Small children and line count in MN

This spring I will be taking my wife and son with on my spring trip up to VNP for the first time since my son was just a one year old. He is now 4 and I am a bit fuzzy on MN regulations in regards to the number of lines. It seems as I read it that as long as my son is the one handling his pole (I suspect it will spend most if it’s time in a rod holder) that by definition that is ‘his pole and we are not in violation of having too many lines out should both my wife and I also have a line in the water? How much one of the two of us will actually get to fish is going to be debatable, but if say we are just running slip bobber, it wouldn’t be hard for us all to have our own line, I just don’t want to be in violation.
FYI we are non residents and I purchase the family license each year anyway just for my wife and i, if I read the regs right about the only affect that has is that he could have his own limit.

As I understand things he is entitled to his own limit. I really don’t know a CO who would tag you for helping your son land a fish. The biggest thing you need to worry about is the kid out fishing his old man.

BTW, kids under 16 don’t need a license in Minnesota. So if you have your family license you are good.

From comments that I’ve read, if he can reel in the line you should be fine. You don’t have to hold a rod all the time to be legal so a rod holder for him is ok.

Dutchboy wrote:

As I understand things he is entitled to his own limit. I really don’t know a CO who would tag you for helping your son land a fish.

The kids are certainly can keep their own limit, but since there is no such thing as “party” fishing in MN he would need to catch those fish himself. I have heard of a few times where CO got testy about this, but I do not know of anyone personally who has gotten fined for this.

That’s kind of what I thought also, just was sure how attentive he needs to be of his pole to be considered his and not me with two lines out.

I am about willing to bet that actual fishing will only last about 15-20 minutes at best and then he will want to be boat ‘captain and play with the lake map on the humminbird.

Turn some minnows loose in the livewell. My grandson loves watching them, plus it keeps him in the bottom of the boat.

CaptainMusky wrote:

The kids are certainly can keep their own limit, but since there is no such thing as “party” fishing in MN he would need to catch those fish himself. I have heard of a few times where CO got testy about this, but I do not know of anyone personally who has gotten fined for this.

Huh?

Page 31 of the 2017 regs.

What if people are fishing together from a boat or on shore?
A party is two or more people fishing together from a single watercraft or on shore while maintaining unaided visual and vocal contact.
The number of fish your party possesses can’t be more than the combined limits of all party members. However, you can only transport your individual limit of fish.

CaptainMusky wrote:

but since there is no such thing as “party” fishing in MN he would need to catch those fish himself.

I don’t believe this is true.

I think the only real requirement is that the child has the cognitive ability to know that the rod in play is theirs. They don’t have to physically be able to reel in anything.

Kids 4, go for it. If me, the wife and the kid are out one evening bobbering, and a CO gives me a ticket bc he thinks the kid cant reel in a Snoopy pole then I’m moving to Mexico.

Don’t know how many times I’ve taken the carpool lane with a baby, asleep. If persons are there, it counts.

Better be sure to if my buddy passes out drunk in the bottom of boat he’s still gonna have a line out. His person allows the line, my attending the line for him makes it legal.

Ok I fudged the last example but have at er man!!

A friend and his son were out one day with me, midweek, small lake,only boat on the lake. His son was probably 4 or 5 and as others have said they will, was playing cars on the floor in the boat. Long story short, our friendly local CO was sitting at the boat landing across the lake “watching us” with his binocs.. he thought he had us dead to rights, 3 lines out, 2 guys in the boat. This triggered him to unload his boat, and motor over to us… we watched him the whole way. I know he was motoring over going, “they are gonna reel that extra line in soon”.. never happened. He pulled up and when he did, Brent, the kid, stood up and said “hi” ! The look on the CO’s face was priceless…. He then started lecturing if he had his own rod, about how he has to be “actively fishing”… so we said huh ? What is actively fishing ? We were bobber fishing.. he said he has to reel his own fish in.. I asked him how many he seen us “reel in” while he was watching.. we had zero bites to this point. He then went thru the whole license, boat reg, lifejackets, fire extinguisher, throw float…. blah blah blah, trying to pin us for something, since he took the rig off the trailer. We were clean.

______________ wrote:

I think the only real requirement is that the child has the cognitive ability to know that the rod in play is theirs. They don’t have to physically be able to reel in anything.

I wouldn’t want to try to argue that one with a CO or judge. I think they draw the line at having some ability to actually fish.

[rhetorical]How can you be in the act of fishing if you can’t actually operate fishing gear?[/rhetorical]

This is from p18 of the 2017 regulation book. It is specifically in regards to an unlicensed adult assisting a youth, but I would think they would apply similar criteria:

What if I’m helping a child fish?
If an adult is showing a child younger than 16 how to bait, cast, and remove fish, no license is needed. The child must hold the rod, set the hook and reel in the fish.

The way I see it, if your child is able to fish, they get their own line & limit. If your child is in an infant carrier, it’s a no go.

Ralph Wiggum wrote:

This is from p18 of the 2017 regulation book. It is specifically in regards to an unlicensed adult assisting a youth, but I would think they would apply similar criteria:

What if I’m helping a child fish?
If an adult is showing a child younger than 16 how to bait, cast, and remove fish, no license is needed. The child must hold the rod, set the hook and reel in the fish.

The way I see it, if your child is able to fish, they get their own line & limit. If your child is in an infant carrier, it’s a no go.

I think this is a clause for an unlicensed adult. But I could be wrong.

I know I would take my young kids fishing on pool 2 and use three rods. Sometimes they reeled in all the fish, other times they didn’t care and just wanted to see them. My interpretation of the “party fishing” law was that we were OK.

Kyhl wrote:

I wouldn’t want to try to argue that one with a CO or judge. I think they draw the line at having some ability to actually fish.

[rhetorical]How can you be in the act of fishing if you can’t actually operate fishing gear?[/rhetorical]

Any good ADA lawyer would have a field day with any physical requirement. Growing up, I fished with a kid that was born with only one arm and a deformed hand due to issues with his father’s agent orange exposure. He was enthusiastic about all things outdoors. I could imagine a similar case with an individual with even less ability, but a burning interest and wanting to fish.

______________ wrote:

Any good ADA lawyer would have a field day with any physical requirement. Growing up, I fished with a kid that was born with only one arm and a deformed hand due to issues with his father’s agent orange exposure. He was enthusiastic about all things outdoors. I could imagine a similar case with an individual with even less ability, but a burning interest and wanting to fish.

The question was about young children, not special needs situations. Of course there is always an exception to every rule. That is part of any LEO’s job. The CO should use some judgement before issuing citations.

My niece and nephew, when they live in MN LOVED to tip-up fish. They would join me once the ice was good enough for my wheelhouse. We would sit inside and watch a movie, usually CARS. When the flags fly, one of them would run out with me. I would set the hook and they would do the rest. Only once have I had a local yell at me for having so many lines down, until he saw the kids walking around with my Vex checking depth…They should known which line is “theirs” and they should have the ability to handle the fish, that’s it.

I actually call the DNR question line this winter about fishing tip ups with my 3 year old. The answer I got was that I could fish 2 lines for my son on Pool4 . But he had to be actually taking part in the fishing. If he was sleeping in the ice shake or doing nothing other then staying on cell phone playing games the whole time that he should not have a line out.

Just passing on the information I got.

Better than the scour hole or netting threads that usually occupy this time of closed gamefish seasons.

I had my son fishing with me when he was 3 with his own rod. I just put a bungie cord around the rod just in case. Never had a problem.

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Kyhl wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>CaptainMusky wrote:</div>
The kids are certainly can keep their own limit, but since there is no such thing as “party” fishing in MN he would need to catch those fish himself. I have heard of a few times where CO got testy about this, but I do not know of anyone personally who has gotten fined for this.

Huh?

Page 31 of the 2017 regs.

What if people are fishing together from a boat or on shore?
A party is two or more people fishing together from a single watercraft or on shore while maintaining unaided visual and vocal contact.
The number of fish your party possesses can’t be more than the combined limits of all party members. However, you can only transport your individual limit of fish.

I stand corrected then. It used to be the law I know for sure because I remember reading it, but that was several years ago so I ASSumed it hadn’t changed.

Be careful and don’t think an agreement won’t ticket a child. I helped my 5 year old son being in a large catfish, he never once removed his hands from there pole. About five minutes after landing a 39# a DNR agent pulled up did the usual how is fishing chat andproceeded to tell me how he’s watched us for the last few hours off and on from an island across the way and thought it was great that I hadn’t seen me fishing at all cuz I didn’t have my license until I landed the catfish. I did not land the catfish I had helped my son with a struggling pole yet that is considered fishing in the DNR’s eyes or at least this agent. I was slapped with $180 fine and the judge stuck to it when I fought it in court so be careful

Just ask yourself, is the kid fishing, or are you just trying to have an extra line in the water.

Unless the kid is running the pole themselves your asking for trouble. I had an agent try to pin me for having extra lines down because I had 3 poles sitting next to me on the front deck. Some agents are great, some assume that your guilty until you prove yourself innocent.