There is an old saying in fishing that, at the beginning of each outing, you can assume the fish are deep, shallow or somewhere in between. Assuming the species you’re after could be in shallow water, it’s smart to check there first. Catching fish is all about efficiency, and we are most efficient in the shallows. But what if your…
St. Paul – Cass Lake will be open to spearing, and lawmakers will have to approve antler-point restrictions for deer in Zone 3 after the 2012 season. Counties can offer a bounty on coyotes, and the DNR can open the duck season earlier. Those provisions are among the many in a Game and Fish Bill that's attached to an omnibus environment…
Here's the latest official statement regarding allowing anglers to fish without a license during the government shutdown, on the self-proclaimed honor system… ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources says there's no way to get around the state's fishing license requirements during the government shutdown. The state's electronic licensing system was taken offline when the shutdown…
BRAINERD, Minn. (AP) – Officials in a northern Minnesota county are calling on state officials to clarify their policy on fishing without a license during the government shutdown. Crow Wing County commissioners passed their resolution Tuesday because of concern about financial losses to lake resorts. The shutdown has meant people can't get fishing licenses. The Brainerd Dispatch reports that some callers,…
These are not all "outdoor related," but here is a list, from the Associated Press, of services shut down or curtailed by the government shutdown… ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – A snapshot of Minnesota state services affected by the government shutdown, which started Friday at 12:01 a.m. CLOSED OR SUSPENDED: _ State parks: 66 state parks and six recreation areas…
Ely, Minn. – It's not out of the ordinary to catch a silver-phase northern pike on Snowbank Lake near Ely. But a 42-incher that's heavier than the largest silver pike ever recorded in Minnesota? That's Mark Plumley's story. For one night last week, he thought he'd caught a new state record. He learned the following morning his fish wasn't a…
ELY, Minn. (AP) – Minnesota wildlife officials say a silver-phase northern pike caught this week by a Wisconsin angler may have been huge, but it won't be an official state record. Linda Erickson-Eastwood is a fisheries program manager with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. She says the DNR used to keep records for silver pike, but no longer recognizes…
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has produced an instructional video that explains the state's new aquatic invasive species laws and shows boaters what they are required to do when leaving Minnesota waters. "The DNR is ramping up the battle to stop the spread of zebra mussels, Eurasian watermilfoil and other aquatic invasive species," said Luke Skinner, supervisor, DNR…
St. Paul – While it's unclear yet what undone pieces of legislation might be part of a potential special session, there's hope the Legacy funding bill makes the list. The bill includes $450 million in spending over the next two years from the four pots of money – clean water, fish and wildlife habitat, parks and trails, and arts and…
Valencia, Pa. – One bad inspection. That's all it took for anglers to likely lose a popular stocked trout lake. Officials with the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission and Department of Environmental Protection were doing a routine annual inspection of the dam at Glade Run Lake in southern Butler County in May when they noticed "seepage issues," with water leaking…
Muskie opener set for Saturday St. Paul – Suffering from a poor showing up to the 2011 fishing opener, license sales in the state have rebounded in recent weeks. But as of the Friday before Memorial Day weekend, sales of all types of fishing licenses were down 19 percent compared with last year. Just prior to this year's May 14…
Minnesotans who have yet to net their fishing license catch a break June 10-12 when they can fish without a license while accompanying a child age 15 or younger. Minnesota's annual Take-A-Kid Fishing weekend aims to help keep the state's fishing tradition strong by encouraging adults and kids to share an angling experience on or along the state's thousands of…
As part of its ongoing effort to get more people outdoors, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is offering a series of skill-building workshops that will introduce camping, fishing, paddling, climbing and archery to the next generation this summer. The DNR Division of Parks and Trails created these programs in response to recent research that points to declining participation…
St. Paul – If you were betting new Republican majorities in the state House and Senate would break the annual impasse over two-line fishing and using scopes on muzzleloaders during that season, it's time to pay up. Neither provision was in the final Game and Fish Bill the Legislature approved Monday and sent to Gov. Mark Dayton. The bill tends…
A remote lake deep in the Chippewa National Forest is benefitting from an innovative construction project that was completed last fall. Three agencies – the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Chippewa National Forest, and Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe – removed a concrete dam-and-culvert from the outlet of Itasca County's Pigeon River impoundment and replaced it with a channel…
The Minnesota House Ways and Means Committee on Wednesday eliminated funding for the rehabilitation of the Coon Rapids dam on the Mississippi River, which is seen as a crucial barrier to stop the spread of invasive Asian carp. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources officials say the dam is currently the best option for stopping the northward spread of Asian carp…
Bemidji, Minn. – The number of walleyes Minnesotans caught on opening day depended on their willingness to take serious abuse from Mother Nature. A steady 35-mile-per-hour northeast wind, finger-numbing temperatures, and rain took its toll on anglers eager to start the walleye season across the state. Some of those who battled the weather found success, others didn't fare as well,…
I've been attending Minnesota Governor's Fishing Openers since Rudy Perpich's second term in the late 80s and early 90s and I was at yet another this year on Lake Pokegama near Grand Rapids, the first for Governor Mark Dayton. Through Perpich, Carlson, Ventura, Pawlenty and now Dayton, I have always wondered if any of these politicians actually likes to fish….
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is looking for the public's help in gathering data on catfish angling and consumption as part of a project to enhance management of the fish. The project includes DNR tagging catfish to get a better idea of their population and movement. It also will draw upon catfish anglers who are willing to answer…
With 2011 open water fishing season upon us, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is urging boaters and anglers to take action to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species that harm water recreation, such as boating and fishing. "Our lakes and rivers are too important to take for granted," said Tom Landwehr, DNR commissioner. "Boaters and anglers need…
Minnesota DNR's Fisheries Chief, Dirk Peterson, sent out a release describing how money is spent from the sale of state fishing licenses. According to Peterson, the DNR's fisheries section has a yearly operating budget of about $35 million. About 50 percent of that amount – or $18 million – comes from anglers who purchase a fishing license or stamps. About…
St. Paul – Proposals to create new fishing and hunting licenses and increase the fees for existing licenses, and to boost watercraft registration fees, haven't been heard yet at the Legislature, but don't rule them out. The DNR says the money is necessary to fund an aggressive program to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species, and to prevent the…
Minnesota anglers who catch a tagged fish can help support their sport by recording the tag number, fish species, length, site of catch, and the date on which it was landed. This data should be entered into the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) tagged fish reporting website. "Tagging and marking are important techniques for studying individual aquatic animals or…
‘Emergency workers,' volunteers, interns filling in some gaps St. Paul – For the past few years, the level of DNR Fisheries staff in 28 field offices around the state has continued on a downward path. More recent events – an early retirement option, for one thing – have accelerated the loss of personnel. Now, according to Dirk Peterson, DNR Fisheries…
Lake Mille Lacs anglers are reminded that walleye regulations won't change from 2010 when the season opens Saturday, May 14, but the slot limit for northern pike will be different this year, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Anglers may keep up to four walleyes shorter than 18 inches, one of which may be longer than 28…
Even tough guys have to admit that a lot of fishing lures are pretty. But only the smartest anglers can see past holographic attributes- even bright red diving lips- to understand whether any given lure would add to their collection from a fishing standpoint.Tackle boxes should be more like tool boxes than they are, for most people.Your tackle boxes should…
