On page 55 of the fishing regs it states.
No fishing allowed within 300 feet below Mississippi River Lock and Dam 3 (near Red Wing) and Lock and Dam 4 (Alma, WI) from March
1-April 30.
I stand corrected, as this is from Kevin Kyle at the DNR.
~SKINEBOY~
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Here’s a little item striaght from the DNR site. Looks to me as of last year the fishery isn’t being threatened at all.
I am concerned about the fishery as much as the next guy perhaps more, but this is not what this is all about. This is about “Equality” and “Equal” rights for every American citizen. WE ARE ONE NATION UNDER GOD. PERIOD!!! 
We should not be: (but sadly we are)
This one group can do this and this group can’t. This one group can do whatever they want on and off their land and this group can’t.
They can vote where my tax dollars go and yet flip the coin and I can not fish on a MN body of water, but they can???? Are we able to vote on how things proceed in the tribe? NO. Does the money they make from the Casino’s go to the lake they harvest fish from???? NO. Does my tax Dollars go to help and provide them with the equipment they net the lakes with?????? YES, they do
Jeremy please tell me you do see something wrong here???? 
Not sure whats up….but there are no nets set out front tonite!!!
I wonder if the Bands have reached their qouted? 100,000lbs walleye
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Good concept Jon! Get arrested and…
Well, I’ve tried that for several years! I have fished, openly, caught walleyes and had myself turned in by phone to the Brainerd enforcement office.
THEY WILL NOT ALLOW ME TO BE ARRESTED!
so are you saying that if there were 200 of us fishing in our boats out of season they wouldn’t arrest any of us?? 
In the mean time I would ask everyone to consider where they are spending there money at. Especially around Casino’s. Not just the ones around the lake either. Both MN and WI casino’s contribute. I believe there are a couple resorts on the West side that are also owned by the Natives. I for one will NEVER set foot into one of these establishments.
Secondly, Educate others with the facts.
OK;
I’ll play devils advocate.
European’s came here in the name of “God” and in turn, siezed, raped, pillaged, burned, killed, maimed, tortured, and on-and-on-and-on. in response to our conquest of this nation, we gave the survivors the barron waste lands, that were not farmable.
And the Europeans labled those people savages….. 
For years, we told those people, if 4 men leave the reservation, we will call it a war party and kill on sight. This lasted well into the early 1900s, as my father who was born in Nebraska in the early 20s told me of this.
Then, well into the 50s, we told them that they are not allowed to consume any alcohol. As my father purchased whiskey once in awhile for John Sweetcorn (his old neighbor who was a farmer) in South Dakota.
Then for years, us “fisherman” raped the waters here. Lakes became “fished out”. Many lakes still are. DNR stepped up to the plate, set better regulations, and our license money went to restocking.
For the past 300 years we have been in this nation, for only approximately 15 of those years have we been focused on preserving our fish. FOr 285+ years, we took at our own free will, to the point of putting the American Buffalo to extinction level……..all for the tongue and hide.
With that said, why should the Native Americans play nice with “our” fish, so we can have fun?
Why is it wrong for the Natives to sell 100k pounds of walleyes for fiscal gain, yet it is right for the consumption of 400k pounds of walleyes for US Citizens via:
> resorts
> baitshops
> tackle companies
> guides
> boat manufactures
> marine electronics
> marine motors
……….all to prosper because of it?
Sure, you can bang your drum for equal rights, and I agree. But, it isn’t going to happen overnight.
Again, devils advocate………
And just think …Red is just around the corner 
…RR
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And just think
Who’s Red? ..and what the H-E-double hockey sticks are you talking about?
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And just think
Who’s Red? ..and what the H-E-double hockey sticks are you talking about?
He’s talking about Red Lake… and that netting is “around the corner.”
Lip; I hear where you are coming from when it concerns a few items but your argument really has no precedence. The Indians were granted these rights long before our time and to hold them to the B.S. of One Nation Under God is kind of funny. Did they choose to be in the position they are in? I don’t think so. Did they choose to worship the same god we wanted them to. I don’t think so. Their system of beliefs predates modern Christianity by multiple thousands of years. Let’s just put this whole scenario into the scope of modern times. Take Somalia, Serbia, or many other nations that have suffered the wrath of genocide similar to what happened in our country years ago. It wouldn’t be tolerated for more than a few moments time. I hate to get into all this crap not particularily relevent to the subject at hand but would just like to put forth a little education, albeit history lesson out there. I guess the main thing I’m getting at here are what are the actual concerns you guys have besides a select group practicing unethical harvest? Obviously the legal netting isn’t hurting the fishing, therefore not hurting guide businesses and resorts. When was the last time Mille Lacs actually was stocked for walleyes? Doesn’t that say something right there about the quality of the fishery? Is it that they aren’t netting fish in birch bark canoes to keep up the tradition? How many of you are out there in a row boat with a cane pole these days doing as our Grandfathers did? Like I said I’m not here to argue I would just like something more than patriotic complaints as to why you guys are in such an uproar over this topic( besides the dudes you see that you think are doing things illegally)?
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And just think
Who’s Red? ..and what the H-E-double hockey sticks are you talking about?
He’s talking about Red Lake… and that netting is “around the corner.”
My bad on that one!
I hardly think you can compare red and Mille Lacs.
Instead of coming on a public forum and pissing and moaning and getting all political about this subject ask yourself what can I (we) do about this it’s the same story every year but yet nobody seems to do anything but complain. 
Another history lesson, here is what it is all about anymore…$$$$$$$$$$$$$… not tradition.
Who wants to build a casino, say in about Milaca…
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Like it or not, the only point that I was making is, from a fisheries management perspective, there is no different effect on the fishery whether the fish is taken in late winter or early spring. A harvest is a harvest.
So what you are saying is if you are a farmer, you would harvest all your cows before they had a chance to reproduce? You would not be farming for very long, and you would have not have any cows? According to you, a cow harvested in Spring is the same as a cow harvested in Winter.
This does not work. Let the fish spawn, and the cows breed before you slaughter them. Simple economics.
And what happened with all the reports last year of large northern left in trash bins at public access?
Farmboy;
(please, no offense meant)
If you butcher the cow in the fall, how can it re-produce in the spring?
The cow has ovaries that produces an egg.
The fish has eggs not yet dropped.
Neither are fertilized yet.
You wouldn’t butcher the cow if it was carrying a calf.
And
You really shouldn’t interrupt the spawning grounds of the fertilzed eggs.
The only way to not interupt the reproduction cycle would be harvesting at the age the animal quits producing or comeing to end of its life cycle.
My opinion is that it would be more impactive “harrassing” the fertilized eggs in the spawning grounds, then it would be harvesting a fish with un-fertilized eggs.
Gary,
I guess the way I look at it is butchering a cow that is pregnant. You are not allowing it to reproduce at a time when it is almost ready to calve.
If netting spawning walleyes is right, why is deer season not in mid spring, why don’t we shoot pheasants on the nest, or slaughter pigs before they have piglets. I consider a fish going to spawn (pregnant) and then are unable to produce.
I think it would be better, to me at least, if they were forced to take post spawn fish instead of killing fish before spawn. It is still not right to me, but at least they are allowed to reproduce before being killed.
And Gary, you hurt my feelings 
Just kidding, I firmly believe in rational discussion, and appreciate having my views challenged, as it makes me think and reevaluate my thought process. 
Thanks,
Brent
I’m done here fellas. Was a fun little debate though. I think we can probably just agree to disagree.
Now…….Let’s get out fishin and enjoy the resources we do have!
You’ve never caught a fish in late February that was full of eggs?
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Here is another thing to think about. When the white man came to this land the Indians already lived here. They did not have the concept of owning the land, they just lived on it. So the white man comes and says I own this and I own that.
Their have been hundreds of wars fought over land and there will be many more. The white man came here and fought for what we have today. I really can’t feel bad for the Native Americans as this happens all over the world. The borders of every country in this world were not just sketched out on a piece of paper and then agreed upon. People actually had to fight and die for them.
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You’ve never caught a fish in late February that was full of eggs?
Yep, thats why its illegal to keep them in late Feb.
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You’ve never caught a fish in late February that was full of eggs?
Never caught a fish in October or December that was full of eggs?
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Yep, thats why its illegal to keep them in late Feb.
Last time I checked the season extends into late February. Even so, it was just used to make a point to farmboy’s post. Like Mr. Wellman and myself have said, it doesn’t matter when the fish is harvested. I thought we’d already moved past this moot point and onto the equal rights argument.
Hey Bobber, any WI netting boats out there yet? That is what really gets me…quota left over and other tribes…for that matter, other state tribes having fun with MN eyes.
This a boatload of fish these guys are netting out…and my question is, are the fish going to restuarants? Casino Buffets? Legit Tribal family handouts? The ditch?
Chris
Gary/Farmboy,
Not sure where you two grew up, but we don’t butcher cows. We butcher steers. I’ve now lost all respect for you two. 
P.S. Maybe this is why MN beef is the quality it is??
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Their have been hundreds of wars fought over land and there will be many more. The white man came here and fought for what we have today. I really can’t feel bad for the Native Americans as this happens all over the world. The borders of every country in this world were not just sketched out on a piece of paper and then agreed upon. People actually had to fight and die for them.
You are correct and at the end of this “war”, which history books would prove to be more of a slaughter/attempt at genocide 
, the United States government signed this treaty giving Indians the right to net fish out of Mille Lacs. Just like any other treaty the rules have to be followed.
As I stated before I don’t like this any more than the rest of you.
~SKINEBOY~
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Yep, thats why its illegal to keep them in late Feb.
Last time I checked the season extends into late February. Even so, it was just used to make a point to farmboy’s post. Like Mr. Wellman and myself have said, it doesn’t matter when the fish is harvested. I thought we’d already moved past this moot point and onto the equal rights argument.
I think any reasonable sportsman does not keep fish that are full of eggs, but there are always those who will. That is up to them. I think most people who are concerned about this issue and the welbeing of the resouce would not as well, but again, personal choice.
The equal rights arguement is a bad one from all sides. We (European Settlers) did run the tribes off their land. We will never have equal rights with the tribes, we just have to get over it. Now we don’t have to like it, and somewhere in the future, I think this will be reviewed again, but I don’t see change happening anytime soon.
I will get off my soapbox now.
Tight lines.
Brent
Feb 25th. The 26th is considered late Feb.. Lets debate this now..
I pick Feb. 24th as the start of late February.
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The equal rights arguement is a bad one from all sides. We (European Settlers) did run the tribes off their land. We will never have equal rights with the tribes, we just have to get over it. Now we don’t have to like it, and somewhere in the future, I think this will be reviewed again, but I don’t see change happening anytime soon.
I usually don’t know that the winter fish have eggs until I fillet them. Would I still keep them if I knew they had eggs? Probably not, even though we’ve already established the fishery isn’t hurt one way or another. I mean no offense, but this is really biology 101 and there is really no valid argument against it (regarding the management aspect).
So, we’ve shown that the fishery is not adversely affected based on the time of the harvest and you’ve acknowledged that we must get over the inequalities. So where does that leave us?
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