Public comments open on proposed fishing contest

  • Brian Klawitter
    Keymaster
    Minnesota/Wisconsin Mississippi River
    Posts: 59992
    June 19, 2012 at 3:24 am #1336622

    Public comments open on proposed fishing contest rules

    Citizens interested in commenting on permanent state rules designed to provide fishing tournament organizers with a clear set of guidelines can view the proposed rules on the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) website by selecting “Fishing Contest Regs” at http://www.mndnr.gov/input/rules.

    Tournament policies have developed piecemeal over time. The DNR has been working with tournament organizers and recent law changes to develop a clear set of rules governing fishing tournaments. These rules will provide clear guidance to tournament organizers.

    The new rules would:

    * Detail conditions for issuing contest permits.
    * List the criteria used to establish permit conditions.
    * Restrict contests using live release formats when targeting sturgeon, muskellunge, trout and salmon.
    * Limit live release contests targeting walleye during summer.
    * Limit contests using off-site weigh-in formats.
    * Grant permit holders the authority to possess, transport and distribute contest fish to nonprofit or charitable organizations, streamlining the gifting process for contest organizers.
    * Manage contest use of state-owned access sites to accommodate contest participants but also assure public use.

    Comments must be submitted by Friday, Aug. 24, to Linda Erickson-Eastwood, DNR Fisheries, 500 Lafayette Road, Box 20, St. Paul, MN 55155-4020. Comments also may be emailed to [email protected].

    thegun
    mn
    Posts: 1009
    June 19, 2012 at 3:58 am #1076946

    One thing I would like to see is the tourney guys parking on the overflow areas… Keeping ramps and parking open for others!

    I think most people support tourney fishing but it never hurts to go out of the way to keep disgruntle people like myself happy by do all you can to help keep landings clear!! You may read this and think im some wacko but hey who else is going to complain?

    you tourney guys know as well as I do that trying to land a boat on a particular body of water while a tourney is going can be difficult to impossible at times!

    I fish a few tournys myself and I personally park on the street even with an empty parking lot on these ocations…

    Snap
    Posts: 264
    June 19, 2012 at 4:06 am #1076947

    I wonder if there’s a way to get around these regulations if you organize an informal tournament? Anyone know at what point does fishing become a tournament in the eyes of the law?

    “If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.”

    Buzz
    Minneapolis MN
    Posts: 1810
    June 19, 2012 at 12:49 pm #1076989

    DeerTracker the regs you posted are not the New proposed Regs. I have a copy but it is in pfd format and I don’t know how to link it in to the board.

    Brian Klawitter
    Keymaster
    Minnesota/Wisconsin Mississippi River
    Posts: 59992
    June 19, 2012 at 1:10 pm #1076993

    Copy and Paste Buzz.

    carroll58
    Twin Cities, USA
    Posts: 2094
    June 19, 2012 at 1:14 pm #1076996

    Quote:

    I wonder if there’s a way to get around these regulations if you organize an informal tournament? Anyone know at what point does fishing become a tournament in the eyes of the law?

    “If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.”

    ” Minnesota statute requires any events/tournaments to obtain a permit from the sheriff of the county where the event is to originate”

    Now with that noted, virtually every Sheriff uses their own discretion when they require a permit. Many require any “organized activity” have a permit while others only if your tournament is large enough to require a DNR Permit.

    Some only require you call and notify them of your tournament, the date/time, location and approx. numbers, other require a Insurance Certificate” naming them as an additional Insured, some just want proof of insurance.

    Then added on to the Sheriff & DNR Permits, many cities have requirements for any tournaments held within their jurisdiction.

    I was the Tournament Director for my old Bass Club and dealt with all the various regulations, Sheriff’s Dept’s, Cities, etc. Even for a small club with less than 20-guys/10-boats I had to go through all of the hoops and we did just paper/CMR (Catch, Measure & Release) tournaments. No livewells with culling &No Weigh-in’s, many times only 5-boats and we had the same requirements from some counties as tournaments with 50-boats.

    Many times it would require calling each City & Sheriff to find out what their regulations were and what their process was to apply and then to find it online was a chore because every webmaster, etc. had their own idea of where these regulations should be posted. For some it meant a few hours of phone calls and filling out forms, etc.

    I believe this should be changed so any group of under 10-boats/20-people would be exempt from all these varying regulations and Red-Tape.

    I knew a few others that didn’t bother with the process and just went fishing, did their weigh-in at a private cabin or out of sight location and figured if they were caught, they’d claim ignorance of the rules. Never heard of anyone being cited for not having a permit either.

    carroll58
    Twin Cities, USA
    Posts: 2094
    June 20, 2012 at 3:16 am #1077259

    Quote:

    Public comments open on proposed fishing contest rules

    Citizens interested in commenting on permanent state rules designed to provide fishing tournament organizers with a clear set of guidelines can view the proposed rules on the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) website by selecting “Fishing Contest Regs” at http://www.mndnr.gov/input/rules.

    Tournament policies have developed piecemeal over time. The DNR has been working with tournament organizers and recent law changes to develop a clear set of rules governing fishing tournaments. These rules will provide clear guidance to tournament organizers.

    The new rules would:

    * Detail conditions for issuing contest permits.
    * List the criteria used to establish permit conditions.
    * Restrict contests using live release formats when targeting sturgeon, muskellunge, trout and salmon.
    * Limit live release contests targeting walleye during summer.
    * Limit contests using off-site weigh-in formats.
    * Grant permit holders the authority to possess, transport and distribute contest fish to nonprofit or charitable organizations, streamlining the gifting process for contest organizers.
    * Manage contest use of state-owned access sites to accommodate contest participants but also assure public use.

    Comments must be submitted by Friday, Aug. 24, to Linda Erickson-Eastwood, DNR Fisheries, 500 Lafayette Road, Box 20, St. Paul, MN 55155-4020. Comments also may be emailed to [email protected].

    Mn/DNR Link Notice & comments

    deertracker
    Posts: 9233
    June 20, 2012 at 7:37 am #1077283

    Quote:

    DeerTracker the regs you posted are not the New proposed Regs. I have a copy but it is in pfd format and I don’t know how to link it in to the board.

    I know. I was helping answer Snaps question above that.
    DT

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