After reading about the 72 year old, who avoided the DNR charge of transporting live fish, I realized that I have transported fish in my live well back to my house to be cleaned. Am I breaking some major law doing this? I hear that ignorance is no excuse! 
fish you caught in a dry live well is fine I believe but not in one that has lake water in it.
of course it varies from state to state
but judging from your screen name, I’d say … YES
I always did this in the past too. Assuming you meant leave them alive IN water. You can’t anymore with all the AIS BS going on. Now you should bleed them and put them on ice asap when you put your boat on the trailer.
unless you have not yet reached your 17th birthday 
According to MN Statue transporting “dead” fish is fish without water. Obviously these law makers don’t know how long a bullhead can live without water. (for use as bait) 
If you take minnows out on the lake with you, drain them, and put them into ‘clean’ water kept on shore… you’re legit, right? If that’s legal for minnows, what’s different about a fish you caught?
You are guilty of stocking fish in another body of water.
True story.
It’s all a joke. Does anyone know the fine for carrying water in your livewell?? I would never do it from lake to lake because I respect the laws “purpose” behind it. However,, if I KNOW i’m taking them home to clean and eat,, I may just take the chance on eating the fine if it’s not a giant one. I know what my intentions are and that’s all that matters to me,, of course the DNR does not and will give me a fine. So, what’s the fine?
A friend of mine got fined $100 for not wiping out his livewell a couple years back and I’ve heard fines have doubled since then.
a smack across the 
with every live fish you’re transporting
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a smack across the
Ha, what does the fish have anything to do with it?? isn’t it the water?? or will they say i intend on letting the fish go into another lake too??? then the old argument stands true,, fine the ducks,geese,and any fish that swims from one lake to another through any channel or river.
stop trying to make sense of how the laws are written, interpretted, or enforced
ours is not to question why … you must just comply (or die)
I think if you transport fish with the intention of winning a Fishhouse, then the penalties are much less… so I have read 
I usually fish in the southwest metro, and I have never seen a fish cleaning house anywhere. I’d be willing to wager there is a statue to fine me for cleaning fish on the side of the ramp, or bleeding them out in a place that will drain to the lake (this all assumes I’m catching fish, which has been a challenge so far in 2013…)
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a smack across the
Fins up or down?
Some people would gladly pay the cost of the fine for that experience.
fin orientation don’t matter … unless, of course, you get caught transporting bullheads 
Maybe you bozos should just be good stewards and throw all your fish back instead of transporting them.
course if ya don’t actually land a fish anyhow … 
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Maybe you bozos should just be good stewards and throw all your fish back instead of transporting them.
That’s easy to say coming from a guy that hasn’t caught a fish in what 3 years?
I am so skilled at catch and release, people don’t even realize I have them on and release them before anyone notices.
Ok. I’ll buy that.
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It’s all a joke. Does anyone know the fine for carrying water in your livewell?? I would never do it from lake to lake because I respect the laws “purpose” behind it. However,, if I KNOW i’m taking them home to clean and eat,, I may just take the chance on eating the fine if it’s not a giant one. I know what my intentions are and that’s all that matters to me,, of course the DNR does not and will give me a fine. So, what’s the fine?
Good question, I have often thought the same thing. Last thing I want to do at 2:00 am is clean fish so I have left them in the livewell over night…
How many times does anyone read of fines in the paper for this 
? Take them home and don’t worry about it 
.
With no livewell in my boat currently my way is to bleed em out, throw them on ice in cooler. If that means some beverages need to come and be consumed, then that is just a sacrifice I will make for chilled fillets. In fact even if I get a livewell one day, I doubt I will change routine. Try it out it may just work for you. 
When you guys refer to “bleed them out,” how do you do it? I have always just thrown them on the ice as is.. does bleeding them out make the fillets significantly better?
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When you guys refer to “bleed them out,” how do you do it? I have always just thrown them on the ice as is.. does bleeding them out make the fillets significantly better?
Good question. I hope to see some responses. However, this topic may be dead now.
Cut them at the bottom of the gill plates. When you deep hook one and rip the gill and you get blood all over, same concept
It makes a difference when they are being cleaned.
Ever fillet a side off and the fish jumps getting blood all over? This stops that and there are a number of folks that feel they taste better being bled out.
Interesting, I may have to try this.
Do you bleed them right after catch before putting in livewell…or at the launch before heading home?
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