And all who helped MN-FISH meet Chore Warrior’s generous $25,000 challenge match!
Thinking about your spring chores? Visit – chorewarrior.com
COMING SOON – MN-FISH’s “ANGLERS’ SUMMIT”
On March 27, MN-FISH is hosting the first “Anglers’ Summit” at the Timberlake Lodge in Grand Rapids. MN-FISH members and partners are invited to attend.
“The goal of the Anglers’ Summit is simple,” said MN-FISH executive director Mark Holsten. “We want to bring together DNR fisheries leadership, state anglers, resort owners, bait shop owners, guides and other stakeholders from the greater Itasca County area to dig into the issues affecting our fisheries so we can make Minnesota fishing even better.”
DNR fisheries chief Brad Parsons as well as local fisheries leaders will present at the day-long event. In fact, MN-FISH has invited the Minnesota DNR to start the event by sharing their thoughts on the proposed statewide 4-walleye limit and year-round bass season. Audience questions and comments will follow.
We’ll share additional information on the MN-FISH Anglers’ Summit in the coming weeks. MN-FISH Members who want to attend the Summit should watch for the upcoming RSVP sign-up on MN-FISH.com. Space will be limited and filled on a first-come, first-served basis.
Ramblings from the Executive Director
The Minnesota Legislature is back in session, at least sort of, and I have to tell you it’s definitely not business as usual.
MN-FISH was launched in 2018 because angler’s voices were mostly absent as the legislature (and administration and DNR) considered or impacted fishing regulations while also devising ways to pay for DNR programs.
This year, just two years after the historical budget surplus of $18 billion dollars, the Minnesota Dept. of Management & Budget is warning of extreme structural budget deficits in the state government’s future. The severity of these predictions will likely cause the legislature to begin making budget adjustments to offset these predictions. History tells us in these situations decision makers often shift general tax revenue programs on to fee payers.
Governor Walz’s budget proposal for the DNR and Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) grant program demonstrates an attempt to shift costs.
Currently there are two AIS programs being funded in Minnesota. One is a general tax funded grant program sent to counties to provide AIS education and to hire boat inspectors at public landings. The other is a program funded by boat surcharge fees managed by the MN DNR. The AIS budget proposal slashes state funding for the county grant programs in half while doubling the AIS boat surcharge to benefit the DNR and provide new funding for the U of MN’s AIS research center.
I’m not suggesting that the DNR doesn’t need additional revenue for AIS programs, I just find it a little disingenuous to cut the AIS county grant program that inspects boats for AIS at public landings while also telling me it’s important that we do more to stop the spread of AIS — so raise fees.
While MN-FISH has demonstrated the ability to have some influence in St. Paul these last several years, the mounting number of issues affecting anglers, along with significant DNR fisheries budget issues, continue to grow making it more important than ever for MN-FISH to work with state anglers to ensure our voices are heard in 2025 and beyond.
As this legislative session ramps up, we’ll work to keep you informed on matters that affect state anglers and the businesses that support us.
Mark Holsten
Executive Director
CONGRATULATIONS JIMMY BELL
Former MN-FISH Board member Jimmy Bell was inducted into the Minnesota Fishing Hall of Fame’s 2025 class. Jimmy’s years of professional angling, during which he earned “National Angler of the Year” and “Rookie of the Year” awards, along with his leadership and advocacy for youth and student angler programs such as the Student Anglers Organization and the MN Student Angler Tournament Trail, helped paved the way for this honor. Congratulations to Jimmy!
