BWCA Do you like the new pike regs? Boundary Waters Fishing Forum
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carmike
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02/03/2018 11:20PM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
Hello all,

What are your thoughts on the new pike regs in MN? If you're not familiar with the change starting this spring, here's a link: New pike regs

As someone who lives in central MN and fishes lakes that are *all* overrun with small pike, I like the new 10-fish limit (with accompanying protected slots) over most of the central-north part of the state. I *love* eating pike, and it's now worthwhile to keep some, meaning (hopefully) we can make a dent in their numbers. Whether that's likely or not is a different question, but I'm hoping it helps. Can't imagine it'll hurt?

And in the BWCA, the protected slot is now 30-40''. I'm also OK with that, but I suspect it might be a bit more controversial with this crowd. I dunno...what do you think?

Carmike
 
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Savage Voyageur
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02/03/2018 11:37PM  
I’m ok with the new regs. I would not eat one over about 28” anyway.
 
02/04/2018 06:03AM  
Savage Voyageur: "I’m ok with the new regs. I would not eat one over about 28” anyway. "

Exactly what I was thinking.
 
murphylakejim
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02/04/2018 08:32AM  
It gets complex once you look at basswood for example, some sections categorized as inland waters and some as boarder waters each with their own regs aside from the general state wide regs :/

Basswood lake (jackfish, pipestone, ect... not boarder sections) had special regs for 2017 with a 24"-36" protected slot while Basswood river seems to be 30"-40" protected slot. Also the boarder water sections of basswood might be in another catagory with a 30"-40" protected slot, but I could be reading this wrong.

Luckily most people fishing in MN won't be dealing with these extra complex areas...

Overall I'm a fan of the regs working towards improving pike size structure and this seems to be a logical approach.
 
02/04/2018 09:29AM  
What would anyone do with 10 pike under 22 inches? I don't think this will reduce small pike. There is a chance we will lose more big fish since the one pike over 30 inches rule is gone. Many of us do not over harvest big fish but the regulations now allow two over 30". When looking at lake surveys over the past ten years special pike regulations have little effect on increasing size. With all the lake surveys the DNR has I am disappointed they did not apply that information to specific lakes.
 
02/04/2018 10:08AM  
i dont care for the new regs at all , hard to put a blanket coverage over many different lakes, some lakes do not have the make up to produce trophy pike.
many lakes in our state have special regs for walleyes so a lake by lake reg is being done right now. and now a person cant keep a pike over #7 in the bwca with the exception of a 40"+ ridiculous .
i felt the 1 over 30" was a good rule.
 
carmike
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02/04/2018 02:32PM  
I-Hawk: "What would anyone do with 10 pike under 22 inches? I don't think this will reduce small pike. There is a chance we will lose more big fish since the one pike over 30 inches rule is gone. Many of us do not over harvest big fish but the regulations now allow two over 30". When looking at lake surveys over the past ten years special pike regulations have little effect on increasing size. With all the lake surveys the DNR has I am disappointed they did not apply that information to specific lakes. "


I'll definitely be pickling them...And sometimes we'll clean the small fish, mostly avoiding the Y-bones and taking the "backstrap" and the tail sections. Fried up, they're hard to distinguish from panfish fillets. Or we boil them and dip in butter. Yum.

But yeah, I hear you...I don't know if there's enough angler interest in 10 dinky northerns to make much of a difference either way. I *hope* people thin them out, if only to slightly decrease the number of swim jigs I lose each year.

 
Gadfly
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02/05/2018 01:06PM  
Being that basically all of the pike that I keep are between 22 and 26 inches I don't really care for the regs. I don't believe it will change much either.
 
02/05/2018 11:45PM  
For the BWCAW area, North East, I like the new Regs. Especially with the provision for spearing of only 1 over 26”

T
 
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