HF5111

Purpose

• The bill updates Minnesota law to restrict certain fishing technologies and lighting practices for muskellunge (muskie) and northern pike. It amends existing rules to limit how lights and sonar-related equipment can be used in specific waters.

Main Provisions

• Use of artificial lights (Subd.1)

  • It is prohibited to use artificial lights to lure or attract fish or to see fish in the water while spearing.
  • An exception allows lights for angling or spearing if the angler uses:
  • a lighted artificial bait on the end of a fishing line, or
  • a lighted decoy for spearing.
  • Batteries used in lighted fishing lures must not contain mercury.
  • The lighting restrictions do not apply to bow fishing.

• Use of sonar and related technology (Subd.2)

  • In waters identified by the commissioner as places where muskellunge populations naturally reproduce and are not mainly maintained through stocking, a person may not use, operate, or possess:
  • live imaging sonar, forward-facing sonar, omnidirectional sonar, or drones, or
  • equipment, software, or systems that integrate with or enhance live imaging sonar (including AI, predictive modeling, real-time data processing, or wireless communication) to locate, track, or target muskellunge or northern pike.
  • Possession of any of these items in such waters is presumptive evidence of a violation unless: 1) the equipment is powered off, 2) power and transducer cables are physically disconnected from the unit, 3) all power leads and transducer connections are visibly secured to prevent immediate reconnection (e.g., capped, taped, clamped, or enclosed), and 4) the equipment cannot be made operational via wireless remote or software/app activation without deliberate physical connection.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Adds explicit restrictions on the use of various sonar technologies and related devices for muskellunge and northern pike in certain waters, expanding beyond general sonar prohibitions by tying the rules to waters where muskellunge naturally reproduce.
• Introduces a presumptive evidence standard for possession of the restricted equipment on those waters, with specific safeguards that must be in place to avoid a violation.
• Maintains an exception to the lighting ban for bow fishing and clarifies mercury-free requirements for batteries used in lighted lures.

Notes

• The bill amends Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 97C.335 to implement these changes.

Relevant Terms - artificial lights, lighted artificial bait, lighted decoy, spearing, angling, bow fishing, muskellunge (muskie), northern pike, waters where muskellunge naturally reproduce, stocking, live imaging sonar, forward-facing sonar, omnidirectional sonar, drones, AI, predictive modeling, real-time data processing, wireless communication, equipment, power off, transducer cables, power leads, presumptive evidence, commissioner, waters identified by the commissioner.