Synopsis of Cast Net Proposal in DNR Game and Fish Bill SF1303

I have trouble following the legal speak in the senate and house legislative files they use for statute changes to accomplish changes in fishing regulations and rules. Senate File 1303 which deals with the proposed legislative changes to allow the use of cast nets to harvest gizzard shad jumps around through two different statutes. In order to make sense out of the legislation I made a synopsis of what I consider to be the key points of Senate File 1303. I don’t claim to be a seasoned legal beagle for legislative actions but I hope this synopsis clarifies the key points of the proposal. I may have made some mistakes or may even be missing some key points – If anyone sees something wrong with this please chime in. I hope this helps clarify the proposal:

Synopsis of Cast Net Proposal in S.F. 1303

What:
a. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is seeking legislative approval to amend existing state statutes to allow anglers to use a cast net to harvest gizzard shad from the Mississippi River and the St Croix Rivers. This cast net initiative is part of the DNR Game and Fish Bill found in Senate File 1303.

b. This is a temporary initiative 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 proposal 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

Good luck. The whole thing is pretty restrictive and I understand why. I would go for at least an 8′ net. Tiny nets are often junky.

Thanks again for putting in all the work Steve!

I haven’t thrown my net yet,but from what i read, 8′ is ideal. So I’d recommend a 7′. Don’t go smaller thinking it will be easier.

Even trickier throwing a net in a deep V boat… Don’t ask me how i know this…But them darn rod holders always get in the way

That’s funny! I fished Cameron Louisiana last year and we were cast netting for bait from the dock in the marsh. I thought it was such a great idea I bought one and brought it back to Minnesota to cast for River Shiners on the Mississippi north of the cities. Go figure, I found out they are illegal!
It is a 4 foot net however it is not spec’d by diameter rather radius so it’s 8 foot. Anyway, I’d welcome the change if nothing else, so I can use it.

They were being sold at Gander and Fleet Farm for a number of years.

Back then they were legal to use on the WI side of the St Croix and Mississippi Rivers.

Then came the VHS crisis.

WI doesn’t test for VHS in our border waters, but says it’s very likely it’s infected.

MN tests and says it’s not.

Normal border water BS.

I ordered a cast net yesterday on Amazon. I am going to Milford Lake in Kansas fishing for blue cats in April and I will need a cast net to catch some shad. Cast nets are legal in Kansas.

I ordered a cast net that I will be able to use when the MN cast net proposal is approved (fingers crossed). The new MN cast net proposal limits a cast net to 3/8″ to 5/8″ mesh size and it must be monofilament and may not exceed 7 feet in diameter. I was expecting to have a large selection to choose from but that size cast net is very small and not many net manufacturers make a cast net in the 7 foot size. It sure would have been nice if the cast net could be in the 10 foot or less range so we had more options in buying a net. Anyway I found one on Amazon and with Prime I get free 2-day shipping and it was $48.20 with tax. So if you are thinking about a cast net when and if the proposal passes – expect to spend something in the $50 range.

I’m not leaving for Kansas until the 19th of April so I will have some time to practice throwing the net.

By the way, in Kansas bluegill and green sunfish collected from non-designated aquatic nuisance waters (what we call non-infested waters) may be possessed or used as live bait anywhere in the state. That might be an interesting discussion item on a future Catfish Species Work Group agenda.

One would think that if you can’t transport bait, they would make it easier to catch it.