Over the weekend our friends in St Paul pass a law that will allow harvest of gizzard shad by use of a cast net on two bodies of water. The Mississippi River and the St Croix.
“There are specifics to this (what I call a) test. So don’t just run out a buy a cast net until you know the rules. Here’s a summary of the law prepared by Steve DeMars, the guy that was on the heels of this “rabbit” until the law was past.
This is a synopsis of the statute language amended to allow the use of cast nets:
What:
a. This is a temporary regulation that would be in effect from March 1, 2016 and expire on December 1, 2017 after which the DNR commissioner must report to the legislative committees with jurisdiction over the environment and natural resources by March 1, 2018 on the number of permits issued, conservation impacts from the use of cast nets and recommendation for any necessary changes in statutes or rules.
c. The cast net regulation would allow anglers to obtain a DNR permit to use a cast net to take gizzard shad only from the Mississippi and St Croix Rivers for use as bait for angling. The cast net user must obtain a permit issued by the MN DNR. Part of the permit process will be mandatory training on the use of nets in infested waters to mitigate the risk of spreading aquatic invasive species (AIS). The Mississippi and St Croix Rivers are infested waters. The permit and the training are free.
When:
a. Effective date of the cast net program is March 1, 2016. The gizzard shad open season will run from July 1 to November 30 each year.
Where:
a. From the Mississippi River downstream of St Anthony Falls and the St Croix River downstream of the dam at Taylor Falls
b. 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.
Equipment:
a. Cast nets must be monofilament and may not exceed seven feet in diameter, and mesh size must be from three-eighths to five-eighths inch bar measure.
Cast Net Use Requirements:
a. Cast nets may be used only to take gizzard shad for use as bait for angling.
b. Nontarget species must immediately be returned to the water.
c. Gizzard shad 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.
d. Gizzard shad may not be transported off the water body.
e. The cast net used to harvest gizzard shad may not be transported to, or used in, any waters other than the waters specified in the permit.”
