Mille Lacs Ethics question

I was on the pond this weekend with a few friends. About 2 in the afternoon we hit on a fish that was about 2.5 inches over the slot limit. Fish came from about 34 feet of water, and did not look good when it came out of the water. Unhooked, snapped a few photos, and tried to release it. After 5 minutes in the water and the fish not even kicking, I put it in the livewell thinking I could maybe revive it with some water circulation. Well, the fish never made it, despite our best efforts.

So here is the question, Do you release this fish, knowing it is dead because that is what the regulations say, or do you keep it and worry about the DNR later?

You have got to abide by the regulations. Dead fish or live fish in the boat out of the slot will most likely get you a ticket. DNR probably wont listen to your story about it dying before you decided to keep it.

A couple of years ago we had the same problem.

We had a 28.5 and a 27.5 incher that wouldn’t revive in the same day.

We ended up keeping the 28.5 and after spending a half hour on the 27.5 let it go.

Unless it’s a really big fish I don’t measure or photograph them this time of year.

I take my time bringing it in and get it into the water as soon as I can.

We all wish that every fish released would survive, but that’s part of fishing. It’s not worth getting caught by the DNR…even though we all have thought about it at some point.

You have to follow the rules, even when they don’t work very well.

And maybe something will eat that Walleye anyway: an eagle, a snapering turtle, gulls. At least then it wouldn’t be wasted.

Rootski

Yeah, as much as my heart is telling my to keep it, i know it won’t go to waste completely. The DNR hears so many lies about keeping illegal fish, they won’t believe me if i was telling the truth.

It would have to go back if it was my boat–one fish is not worth the potential of loosing my fishing rights. Worse than that I would know I broke the law and that would not sit right.

–Whitey

Back when I hunted…my friends dog caught a hen pheasent..no bb holes ect. I took it home…My dad figured my rear end was too small and enlarged it for me.

I had it all justified in my mind…so I called the DNR.

Paraphrased they said,it didn’t matter how I got it..your breaking the law by possessing it. They too said nothing goes to waste in nature.

Bummer…but that’s the way it is…and I can’t think of any better way.

Not to rip on anyone that voted to keep the fish…or the one that voted other…

but wondering why you would vote that way? If you would like to remain annamous, shoot me a pm or email…I’ll paste it here without any names attached…and keep my mouth shut on who sent it.

Throw back the fish, but keep the cheeks.

Just remember, it sometimes takes a while for these girls to come around in the heat. I like to try to keep the fish in the water, even if it is in the net dipped in the water until it ready for photo or release.

I voted to release. For reasons as stated earlier, no matter the reason you are still violating the law.

That was funny Dave…but I wonder if they would be counted as a fish??

Here’s a pm from the other point of veiw.

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I voted to keep it……………

And in my opinion, it is not different that the guy that travels 56mph in a 55mph…….or the guy who doesn’t come to a complete stop at a stop sign……….Or the guy that shoots the deer, duck, or pheasant “1 minute” before legal shooting times”……..

EVERYONE bends the law to one point or another.

If it were me and I could get away with it…….I would slice and dice that walleye right in the boat and throw the fillets in a cooler in a zip-lock bag. You will always find zip-locks and a fillet knife in my boat, along with a short board to do so……

Again, this is on a fish that is dying……..and I can get away with it without being caught……..As for the guts…..they go overboard…..remember what you said: “nothing goes to waste”……that carcass will get eaten up by something, even if it is bug larve.

…. in my opinion, it is a sin to throw the fish away……..it is wanton waste, knowing that you are going to catch another to replace it in the fry pan…….

By the way, the same applies to a doe when buck hunting, a hen when pheasant hunting, or one mallard over the limit.

Wanton waste is a sin in my eyes……irrelavant of what the law states.

If you kill it, you are going to eat it.

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Its illegal to poses fillets on mille lacs.

It Illegal to poses fillets on any body of water in Minnesota that has size restrictions. I voted to through the fish back.

You have to throw it back. The DNR figures in dead loss, when they set the harvest limits. They will tag you immediately, no stories. I voted throw it back, without a hesitation. The difference between driving 56 in a 55, and keeping an illegal fish is, you won’t lose your license for driving 56, but you will lose your fishing rights for a couple years, not worth it IMO.

big g

Another “keep it” view…

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I voted to keep the fish and eat it.

As a hunter and a person who fishes as a part of my life stlye it is up to me to make sure the actions I take are follow the motto of “It’s the right thing to do”.

I feel strongly that if you pull a nice eye out of 30′ of water and there is no way in hell that the big girl you caught is going to make it, it is up to you to do the right thing. Cut it up and take it home. The DNR is not going to search for a bag of filets in your boat. When we fish our hunt things die. That is the way it is. We cannot change that. Should we ? our Ethics in this matter?

I geuss for me I ask myslef this ? Is this action in in the interest of the good for all?

If I let the fish die maybe a Eagle might get it. Maybe some bugs might get it. Or maybe I should eat it.

I remember when I was a kid I killed a bunch of tree rats when I was 16. I got my lisc. to drive went to the gas station bought my small game hunting lisc. I was going out to kill not to hunt. I took 7 tree rats. I was pumped. I went home to show my dad and was hoping he would be really proud of me, my kill and what I had done. To say the least he was not happy. He asked me what I was going to do with all these tree rats? I told him that I was going to send the tails into Mepps to start getting my $ for lures. He told me I was going to eat what I had killed. Well after eating these things. I vowed I would never take and kill something unless I intended on eating it!

Just my $.02

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mmmmmmm…… tree rat.

Is a tree rat a Squirrel?

If so what’s wrong with eating them?

I would return the fish as the regulations are in effect and should not be broken. I have heard serveral people try to explain that the fish died to the DNR only to have the CO reply “The turtles need to eat too”. The DNR is very quick to write a ticket.

I’m curious about some thing on this. Has any one tried rigging some thing to pull the fish down to where you could pull back releasing the fish. Was thinking of one of those weights to set the bobbers we use ice fishing and adding a barbless hook attached solid to the weight so it faces downward. Let it drag the fish down to the bottom, or apprx depth it came from, then when you pull on the line the fish would come loose.
I may try putting a hook through the sounding weight and bending the shank back on its self, then file the barb off.
Just a thought

WarrenMN

Mouth to mouth usually works…Just ask Pug! Haayoooohhh!

I say send her back, you never know what will happen to the fish. It is not worth the risk.

I personally try to not even use the net. I try to pull the fish to the back of the boat and unhook them in the water and let them swim right back down. My boat suggestion is 1 photo fish per day. If it a keeper and we are looking for eaters, than I use the net.

Mike is right on. It is too hot to net and take photo’s. Get a quik shot while they are boat side, but try to keep them in the water. There is always the situation a person needs the photo (kids, wife ect.), but in general, we don’t need to measure every fish that we know is over this time of year.

EJ

Yep, gotta put ‘er back and go find a school of smaller eater fish, or find big fish in shallower water. Big fish that deep, this time of year are going to have a tough time.

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EVERYONE bends the law to one point or another.

By the way, the same applies to a doe when buck hunting, a hen when pheasant hunting, or one mallard over the limit.

Wanton waste is a sin in my eyes……irrelavant of what the law states.

If you kill it, you are going to eat it.

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So this guy, who I don’t blame for wanting to remain nameless, is simply a poacher. Wanton waste could also mean taking more than your fair share, right?