Here goes….I am from Wisconsin with a resident fishing license. Say I go flathead catfishing with BrinK in his boat. Can I legally use sunfish for bait since it is a legal bait for anglers from Wisconsin?
Edited to add ON the Mississippi. What about number of rods?
I disagree. This is from page 54 of the Wisconsin Regulations. You need to know where the boundary line is on the river between Minnesota and Wisconsin 
If you are on the Wisconsin side then yes, you can use your gills for bait. This has been a dispute every year but I personally would not use gills on the Minnesota side. The way this reads, it is illegal to do so!
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54
• Wisconsin residents need a Wisconsin fi shing license and Minnesota residents need a Minnesota license to fi sh 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 fi shing.
Brett…that is a confusing statement.
I’ve called Madison and have checked with the local CO…the differance is Border Waters.
Unless a person is from MN…anyone can buy a WI non res license and fish with 3 lines…and gills from train track to train track on the sippi. If a person is a MN res…he MUST buy the MN license and follow MN rules…
Personally…I think it’s discrimination! 
Ps…that’s what they said last year anyway…. 
Hunting is a completly differant story.
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I’ve called Madison and have checked with the local CO…the difference is Border Waters.
Now I am totally confused because page 54 is the regulations for boarder waters.
When fishing the Minnesota side of the river, I only keep the 10 gill limit, fish with 2 poles and never use gills while chasing Flatheads.
Why would the above Wisconsin DRN Regulation be in the Boarder waters section and not the General section if your statement is true?
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Regulations on these waters may differ between states. You must obey the regulations
of the state in which you are fi shing.
The way I read this is I have to obey the state laws of the state I buy my licesne in. On the boundary waters.
Does it make a difference if I am in a boat that is registered in Minn. But have my Wi. license?
Tom, it doesnt make a difference what state the boat is registered in as long as the registration is up to date. You can fish the minnsota side from shore if you wish with sunfish and 3 lines… Anywhere that is considered MN/WI border waters, you are allowed to fish under WI rules.
It makes no difference where the boat is from.
It says in the state you are fishing in, not the state you purchased your license in 
Before I head out tomorrow night I will make a call myself. I have been passing up some good stuff on the Minnesota side only because I would not put a gill over the boat on the Minnesota side. I also have heard of guys getting busted keeping 25 gills from the Minnesota side with a resident Wisconsin license. Wisconsin’s bag limit is 25.
I think Minnesota National Gaurd troops should just invade Wisconsin and annex it. Wait, I like Wisconsin fishing laws better. I’d rather have Wisconsin invade Minnesota. If they are wiling, I’ll offer my services as a mole. 
Also, am I allowed to make 2 posts in a thread in the Wisconsin section of the forum? 
Brett,
You are fine between the tracks.
Not to make things more confusing 
here is a post from 2005. Matt (FlatheadWI) also talked with the CO and has the same understanding that I have. After this conference call that I am on I am making a call myself If I am allowed to use gills between the tracks this has opened up a whole new world for me 
If you are between the tracks you can consider yourself in both states at once or in neither. You are on the line. If you cross under the bridge of the tracks then you are in the state which you are in. I have been checked by MN, Ia, and Wisconsin COs on the border water and never been jumped for bluegills or too many rods.
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Regulations on these waters may differ between states. You must obey the regulations
of the state in which you are fi shing.
Clearly they are already talking about boundary waters. That being said, the second statement would be completely redundant if they did not mean that within boundary waters there was more than one state in which you could possibly be fishing.
Of course the COs are the ones with the final say because the letter of the law only matters as far as it’s enforced. And the COs in Wisconsin will not bust you in MN for following WI regs, while the MN COs will not bust you between the tracks for following WI regs if you have a WI license and are not from MN, because the MN reg reads differently.
So… despite the letter of the law, you are safe between the tracks using the WI regs.
Cool beans, this opens up a whole new world for me 
What’s the rule if you posses a resident MN license and a non resident WI license. Could you use 3 poles and gills?
You would certainly think you could as both regulating organizations are getting their cut.
You can’t be a Minnesota resident and fish with a Wisconsin out of state license on the border water between Minnesota and Wisconsin. You could use that license to fish the border water between Wisconsin and Ia.
Dang, I was hoping for a loop hole some where. This 2 rod thing with no game fish as bait is bs.
Why is a sunny game fish any way? All waters are polluted with them.
Dave,
If you like we can drag my boys up there and fish with 9 rods with gills on each plus your two. I guarantee a mess of gigantic proportions.
Uh, sunnies are gamefish because people like to fish for them and harvest them to eat. The problem with the “sunny pollution” is over-fishing, or over harvesting to be more exact.
Back to the discussion at hand….Border Water Regs.
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Uh, sunnies are gamefish because people like to fish for them and harvest them to eat. The problem with the “sunny pollution” is over-fishing, or over harvesting to be more exact.
I totaly agree. Thats why I just like to put a few on a leash at night time, you know, just to keep an eye on them
I am pretty sure the DNR doesnt want to cross that line of using a gamefish for bait. Panfish are the most targeted species overall. I think anyone can agree there are tons of places full of stunted sunfish.. but too many people would abuse it if they were allowed as bait… Everyone already knows there are too many laws to enforce now in MN. Many states allow them up to 5″ or 7″ is pretty standard, some states there are no size restrictions.
One guarantee.. anwhere other than MN I am catfishing.. there is a sunfish on at least one hook!
Ohh boy…..I’m in trouble again… 
The main point here ,to me anyway ,is that there is a definite,surveyed ,boundry line between MN and WI..
A WI CO cannot ticket anyone in MN…….. just as a CO in MN cannot ticket anyone in WI…
But they DO cite people for breaking their state’s laws.
And if you don’t think these guys know EXACTLY what state they are in….well…..
As I’ve said before…my friend recieved such a ticket (too many lines) on the river (granted it was 1980’s) and I am (pretty sure) I watched 2 guys this year get citations below the spillway @ dam 6 (clearly on the MN side) for too many tip-ups..(did’nt really want to butt in to ask what the deal was )
My only point here is…how much of a chance is anyone willing to take ?? 
I will take the chance each time because it is legal. They might have not had a license. or tried jiggin and had too many tipups. Their buddy might have wandered off. They might have been confused Mn anglers thinking they could use 3 on the border water. It is 100 percent legal to fish with 3 rods between the tracks if you have a Wisconsin lic. There is no magic line down the channel.
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I will take the chance each time because it is legal. They might have not had a license. or tried jiggin and had too many tipups. Their buddy might have wandered off. They might have been confused Mn anglers thinking they could use 3 on the border water. It is 100 percent legal to fish with 3 rods between the tracks if you have a Wisconsin lic. There is no magic line down the channel.
Then what about my buddy??? He recieved (and fought,and lost) a citation for using a treble hook on the MN side of the river.
And your right… there is no magic line…
Like I said ..it’s a surveyed,legal line…..
really can’t explain it better…..
You take your chances…I’ll take mine..but I do not want my advice to get someone else a citation…just too expensive….I’d feel like s**t
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A WI CO cannot ticket anyone in MN…….. just as a CO in MN cannot ticket anyone in WI…
But they DO cite people for breaking their state’s laws.
This dosen`t make any sense to me…We are talking boundary waters. So if what you say is true I have a wi. license have 35 panfish 10 over my limit and get checked by MN DNR. They can`t ticket me on boundary waters?
Why does the MN DNR check me on the river for licenss and size of catch when my boat is clearly registered in Wi? If he can`t site me why bother me?
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A WI CO cannot ticket anyone in MN…….. just as a CO in MN cannot ticket anyone in WI…
But they DO cite people for breaking their state’s laws.
This dosen`t make any sense to me…We are talking boundary waters. So if what you say is true I have a wi. license have 35 panfish 10 over my limit and get checked by MN DNR. They can`t ticket me on boundary waters?
Why does the MN DNR check me on the river for licenss and size of catch when my boat is clearly registered in Wi? If he can`t site me why bother me?
Well Tom…They would write you a citation for being 25 fish over MN’s limit….
I’m gonna call both DNR offices today and try to get answers. 
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A WI CO cannot ticket anyone in MN…….. just as a CO in MN cannot ticket anyone in WI…
But they DO cite people for breaking their state’s laws.
This dosen`t make any sense to me…We are talking boundary waters. So if what you say is true I have a wi. license have 35 panfish 10 over my limit and get checked by MN DNR. They can`t ticket me on boundary waters?
Why does the MN DNR check me on the river for licenss and size of catch when my boat is clearly registered in Wi? If he can`t site me why bother me?
He can cite you, he won’t bother checking you when you’re in Wisconsin, which means on the Wisconsin side of the main channel (except in a very few places where the boundary doesn’t follow the main channel, like pool 8). However, if you’re doing something idiotic or clearly illegal, they will intervene.
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I’m gonna call both DNR offices today and try to get answers
If you are calling the DNR…you might want to call both of them…
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I’m gonna call both DNR offices today and try to get answers
If you are calling the DNR…you might want to call both of them…
Yep….
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