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If a MN resident can follow the WI laws on the WI side of the river…I can keep 25 catfish on the sippi (instead of 10!)
Yes sir…..I guess you could….but you would have to EAT 15 of ’em before ya went home!!!
When’s the catfish fry ? – I’m hungry!!!!! 
How many of you guys have been on the river at night and been checked by a CO and been cited for using over-sized bullheads, or bait from infested waters, or fishing too many lines on border waters, or taking baitfish illegally?
How many of you have speeding tickets, yet still drive 5-10mph over the speed limit and spend more time worrying about cast-nets and bullhead laws than obeying the speed limit??
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I guess I will have to contact the local CO to try to get the actual wording relating to cast nets in the state of MN.
You won’t have to worry about OUR CO Dave.
Here is his reply to my E-Mail…..
7/13/2007 1:37 PM >>>
Are cast nets legal in non invested waters in Minnesota.
Thanks and keep up the good work!
Cast nets are legal for taking bait and rough fish (after May 1) in non-infested waters.
Thor Nelson
Conservation Officer
Department of Natural Resources
Division of Enforcement
Great post, Gary. I hate that the regs are so ambiguous when it comes to these things.
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This is a tool used all over the US to collect bait. It should be stated in the regs clearly whether it’s legal to use one. It’s not like it’s an oddball thing.
Why do we always have to guess????
I guess when it comes to ambiguous things like this (cast nets not being called out in the regs), or rules that are just plain stupid and make absolutely no difference in safety or fishery quality mainetnance (9 inch bullies illegal when a 7 incher is legal) I’m just going to use the system that makes the most sense — good old fashioned knowledge of right and wrong.
To the fellow who thinks I’m having a ‘bad day’ because I can’t follow the rules, I guess I have the mindset that there’s rules and enforcers in place for two reasons — a) some people don’t have enough common sense to know what’s right and wrong without having things spelled out for them and b) some people don’t care to do what’s right even if they know the difference. I am neither of those folks.
Doing the “legal” thing doesn’t always make one a better person. Certainly you can’t tell me that ‘legal and illegal’ corresponds exactly with ‘right and wrong’. At one time it was legal in North Dakota to shoot an Indian as long as it’s from a covered wagon. It might still be legal, I haven’t checked lately. It was also illegal to hang both mens and womens underwear on the same clothesline in Minnesota at one time (maybe still is?).
I tend to think that fewer sheep and more common sense would better our society. The problem is that the common sense is lacking in so many people. It’s a pipe dream to think we could ever get by with FEWER laws/rules…Just like I drive might 5-10 miles over the speed limit where it is safe to do so (or 5-30 miles under the speed limit where/when that’s the safest speed to travel), I will continue to make my own judgement calls on regs that are either ambiguous or just plain stupid, and I’ll take any punishment that I might end up with because of that decision.
Taxpayers weren’t always so willing to give huge piles of money to governments to make and enforce more rules and regulations….it’s a relatively new thing, actually. The inherent notions of right and wrong are much older, and always more correct.
Laws are merely written rules that try to convey through language the concept of right and wrong, and do it in such a way that it’s enforceable by the CO/Police. You can only spell out the rules so explicitly before your regulations ‘booklet’ that people pick up at the counter when they get their license becomes too thick for the average person to read or comprehend. Beyond that, one has to rely on interpretation, reading between the lines, etc. I’m glad Thor has interpreted and decided that a casting net and a seine net aren’t really different when it comes to RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, which is what it’s all about, really.
aanderud, first it was math and now philosophy. We might have to get out in a boat one night and bounce theories and philosophies off one another.
Since some COs are green lighting cast nets, I would try and get an email or possibly a fax with a signature. Then if a CO says what you are doing is illegal, you have that to show them. My guess is the worse thing a CO would do after showing him is say that it is illegal and just tell you to stop. I’ve never met a CO with an attitude or who wasn’t reasonable.
The different with breaking fishing regs and say speeding is that state patrol and other agents will tell you is as long as you aren’t going faster than the rest of traffic, you won’t get a ticket, even if everyone is going 5-8 MPH over the limit.
Speaking of Green…..Conservation Officer Nelson is a New guy himself so another Conservation Officer may or probably does have a different interpretation of the LAW!
Who’s audemp….?… 
Guess I have to agree with the common sense thing.
Buy my psyche was tested yesterday while doing some yardwork. I wanted to put down some fertilizer. So I set my sprinklers to cycle one minute at each zone (5 minutes total), to wet the grass and allow the weed killer to stick to the weeds. As I’m pushing the spreader I see an officer at the end of my driveway. He issued me a watering citation (no watering between 10 and 6). 
Don’t take anything for granted, even common sense. 
I agree with you aanderud. It’s common sense that is lacking. If we ask ourselves a few questions about whatever our concern is we should be able to make a decent judgement. It doesnt mean the CO will make the same judgement, but I’m not going to worry too much about it…yet. In my opinion the CO’s have become wise to bullhead and cast-net laws more from us fisherman than anyone else. Think of how many CO’s are aware of these laws because of us bugging them when before they probably didnt know and didnt care. I dont know of one person who has been ticketed for using a bullhead too big, and who really follows that rule anyways?? I really want to know.
Is my cast-net going to hurt the fishery by taking 10lbs of shad a year when billions die every winter? No
Is it going to be affected if 1000 hardcore catters in the metro area do the same? No
Is using a 8 inch bullhead as opposed to a 7 inch bullhead going to hurt a fishery somehow? I cant think of a reason.
Is using more lines than allowed going to hurt a fishery?
Yes, it could. I will not condone that.
Is catching a limit of 6 inch bluegills (20 in minnesota) and using them for bait instead of eating them yourself going to hurt the fish population? Considering the amount of people that keep and eat panfish compared to the amount that would use them for bait, no it would not hurt a thing.
Except your pocketbook. There’s no question you would get a ticket for doing this in Minnesota.
Do CO’s go out on the river at night checking catfishermen for using cast nets and oversized bullheads?
I havent seen them yet. And if you asked one of them and they answered honestly they would probably tell you it would be a waste of time.
After this post, will a DNR officer be knocking on my door within 24 hours? I wouldn’t bet against it! 
Im not going into the common sense thing… if I dont use common sense in my fishing actions… I am sure one of you that I fish with very often would raise concern immediately.. and I have never got a lecuture from a fishing partner for doing wrong… enough said there.
As for your comments Pier Bridge on Thor Nelson being relatively new.. Yes, he is, I believe he started early last year and I have met him many times. He is deply involved in the catfishing circle around the twin cities from individual harvesting of bait, commercial harvesting of bait, allowed methods and proper precautions and transporting and handling(alot is involved in licensed infested water harvesting)… this guy has dug in deep and has reviewed everything involved with legal bait harvesting and methods allowed… In fact, there is NOBODY I would trust more for accurate information on bait harvest.. he even keeps Moores in check.
Thor Nelson is doing a great job around the metro.. he goes out of his way to keep on top of things, and he always spends the time to answer any questions a person has.
I had the pleasure of crossing paths with officer Nelson earlier this season, on the MN. We spent considerable time discussing a variety of topics in many different areas. I don’t think that he is as new as you guys might think, even if he is his knowledge of rivers and Catting on the MN is very thorough with years of practical experience to back it up. I would say that he is a great resource and a outstanding example of a CO. I’m glad to see more patrolling on the MN and other waters, and look forward to crossing paths with others as well.
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Thor Nelson is doing a great job around the metro.. he goes out of his way to keep on top of things, and he always spends the time to answer any questions a person has.
I agree very knowledgeable and helpfull for a guy who has only been on the job a year or two.
Go Thor…
I ran into officer nelson a couple times in the spring. Seems pretty knowledgable compared to some of the CO’s in the metro. Had one CO a few weeks ago tell us to “hold tight” as he went back to his bike to check the regs to see if bullheads were okay to use as bait. The other CO he was with finally assured him it was okay and they rode off to meet with 3 other CO’s that were in the area. Hitting the streets hard in MPLS I guess.
Did he measure the bullheads?
Cute pic Larry. Did he autograph your bait bucket?
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Cute pic Larry. Did he autograph your bait bucket?
Tim that has to be the line of the year! Sorry Larry, but I am just being honest. You don’t know how much I wish it was at Brian’s expense.
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Cute pic Larry. Did he autograph your bait bucket?
Nah… I requested his pic and didn’t say no. Not the best shot but what can you do when your trying to keep boats from banging together. (sorry Officer Nelson)
Tim I can see that your eager to meet Officer Nelson. If you haven’t already. Your questions and tone are indicating some interest if not jealousy 
If you would like I could arrange a meeting and afterwards
I’m sure he would be happy to autograph your bait bucket after he measured your bullheads.
Thanks Larry, but I already had the privilege of crossing paths with him. Great guy, suprisingly small though, as he is only about 3 foot 4 inches tall. He may be vertically challenged but he did a great job of measuring my bullheads!
Any CO who is willing to let Larry take a picture of him must be a good sport. I have only crossed paths with one CO and that was shore fishing on the Mississippi. He was also a nice enough guy.
Ya lost me on the vertically challenged part… Must be an inside joke.
Glad to hear that you’ve had pleasant crossings with him.
I only read about half way threw this post. My question is, is is legal for me to use a small dip net to scope up a minnow from the croix and then hook it on my jig and cast it out? Now if I catch a few extra minnows and put them in a bucket on shore for future use in the next hour or so is that still okay? How certain of the type of minnows Im catching do I need to be? They look to be emerald shinners.
I think you would be fine Mike. The minnows are from the same body of water.
Just dont let Larry see you or he’ll put Thor hot on your trail. 
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Did he measure the bullheads?
No, they were bought at Moores bait and of legal length for transport like all the Bullies Flaco and company use.
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he did a great job of measuring my bullheads!
Now thats funny right der!
Common sense tells me anyone condoning breaking laws (however sensless) should have their bait bucket 
signed by a CO.
If I died today and the only thing I was remembered for was teaching the CO’s the legal lenght limit on bullheads…I would be a happy man. There’s a lot worse things I could be remembered for.
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Did he measure the bullheads?
Nope. Just scooped through the bucket to see what we were using. There may have been one or two questionable ones in the bunch but the water was dirty because they were just caught and puke everything up shortly after being in captivity.
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Did he measure the bullheads?
Nope. Just scooped through the bucket to see what we were using. There may have been one or two questionable ones in the bunch but the water was dirty because they were just caught and puke everything up shortly after being in captivity.
I’d be willing to bet he was just making sure you didnt have any of those *Greater orange breasted bullheads*, or some other specie not legal for bait.
The only comment I have ever heard from a CO on bullheads that were in my bucket is “those look pretty small for flathead bait”.
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The only comment I have ever heard from a CO on bullheads that were in my bucket is “those look pretty small for flathead bait”.
It’s obvious my work is not done.
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