.2

The only legal ways to catch Asian carp in MN right now would be dip netting, bow fishing or spearing. Though I imagine if there was a problem it would be fairly easy to legalize snagging or trapping on the river. I don’t know how hard it would be to get a commercial license to trap fish right now, but it seems like the dnr can give out commercial permits with very little over site. A bounty would be great, but it would have to be as effective as an electric barrier.

Pug, I think in addition to a protest, it may be good to talk about starting an informal group that advocates for Urban Mississippi fisherman. The best thing right now though is to keep educating each other on the proposed barrier, what it will mean for the area, and the research to date on asian carp.

Why doesn’t somebody start a group on here (I dont think I can) specifically about the barriers on the Ford Dam and Saint Anthony so we can all share information and keep each other updated.

Nice fish. what were the daily rates on the renting the panga, and having the guide take you out?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQpvc60a7dI, This method works to deal with the bones, but you need to deep fry them.

Nice fish

Steve I will send you a pm later. I realize I do have a limit knowledge base here, But I have done some brief checking of all the court rulings pertaining to the treaty issue in MN, which can be found here http://www.geog.umn.edu/faculty/squires/research/American_Indians/mille_lacs.html
and read the 1999 majority supreme court opinion here
http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/97-1337.ZS.html
All of them say the tribes retain their treaty rights, and are governed ONLY by their own commissions, and that the state of Minnesota does not have any authority over rights granted in the treaty. Its possible my reading is wrong, or I am missing some critical court ruling. Where does it say that the State can go to court over conservation issues? They can always try and go to court with new arguments over what the treaties themselves say, they don’t need the supreme courts to specifically rule they can do this. Any lawyers on IDO want to pontificate? I am not arguing in favor of tribal netting, I just thought (and still do from what I have just read) that there really is no easy or realistic way to change it.

Steve I could be wrong here, But im almost One hundred percent sure that the MNDNR actually has no legal over site over tribal netting The bands that have these treaty rights choose to work with the MNDNR, the last supreme court ruling on tribal netting in MN has acknowledged that state government has no authority on this issue. Neither does congress. The supreme court will continue to rule in favor of the bands treaty rights, and Im sure any move in congress to change this would be futile. The treaty issue is complicated, but Native Bands are unique within the American legal system, they are like internal countries, sovereign to a degree but not completly. This has to do with the history of territorial expansion in the United States, and from a legal standpoint it really doesn’t matter that it happened in the 19th century. Basically what I’m saying is that every year a bunch of people get excited about stopping tribal netting, and waste their time, because they are dealing with a complex legal framework, rooted in the historic foreign policy of the United States. Changing this is not a matter of lobbying congress and getting something tacked on to a bill, but instead making changes that may go as far as constitutional issues. Im not a legal scholar, so i really cant give specifics, but treaty rights and tribal sovereignty are complex things. Basically it seems that this is a waste of energy. No coalition of fishermen and politicians is going to stop tribal netting. You are all wasting your energy and resources on an issue you can’t win. The only options are to build goodwill with the native bands involved to get voluntary reductions in netting, or to focus time and energy on improving other walleye waters in the state.Sorry guys, this is just the way it is, whether it is right or not.

I am pretty sure that this is a non issue, just a way to take a stand on something that has never nor will ever be a problem. As the presidential election gets closer I imagine there will be a bunch more of this stuff. Maybe a serious stand being taken both for and against the right to ride mules while carrying long sticks

Nice winter fish. Those Canadian brookies are unreal.

nice

dtro hit it on the head, perseverance is key. Not catching fish for long stretches is just part of flathead fishing. This may be a good time to try new spots and water bodies, and see if cant change your luck

that spruce and rough grouse picture is making me crazy. I can’t wait for a chance to get out. Nice post.

Its funny how the illegal issue always finds it way in to fishing forums. In terms of illegal immigrants cost to the country, you can find different foundations and pacs with completely different numbers for everything. So it is important that you look at how figures are reached and read a series of contracting reports, to see how one group can cite billions of dollars in uncollected social security as a net benefit of illegal immigration, and another group cite billions in social services spent on illegal aliens as a loss. If a organization cites figures without giving citations and study methodology, then they are full of ***** (numbersusa is a great example of this, if you find their presentations convincing send me a pm and ill explain how you are being tricked via meaningless numbers into buying horse manure as an aphrodisiac).
Apart from that, I think it is important to understand that the American economy, and American business as a whole benefits from illegal aliens. Having a cheap and exploitable labor source keeps wages down, which leads to higher profits for businesses, and these high profits then lead to economic growth. It doesn’t matter if wages are low for American manual workers, because economic growth is not dependant on their quality of life or purchasing power. To be competitive both domestically and internationally, requires American businesses to emphasize profits above all else, and part of this is keeping wages as low as possible, and insuring competitive advantage. What I am getting at it that, ideas like “illegal is Illegal” are fine, but they mean nothing in terms of the economic realities of this country. Businesses want to pay low wages, the political system in the United States is geared mostly towards higher profits for large businesses, and this is why so many industries are dependent on illegal labor and why there is no real will to enforce immigration laws (Bush’s stance toward illegal immigration is a good example of this). I guess what I’m trying say is that we need to look at systemic reasons for the proliferation of illegal immigration and stop focusing on individuals crossing the border to better their lives. Those people are doing what anyone would do in their situation, but the fact that there are few legal migration routes for manual workers, and that it has been relatively easy to work illegally in this country for most of its history, have roots in our economic system.

I found this http://www.staterecordfish.com/recordfish.php?state=Minnesota, and a bunch of articles about the fish, but i can’t find anything in the older regs about a record blue, so my memory must be wrong . Im guessing the 51 pound blue was somehow not real, or brought in from a another state.

There is a record for blues, if it is not online, check the older mn fishing regs, it was 54 pounds, and from a southern mn county.

a few more pictures

How come nobody keeps these fish? If i caught a blue cat in pool 2, I would keep it and bring it to the dnr for confirmation and then have proof that they exist. On the other hand it is possible they are there, though if they were it would be because someone brought them from further south and dumped them in pool two.

Grass carp I caught in a lake in southern Mexico.

Czech, you need a special license to trap minnows that will be sold, and a transport permit for your vehicle and then you can sell (or give) them to a licensed minnow dealer.