The question below is kind of from far left field, but it does apply to protecting fish. Until we can be sure we have a means of enforcing regulations, everything is just speculation. Yes, I’ve called TIP on guys before once I factually know they are breaking laws. I think the breaking of possession laws is a big issue that has no answer or means of enforcement. Panfish are hurt by this every day.
What % of anglers do you think have knowingly exceeded possession limits in MN?10%?
25%?
>50%?
Not in left field at all. It’s a central issue in the whole problem and to be honest, if there weren’t large numbers of anglers blatantly ignoring the possession limit, there would be little to no need for this limit change.
To answer your question, it’s >50%.
My family had a cabin rented last summer at an Alexandria resort. Our cabin happened to be 100 feet from the fish cleaning hut. We saw group after group of anglers filleting buckets full of panfish every night and we watched this happen every night for the entire week. In making conversation with these anglers, I got several versions of: “We have to keep fish every day, got to fill the freezer for the rest of the year and this is our chance to do it.” There is no way that any of these anglers were eating everything they caught, every night. People were leaving with coolers full of fish and I could tell nobody had the slightest concern for the possession limit.
I’m not saying I don’t keep fish, but I treat the limit as the limit and that includes the possession limit. Do I eat some fish every year? Hell yes, but to me eating fish I caught is like lobster or any other “treat” I may fix in the course of a year–it’s a treat, not an entitlement.