Wisconsin Anglers Can Use Cast Nets

Reference my previous post about “Gathering minnows and baitfish”. I did a search on the Wisconsion DNR’s website and found the Wisconsin regulation covering MN/WI boundary waters, GUESS WHAT!!

Wisconsin anglers can use cast nets. Follow this link: http://dnr.wi.gov/org/water/fhp/fish/regulations/2003/documents/spearing03.pdf

Under Wisconsin/Minnesota Boundary Waters it states: Cast nets no larger than 7 feet in diameter or mesh of more than 1/2 inch stretch measure may be used to take minnows.

What is really ironic, even if I bought a Wisconsin non-resident license it would still be illegal for me to use the cast net. I am bound by my state of residence (Minnesota’s) fishing regulation. Page 46 of the 2004 MN Fishing Regulations states: “When Minnesota’s fishing regulations differ from the bordering state’s regulations, Minnesota residents and persons fishing under a Minnesota non-resident license must comply with the Minnesota regulations and may not exercise more liberal fishing privileges in Minnesota waters.”

Does that suck or what!!

Welcome to Minnesota: The State Where Absolutely Nothing Is Allowed

If it wasn’t for the Packers a guy just might consider moving to Wisconsin. I need to find a Cheesehead with a cast net to become my new best friend.

Jez Comm…you are so right! Move the Vikings to WI and I’d go!

RE: Laws

That’s why we can’t use gills for live bait or 3 rods even if we have a WI non resident license.

Isn’t that discrimination?

The Vikings might have a hard time competing in the WIAC football league

Hey!!! There are a few of us Vikings fans over here already. Come on over.

Gator Hunter

Yup, good old Minnesota, land of 10,000 fishing regulations.
Any out of state cat man should never buy non resident MN license if they could use the WI one instead. Don’t forget the bluegills, we can’t use those either. Comencharo, we can use monnow seines though, at least we could the last time I checked. I guess I’ve got to get rid of my cast net I’ve apparently been using illegally the past two years

Just find a place that isn’t governed by “border regulations.” Some spillway on a little creek or river that’s within wisconsin borders. I guess that works if you buy their license. Put them on ice immediately. Don’t let them sit in any of the water/fish slime mix or they will freeze poorly. Vacuum packing works ok for this. Frozen isn’t as good as fresh, but it’s something. It beats buying bait at least. Oh, practice with the net before you go.

Hey Dirk – Unfortunately it isn’t the method we use that restricts us from catching baitfish on the St Croix and the Mississippi, it’s the zebra mussel. The Mississippi River (downstream of St Anthony Falls) and the St Croix River are both designated as infested with zebra mussels and as such we cannot take minnows or baitfish from them. I’ve got a good minnow seine and I was going to go to that method until I found out I couldn’t legally use it on the St Croix to catch Gizzard Shad. This zebra mussel is really cramping my style. The zebra mussel restricts where I can go and now the kind of bait I can use. The National Park Service restricts upstream travel on the St Croix River to the High Bridge about 3 miles north of the Boomsite and now the Minnesota DNR restricts the catching of minnows and baitfish from the St Croix or Mississippi for use on the river.

Oh well – I will just work around it. I can launch at William O’Brien State Park or Osceola and work downstream and reach the best water (it’s just a little bit more of a pain in the butt) and I will use suckers instead of Gizzard Shad. I may buy some of that commercial gizzard shad bait and give that a go to see how it works. Where there is a will, there is a way – I’m going to catch a bunch of big ones this year.

Good point Tom. But I think it say “MN residents” must follow the rule of where the reside…..But…no, that would work either, they would ask for proof of residency.

I ‘spose you could say that you don’t have any ID with you and that you’re from IA or something. No law says you have to show proof of residency. Then there’s the boat registration card with your address on it.
Just thinking out loud here.

Depending how good the CO is at follow up and what kind of day he/she is having…you could get by…then again…anyone know what the fine is for using bluegills as bait?

We are so incredibly lucky to have the opportunity to be able to fish and hunt in this great country. Our natural resources are managed by well trained and well meaning people at the federal and state level. The whole reason for asking the questions about our fishing regulations is a matter of ethics. My responsibility as a hunter and fisherman is to know and follow the regulations. I want to enjoy my outdoor sporting experience by doing it the right way which will help provide the same or better resources for my children and my grandchildren. I don’t want to twist any rules or make any excuses just to catch a fish – I want to work within the system. I don’t always agree with the way things are done but I have enough personal integrity to follow the rules. I want to set a personal example for my children and others I hunt and fish with.

Sorry – I didn’t mean to pontificate so much. I guess it all boils down to my personal ethics. I would know it’s wrong and I won’t do that to myself.

Hey Steve, I reread the posts and I can see (very easily I might add) were someone reading these posts could take it that way.

I generally look for the “spirit” of the law and not loop holes. I many time forget that these posts are seen by thousands of people. My intent is purely discussiion. I agree with you that I may not like every law, but follow them until they are changed… otherwise everyone would be driving 100 mph on I-94!

It’s tough with differant law in differant states. I guess it would be too easy to have them all the same. I’m still trying to figure out the “no bluegills as bait in MN” law. I know there has to be a reason for it. Time to make a phone call…

My last post didn’t quite come across the way I wanted it to. This entire thread poses a significant ethical conundrum for an American Sportsman. Our confusing and complex system of rules and regulations on border waters significantly tests the ethics of a sportsman. Its tough when two guys from WI and MN fish in the same boat and the WI guy can use 3 rods and whatever kind of bait he wants. The WI angler is allowed to gather bait from the same waters the MN angler is restricted from and he can use equipment to gather bait that is also restricted from the MN angler. When we are both fishing together, ethically we are both sportsman, legitimately following the rules and regulations of our respective state.

So there I sit, watching my WI partner bait up his three rods, one rod with a 5 inch Gizzard Shad that he caught in his 6′ casting net, one rod with a 5 inch bluegill, and the other with an 8″ bullhead. The MN guy gets to bait up with a 7″ bullhead on one rod and a hunk of cut sucker on his other rod. After watching the WI guy boat his 2nd 40# flathead on a bluegill, after watching the WI guy boat three 15# channels on cut gizzard shad, the MN guy can’t stand it any more and he baits up with a bluegill and a gizzard shad. The MN angler is now in violation of his state’s fishing regulations and has compromised his personal ethics. The WI angler is still a righteous angler – BUT they are both fishing exactly the same way, in the same boat on the same body of water.

With everything that is happening in the world, most people could give a darn less about how many rods you get to fish with and what kind of bait you can legally use. And 99% of the time there is nobody around enforcing these crazy regulations. But you pride yourself on being an American Sportsman. So where do you draw the line? My point is that we as sportsman have an obligation to know what rules apply to us personally, and even if we disagree with them, follow the rules and regulations to the intent of the law.

Having said all that – anybody got some cheap property in WI? Never underestimate the power of Cheese!!!

As a wisconsin angler I must be aware of which side of the main channel I fish. For instance- If on the Wi. side I am allowed to use 3 rods. When on the Mn. side I must follow their more restrictive rules (Must be we can handle multitasking better). Therefore if a Mn. angler with a non-resident Wi. license on the Wi. side of the main channel could use a cast net I BELIEVE. The key being which side of the main channel being fished. Trying to explain to the Gestopo what you are doing with the net when you take your boat out may be a problem though.

Hey! Just got off the phone with a WI CO.

He explained it to me this way. If you are in the WI side of the Croix you and you have a WI non resident lisance, you would follow the WI rules. How ever IF you are on the MN side OR only have a MN license…the MN laws would apply.

This would make sense to me because a MN CO can’t enforce MN laws in WI and visa versa…

Now I wonder if I would call back and spoke to someone else, if I would get the same answer!?

Hey! Just got off the phone with a MN CO.

Guess what! He said that there is no imaginary line for fishing the MN boundry waters….If you are a MN resident, you have to follow the MN laws even if you ONLY had a non-resident WI license…

So the question was “If all I had was the WI NR- L, how would the CO know?” which was answered easily….What name and address is on the lisense?

I think the famous John Jordan once said…ask two CO’s the same question and get two differant answers….(or something like that).

Bunch of damn fascists in Minnesota. If I were you I would definitely move across the river to the friendly side. The whole idea of a boundary waters is to have a simple transition between state fish and game laws. You need a law degree to undertand what where and when is legal. Did you ask the CO if he has ever taken the time to measure bullheads?

Hey, Brian – Those telephone calls really cleared up all the questions didn’t they? Unfortunately those Conservation Officers are well down the pecking order and just implementing the policies of their respective state conservation departments. I don’t know how we could ever get this mess cleared up so that it served the interest of the sportsman. It is a case of some deeply parochial state bureacracies with well developed systems and programs that are out of touch with each other. They don’t even see the confusion that their specific agencies have created – they have almost no coordination or communication between each other. They have little incentive to really come to compromise on these issues. What do they have to gain by addressing these issues except more work. Plus they probably believe that they are each guardians of our Mother Earth and their way is the path to truth, justice and the American way. I believe if you closely check it out each respective DNR periodically pisses on the biggest rocks on their respective shoreline to mark their territory. What a depressing monologue that is.

Other than that – life is actually quite beautiful. Spring is right around the corner and we are going to catch some great big fish early this spring. The hell with the beaucrats – lets go fishing. Just bring two rods and a dozen large suckers and some small bullheads. We are good to go. urine on their rules!!

Cheers to good things that are just around the corner Comanchero!!

Hey, Dirk. You know how to lift a man’s spirits. That is a Kodak moment – what a beautiful fish on what looks like a great fishing experience. Congrats.

Steve…I will never lean on a large rock on either shore again!

You have to admit, Dirk has quite a wife. We were talking about not washing our hands after useing cut bait and jumping into bed when we got home…I see you’ve taken that a little further….shorts! I can’t wait to try that!

The Croix has a long way to go….but the Hudson channel has all most made it to the WI side on the south side of the bridge…little rain…little wind…little sunshine….little time on the water.

But on the other hand…went through Bayport today…the portable was a long way off…but I’m guessing Turk was reading a book and catching crappies (for bait?)