Bowfin in NJ

[Joecatfish88]

Hey Ranger,

I was referring to The Kid's interpretation of MN law, where he thought that you had to legally kill the bowfin and not return it to the water.

I think you catching bowfin for an aquarium is SWEET, Good Luck!

 

[MN_Rebel]

Nope. Minnesota law says you can't release rough fish so I just put it in a community freezer after gutting them.

Pretty sure that is incorrect. It is perfect legal to release the roughfish back in the water in Minnesota. Only Asian carps and other invasive species that cannot be released back in the waters. You just can't discard the killed fish on banks, ice, shores or in the water.

 

[MN_Rebel]

I didn't question it. All the locals told us to chop them in half and leave them on the bank or put them in the community freezer otherwise we could be fined.

I wouldn't take their word for it. Most locals just said that to you to just remove non-walleyes from the waters. The lake association tried to make a law against muskellunge stocking in new waters but it backfired (thankfully).

 

[Thekid]

Pretty sure that is incorrect. It is perfect legal to release the roughfish back in the water in Minnesota. Only Asian carps and other invasive species that cannot be released back in the waters. You just can't discard the killed fish on banks, ice, shores or in the water.

I didn't do any of those things. The fish went into what is is basically a HUSH freezer for whoever is going through tough times and wants something other than the food from a food bank.

I wouldn't take their word for it. Most locals just said that to you to just remove non-walleyes from the waters. The lake association tried to make a law against muskellunge stocking in new waters but it backfired (thankfully).

Crazy. The same people who told me to kill the little northerners I was catching off the dock.

Is there a statewide thing against esox in Minnesota?

 

[MN_Rebel]

I didn't do any of those things. The fish went into what is is basically a HUSH freezer for whoever is going through tough times and wants something other than the food from a food bank.
Crazy. The same people who told me to kill the little northerners I was catching off the dock.

Is there a statewide thing against esox in Minnesota?

Because it's not tasty or boneless fish that's why. I don't know why many people are so against northern pikes and muskellunges. Their excuse is that pikes eating all walleyes but in reality they just don't want to dealing with filleting the pikes and remove Y bones. Pike is actually very good to eat and the DNR is trying to encourage the anglers to keep more smaller pikes for frying and release larger pikes back in the waters.

 

[Frank Castle]

Because it's not tasty or boneless fish that's why. I don't know why many people are so against northern pikes and muskellunges. Their excuse is that pikes eating all walleyes but in reality they just don't want to dealing with filleting the pikes and remove Y bones. Pike is actually very good to eat and the DNR is trying to encourage the anglers to keep more smaller pikes for frying and release larger pikes back in the waters.

I heard so many people say Pike is delicious, comparable if not better than Walleye and I still have yet to try either. I'm interested, Go on....


We're gonna be targeting a handful of different Monster-fish this weekend in various spots, and I just got a phone call saying Pike and Walleye are on that list now in a special spot I only get to hit once a year, usually

Aside from that, I'm infinitely looking to find better and new spots for Esox and Walleye in my area and new tactics for getting them besides a massive Chub or Sucker put 2ft-under a bobber and Xtra-sized lures. Mostly the issue is being able to target these guys from the banks and wading.....we don't end up in boats too often, but it happens here and there.