Doug Leier: A short review of North Dakota’s ice fishing regulations

WEST FARGO – Within the spring of 2000, the brand new North Dakota Recreation and Fish Division fishing proclamation carried a provision that eradicated the requirement for licensing winter ice fishing shelters.

And but, after greater than 20 years, I nonetheless get a good variety of cellphone calls, emails and private visits whereas I’m out and about from anglers who inquire about ice shelter identification and licensing.

Whereas this isn’t a foul factor if it means the retention of ice anglers continues, it’s additionally a reminder that it doesn’t harm to overview the principles and laws for no matter season is developing or in progress. Right here’s a brief overview of a few of the guidelines that information fishing by the ice:

• Whereas fish homes don’t require licenses in North Dakota, if they’re left on the ice unoccupied, akin to for a part of a day or in a single day, they will need to have identification on them. This may be the proprietor’s identify and deal with, the proprietor’s identify and phone quantity or a registration quantity issued by the North Dakota Recreation and Fish Division. The figuring out data should be displayed on the surface of the construction in readily distinguishable characters at the very least 3 inches excessive.
• A most of 4 rods is authorized for ice fishing in North Dakota. Recreation and Fish applied this rule statewide in 1996. Earlier than that, you possibly can solely use two rods whereas ice fishing.
• Mechanical units that set the hook are authorized; nevertheless, using any system that mechanically retrieves the fish is illegitimate.
• There isn’t a restriction on the scale of the opening within the ice whereas fishing. This rule got here into impact lately, partly to permit individuals to fish with a hook and line in a darkhouse spearfishing gap. The caveat to that is when you intend to fish by a gap that’s bigger than 10 inches in diameter, you’ll want to have a marker with you on the time you create the opening. That’s, when you lower a gap for spearing/fishing, you’ll be able to’t wait till you stop for the day to search for a stick or department to make use of to legally mark the opening.
• Depositing or leaving any litter or different waste materials on the ice or shore is illegitimate.
• The each day restrict is a restrict of fish taken from midnight to midnight. No particular person might possess greater than sooner or later’s restrict of fish whereas on the ice or actively engaged in fishing. Clarification of this rule is vital as a result of it’s not unusual for some ice anglers to spend the evening of their fish home. In case you are in a fish home, it’s just about the identical as being in a ship. You possibly can’t have greater than sooner or later’s restrict in possession, even when you caught them on totally different days. If you happen to catch a restrict of fish, you’ll want to get them at the very least to shore if you wish to catch and maintain fish of that species after midnight.

For all the principles that apply to ice fishing, plus an intensive listing of fishing questions and solutions, go to the Recreation and Fish web site at gf.nd.gov.