Are they legal to use to take minnows? It only says info about dip nets in general in the regs.

Page 68 of the reg book:

Minnows and Leeches: Licensed anglers may take minnows or leeches
for their own use with dip nets, traps, or seines.
• Minnows and leeches taken from waters infested with Eurasian
watermilfoil (see pages 62-63) may only be used for fishing at the
body of water where taken. Taking of bait from other infested waters
and using them is unlawful.
• Seines may not be over 25 feet long or more than 148 meshes deep
with 1⁄4-inch bar measure, or more than 197 meshes deep with 3⁄16-
inch bar measure.
• Traps, width and length may not exceed 30 inches, height may not
exceed 15 inches, the diameter or width of the opening may not exceed
11⁄2 inches, and mesh size may not exceed 1⁄2 inch bar measure. Traps
must have a waterproof tag bearing the name and address of the owner.
• It is unlawful to use throw nets to harvest minnows.
• A DNR permit* is required to possess more than 24 dozen minnows or
leeches; to sell, export or import; or to take minnows or leeches from
designated trout waters.
• Unwanted minnows and leeches cannot be dumped in the water.
* Permit applications are available from the DNR, 500 Lafayette Road, St. Paul, MN 55155.
68
DNR
Information:
(651)
2966157
or
(888)
6466367
Information
Online
harvest.
new
• All streams and associated tributaries and connected waters of the
Missouri River watershed in Lincoln, Pipestone, Murray, Rock, or
Nobles counties that lie south of U.S. Highway 14 to the Iowa border
and west of U.S. Highway 59 to South Dakota are closed to minnow
• Permit needed to take madtoms and stonecats in Dodge, Freeborn,
_______________________________________________________________


The only resitiction I see on dip nets is when taking legal game sized rough fish, like on Page 53 of the regs:

Rough fish are defined as carp, buffalo, sucker, redhorse,
freshwater
drum (sheepshead),
bowfin (dogfish),
burbot (eelpout), cisco (tullibee),
gar, mooneye, and bullhead. The regulations below apply to spearing
rough fish in state waters unless noted otherwise
in this booklet.
SPECIES SPEARING SEASON POSSESSION LIMIT
Bulhead 100
SUCKER 50
REDHORSE 50
Other rou gh No limit
fish species
From sunrise*
to sunset,
May 1, 2008–
Last Sunday in
February.
(See pg. 55 for
dark house spearing
laws.)
• A bow may be transported uncased and discharged while taking rough
fish in a boat powered by an electric motor. Crossbows may not be
used to take rough fish, except by disabled persons who have a valid
crossbow permit. Permit applications are available from the DNR
Information Center or through the DNR Web site.
• Arrows must be attached to the bow with a tethered
line. Broadheads
must have barbs for night bowfishing.
• Night bowfishing noise levels may not exceed 84 decibels.
• Must take reasonable measures to retrieve arrows and wounded fish.
• Rough fish may not be taken by spear, harpoon, archery, or dip net in
designated trout lakes or streams.
• Check local firearms and archery ordinances that may apply while
bow-fishing in or near cities.
• Licensed anglers and children under 16 may take rough fish by
spearing,
harpooning, archery, and hand-held dip nets on all inland
waters, except where taking fish is prohibited. All rough fish, except
cisco (tullibee), may be bought and sold.
• Hand-held dip nets shall not have hoops exceeding
24 inches in
diameter. (For more on smelt, see page 19.)
• Harpoons (spears) must have a tethered line not more than 20 feet
long, may be discharged only when the equipment and the operator
are entirely under the surface of the water, and may not be used within
1,000 feet of a swimming beach.
• It is unlawful to possess at or near waters a spear, net, or any device
other than angling line that can take fish from Feb. 25, 2008–April 30,
2008 and Feb. 16, 2009–April 30, 2009. The exception is landing nets
used for angling.
• Speared or dead rough fish may not be returned to the water or left on
the ice or banks of any lake or stream.

I just bought one and have not opened yet. If no one has a straight answer, I will make a call down town. I feel they are legal for minnows only and not game sized rough fish.

Thanks

Sure sounds like it'd be legal to me after reading those regs. If you're taking legal minnows, it seems that your net would be a legal dip net.

Page 53 of the 2008 Minnesota Fishing Regulations states:
Hand held dip nets shall not have hoops exceeding 24 inches in diameter.

Now that portion of the regulations is dealing with rough fish so the question is does it also apply to taking minnows. I think it also applies to minnows because page 68 specifically states - licensed anglers may take minnow or leeches for their own use with dip nets, traps, or seines. Since they already defined dip nets on page 53 they did not do it again on page 68.

That is my opinion for what that is worth. You may want to make a call and verify it.

Ya Steve, I took your advice.

I have an awesome bully spot that this thing would work great in.

I called down and they said it was legal, as long as it was not a cast net style and going for minnows only. I how ever have a voice mail into Roy and will double make sure in the A.M...

I will be writing the time and date I talked with him in my reg book for future ref.

I am glad I called Roy!

He said umbrella dip nets are illegal. I stated why in the cast net thread.

Bummer!

Wait a minute.

You got conflicting answers?

Ya, Go figure, but Roy is the main man though.

I though the Umbrella nets were legal, but throw nets were not now legal in MN? HUH???

In ND Umbrella nets are legal to use, prety sure about that deal.

Sorry, I should have put more of any expo behind my findings. I wrote this in the "cast net" thread.



The head fishers supervisor I spoke with at the MN DNR head quarters in St. Paul was very aware of umbrella dips. He told me what made them illegal was the 20’ rope that comes with them (I have not checked if mine has a 20’ rope). All though I never asked if equipped with a small rope, would it be legal. He flat out said umbrella dip nets are illegal.