The bill amends Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 97C.335, to introduce restrictions on the use of sonar while fishing for muskellunge or northern pike in specific waters identified by the commissioner. The new legal language prohibits the use, operation, or possession of various sonar technologies, including live imaging sonar, forward-facing sonar, and drones, when fishing in waters where muskellunge populations are naturally reproducing and not primarily maintained through stocking. Additionally, the bill outlines that possession of such equipment in these waters is presumptive evidence of a violation unless certain conditions are met, such as the equipment being powered off and disconnected.

Furthermore, the bill includes a provision that prohibits the use of artificial lights to lure or attract fish while spearing, with exceptions for lighted artificial bait and decoys. It also mandates that batteries used in lighted fishing lures must not contain mercury. These amendments aim to enhance the conservation of muskellunge and northern pike populations by limiting advanced fishing technologies that could disrupt their natural habitats.

Statutes affected:
Introduction: 97C.335