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Author	Message Text
CCBBSpeckled	02/26/2020 04:25PM   The outfitter has already corrected their website to read. "Remember that lake trout season closes in Minnesota on September 30." That statement replaced the careful catch and release statement. I simply copied your statement and googled it to find it. It still shows up in the google preview, but on the actual webpage it's been corrected.
thegildedgopher	02/27/2020 08:50AM   sns: "aquaphile: "So technically since catch and release is illegal during the closed season, can you be fined for accidentally catching a laker in Oct even if you're not targeting them?" Not sure, good question... But I believe I've heard there are some states where if you do catch & release a closed-season species you have to immediately change lure to avoid a repeat." I beleive SNS is correct. I've asked a MN conversation about incidental catch of walleye while targeting white bass (open year round) on the St. Croix River in April. I often catch them both using the same trolling pattern in summer so I was worried I'd be accused of targeting walleye. He said I was fine as long as I changed lures/tactics/depths/locations or some combo of those immediately after catching a walleye. And you're not even supposed to take pics or measurement or any of that if you do catch an out-of-season fish, just unhook and immediate release. He also mentioned you'd have a stronger case if you weren't using a popular walleye-specific tactic like lindy rigging a crawler.
bobbernumber3	02/26/2020 02:18PM   thegildedgopher: "That's the way I've always seen it as well. I wrote to the outfitter to point this out to them and they agreed it seemed misleading and will change their website." Good Job! If only all our problems could be solved so easily...
thegildedgopher	02/26/2020 10:28AM   I have always thought lake trout season closed 9/30 and that was it, period, until the winter season. I was reading on an outfitter's website and noticed the following statement about late fall: "This is a vulnerable time of year for lakers which is why the fishing season closes except for careful catch and release." Is this correct, incorrect, used to be correct, or...?
thegildedgopher	02/26/2020 12:45PM   That's the way I've always seen it as well. I wrote to the outfitter to point this out to them and they agreed it seemed misleading and will change their website.
thegildedgopher	02/27/2020 11:09AM   I agree with you, Tony -- but honestly YMMV when it comes to the way that any individual CO chooses to interpret/enforce or answer questions. It's been far from consistent in my experience. I was merely passing along the answer that I got from one CO. It depends a little on the fish too, I suppose. If I catch an incidental laker during spawning season, no I'm not taking it out of the water for measurement and photo. The fish stays in the net, in the water, for the entire hook removal and release. That's just the way I'd do it, personally. I'm not saying that's right or the other way is "wrong," but I would prioritize the health of the fish over getting a measurement/photo for my own satisfaction in that scenario.
aquaphile	02/27/2020 06:20AM   So technically since catch and release is illegal during the closed season, can you be fined for accidentally catching a laker in Oct even if you're not targeting them?
Basspro69	02/29/2020 12:52AM   I’ve caught lake trout in the fall targeting Brookies and Rainbows which season doesn’t close until October 31st . I wouldn’t consider taking a photo of them I just immediately release them .
sns	02/27/2020 08:04AM   aquaphile: "So technically since catch and release is illegal during the closed season, can you be fined for accidentally catching a laker in Oct even if you're not targeting them?" Not sure, good question... But I believe I've heard there are some states where if you do catch & release a closed-season species you have to immediately change lure to avoid a repeat.
thebotanyguy	02/26/2020 12:03PM   Here is a screenshot from page 79 of the MN Fishing Regulations booklet: The last sentence in the Catch-and-Release section states that "You cannot catch-and-release for a species during its closed season." I think a reasonable person would know to release an fish accidentally caught during the closed season, but not to target that species during the closed season.
tonyyarusso	02/27/2020 10:16AM   thegildedgopher: "And you're not even supposed to take pics or measurement or any of that if you do catch an out-of-season fish, just unhook and immediate release." Okay, that particular bit is just patently false. In Minnesota law, the phrase "immediately released" is *defined* to include measuring and photographing. It's made the news several times when people incidentally caught muskies on the walleye and pike opener, and nobody got ticketed for that. In other states I have no idea, but in Minnesota you can measure and photograph anything. To the other questions, no, you won't be fined for incidental catch if the evidence doesn't support saying you were targeting them. COs will look at a totality of the circumstances of what lures, bait, rigs, locations, tactics, etc. are being used and make judgement calls, but this stuff happens and they know it, so you'd probably have to be pretty egregiously obvious about it to actually get a citation. One-pound muskie baits for "walleye", Lindy rigs for "crappie", or topwater poppers for "sunnies" would get a much harder look that trolling catching a bass instead of a walleye.