If signed into law as passed, by 2010 we should see many changes in the Fishing Contest rules, with guidance and support from Senator Satveer Chaudhary, Representative David Dill and Representative Larry Howes both the House and Senate sent a new Game and Fish bill forward. The contest modifications came about through the actions of anglers, working together with Legislators for changes. Fishing contests are an important part of angling in Minnesota, both economically and recreationally. Lead by an alliance of anglers active in the Northerns Inc, the Minnesota Bass Federation Nation, Muskie anglers and bow fishing groups; they spent hundreds of hours lobbying for change. As a result of this the rules have been relaxed and the fee’s reduced. Now it’s up to the contest/tournament anglers to conduct themselves ethically and professionally at public accesses and on the water.

So what will be different?

The contest application will be available on-line, thus streamlining the process and creating a Web page listing for all the contests Statewide.

A best practices certification program for fishing contest organizers will be developed by the DNR to ensure the proper handling and release of fish. Angling groups will be invited to help develop these practices.

Who will be required to obtain a permit will change. What’s new: Events with fewer then 25 boats or 150 ice fishing contestants will be exempt or if the contest is limited to rough fish; or the total prize value is $500 or less. Much of the old language of who is also exempt stays the same.

I expect the new electronic web permit system will be similar to Wisconsin’s and a series of questions will be asked, to determine who needs a permit.

Direct from Minnesota Fishing with My Fishing Pals

forum - DNR is selling off our land to balance the budget

DNR is being directed by the Governor and the Legislature to sell of public lands to pay down on the State Deficit. Some of this even comes from the Commissioner's Office. They have been doing this for several years. The proceeds from these land sales are going into the General Fund. Some of these public lands were purchased using Game and Fish Funds. Effectively we the anglers and hunters are funding sales of land put into things like WMAs, State Parks, State Forests and then parts are being quietly sold off and those sales dollars stolen from us. The old rob Peter to Pay Paul Game.

I’d like to urge you to support this bill. Please write, e-mail ,fax your State Senator. Many of us in the outdoors community are working hard to preserve, protect and acquire outdoor areas that will benefit future generations of Minnesotans. It makes no sense to sell off our future.

S.F. No. 353, as introduced - 86th Legislative Session (2009-2010) Posted on Jan 28, 2009

1.1A bill for an act
1.2relating to natural resources; prohibiting sales of land within the outdoor
1.3recreation system for certain purposes;proposing coding for new law in
1.4Minnesota Statutes, chapter 86A.
1.5BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 Section 1. [86A.055] PROHIBITION ON SALES OF OUTDOOR RECREATION  Read more...

There is an informal poll located at My Fishing Pals that lets you vote for the funding or not. If you missed the original press release, you can still read it here...

Lot's of controversy folks, but it seems the general fishing population is going to vote yes. Links of interest...

Minnesota Fishing with My Fishing Pals
Controversial Forum
Minnesota Fishing Communities - Dedicated Funding?

The poll can be seen on every page.

(I-Newswire) - Minnesota Anglers are sharing mixed feelings regarding the proposed Dedicated Funding Amendment due on the ballot on November 4. The bill calls for a constitutional amendment raising the sales tax 3/8th of 1 percent and dedicate the $276 million in annual revenue to wildlife habitat, clean water, parks and the arts.

After a long 10 year battle the bill has finally found the legs to make its way to the ballot. While initially excited, some outdoor enthusiasts are critical of the spending proposal. Many remember the legislation passed for the state lottery in 1990 to be the miracle fix for the environment. Profits generated by the lottery were to fund the Game and Fish Fund, Natural Resources Fund and the Environmental Fund. Much of the lottery profit has been directed away from its intended environmental funds and Minnesotans are leary that history may repeat itself with the Dedicated Funding Bill.  Read more...

Reprinted with permission from WebDude of My Fishing Pals Dedicated to Minnesota Fishing...

In my early 20's, I lived in Duluth and had a job that required I work a split shift. I would go to work at 7 am and work 'til 11 am, then my second shift would start at 6 pm. That was a seven hour break every day. Since I was single at the time, I thought what better way to spend this long lunch break than to go fishing! Especially Minnesota Fishing!

I did not own a boat, so I was rather limited as to where I could go. There was this one spot I found, however, that was accessable by vehicle and pretty much vacated at that time of the day. It was a dirt road that ran between two bays on Island Lake. You could park and fish pretty much anywhere along the road on either side. The only other people that fished out there at that time of day were some of the locals. Being it was less then a half hour from where I lived, I started to spend almost every day there, even weekends as I became more proficient at the art of angling.

Now this was a time in my life when I was pretty green when it came to fishing. I preferred to fish alone because it always took a long time for me to tie a line or bait a hook. I didn't want anyone else to see my lack of experience. It wasn't that I hadn't fished before, just that it was relatively new to me.

Oh I had fished with friends and such as most young kids do, but I rarely caught anything worth mentioning. This new job with the wierd hours made fishing more often a possibility, and the more I went to Hag Creek, the more I started to enjoy the sport.  Read more...

On a Minnesota Fishing website, I found an excellent post by a user named BigBite. I asked his permisiion to post his comments here. An excellent post.

Thank you, BigBite!
______________________________________________________

The legislation that placed the lottery amendment on the 1988 ballot provided that the net profits from the lottery would be divided equally between two new funds. The first was an environmental trust fund for environmental and natural resources projects. The second was a fund to finance the new Greater Minnesota Corporation, a quasi-entrepreneurial agency within state government created primarily to enhance economic development and technology transfer outside the metropolitan area.

Boy... has that changed

Even though this allocation was presented to the voters as part of the campaign on behalf of the lottery amendment, the legislature began making changes in it almost before the first ticket was sold. The original allocation remained in effect only for fiscal 1990, the lottery's first year of operation. For fiscal 1991, the legislature reduced the environmental trust fund's share from 50 percent to 40 percent and the Greater Minnesota fund's share from 50 percent to 25 percent. The remainder went for capital improvement projects in natural resources and state universities. To prevent further reductions in the environmental trust fund's share the legislature placed on the ballot, and voters subsequently approved, a constitutional amendment to guarantee 40 percent of net lottery profits to the fund until 2000. (A subsequent constitutional amendment passed in 1998 extended the dedication until 2025).  Read more...

(I-Newswire) - Minnesota Anglers are sharing mixed feelings regarding the proposed Dedicated Funding Amendment due on the ballot on November 4. The bill calls for a constitutional amendment raising the sales tax 3/8th of 1 percent and dedicate the $276 million in annual revenue to wildlife habitat, clean water, parks and the arts.

After a long 10 year battle the bill has finally found the legs to make its way to the ballot. While initially excited, some outdoor enthusiasts are critical of the spending proposal. Many remember the legislation passed for the state lottery in 1990 to be the miracle fix for the environment. Profits generated by the lottery were to fund the Game and Fish Fund, Natural Resources Fund and the Environmental Fund. Much of the lottery profit has been directed away from its intended environmental funds and Minnesotans are leary that history may repeat itself with the Dedicated Funding Bill.

The fishing community has gathered to discuss the issue in recent posts on My Fishing Pals' message forum, a local Minnesota website dedicated to the free exchange of ideas on fishing related topics. While most support the bill, all want governmental accountability. While Minnesotans strive to be good stewards of the land, they hope the government becomes good stewards of their tax dollars.

My Fishing Pals ( www.myfishingpals.com ) originated in 2003 as a hobby-fishing site that welcomes Minnesota fishermen to share fishing reports, information, and other items related to fishing. In 2005 a controversial forum was created on the site so that Minnesota fishermen could address fishing and hunting issues. These controversial forums have become an avenue for hunters and fishermen to voice their opinions and concerns and, at times, defend traditional Minnesota values.   Read more...

A direct quote from BRUCE FRIEDRICH who is the director at PETa. In reference to the comic titled "Your Daddy Kills Animals," (see above picture) he was asked...

"I'm offended by this. I can't believe actually that you put this out. This is an attack on fathers aimed at children. How could you do this?"

and his reply was...

"...it's an attack on cruelty to animals, and our point is very, very serious. If you fish, I can see how you'd be offended by it, because fishing supports cruelty to animals. If you wouldn't take a hook and put it through a dog's mouth and drag that animal behind the car, you shouldn't do that to fish."

"Ask your mommy how many animals she killed to make her fur clothes. Then tell her you know she paid men to hurt and kill the animals. Everyone knows. And the sooner she stops wearing fur, the sooner the animals will be safe. Until then, keep your doggie or kitty friends away from mommy-she's an animal killer!"

Quoted directly from the comic book.

There is much more information located at...

My Fishing Pals.com

More specifically in the Controversial Forum.

What a hoot, eh?

Taken from a forum off of My Fishing Pals...

Going Hunting? Or Are You Just Out to Kill!

So... Why do we hunt? That's an age old question. There was a time when hunting was part of our existance and the hunting instinct is one of the most basic instincts of mankind. After all, we are the ultimate predator and there was a time when our survival depended on our hunting skills. The problem is, as I see it, is that our want, drive and enjoyment of hunting is very hard to put into words and it is this lack of eloquence that makes the debate of why we hunt seem a one-sided debate. This is a major factor as to why the anti-hunting crowd's fight against our rights can be seemingly so successful. They ask why, but most of us can't express why. We, as hunters, really cannot explain fully as to why we hunt and if we have to explain it to you, you wouldn't understand. The problem is that hunters recently seem to shun the issue altogether, and do not debate it at all. Hunters have been brow-beaten by a few outspoken anti-hunting groups and they now try to avoid the issue. In recent years wildlife professionals have skirted the hunting/anti-hunting issue by focusing on concepts such as conservation biology and biodiversity. But really, this is not why we hunt...

Maybe I can bring a glimpse of understanding to those who do not partake in this pastime. Though it's very hard to explain with my meager words...  Read more...

(I-Newswire) - On a local Minnesota fishing website, many fishermen are expressing their outrage at PETA’s aggressive anti-fishing campaign. In response to recent posts on My Fishing Pals' message forum ( www.myfishingpals.com ), anglers from across Minnesota are showing a united front against the efforts of PETA. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and other animal rights groups are aggressively attempting to inhibit all hunting and fishing in Minnesota and other states. These groups are intently focusing their attack on sport fishing, a traditional Minnesota pastime. PETA's message is that recreational anglers cause extreme and needless pain to fish and bait. Their agenda is to heighten the public's awareness to the killing of any fish or animal. In addition, they desire to promote animal rights at the grassroots level, spreading awareness in communities and making sure their message is visible and heard.

To spread their animal rights agenda on a public fishing forum, though, is a slap in the face to all who enjoy hunting and fishing, especially in a state like Minnesota. Known as the “land of 10,000 lakes,” Minnesota offers some of the best hunting and fishing in the nation and these traditions are considered Minnesota’s heritage, recreation, and a vital part of the State’s economy. Regular members of the forum are expressing their rights to hunt and fish and the positive role they play in wildlife management. They are telling PETA to “…go home, we don’t want you here.”

My Fishing Pals ( www.myfishingpals.com ) originated in 2003 as a hobby-fishing site that welcomes Minnesota fishermen to share fishing reports, information, and other items related to fishing. In 2005 a controversial forum was created on the site so that Minnesota fishermen could address fishing and hunting issues. These controversial forums have become an avenue for hunters and fishermen to voice their opinions and concerns and, at times, defend traditional Minnesota values.   Read more...