Minnesota’s e-book of fishing data may quickly be rewritten based on a brand new proposal from the state’s Department of Natural Resources. Under the proposal that was launched earlier this month, the DNR would re-classify 12 of its present state data as “historic” whereas including a “certified weight” class for every of these 12 species. This change would give anglers an opportunity to interrupt data which have been on the books for years, together with the coveted walleye state document that was established over 40 years in the past.
The company can also be proposing to develop its document fish program by making a number of further species eligible for catch-and-release data over the following few years.
Re-Writing the Record Book
The DNR says {that a} revamp of its century-old document program is important as a result of a number of the data established earlier than 1980 wouldn’t be thought of reputable by as we speak’s requirements, the Star Tribune stories. Up till that yr, the DNR didn’t require potential document fish to be weighed on a state-certified scale. (This requirement is now customary amongst practically each state document fish program within the nation, together with the International Game Fish Association, which is the final word authority on fishing data worldwide.)
Going again even farther, the DNR didn’t even preserve formal data earlier than 1950, which signifies that a number of the state-record fish had been accepted with none proof aside from the angler’s claims.
“We’re not saying these records are not valid. What we’re saying is that prior to 1980, we didn’t require certified weights. We don’t have a lot of information available on some of those older records. In fact, we have no information on some of them,” DNR fisheries supervisor Shannon Fisher advised Outdoor News. “So, there’s been a group of us talking about this for the past couple of years, and we just decided let’s put this out there and see what people think.”
Under its present proposal, the DNR would reclassify 12 state data as “historic,” whereas additionally creating a brand new “certified weight” class for every of these species: black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, channel catfish, coho salmon, frequent carp, flathead catfish, lake trout, northern pike, smallmouth bass, walleye, and yellow perch.
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Fisher says that Minnesota anglers have supported the concept so far—particularly since it will give them the chance to interchange some state data which have appeared unbeatable for generations now. Chief amongst these is the state-record walleye that was caught by LeRoy Chiovitte in 1979. Chiovitte’s fish weighed 17 kilos, 8 ounces, based on the DNR’s document e-book. But since he caught the fish a yr earlier than licensed scales grew to become a requirement, the legitimacy of that quantity will endlessly stay in query.
A number of diehard walleye fishermen have come dangerously near breaking Chiovitte’s document. In 2012, skilled fishing information Don Mickel caught a walleye within the Rainy River that was reportedly half an inch shorter than Chiovitte’s document fish however a lot girthier. Mickel’s walleye weighed 17 kilos, 9 ounces, based on his hand scale, however strict possession rules required him to throw the fish again earlier than he may make it to a state-certified scale.
Walleyes are essentially the most iconic recreation fish within the state, and the prospect for anglers to set a brand new walleye state document is a giant deal. Importantly, the DNR would set up what it calls “minimum starting weights” for walleye and the opposite 11 species as a part of its reclassification course of. It’s unclear what these minimal weights could be, however theoretically the primary particular person to catch a walleye over that minimal weight could be the brand new state document holder within the “certified weight” class.
In different phrases, the DNR isn’t proposing to declare a brand new state-record walleye instantly. The company would merely open the door for future document submissions, and there may finally be two state walleye data acknowledged by the DNR: one historic document, and one licensed weight document.
Expanding Catch and Release
The different vital piece of the DNR’s current proposal is the growth of its “catch-and-release” document class. The class was established six years in the past in response to calls for from conservation-minded anglers—a few of whom complained that they’d moderately set a record-sized fish free as an alternative of killing it simply to have their identify in a document e-book.
With catch-and-release data, anglers don’t need to make that selection. Unlike conventional weight-based data, which require the fish to be introduced in and weighed on a licensed scale, all that’s wanted for potential catch-and-release data are high quality images of the fish, size and girth measurements, and a witness.
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The DNR now has a separate utility course of for catch-and-release data. And with extra anglers preaching about conservation ethics as of late, the company feels a must develop the class. As it stands now, solely 4 species are eligible for a catch-and-release document: flathead catfish, lake sturgeon, muskellunge, and northern pike. The DNR is proposing so as to add a complete of 18 species to this checklist over a three-year span, as follows:
2024: Blue sucker, bowfin, channel catfish, freshwater drum, shovelnose sturgeon, and tiger muskie.
2025: Bigmouth buffalo, lake trout, largemouth bass, rainbow trout, smallmouth bass, and smallmouth buffalo.
2026: Brook trout, brown trout, longnose gar, sauger, shortnose gar, and walleye.
The finish objective right here is to provide anglers the chance to hunt document recognition whereas nonetheless training catch and launch. This moral consideration helps preserve wholesome fisheries, and it’s particularly necessary when managing for trophy species like lake trout and muskie, which develop very giant very slowly, and make poor desk fare anyhow. It’s much less important when catching walleye, sauger, and different species, and the DNR has clarified that it’ll proceed to help the regulated harvest of sustainable fish shares.
“That’s the one thing we want to emphasize, too,” Fisher stated of the company’s proposal. “We’re not out here saying everybody should be doing catch and release. Is it a great opportunity to catch and release these large fish? Sure. That’s part of why we want to do the catch-and-release options, but we’re also not averse to harvest.”