Minnesota DNR reverses Mille Lacs live bait ban

Mille Lacs walleye anglers can break out their bait boxes, after all.

But they still can't keep any walleyes this season on the big lake.

The Department of Natural Resources announced Thursday morning it is reversing its earlier decision to ban live bait for most Mille Lacs anglers beginning with the May 14 opener.

The DNR said it worked with a local Mille Lacs advisory committee to reconsider the restriction

Now, Mille Lacs Lake anglers will be able to fish with live bait when the open-water season begins.

"This year's Mille Lacs regulation will not include a live bait restriction due to feedback from anglers and stakeholders," said Don Pereira, fisheries section chief for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. "The DNR is hearing that anglers are accepting of the catch-and-release aspect of the walleye season, but members of the Mille Lacs Fisheries Advisory Committee heard clear concerns about the live bait restriction, as did the DNR."

The DNR met Wednesday with the advisory panel to discuss the pros and cons of the live-bait ban.

The DNR's initial decision to ban live bait on Mille Lacs this summer was intended to keep walleye fishing on the lake open as long as possible this summer, without exceeding the state's walleye quota of 28,600 pounds. A federal court decision requires that walleye fishing on Mille Lacs be suspended if anglers exceed the limit.

Concerns about the live-bait ban were expressed locally around the Mille Lacs community as well as from members of the public visiting the Northwest Sports Show, which concluded April 3.

DNR staff learned that it would be difficult for some anglers to adapt to using only artificial bait, and it could particularly discourage young anglers. Bobber fishing with live bait has a long tradition on the lake. Those concerns prompted Wednesday's meeting between the DNR and the Mille Lacs Lake Advisory Committee.

Hanson said he believes this discussion shows the advisory committee process is working. "We focused on prolonging the walleye season as long as possible by whatever means were available," said Hanson. But stakeholders told the committee they found the live bait restriction objectionable.

Pereira agreed that the advisory committee process is working well. "The framework was established to communicate information from the public to the DNR, and that's exactly what happened," he said. "The committee's leadership and commitment were crucial to the DNR's decision-making process."

• The new regulations come as the DNR is working to conserve young walleyes so they can mature and become spawners, thus helping the lake's walleye population to recover. Hooking mortality – an estimate of the number of fish that die after being caught and returned to the water – is a factor in keeping state anglers under this year's state walleye allotment.