Did MN fishing hit the crapper???

KDM

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I was fishing on Ashtabula recently and noticed 2/3rds of the boats going by had MN registration. I thought there might have been a good deal on MN boats, but the vehicles in the parking lot all had blue plates too. A guy from MN was fishing right next to me and I asked him "Did MN fishing hit the shritter or what??" He said he preferred to fish ND because MN regulations are a book and he has trouble keeping everything straight. I haven't fished MN for a few years so I went to their website to check out the regs. Lots of lakes seem to have their own set of rules. I can see why the guy wanted to come to Ashtabula instead of headin' east. Yikes!!!
 


MT11

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They have caught at least 1 boat from Minnesota in western Montana with Zebra mussels attached to it. Hope all them boats don't bring other issues with them.
 

bucksnbears

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MN fishing ai'nt what it used to be.
the reg's between hunting/fishing is a nightmare to read.
wish they would just let us hunt/fish without all the chit they come up with.
 

---------------

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Got a 3 day permit for MN a couple years back. Took longer to read all the regulations than it did to fish for the day. CRAZY.
 


BluePlater

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Fishing in Minnesota is great. Our DNR does a great job of keeping fish populations at fishable levels.

The regulations are pretty easy. 1 line per angler and 6 walleyes (one of which can be over 20"). Not very hard to understand and if a lake has a special regulation, there are signs at the boat launches to remind you.

The odds of catching a trophy walleye in Minnesota far outweigh the odds of catching one in ND. However, you won't as easily get a limit most days. But I still have a few 50+ walleye days per season.
 

Kickemup

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Fishing in Minnesota is great. Our DNR does a great job of keeping fish populations at fishable levels.

The regulations are pretty easy. 1 line per angler and 6 walleyes (one of which can be over 20"). Not very hard to understand and if a lake has a special regulation, there are signs at the boat launches to remind you.

The odds of catching a trophy walleye in Minnesota far outweigh the odds of catching one in ND. However, you won't as easily get a limit most days. But I still have a few 50+ walleye days per season.

I don't think the odds of catching a trophy walleye are better in Minnesota. I'm going to have to call bs on that one. The LOW is probably the only lake that I can think of that could compare with the Missouri on terms of trophy fish. Yes u will catch more fish but most of them will be 12 inches. They use to have some good lakes but most of them are crap will all the gill netting going on.
 

MuskyManiac

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I don't think the odds of catching a trophy walleye are better in Minnesota. I'm going to have to call bs on that one. The LOW is probably the only lake that I can think of that could compare with the Missouri on terms of trophy fish. Yes u will catch more fish but most of them will be 12 inches. They use to have some good lakes but most of them are crap will all the gill netting going on.

That's some funny stuff right there.
 


BP338

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Are we going to start seeing "true colors" in this thread?

Never fished MN and don't plan to. I'm facing west or south when I think about taking my boat and poles out of state. This isn't the first time I've heard of something like this. Doesn't give one much hope...or prove me wrong.
 

Vollmer

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Has LoW really declined that much? I have never been there, but my Uncle lives right by the lake, and he would always tell me how amazing it was.
 

SDMF

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The only really tough day's I've had on LOW on the S shore have been days it's too lumpy to fish where you want to, so, you fish where you can/have to. On those days, give or take most are doing the same and it can get pretty crowded. I've never fished the MB portion. I can't recall ever having poor fishing anywhere on the Ont side from the Angle, to Kenora, and down through to Sioux Narrows though I've never fished S or E of SN.
 

KDM

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The whole point of this thread was to say I've noticed an increase of MN guys avoiding the rules and regs that MN has put in place for fishing by going other places. Not to start a fight between ND and MN fishermen. Probably should have called the thread something else. My Bad I guess.

Hey Vollmer, Please whack this thread if it starts to get stupid. Thanks!!!!
 


Holmsvc

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The rules in MN are getting pretty ridiculous. I do like that they are willing to regulate individual lakes when they get in trouble, not that they do a good job of it, but they try.

Before this rain a lot of lakes in MN were really low. I was at Lake Lizzy opening weekend and they have a terrible ramp there to start with, but it was tough to use with how shallow the lake was.
 

BluePlater

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I don't think the odds of catching a trophy walleye are better in Minnesota. I'm going to have to call bs on that one. The LOW is probably the only lake that I can think of that could compare with the Missouri on terms of trophy fish. Yes u will catch more fish but most of them will be 12 inches. They use to have some good lakes but most of them are crap will all the gill netting going on.

Not sure what lakes you have fished, and the Missouri is a great body of water that does produce some better fish. Leech, Mille Lacs, Winnie, Vermillion, Rainy, LOW, Mississippi River all give you a better shot at a trophy (I'm considering 28" or larger a trophy). Also, any "walleye" lake in the Detroit Lakes area (which there are probably 15-20 good lakes in the area) will outproduce ND for size.

As I said before, if we are talking numbers then ND definitely takes the cake. But limits come pretty easy in MN too.
 

johnr

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If you live close to mn it's probably not a bad way to go. But to travel hundreds of miles to fish the land of ten thousand lakes makes zero sense when I am 60 miles from sakakawea, or a hundred from the Missouri river. There was a time when I lived in fargo and would fish mn. But it was a closeness factor.
I can understand MuskyManiac fishing them waters, being musky fishing the dakotas is nonexistent. Otherwise pretty much NOT a destination for a western NDr
 


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