What you guys think think about the new regulations?
http://kstp.com/news/major-changes-coming-for-minnesota-northern-pike-fishing-regulations-ahead-of-may-12-fishing-opener-creates-three-zones/4693627/?cat=12196
Zones are great for management, but a lot of times they removed because people are too dumb to figure it out or naive to the rules.
They removed the zone regulations on largemouth down here 1 or 2 years ago.
Might be a dumb question but is the goal here to increase overall pike size or to help other species’ size?
I was wondering the same thing. Maybe both.
I, for one, am excited about it. Both to fill my pickled pike and canned fish jars and for the opportunity to have a meaningful chance at thinning out the hammer handles.
Reminds me of Canada geese when I was growing up. Everyone seemed to talk about how out of control the goose numbers were getting yet it took a long time for an early season and even after that where I lived bag limits were minuscule, 2 geese I think, oh, but 5 geese about 10 miles east of me on the other side of a highway near my home. People didn’t even bother going out and setting up a spread for two geese.
Seems to me the dnr is making a serious effort on this one so kudos to them!
I’ll be stocking up on Hamm’s and soda crackers, that’s for sure! 
I seen where it talked about the zones but did they say anything about what the regs are going to be?
I believe these are the regs that have been approved starting at 7.1
I got the link from Northern Pike Regulation at the DNR website. Toward the bottom it states
UPDATE AUGUST 2017: This rule has now been approved as to legality by Administrative Law Judge Jessica Palmer-Denig. The DNR is carrying out the last procedural steps to finalize the rule, which will be effective on 3/1/2018.
These are the zones
article I read this morning said limit 2 with 30-40″ protected slot (one over) in NE zone, limit ten with protected slot 22″ to 26″, only one over 26″ in central and 2 in south with minimum 24″.
I dont recall who wrote the article so it could be wrong.
edit-looks like pugs link agrees
not jumping up and down that I can keep 10 northerns under 22″ whats the point. no one is going to keep a bunch of hammer handles.
Sounds like Im going to need one of those measuring stickers for my main pike rig that hasn’t had a registration sticker on it yet this decade.
22894408_10155666537619526_8010289961272149413_n.jpg
Most of Minnesota is in the north-central zone, where limits will rise to 10 to encourage anglers to keep small northerns. No more than two can be longer than 26 inches, and all from 22 to 26 inches must be released. Copied from DNR website
So you will be able to keep 2 over 26. Regulation now is one over 30
Mwal
Hope the regs work out, small pike really can be overwhelming on some lakes.
Hammer handles like any smaller fish are delicious. But why noone keeps em they are PIA, repeat PIA to clean!!
This video does what I do, all the way up to 4min, throw the rest away on small fish. You won’t be disappointed and it’s really easy cutting. Let’s all do our part and take home a few this season.
I’ve found that just filleting the small ones like any other fish and pickling them those chunks end up almost the same size as pickled herring. Great way to use the little snot rockets and not have to fight the bones.
Doing that I feel like I’m making the most of an underutilized resource just because so few people are willing to take the time to mess with those hammer handles.
If anyone needs a recipe lemme know! I feel like I’ve gotten it down pretty good!
That said, if anyone has smoked and canned them I’m looking for info on how you go about smoking them before canning and any brining/curing/etc. info. Thanks!
Wat could possibly go wrong
This was brought to the MN DNR by our Roundtable representatives (folks in the advisory work groups).
There were too many lakes with way too many hammer handles in them.
The walleye guys were complaining because they kept getting in the way of catching walleyes, the pike folks were complaining because they were too small.
It was said at that time, who would want to keep that many small pike?
Responses were: Kids and people that liked to pickle them (that’s all I can remember).
The DNR wanted to reduce the number of hammer handles but not take away harvesting a larger fish.
I believe it was well thought out for it’s intended goal. Now just to convince people to take the 10 little guys home..
I have no opinion on the new regs other than I am glad they are trying something to produce more trophy pike! As far as eating them, hammer handles are great table fare imo. If you fillet the same as a walleye, cut them into smaller chunks and make a cut perpendicular to the bones near the y, most bones will dissolve while being fried. Or learn the 5 cut/filet method, and there are no bones.
This was brought to the MN DNR by our Roundtable representatives (folks in the advisory work groups).
There were too many lakes with way too many hammer handles in them.
The walleye guys were complaining because they kept getting in the way of catching walleyes, the pike folks were complaining because they were too small.It was said at that time, who would want to keep that many small pike?
Responses were: Kids and people that liked to pickle them (that’s all I can remember).The DNR wanted to reduce the number of hammer handles but not take away harvesting a larger fish.
I believe it was well thought out for it’s intended goal. Now just to convince people to take the 10 little guys home..
Actually the “walleye guys” main issue was that DNR walleye stocking efforts were being significantly compromised in many lakes overloaded with hammerhandles (which there are many) in certain regions. As soon as the fry or fingerlings went in, the pike ate most of them all. So instead of the intended result of improved walleye #’s, they instead proliferated even more small pike. And of course most anglers are pounding their fists demanding more walleyes.
See there, it’s always all about the walleye! 
If you fillet the same as a walleye, cut them into smaller chunks and make a cut perpendicular to the bones near the y, most bones will dissolve while being fried.
I might have to try that. Sometimes we’d do the same, but instead put the cut pieces through a blender or food processor and make fish cakes. Those would turn out quite yummy. 
Thanks for expanding on that Andy. 
Or try this method for cleaning…
Mark
Might be a dumb question but is the goal here to increase overall pike size or to help other species’ size?
From the DNR
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/pike/index.html
I might have to try that. Sometimes we’d do the same, but instead put the cut pieces through a blender or food processor and make fish cakes. Those would turn out quite yummy.
That’s what my brother did, especially when the kids were young. He’d make fish sticks out of them. I believe he processed them little pike with the bones without an issue.
Got a small one spearing this afternoon evening. Cleaned it like the video nhamm showed went well less mess than usual
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