Bait from Wisconsin to Minnesota

Anyone know if there are any rules regarding buying shiners in Wisconsin and taking them to Minnesota for a fishing trip? I can’t find anything in the regs on it.

Page 22 of the 2016 regulation book.

You can’t import live minnows or leeches into Minnesota for use as bait.

Dead bait has some other regulations as well.

The answer to your question is on page 22 in the 2016 MN Fishing Regulations booklet.

No import of live minnows or leeches into MN for use as bait.

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I know his question was about ice fishing but what about the following scenario. What if I launch my boat in MN side of the Miss. and drive over to a on the water bait shop in Wi. and buy some minnows. Am I importing them when going back to MN? What is the definition of importing?

Thanks,

RVRDUX

I have a very specific letter from the WI DNR about a problem I had a few years back. All the WI DNR’s along the river were notified but I keep the letter handy for the new CO’s.

I would get my bait in MN and cross the border into WI which is fine until I crossed the railroad tracks on the WI side. Then I would be considered to be importing them even though I was traveling along the admittedly wrong side of the tracks.

The letter states that as long as my bait was acquired legally, I would not be issued a citation if the bait would be used in the Mississippi River.

To your point, when contacting the MN DNR, the MN tracks were the limit…no grace area was allowed.

>>>Your bait can be used anywhere in the Mississippi River as long as you stay within the BNSF railroad tracks.

PS we can’t legally take our bait home so this is a moot point.

Thanks for the reply guys. Im not sure how I skipped over that.

Anyone know why the rule is in place? Why is bait OK for one state and not another. Isn’t most bait farm grown and not caught wild?

Brian Klawitter wrote:

PS we can’t legally take our bait home so this is a moot point.

really? I cant legally keep purchased minnows in my garage for use later in the week?

So your saying if I buy minnows in Prescott and launch I Prescott and boat up stream in pool 3 to Minnesota inland waters I’ve just done something illegal?

I hope these DNR folk have the ability to test minnow water’s origins right in front of a judge.

crappie55369 wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Brian Klawitter wrote:</div>
PS we can’t legally take our bait home so this is a moot point.

really? I cant legally keep purchased minnows in my garage for use later in the week?

I was referring to taking bait home from the river or lakes of MN. Unless of course they are out of water which is the MN definition of “dead”.

if I buy minnows in Prescott and launch I Prescott and boat up stream in pool 3 to Minnesota inland waters I’ve just done something illegal?

Only if you went into the Inland waters. Of course I thing the CO’s are the boots on the ground with the common sense. Most of the states fishing regulations don’t consider the border water and their “one off” rules or areas.

Brian Klawitter wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>crappie55369 wrote:</div>

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Brian Klawitter wrote:</div>
PS we can’t legally take our bait home so this is a moot point.

really? I cant legally keep purchased minnows in my garage for use later in the week?

I was referring to taking bait home from the river or lakes of MN. Unless of course they are out of water which is the MN definition of “dead”.

ok. I gotcha.

crappie55369 wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Brian Klawitter wrote:</div>

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>crappie55369 wrote:</div>

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Brian Klawitter wrote:</div>
PS we can’t legally take our bait home so this is a moot point.

really? I cant legally keep purchased minnows in my garage for use later in the week?

I was referring to taking bait home from the river or lakes of MN. Unless of course they are out of water which is the MN definition of “dead”.

ok. I gotcha.

Well I don’t “gotcha”…what are you saying BK? Taking bait purchased at a bait shop home or “taking bait home from the river or lakes of MN” Please clarify…?

Holy carp, I just pooped a little. A lot of guy’s are breaking the law unknowingly. And you can’t throw them in the river or lake. Or on the bank. Bring a blender and make a smoothie I guess.

Seriously, how long till live bait is illegal? It’ll be less than a decade for minnows I’d bet. Curious about leeches and crawlers. Use to work in the bait industry and as much as we will all adapt, kinda sad.

Seriously, how long till live bait is illegal?

That question was asked several years ago (about 6 I would guess) when these laws were announced.

I stand corrected. I thought it was just WI would let you take bait home from the lake or river after changing the water. It appears that MN followed suit at some point(?)

Dispose of unwanted bait, including
minnows, leeches and worms, in the trash. It is illegal to release bait into a waterbody or release aquatic animals from one waterbody to another. If you want to keep your live bait, you must refill the bait container with bottled or tap water.

Thanks Andy!

I took it to mean you can’t go catch your own bait and transport it home. This being opposed to buying it from a bait store.

Any of you guys get fined for this? Leave well enough alone and don’t worry? Mole hill out of a mountain again.

This is for lake’s in MN, I was told by a CO if I have it in a bait cooler that never touches the water or has lake water introduced to it, you don’t have to change the water. I’m sure a CO could make a stink about it, but if it’s in a cooler with a bubbler, I was told I don’t have to worry about changing water. Has that changed or did I get a wrong answer from the CO?

The border water gets a little confusing. If a guy stayed on the MN side and accessed on the MN side, how is that proven or regulated?

riverruns wrote:

Any of you guys get fined for this? Leave well enough alone and don’t worry? Mole hill out of a mountain again.

Maybe…maybe not. Another thread on this forum a guy got pinched because he put his walleye fillets in a plastic bag rather than just leave them out and did not have the oil heating up when “in the act of preparing a meal”. Or according to the CO in this case was NOT in the act of preparing a meal. Mole hill out of a mountain? Or did you mean mountain out of a mole hill?
Either way, whose making the mole hills and whose making the mountains?

I don’t know how many times I crossed the border with live bait(MN to WI).Once I was checked by a MN warden leaving Sam Gorde slough.Was saving some small goldens for the fussy clown knife at home.Warden said no problem,looks like you have the original water from bait shop(had slight blue tinge to it).

AH, great idea! What was that stuff called? Just add a bite of Oxy 10 to the river water and I should be good! LOL!

This is for lake’s in MN, I was told by a CO if I have it in a bait cooler that never touches the water or has lake water introduced to it, you don’t have to change the water.

^^ And that is where the “boots on the ground common sense comes it”.

I took it to mean you can’t go catch your own bait and transport it home. This being opposed to buying it from a bait store.

I was hoping this question wouldn’t get asked…

When harvesting bait we need to place the caught bait into a container that contains tap or bottled water (from home). This way you’re not transporting the dreaded AIS filled water which is btw against the law.

Here’s a on line class that’s available from the DNR. It’s for dealers but anyone can take it and it covers infested waters.

The course is free and takes about an hour to complete.
You are tested throughout the training and must answer the questions correctly to pass the course (but you may attempt the question an unlimited number of times).

Link to MN DNR Bait Dealer Training