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Take A Kid Fishing Weekend set for June 9-11
DNR ReportsDNR NewsThe Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is hosting Take A Kid Fishing Weekend, June 9-11. Minnesota residents can fish for free on these days if they are fishing with youngsters up to age 16.“This is a wonderful opportunity to introduce kids to the joys of fishing or spend some quality outdoor time with a youngster who has never wet a line before,” said Jenifer Matthees, supervisor of the DNR’s MinnAqua Program.The DNR encourages adults to get kids involved with fishing early in childhood. “It’s a time to connect during an outing to the lake and will become a favored activity for family and friends,” Matthees said. “This lifetime activity is enjoyed by all ages and creates memories shared by generations.”To help make the outing a memorable experience, MinnAqua offers some tips for adults who will be taking kids fishing this summer.
HAVE FUN, PLAN FOR BREAKSBring snacks and keep hydrated. When fishing with kids, this is especially important. Fishing is fun, but when the fish are not biting, it can be trying. Go for walks, go to the playground, look for frogs or turtles. Make fishing part of a fun outing.
BRING A CAMERABe prepared for photos. Have your camera ready. Catching a fish is a memorable event for kids. Having the camera ready when the fish comes in will reduce the time the fish needs to be out of the water.
SAFETY FIRSTSafety is always important whenever fishing. Young children should always fish with an adult. Anglers should always wear a life jacket when fishing from a boat or canoe. If weather turns stormy, get away from the water. It is a good idea to wear sunscreen and sunglasses because sunlight reflects off the water. Always be aware of hooks because they are sharp and dangerous. Before casting, always look behind for other people, pets, brush, power lines or overhanging branches.
FISH FROM SHOREMany lakes have public fishing piers or docks or areas of safe, accessible shoreline. Try casting in areas near plants or fallen trees in the water called snags, in shady areas, and around rocks or other cover. Fish use these areas to hide from predators, find shelter from bright sunlight and look for prey.
WHAT KIND OF BAIT SHOULD I USE?Think about the size of the fish you are trying to catch. How big is its mouth? Fish with small mouths eat small things, fish with big mouths can eat larger prey. Use a small hook for small fish like sunfish or yellow perch (#6 or #8) or a small lure. Canned corn, marshmallows, pieces of angle worm or wax worms will entice these fish to bite. To catch bigger fish like bass, northern pike or walleye, use a bigger hook (#2 or #4) or bigger lure. Try minnows, leeches, whole worms from under rocks or the garden, or grasshoppers for bait for these fish. When using live bait, remember fresh, wiggly bait will be more attractive to fish. Look for non-toxic (lead free) tackle. Use artificial bait to reduce hooking mortality. If using live bait, be sure to set the hook quickly.
WHAT IF THE FISHING LINE GETS TANGLED?Try for a few minutes to untangle the knot, but don’t spend too much time on this. Time together should be spent fishing. It is easy to cut the line and retie the hook or lure. Recycle monofilament line; many bait and sporting shops will recycle. Small animals and birds can get caught in discarded monofilament line and become injured or die.
CLEAN UPRemember to leave the environment clean and free of litter. Take trash home or dispose of in receptacle. Take unused bait home and store in the refrigerator or dispose of unwanted bait in the trash; released worms can harm Minnesota forest ecosystems. It is illegal to release live bait into the environment. And remember anglers won’t always catch something, but they can always try again another day.
BE COURTEOUSAlways follow the DNR fishing regulations and be respectful of other anglers.
If people need more pointers, they are encouraged to register for one of the many DNR fishing programs held throughout the state. They are listed on the DNR Web site at www.dnr.state.mn.us/events/index.html.


Lake sturgeon stocked into Red Lake and Roseau rivers
DNR NewsAs part of a 20-year program to re-establish lake sturgeon into the Red River basin, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) stocked 220,000 lake sturgeon fry into the Red Lake and Roseau rivers in May. Stocking and barrier removal are the two primary components of the restoration plan for lake sturgeon in Minnesota. This is the third year these waters have been stocked. The DNR purchased “eyed” eggs from the Rainy River First Nations fish hatchery in Emo, Ontario. The eggs, which are partially developed fish embryos with developed eyes, were transported to the DNR fish hatchery in Detroit Lakes. Hatched over the May 20 weekend, the fry are approximately 5/8-inch long when they were stocked. Both of the sites stocked - near Red Lake Falls on the Red River and near Caribou on the Roseau River - are historical spawning locations for the once-abundant Red River lake sturgeon.In late September, the DNR will be stocking Big Detroit Lake, Otter Tail Lake, Buffalo River and Otter Tail River with 6- to 8-inch sturgeon fingerlings. These fish will come from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service hatchery in LaCrosse, Wis., as part of a cooperative fish rearing agreement. The stocking program has been coordinated through the Red River Fisheries Steering Committee and approved by natural resource officials from Minnesota, North Dakota and Manitoba. The goal of the stocking program is to establish a self-sustaining population in 20 to 25 years. The long recovery timeframe is a consequence of the slow sexual maturity of lake sturgeon; females mature when they are about 26 to 27 years old and only spawn once every four to nine years. Recently, an angler reported catching a 9- to10-inch sturgeon at the North Dam in Fargo. A large sturgeon was observed by DNR Fisheries staff in the Pelican River near Detroit Lakes. These sightings are encouraging and provide evidence the restoration program is working. If anglers catch or observe a sturgeon in the Red River or one of its tributaries, DNR fisheries managers encourage them to contact a local fisheries office to report the sightings. These observations are very important to tracking the success of the restoration program. Anglers are also reminded that there is no open season for lake sturgeon on the Red River or its tributaries. Along with stocking of sturgeon, the DNR is working with many partners to remove or modify dams blocking fish passage to critical spawning sites in the Red River basin. The Crookston Dam was recently removed on the Red Lake River. This opened the Red Lake River to fish passage up to Thief River Falls. The Argyle Dam on the Middle River is scheduled to be removed in 2006. These projects will make the Red River system a more productive fishery. Additional benefits of dam removal include increased public safety and the aesthetic appeal of the constructed rapids.

DNR proposes regulations to improve muskie fishing
DNR NewsMinnesota’s muskie fishery - already considered among the best in the nation - could become even better under new regulations proposed by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR).The regulations would raise the minimum size muskie that anglers could keep from 40 to 48 inches on 46 select lakes and several rivers. Signs will be posted this spring at each of the waters potentially affected by the proposed regulation. A series of public meetings will be held to take input this fall.“This regulation is being proposed with the support of most muskie anglers,” said Al Stevens, DNR fisheries program consultant. “It reflects their catch-and-release philosophy and will help maintain and perhaps improve the quality of our muskie fisheries as more and more anglers target this magnificent trophy.”Among lakes that would be affected by this regulation are Lake Bemidji, Mille Lacs, Leech Lake, Deer and Moose lakes (Itasca County) and East Rush and West Rush lakes (Chisago County). In addition, anglers would be required to release all muskie caught in the Mississippi River from the Blandin Dam in Grand Rapids, south to Coon Rapids.Currently, there are 81 Minnesota lakes with fishable populations of muskie. Stevens said local DNR fisheries managers proposed the new regulation for lakes with the best potential to grow trophy muskie. These lakes are typically larger lakes with ample numbers of prey fish and relatively low numbers of northern pike. Many of these lakes are also prime walleye lakes, since the two species coexist very well.“Because muskie characteristically occur in low densities, judging the success of this regulation will be difficult,” said Tim Goeman, DNR Northeast Region fisheries manager. “Our sample sizes will always be smaller than we would like, but hopefully in a few years, we will begin to see positive results as anglers start catching even larger muskies.” There are a number of muskie waters in Minnesota where anglers catch fish of 50 to 53 inches. With increased protection, the maximum size of muskie in some Minnesota waters could reach into the upper 50-inch size range.The Minnesota state record for muskellunge is 54 inches and 56 pounds, caught in Lake Winnibigoshish in 1957

What Is the Bird Flu?The bird flu is making noise around the world. This is quite a deadly virus that is moving from country to country making its rounds. But, what is it and where in the world did it come from? Having the knowledge you need about this virus can help you to better understand and prepare for it, should the time come. The bird flu is actually the H5N1 virus. It is a subtype of the Influenza A virus. It is also well known as the avian influenza or avian flu. It all means the same thing.The bird flu is a virus. A virus is one of the most difficult of all illnesses in the world to treat because it is continuously mutating. By the time you take medications or antivirals to fight it off, it may have changed enough to become immune to the medications. This is the problem with the common cold. While it may be something many of us face, it is impossible to cure it because of how fast it mutates. The cold is a virus as well.What Makes Bird Flu So Bad?Now, the common flu and the common cold are things that most of us will deal with on a regular basis. But, serious flu strains, as they are called when the virus has mutated and is different from others, can also be deadly. The bird flu happens to be one of those deadly cases of flu. It is believed to be strong enough and fast enough moving in the body to cause a person to become sick quickly and then worsen until it becomes fatal.That does not mean that you need to be worried about the bird flu just yet. The bird flu currently only has been able to be transmitted from bird to bird and bird to human. This means that those that have birds or come into contact with birds of large amounts on a regular basis are the most vulnerable. Yet, even this does not mean that you may be able to ‘catch’ the bird flu. Currently, most of the cases that have been found have been in Asia, Europe, Africa and the Middle East. What worries many is the possibility that the bird flu could mutate enough to become a virus that spreads from human to human. If it does this, there is a great possibility of a worldwide pandemic. It is possible that up to 150 million people world wide can die from the bird flu if it reaches this level. There is not way to know if this will happen or when it will. The bird flu has yet to unfold into something much bigger as it could possibly do.