netting minnoes

[dakids]

I remember netting bait as a kid with a 30 foot seigning(sp) net while we were on vacation. This took place 35 years ago, I don't even know if it was legel back then. I will be on vacation next week with the whole family and was wondering if the kids were to net some minnoes would they be breaking the law?  As a kid it was great fun and gave us an excuse to get wet.

[MTCOMMER]

I dont believe so, since they are not a protected game fish with a slot limit, etc, etc, etc.
I net minnows all the time up by our cabin, we have a 30ft net as well and just drag between the docks.  We get the small sunnies and perch, but we just let them go and keep some of the larger minnows - I dont see a problem with that.

I would say that it is legal, but dont quote me on that -- but if it is, im breaking the law too! 

[BiggA]

I was asking about this earlier in the year because there are shiners in shallow in the spring. I was told that the laws have recently changed and it is no longer legal to use throw nets but i dont know about any other types. I am sure someone has experience with this.

[MTCOMMER]

I was looking online and I found that you can use the seine nets, just not casting/throw nets..... and you must sort through the minnows and let the fry go - because its illegal to use them as bait.  Otherwise I think you should be ok, just make sure you know your fry from your minnows if you are using them as bait.
Or just net them and let them go - it was also fun when I was smaller, seeing how many you can get in the net, or how big you can get them - its always a surprise when you lift it out of the water and all the fish are flapping -- pretty cool.

[dakids]

Thanks for the help.  As kids grampa would also take the perch and filet the tail meat off and use it as bait.  I later found out that gramps knew it was breaking the law.  He was a cheap old codger.

[Randy Kaar]

As a kid, We got shipped to grandma's every summer. She lived on a lake in a little town by Alex. Every weekend our parents and aunts and uncles would come up to fish . It was our job to seine for minnows during the week. It was kind of fun.......

randy

[beeker]

when I was a younger I would work for my uncles bait farm in SD. we would use a couple of types of traps.. the small ones were about the size of 2 five gallon pals stacked on top of each other they have a funnel on each end pointing in and a release door on in the middle we also have larger traps that looked like an upright freezer laid on end with a V on either end. we would trap and sort all types of minnows.  they survive for some time in there since they get fresh water and whatever they eat I'm guessing gets in there too since it seemed they woudl survive pretty long in there. 

[kenhuntin]

Be careful. Read the regs there are some lakes infested with exotics in which no minnowing is allowed and others that only allow traps.

[LandDr]

You are allowed to catch bait for "personal' use.  But if you start selling the bait, then you have to register with the DNR and get a license.  Last I checked the license was $300 per year...might have gone up though.