Dip nets for Shad

Now that cast nets are not allowed this year, I was wondering if anyone has successfully caught shad with a hand held dip net? Is there a better way that is legal? Any tips would be appreciated. Catching shad is pretty fun, not to mention how great a bait it is, bummer that the cast nets are out this year.

Dip nets are tough. I get them from shore sometimes on the Croix that way. They should have never even brought up cast nets and the stupid permit stuff.

Thanks wildbeaver. It seems like it would be really tough. Still on the fence if I should buy a net.

Best bait in the river. It’s a pain that they make it so difficult to use. They should just allow cast nets on the rivers.

When surrounded by shad, I’ve tried to dip net them several times. I caught 2. The one thing I didn’t try was to slowly put my net into the water then scoop fast.

All I know is that they are very fast! Dip netting quickly is a waste of time.

Cast nets will be back in MN. We just need a stand alone bill to get it through.

Just yesterday I was at the WI DNR’s Sturgeon Advisory meeting. Cast nets were brought up (by me) but in the grand scheme of things seems to be a low priority (to just talk about them)…but it was the first meeting so we’ll see.

Hey Brian, thanks for bringing up cast nets with the WI DNR, it would be great if MN and WI would get on board with this. Cast netting really adds a fun aspect to the sport. And I know last year, it was tough to see a big school of shad on the Wisconsin side and not be able to throw a net at them, and it will be really tough not throwing a cast net anywhere this year.

I’ll be posting info in the next day or two about how to send comments and suggestions about sturgeon to the WI DNR.

Now don’t shoot the messenger but it is not legal to use a dip net to harvest shad or any other types of bait on the St Croix or Mississippi rivers. You have to understand that these waters are infested waters and as such have a whole other set of rules relative to harvesting bait.
You have to become familiar with MN Statute 84D.03 INFESTED WATERS; RESTRICTED ACTIVITIES. I won’t quote the entire statute but here are the relevant parts relating to harvesting bait:

Subd. 3.Bait harvest from infested waters. (a) Taking wild animals from infested waters for bait or aquatic farm purposes is prohibited except as provided in paragraph (b) or (c) and section 97C.341.
(c) In streams or rivers that are listed as infested waters, except those listed as infested with certifiable diseases of fish, as defined under section 17.4982, subdivision 6, the harvest of bullheads, goldeyes, mooneyes, sheepshead (freshwater drum), and suckers for bait by hook and line for noncommercial personal use is allowed as follows:
(1) fish taken under this paragraph must be used on the same body of water where caught and while still on that water body. Where the river or stream is divided by barriers such as dams, the fish must be caught and used on the same section of the river or stream;
(2) fish taken under this paragraph may not be transported live from or off the water body;
(3) fish harvested under this paragraph may only be used in accordance with this section;
(4) any other use of wild animals used for bait from infested waters is prohibited;
(5) fish taken under this paragraph must meet all other size restrictions and requirements as established in rules; and
(6) all species listed under this paragraph shall be included in the person’s daily limit as established in rules, if applicable.

These rules make it illegal to harvest bait other than by hook and line for the species identified in subdivision 3.(c). This is why our cast net permit process is so critical to us sturgeon fishermen. We have been assured that this will be corrected during the next legislative session. This will be followed closely by most of us.

I was shore fishing at the discharge in Bayport and I saw quite a few boats throwing cast net for shad. One of the other guys down there said it was ok again. What gives? There was never an issue before they made people get permits. Now you can’t even have it?

wildbeaver wrote:

I was shore fishing at the discharge in Bayport and I saw quite a few boats throwing cast net for shad. Now you can’t even have it?

No wildbeaver…no! They were using electric K-drills for shad. Your not seeing what you think you see. (Or want to see?)

And no, you can’t even have it…any gas powered device. NO!

How much shad could a K drill .drill if a K drill could drill shad?

…..and what kind of drill would you use?

Thanks for the information Steve, I ended up not buying a dip net after reading Brian’s post about how difficult is was. Hope that law gets passed next year, I miss throwing the net.

steve-demars wrote:

not legal to use a dip net to harvest shad or any other types of bait on the St Croix or Mississippi rivers.

I should of remembered that! Thanks Steve!

Now that it’s posted in a public forum, I would expect the DNR to be watching the power plant closer. Or, they could go the other way and say that it’s just a technicality and over look it. Publicly, they have to say we need to follow the law.

Either way, the DNR spent over $4k to research the use of cast nets. The amount of time spent by volunteers will easily double or even triple that amount.

I just hope the number of folks using cast nets illegally won’t jeopardize the work of so many.

WB, bait wasn’t to be collected out the those rivers for a very long time. I don’t recall the date this law went into effect. There were many reasons but the all stemmed around AIS being transported out of the infested river to other “clean” lakes.

Right now, there isn’t any law (permitting process) set up that ensures people with cast nets are aware of the AIS implications like transporting them to other waters.

In fact, a person could make the case that since we sturgeon anglers knowingly won’t follow the cast net law, why would we follow laws to keep from taking shad to other waters?

Slices of sucker is a good replacement for shad as well as night crawlers. Yes, there is a cost to these baits but at this time it’s the cost of fishing.

It’s just going to be one season before we can legally use cast nets and shad again. Let’s not screw it up.

What about a landing net? Wouldn’t those transfer AIS? How about a lunchlady swimming in multiple bodies of water with the same hair net? The whole thing is stupid. Should have never even brought up shad. It just put it on the radar. I just got another job to help afford the extra nightcrawlers so I don’t have to risk using the “illegal” bait that there are millions of pounds of in the river for free.

^ No disagreement here.

Bev, did you take the AIS Bait Harvest quiz in the last three years?