So, I got a buddy from Wisconsin…..

….that wants to go cat fishin…..what are the legality rules on him using sunfish in the same boat as me? Can he have three rods out with sunnies on, while I can only have two rods out with bullheads on? What if we only use three rods (which is normal), can they all have sunfish on them if he would be the one reeling them in?

Also……what size sunfish is ideal for flats? I assume the bigger the better like bullheads, but then again, I’ve never heard one way or the other with sunnies .

Just asking questions……Not tryin to stir up trouble (well maybe a little )

Hey Whipper…

Your questions aren’t going to stir up trouble…but…

Quote:

---

Life’s a game……Golf is serious

---

is!!

He can use three rods all with gills on…but legally you can’t touch them…casting or reeling. If it works in your boat…I would go with 2 gill rods, 2 bully rods and one cutbait/worm rod.

Can’t help you with size…but I’m sure some of the other MN people can…

(just kidding all of you from the MN DNR! Just kidding!)

Jake,

Tell your “friend” to use the largest sunfish he can handle. A sunfish cannot be too big for a Flathead to eat…but it can be too big to keep many alive in a cooler, cast easily without injuring, and tether in one spot in current. My favorites are in order: Green sunfish, hybrid green sunfish/bluegill, and then Bluegill…but it all depends what your “friend” can easily get his hands on.

Jason.

Also, the bluegill size depends on hook size – if the hooks are not big enough, you’ll get hits on the big bluegills but will have trouble hooking the flats. You need big enough hooks so that plenty of hook is available to find the cat’s mouth. I like the 6-7 inchers best, but have used bigger and smaller.

Not to muddy the waters further (or start the debate over) but it also depends which side of the main channel you’re fishing, at least for your friend from Wisconsin.

Quote:

---

Not to muddy the waters further (or start the debate over) but it also depends which side of the main channel you’re fishing, at least for your friend from Wisconsin.

---

Not according to the WI Regs. Here is the excerpt directly from the WI book.

WISCONSIN – MINNESOTA BOUNDARY WATERS
Applies to the stretch of the Mississippi River shared by Wisconsin and Minnesota lying between the Burlington Northern and
Santa Fe railroad tracks on the Wisconsin side of the river and the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul, and Pacific railroad tracks on the
Minnesota side of the river, including Lake Pepin and Lake St. Croix; the St. Croix River from the Burlington Northern railroad
bridge at Prescott north to the point where the river is no longer a boundary between Wisconsin and Minnesota; and the St. Louis
River, including St. Louis Bay, Superior Bay, Allouez Bay, Kimballs Bay, Little Pokegama Bay, and Pokegama Bay.

You can actually fish North Lake, and the Vermillion River at Dushanes with a valid WI license.

Once again, the question is not whether a Wisconsin license is valid in these locations, but whose boundary waters regulations apply. Yes, of course you can fish there, but the states have widely different regulations for both bodies of water, as I think was made apparent in the last lengthy discussion. Wisconsin says you must fish by the regs of the state you are fishing in, as defined by the state line, while MN says if you’re from MN you must fish by MN regs.

You know what’s funny about this particular issue? When I used to fish the upper Mississippi I almost always fished on the Minnesota side with three poles and with sunfish, as per my interpretation of the boundary waters regs. And even if my interpretation turned out to be inaccurate, I would sleep well knowing that I had done no real harm. I could care less if by some invisible line I was breaking some ( to me) insignificant regulation, and if some warden saw the need to curtail my GROSS abuse of our natural resources by giving me a ticket, I would hope it made him/her feel better about doing their job. I just get so sick of these useless rules, that are hard to interpret, and difficult to ascertain as far as benefits go. The same goes for stupid rules about bullheads/sunfish and more than one rod in MN. It is one thing to ignore creel/size limits and closed seasons, with those regulations most of the time the reasoning is sound, or at least arguable…but some of these rules are just silly or arbitrary at best. Call me the outlaw from now on.

Jason.

Next question….can I help him catch the bait to be used later?

When i fish the miss between here and illinois or wisc i know our laws go to thier rail lines on thier side of the river because im from iowa. Thier laws go from thier side of the river to the rail lines in iowa. The rail lines i’ve heard is the only sure way of making bounderies instead of right down through the middle of the channel. Thier laws hold true to the rail lines on this side and our laws hold true to the rail lines on thier side. Possession limits and rules are supposed to be followed anywhere in this area that are detailed from the state i live in because im from iowa. I can only fish this area with an iowa liscense but anywhere on the river , rail line to rail line. The same holds true for people from wisconsin and illinois with thier liscenses. Im going fishing between wisconsin and minnesota and im buying a wisc. liscense first. If i fill my limits befor i want to come back im then going to buy a minnesota liscense to try to fill the limits from there state. I know because im from iowa i have to leave a small section of scales on each fillet from each fish to let them know of my keep and write on the package where and when i caught it, if im not mistaken, if i don’t it still dosen’t hurt to do this so the warden can make a fast clean check because im sure he has other things to do. Im pretty sure the rail bounderies pertain to being in a boat only and not about being on shore of another state but i could be wrong about this one, anyone know? Does this mean like 5′ to 10′ in or what for another person from another state? Can he picnic and eat noon lunch and keep his catch tied to the iowa side or does he have to leave it tied to his boat in the water. I’ll bet its to the boat.

That is my understanding. The law is very clear on the “Boundary”. This is an area agreed to by both states, with the regulations of your home state rules to apply while fishing them.
Do what you want or believe in, but I would take this to court if need be. Pretty darn sure I would win.

From the Wisconsin fishing regs:

Quote:

---

Wisconsin residents need a Wisconsin fishing license and Minnesota residents need a Minnesota license to fish in these boundary waters. Residents of
other states need a nonresident license from Wisconsin or Minnesota. Regulations on these waters may differ between states. You must obey the regulations of the state in which you are fishing.

---

Was there a disagreement on this?
I think in a roundabout way, we all said the same thing….Jakes buddy gets to fish 3 rods with sunfish on boundary waters, Jake, you get bullies under 7″ on two rods.
Right?
I ask this because I do have buddies from WI, and this senario could indeed play itself out…

Quote:

---

Was there a disagreement on this?
I think in a roundabout way, we all said the same thing….Jakes buddy gets to fish 3 rods with sunfish on boundary waters, Jake, you get bullies under 7″ on two rods.
Right?
I ask this because I do have buddies from WI, and this senario could indeed play itself out…

---

Technically, and I don’t see it happening, a MN warden could bust the buddy for using too many rods and using bluegills if they fish the MN side of the river.

Jake, even if he has a wisconsin fishing liscense? Do you think the warden from minnesota would bust the guy from wisc if he was obiding the rules from his state? I know he probably would if the guy from minnesota was fishing under the laws from wisc and vice vera. I think the wardens obide by the rail bounderies laws too or am i not seeing something here.

I talked to a CO, both a WI and MN CO about this last year. It’s kinda funny…because both EG and FHW are right…ACCORDING to the two CO’s I talked to… (this is key because depending on the CO or the person answering the phone..you can get many conflicting answers)

The WI CO said that MN won’t bother you IF you stay on the WI side of the channel …and WI won’t bother you for following thier WI laws anywere in the border waters…EVEN if you only have a MN license. (as a side note, I was encourage to use 3 rods last year by 2 WI state park rangers).

Now the MN CO said, there isn’t a boundry in the middle of the channel and you must follow the laws of the state you have a license for no matter where you are in the river.

I feel a little sheep(head)ish saying this…but it’s been said before…the two states can figure out the laws..how are we expected to?

Quote:

---

Next question….can I help him catch the bait to be used later?

---

Jake.. unless you are catching that bait for him in Wisconsin, you can not help him catch the bait, nor can he catch the bait in Minnesota.. Minnesota does not allow for the live transport of gamefish(panfish included)…

OH YEAH! Jake? Did you say something!

I think Fisher Dave has it…but in reading his post…it may have come out wrong…please feel free to correct me Dave…

If you are on the boundry waters with your MN license…you can fish for sunnies…the normal bag limit would apply.

If you were fishing in a MN lake (not the boundry waters) the transportation law would apply and you legelly can’t move them alive. Not sure what WI has set up…(I would guess nothing) about catching gills in a lake and using them for bait in the river.

BUT don’t take my word for it! I don’t want to pay your fine!

PS…you should have enought buddies at the DNR by now for you to give them a call and ask for them by name!

Yeah…..DNR buddies……I may not know all their names, but they sure as heck all know mine .

Tomorrow nights the night we’re going to try it…….We’ll be catching the sunnies from the river before we start……I think the plan is to fish 3 rods…..two with sunnies and one with a bullhead…..We’ll probably stay on the WI side of the channel just to be safe (that’s where the honey hole is anyway ).

If any authority figures (anyone who can give me a ticket) see a problem in this plan, please contact me now, as apposed to the boat landing at 2am with pen and paper in hand….THANK YOU

I was going to mention that you forgot to leave a contact number…but I guess they have that already…

Good Luck Jake…and friend (is this a guy? ) be safe and legal!

Quote:

---

Good Luck Jake…and friend (is this a guy? )

---

Remember Gianni’s girl with the white bikini…..well, she promised she’d wear it as long as I promised her a 30#er

I’ll bring the DigiCam

Going to have to put on some weight there bud!

I was referring to catching the bait on a non-border water location.. I dont even know if its legal to catch them on the border waters and move them to another location without the wisconsin license? Probably not unless you catch them at one location in a baot(on the river), and keep them in the livewell on the water to use another place on the same body of water .. Yeah.. we all do that.

If we had any more laws here. it would be illegal to transport minnows to the lakes/rivers in a minnow bucket with the BAIT SHOP water in it… but, there are laws stating we cant release our minnows at the end of a trip into a body of water.. nor can we take minnows from a body of water in our bait buckets with water from most lakes(infested waters, milfoil, etc).

Wonder if the DNR is behind the new cigarette tax too?.. Wh would it be called a health tax anyway? .. why is bait taxed? it is food.

Quote:

---

why is bait taxed? it is food.

---

GOOD POINT Dave!

Here’s another good one…. ready…

I live in MN…but a less expensive bait shop is just across the river in Hudson. Legelly, I can’t buy my bait in Hudson and transport it back to MN.
I can buy my bait in WI and then launch out of WI to fish the same water as I was going to had I drove home to MN…

I doubt it was ever enforced…when the willow cat ordeal came up….I’m betting everyone that wanted them when to get bait and cheese in WI…then went home to MN to have cheese and onions sandwiches while out fishing!

And Jake says…Life is a game!

This is fun

How about……..
If you put water in your livewell from your hose at home, and caught sunfish on a lake in WI. And then transported them to the Sippi? Legal or illegal? Cause, I am pretty sure you cannot transport water from one lake to another, or the river…

ONLY if you put in on the WI side of the river.

I dont know about you guys.. but I always, without fail… catch my bait on the body of water I am going to be fishing so I dont have to worry about it..

I throw back all bullheads over 6 1/2″ too.. just to be safe.

I dont think there is anything illegal about Sylvania suckers?

I better stop before I am struck by lightning.

I hate to tell you this Dave, but it is illegal to catch and use bait from the Mississippi River below St Anthony Falls. See Page 79, 2005 MN Fishing Regulations: It is unlawful to: “harvest minnows, frogs, or any other wild animals from infested waters* for bait, except for personal use from waters that are designated as infested waters solely because they contain Eurasian watermilfoil, and for commercial use by permit.” Because the Mississippi below St Anthony Falls is infested with Zebra Mussel you cannot harvest minnows or fish for bait. If it was only Eurasian Watermilfoil then you could. I know you want to choke me right now but that is the way the regulation reads. Believe me, I know it sucks too. I had this specific issue clarified for me by the DNR.

Commanchero… if you were uncertain, I was being sarchastic on my above post. I never harvest bait other than a sucker or mooneye here and there for cutbait from the Mississippi river.. It would be easier if I could.. but it is impossible to catch a bullhead in these parts of the river I frequent.. so I obtain my bait elsewhere.

Don’tcha just hate this! Dave IF it’s a lake that’s designated as infested…well, you know the rest!

Soon a fishing license will cost $300. coming complete with a gps enabled palm pilot. This will tell you the rules of the lake you are fishing on.

Sorry, Dave. I thought you were serious in your post. I’m just now getting set to head out on a bullhead roundup. Most of those in the bait tank have the gray crud and it is time to get fresh bait. This time of year it gets harder to find nice sized bullheads.