Bullheads For Bait – Bad News!!

I just received this e-mail from the DNR today regarding the bullhead length law change. Big, huge, whopping bummer!! Does it sound like they are still willing to work on this issue?? What do you guys think? I’ll have to think about this for awhile.
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Thank you for your patience in regards to this topic. The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has spent considerable time reviewing and discussing the information that you provided.

Although Minnesota’s border states allow sunfish to be used as bait, DNR will not be moving ahead to change the laws to include sunfish as a bait fish. Sunfish are very important game fish and DNR supports maintaining the current law that does not allow game fish to be used for bait.

In regards to the bullhead request, the laws associated with bullheads are complicated. The simple assumption to address your request might be to change the definition of minnows to include bullheads 7- to 12-inches. However, bullheads are defined not only as minnows, but as rough fish and a protected wild animal. Each of these definitions has a unique set of laws that govern how they can be taken, transported, etc. by the private aquaculture industry, commercial netting industry, minnow/bait industry, and recreational anglers. A change to one of these laws affects all of the others. For example, changing the definition of minnows to include bullheads up to 12 inches would mean that the private aquaculture industry could no longer import bullheads for sale within Minnesota because it is illegal to do this with species defined as “minnows.” Transportation of “live” fish, types of equipment, and legal methods for taking are all examples of other laws that need to be looked at to fulfill your request.
For these reasons, DNR does not support changes at this time to allow larger bullheads as bait.

We appreciate your interest in this topic and your desire for change. DNR is willing to continue to look into the bullhead request and meet with you and other groups to have further discussion on proposed changes.

Linda Erickson-Eastwood
Assistant Program Manager – Fisheries
Minnesota DNR – Fish and Wildlife Division
500 Lafayette, Box 20
St Paul, MN 55155-4012
email = [email protected]
phone = 651-296-0791
fax = 651-297-4916

I promise I will be more positive about this in the morning….but…

They made (recommended) all the laws that made this “so complicated”!
Nope…not going that route… thinking about this is a good thing.

That has got to be the stupidist answer I have ever heard. Who imports bullheads? Dirk, You should move across the river and commute to work. I would send that letter to your congressman as an example of the government not listening to the people.

I’d love to help you, but I think it would be hard-n-stuff.

Is that a jelly donut?

Look, no offense, but this is dumb. Obviously commercial fisherman and bait dealers are already governed by separate regs when necessary. The unwillingness to do so in this case is just a slap to the face – if you’re not fishing for walleyes in MN, you’re a minority status and deserve second-rate treatment, I guess. I can only take comfort in knowing that a 30lb flathead probably eats its weight in walleyes and bass weekly.

C’mon South guys, where the #1 gamefish in the state has whiskers.

You know Dirk, I think the Wiskerman hit the nail on the head.
We could research the laws and how they interact with the “other” laws, then ask people in the “bullhead importing business” (ok, I’m being a little sarastic here) ask people in the other fields how this will impact their business…make some suggestions to the DNR along with the notes/backing of people in these…”other” businesses (in other words…make it easy or do their job for them)
OR
Move to Wisc.

Although the later seems ridiculas…it maybe less time consuming than working the other route….

Where to go from here?

Ralley the troops and send emails to the dnr? Might show them there’s more than one person interested in this.

Have an in person conversation with Ed Boggess since he handles the legislative initiatives for the dnr…to probe what it will take to move this dead horse.

The last paragraph in Linda’s email was very PC ( or in todays language very “business savvy”)…It makes it sound like they are willing to discuss this more…but it looks more like a “signature file” than a true stand.

OR send an email back to Linda as you did

Honestly Dirk, I doubt that she will have any answers…in this case (no offense to Linda) she’s really just the mouth piece.

I wonder if the willow cat bait issue will be resolved this legislative session? I doubt it will be too hard for them to fix that eh??!!!

What if you guys just bought a Wis fishing Lic then you could use bull in what ever size you need on the MISS. After all do you really need a bullhead over 7″ anyway, I caught my personal 51lber on a 6″

You’re going to die when you hear this!

If a person from say CA and buys a Non Res fishing Lic from WI…no problem…BUT if a MN res buys a WI NON Res Lic…They still have to follow the MN laws…

Someplace in this mess there’s a rapala that isn’t running true!

Hey D,

I didn’t know you were from Wauzeka. There is some fine cat water right out your back door. I grew up right down the road in Boscobel. Small world. PM me next summer and maybe we can find a few.

I know where both Wauzeka and Bos. are. Pretty good catin’ in that area if you know the river. If not best of luck!