Walleye Stamps in Minnesota

Anyone know we have them?
Know what they are for?

Some say it’s Minnesota’s best kept secret.

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Walleye Stamp Account
Game and Fish Fund

Fiscal Year 2016 Annual Report

Purpose of the Account
This account is for stocking walleyes purchased from the private sector in waters of the state.
Sources and Uses of the Funds
Revenue from walleye stamps must be credited to the walleye stamp account and is appropriated to the commissioner only for stocking walleyes purchased from the private sector in waters of the state.
(M.S. 97A.075, Subd. 6)

Account Analysis
There has been a decline in the optional walleye stamp since fiscal year 2012. Expenditures will be managed to prevent the balance from going negative.

I buy a walleye stamp validation every year. With the validation you don’t actually get the stamp.

Validation is $5.00
Validation with stamp is $5.75

http://dnr.state.mn.us/licenses/fishing/index.html?type=fishing

I had no idea this even existed

I was aware of the stamp but had no idea what the money was used for. Honestly I’ve always taken the “the state gets enough of my money” approach and have never bought one. Knowing where the money goes I’ll buy one this year. Thanks for the info Brian!

That’s what boggles my mind about the Walleye Stamp.

Most don’t know it existed and even more aren’t familiar with where the money goes.

I would think most every walleye angler would have one(?)

Is BrianK going to buy one this year since he has more time to fish walleyes?

When the stamps first came out, they asked when you bought a license. I bought one the first couple years. They stopped asking and I stopped buying. Just didn’t know they still had them. They even said what the money was for at the time.

I have bought one every year with stamp. For as much as I get to fish throwing in a few extra bucks to the state isn’t a big deal to me. I give even more money to the state and wildlife programs by having become a regular lottery and scratch ticket player the last couple of years.

Don’t tell my wife that!! She’ll be buying more scratch offs using that reasoning!

Linder Media did some commercials and advertising a few years back. If I recall, the first $20,000. of the stamp money was to be used for advertising.
They were talking about sending out post cards just prior the the opener when most people bought their license. Not sure if that waste of money ever happened.

I did suggest ads on fishing websites. Not just this one but all of the ones that covered the State of MN, but that was quickly dismissed because forums were just a fad.

The first couple years after they came out I bought the actual stamp.
Now I just get the validation. I can’t remember the last time buying a license that I was asked if I wanted to buy one.
A couple years ago when buying a license the person selling it to me didn’t know of the Walleye stamp, only the Trout stamp.
I agree with Brian about people not knowing about them. It now seems it is up to the fishermen and women to know they are available to buy if they so chose.

Brian Klawitter wrote:

Purpose of the Account
This account is for stocking walleyes purchased from the private sector in waters of the state.
Sources and Uses of the Funds
Revenue from <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>walleye stamps must be credited to the <em class=”ido-tag-em”>walleye stamp account and is appropriated to the commissioner only for stocking <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>walleyes purchased from the private sector in waters of the state.
(M.S. 97A.075, Subd. 6)

I have been aware of these since the inception and have purchased one including the pictorial (for collecting) every year. I tend to collect too much stuff I don’t ever need.
Anyway, to comment on the above…it was my understanding that this was originally created to help fund walleye stocking in the event (or years) that the DNR hatcheries were unable to produce enough fry/fingerlings to meet their stocking goals for all waters that had been designated for stocking. Not sure about the first few years but for at least the last several the DNR hatcheries have become more efficient and have reduced the cost of production to where they for the most part are able to meet all their stocking objectives from their own hatcheries. Perhaps there is less promotion because there is less of need to supplement. I think they do want to still maintain the stamp program in the event one or more of their hatcheries has a major problem or failure and they then need to purchase from private suppliers to meet objectives.
Yes, perhaps the best part of this program is that all proceeds are strictly to be used for walleye stocking and cannot be pilfered from other parties looking for another clean water initiative or an art sculpture downtown.

Brian Klawitter wrote:

Linder Media did some commercials and advertising a few years back. If I recall, the first $20,000. of the stamp money was to be used for advertising.
They were talking about sending out post cards just prior the the opener when most people bought their license. Not sure if that waste of money ever happened.

I remember these quite well, they were in the “Regs” booklet. Not anymore though??

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biggill wrote:

Is BrianK going to buy one this year since he has more time to fish walleyes?

I mean he is looking at shiny new Skeeter’s so it would only make sense…

If they are currently able to fulfill their stocking demands from our DNR run stocking programs (and I have no idea if they do), it would be interesting to see this money go toward stocking larger fish like the Westonka Program does.

BigWerm wrote:

it was my understanding that this was originally created to help fund walleye stocking in the event (or years) that the DNR hatcheries were unable to produce enough fry/fingerlings to meet their stocking goals for all waters that had been designated for stocking.

Close Andy. These funds were to be used over and above, to supplement the normal stocking of the DNR.

There was a fuss a few years ago because **it was thought** by some that the dnr cut back on it’s stocking and used these funds to make up the difference. I never did find out the out come.

And to you people (Big Werm) that keep insinuating I’m starting to walleye fish… I can sue for defamation of character. ‘course that would mean I have a character to defame and that’s kinda up in the air.

Haha remember BK, just because you ARE a character, doesn’t mean you HAVE character!

I buy one every year for my son to collect. I normally have to ask for the stamp unless I pick it up from the DNR at the sports show. One year from Gander I got 2 walleye stamps and 2 turkey stamps in the mail??

jon_wbl wrote:

I normally have to ask for the stamp unless I pick it up from the DNR at the sports show.

That was the talk when they first came out. License sellers were to instruct their employees to always ask when someone bought a fishing license. That message got out to very few and even less followed through with it.

I brought up the fact that when there were 20 (not exaggeration) people in line for bait and licenses adding on a walleye stamp (that the store didn’t make any money on) would be the last thing on my mind. I just wanted to keep the line moving because our customers wanted to be fishing.

That didn’t go over very well… good thing I was selling licenses in WI.

Account Analysis
There has been a decline in the optional walleye stamp since fiscal year 2012. Expenditures will be managed to prevent the balance from going negative.

Really??????????? What mental giant over there came up with that? Of course you manage to keep the balance from going negative.

Dutchboy wrote:

What mental giant over there came up with that?

The Citizen Budget Oversight Committee. Well, it came out of their report.

If your interest in where your taxes and license fees are going…

Report

No, I would puke for a week if I knew where all the money went. Besides……without a accompanying polygraph test I’m not sure how much I would believe anyway. When it comes to money and politics I reply on the old adage ” figures don’t lie if liars don’t figure.”

You don’t give a reward of more money for numerous failures by the DNR. Mil Lacs, wolfs, and moose decline. A lot of untruths and lies. Go to Isle Royal and count moose or look into the records from the 60’s when wolves were shot and holy moly in 1971 a moose season. Go figure.

The DNR French River was offered hundred of thousands gallons of warm clean water to foster cold water salmon and trout on a mining co property. Property and heavy equipment was offered with fuel and labor provided. The school biology classes would have also been involved in the process from fry to tagging adult fish when the valves were opened. This was done at the Garrison Dam hatchery in ND.

Documentation was provided from ND and given to the hatchery manager at French River. With the biggest expense to raising fish with Lake Superior water is heating it up, the decision is a no brainer. Now 16 years later French River is just a glorified office.

Now we watch freighters dumping bilge into the big lake but don’t worry they’re worried about your 16′ boat with a we’d on it. Who checks the bolder on the big freighters? Don’t answer we know.

I don’t see Mille Lacs as a failure of the DNR. Fishing is pretty darn good on that lake. Nothing has changed in that regard. So I can’t keep a walleye to eat. I’m a bass fisherman. Eating the fish I catch is way down the priority list on reasons I go fishing. I really wish more people would adopt the muskie and bass fisherman’s ethic of catch and release. For those that consider themselves primarily walleye fisherman to not spend the extra $ to buy a stamp is an act of extreme selfishness in my opinion.

BP if you believe the DNR’s assessment if you release the Walleyes you will kill a large percentage anyway. (hooking mortality) So as much as catch & release works on Bass & Muskie it’s not a viable option for Walleye. Although if 1 out of 100 survived it would still be more then the survival rate of nets.

Perhaps if the DNR stuck as much into advertising the Walleye stamp as they do on the AIS campaign……………

Oh I’ll take that bait Dutch!!

My take on the license fee increase spilled on to social media when the video of Al Linder telling the public to support the $3. license increase was posted.

I wanted to find out how much Linder Media was paid for the video. Turns out “to the best of the DNR’s knowledge” there wasn’t any money exchanged. Linder Media and Chip Lear were asked to produce a video.

When asked why we couldn’t take AIS funding (leaving some for education) and direct it towards the license fee increase, I was told I should volunteer for the Oversight Committee and later told I should run for office so I could change the funding allocations. It’s really annoying to me that a DNR official would always come back with “you should do this to fix” whatever the issue at hand is. However, he’s a good guy at heart and like all DNR employees stuck between laws and public perception.

With the walleye stamp, only walleye stamp funds can be used for it’s advertising. It was the first $20k. I’m not sure if that’s changed or not over the last few years. With a production company involved, I would guess that’s pretty much used up but I don’t have a clue as to how much of that money was actually used.

One thing to note is that the WS sales started dropping very close to the last license fee increase.

Also, not that Al Linder doesn’t have the money, I find it ironic that he’s telling Joe Sixpack to support the fee increase while he has a lifetime license. He won’t be paying it.

Well, you should run for office. As far as “why” maybe you could add a element of common sense over there. They all are so busy covering their a$$ that they forgot why they are there anyway. On a side note, very glad to see Mondale and whats her name got forced out on the stadium suite scandal.

Did they really think $20,000 was all the advertising money it would take to make 4 million people aware of the program?

i buy my trout and walleye stamps every year. i think we should pay $50 for license /year.

“One” ya lets just keep throwing more and more money at The DNR…..lots of logic behind that one.

As little money from me until the DNR can prove their ability to wisely use the money they already are allocated.

Why not eliminate a huge chunk of the DNR budget and use it strictly for stocking fish……….just might work!

Here is the wording on the DNR site to purchase the stamp. Like thats an iron clad statement that it will go only walleye stocking. Got to remember were dealing with politicians inside and outside of the DNR.

The stamp will add $5.00 to the cost of fishing licenses for those who choose to purchase it, although it is not required to legally catch walleyes. The revenue from stamp sales will be dedicated to walleye stocking and other directly related activities.

Mocha, remember your reading the synopsis. If they listed the exact law, no one would know what the ell was going on.

A person needs to go to the 2016 Minnesota Statutes> 97A.075 USE OF LICENSE REVENUES

I’ll quote it again since I have it on my computer.

Subd. 6.Walleye stamp . Revenue from walleye stamps must be credited to the walleye stamp account and is appropriated to the commissioner only for stocking walleyes purchased from the private sector in waters of the state.

If the funds were used for something else, they would be breaking the law.

THX for the info Brian. That does seem quite a bit better but I stand by my stance on the as little of my money to the DNR until………