What's to prevent someone from catching walleyes?

I’ve wondered this in the past with perch fishing on Mille Lacs, and now, with the pike season extended I wonder even more. What’s to prevent someone from fishing walleyes and just using C and R? I can jig a minnow head for any number of species including perch, pike and walleye. Tip ups with bigger minnows, yep, can use those for walleyes or pike. Couldn’t you essentially go out to walleye fish, and if questioned by the DNR, simply say I’m fishing pike but can’t keep the walleyes off my line??? As far as the regs I’ve read, it doesn’t say anything about the type of bait used or size of lures, similar to what it says during the July closure.

Thoughts?

If you catch multiple walleyes and no perch or pike, you might not get a ticket, but I would consider you a Cheetah. It won’t be long and the Cheetah’s will be out on the Croix in the spring prefishing for the spawning walleyes claiming they are fishing for crappies. If your catching perch/crappies/pike and catch an incidental walleye, no problem. But to each his own.

As a teacher I know not to not state a rule I cannot realistically enforce, nothing should be totally closed-C&R for certain species. You have nothing happening to the rule breakers and the rule followers start to get rightfully pissed. My pov.

There’s definitely some over lap in strategy.

In the open water season during a July walleye closure I’m quite sure that if your lindy rigging or pulling spinners on the mud flats, you aren’t targeting bass or pike. And should you get caught doing it, a CO isn’t going to buy it either.

gim wrote:

There’s definitely some over lap in strategy.

In the open water season during a July <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>walleye closure I’m quite sure that if your lindy rigging or pulling spinners on the mud flats, you aren’t targeting bass or pike. And should you get caught doing it, a CO isn’t going to buy it either.

That’s my point. The July closure has specific language written in that prevents you from live bait, pulling spinners, etc. The winter pike season has nothing like that written.

Alex Fox wrote:

That’s my point. The July closure has specific language written in that prevents you from live bait, pulling spinners, etc. The winter pike season has nothing like that written.

So how do anglers specifically target pike right now? Most likely not with a wax worm or fat head minnow on the mud. If you are in a shallow bay and using a sucker on a tip up, and you accidentally catch a walleye, there’s not much you can do.

This is all just for arguments sake and good conversation, but can the DNR cite you then if you’re “fishing in the wrong area?” Or in a spot that “traditionally isn’t for pike?” Seems like an overreach if the answer is yes.

I feel like there just needs to be better language in the rules. Ask any 3 guys about DNR regs (especially deer regs in my case) and you tend to get 3 different answers.

PS. The pike I caught in my profile picture was in shallow, with a spoon and minnow head, while walleye fishing.

Getting a ticket is the deterrent. Then if you disagree with the ticket all you have to do is take a day to visit the judge.

The last thing we need is more language.
Thefishing regs book is already a damn chapter book…

gim wrote:

So how do anglers specifically target pike right now?

Northern Pike open through 3/31/21 on Mille Lacs.

Northern Pike: Beginning May 9, 2020 through March 31, 2021, all northern pike greater than 30 inches must be immediately released. Limit of three. Same regulations for spearing, which concludes Sunday, Feb. 28, 2021

-J.

Skirting the rules. What answer to your poaching trip are you looking for ? Someone to minimulize your cheating?

You should change your moniker to “im no outdoorsman.

Alex Fox wrote:

I’ve wondered this in the past with perch fishing on Mille Lacs, and now, with the pike season extended I wonder even more. What’s to prevent someone from fishing walleyes and just using C and R? I can jig a minnow head for any number of species including perch, <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>pike and walleye. Tip ups with bigger minnows, yep, can use those for <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>walleyes or pike. Couldn’t you essentially go out to walleye fish, and if questioned by the DNR, simply say I’m fishing <em class=”ido-tag-em”>pike but can’t keep the <em class=”ido-tag-em”>walleyes off my line??? As far as the regs I’ve read, it doesn’t say anything about the type of bait used or size of lures, similar to what it says during the July closure.

Thoughts?

It sounds to like you want to target fish after the season is close while looking for some sort of loophole.
Didn’t catch enough when the season was open?

Mike Kohler wrote:

mahtofire and buckybadger will give you your answer shortly.

Alex Fox wrote:

What’s to prevent someone from fishing walleyes and just using C and R?

Thoughts?

Other than it’s illegal? Nothing I guess. What’s to prevent me from driving 65mph in a 30? The law!

As I understand your question and your follow-ups, this is just a hypothetical question. I don’t understand the folks commenting and name calling.

They could write you a ticket, you would then have to appear in court or pay the fine. I don’t think it could be upheld in court. Just my opinion.

Scott

Wow, didn’t mean to stir up the hornets nest. For those of you that don’t know me I’m as straight as the come. For some of you to insinuate that I’m a poacher or don’t catch fish, it’s laughable, but you do you, whatever makes you happy. In specific to your question belletaine, I specifically brought it up because it seems like their should be rules to prevent this. I’m pointing out a grey area that I think anyone can take advantage of. For you to not call me a sportsman because I’m pointing out a loophole where others could cheat in hopes that the DNR would address it…who’s the lesser of the sportsman?

If you look at Jon’s posting of the Pike rules, it says nothing of locations, techniques, bait, etc. Lets not also forget that perch is still viable on Mille Lacs. I agree with wax worms looks a little shady, but have you ever fished big perch with a minnow head? Of course we all have. Would you be fishing those in the mud right now? Of course.

Alex Fox wrote:

I’m pointing out a grey area that I think anyone can take advantage of.

Anyone that doesn’t want to follow a law already in place, isn’t going to follow a law regardless how black and white you make that grey area. It’s a choice YOU make.

It’s simple, walleye fishing closes on xx/xx date. We don’t need more laws explaining that. It CLOSED! The only thing more laws would do is prevent pike fisherman from doing what they want or perch fisherman doing what they want.

That’s a good point clowncolor. No matter what is written there will always be someone pushing the envelope of the rules. It just surprises me that so much is written in the July closure regs to eliminate walleye’s even being caught accidentally, then March comes and it’s like 2 lines.

Alex, you didn’t come off to me as someone trying to skirt the rules or find a loop hole.

Pike will bite a walleye presentation, we all know that. They bite a lot of things often lol. If it was me, I would simply “target” pike where you normally catch them and use what is considered a “reasonable” strategy. You’ll likely not run into a CO so its on you to be ethical about it. CO’s are smart people and they often know when people are trying to hide something or lying. If you try to claim you were targeting pike but really targeting walleye, they’re almost guaranteed to pick up on that. If its the opposite, I think the CO would understand and accept it. We all run into fish we didn’t intend to at some point, even during a closed portion of the season.

As for the perch thing…let’s be honest. There’s very few jumbo perch left in lake anyways so that’s fools gold.

I don’t think bycatch is an issue. Where you may run into trouble is a situation where a CO is watching you and you’re only catching out of season fish. If you continue without changing anything you now may be open to the CO’s discretion. You’re also likely to lose that battle.

Purposely targeting out of season fish would also be unethical. I think that’s where some of our regulations come from and who wants more regulations.

There should be no discussion about this. Follow the regulations and do what’s legal. It’s the responsibility of every angler to do what’s right. If it’s illegal to fish for walleyes, don’t do it. It’s as simple as that.

To the original question and example about Mille Lacs…nothing really preventing it except that it’s closed. Could just as well make it catch and release without much impact.

Ripjiggen wrote:

To the original question and example about Mille Lacs…nothing really preventing it except that it’s closed. Could just as well make it catch and release without much impact.

Well yeah, but there is still a certain amount of walleye mortality, especially if fish are caught deep and additionally, how is the spawn affected by catching and releasing females ready to spawn? Does anyone really know the effect of catch and releasing walleyes just prior to spawning? If so, please list the studies. I’d assume that the result of a walleye being caught and released just prior to spawning wouldn’t be positive.
Catch and release and closed season isn’t quite the same.
Does it kill any walleye angler just to NOT fish for walleyes when the season is closed?

Karry Kyllo wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Ripjiggen wrote:</div>
To the original question and example about Mille Lacs…nothing really preventing it except that it’s closed. Could just as well make it catch and release without much impact.

Well yeah, but there is still a certain amount of walleye mortality, especially if fish are caught deep and additionally, how is the spawn affected by catching and releasing females ready to spawn? Does anyone really know the effect of catch and releasing walleyes just prior to spawning? If so, please list the studies. I’d assume that the result of a walleye being caught and released just prior to spawning wouldn’t be positive.
Catch and release and closed season isn’t quite the same.
Does it kill any walleye angler just to NOT fish for walleyes when the season is closed?

Nope it doesn’t kill me at all. plenty of places it can still be done. Just saying it probably would have little impact.
And can still be done by some on Mille Lacs.

It’s called integrity. Doing the same as you would if someone was watching.