Minnesota DNR Concerned With Growing Tech Used For Ice Fishing

I just realized a few minutes ago that I forgot to plug in my Vexilar FL-18 at home. Dang it! I'm going ice fishing this afternoon on the St. Louis River and going without my flasher makes me feel like I'm fishing blind. Kinda like when I was a kid. Do you remember those days? If you're old enough, you'll remember going out on the lake, drilling a hole, and sitting on a bucket without anything else really. You were just hoping a fish would come by and find your hook.

Ice fishing has changed over the years.

Technology has changed tremendously over the years. Not only do we have a million different types of portable and permanent shelters to keep you warm, but we also have technology you can literally spend thousands of dollars on to find the fish.

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It was a game changer for me when I bought my first flasher. If you're not familiar, the way it works is you put a floating transducer in the hole. It sends sonar waves to the bottom of the lake that bounce back and it will show fish that are within several feet of your location. You can then jig and try to entice the fish to come to your bait. In some cases, especially when there is a light bite, this can be the difference between catching your limit and getting skunked.

Read More: Sweeping New Walleye Regulations Proposed In Minnesota Spark Debate

Has technology gone too far?

Also available are underwater cameras where you can actually see the fish. These are a lot of fun, but in a lot of cases with water quality, you don't see more than a few feet.

Forward Facing Sonar Raising Alarms With DNR

A newer technology that is gaining popularity is the forward-facing sonar. This tech allows anglers to map out the fish underwater in a much larger area. The technology has been around for a while, but it's being used more and more.

Ethical question - is this an unfair advantage for anglers?

Kare 11 reports that the DNR is sounding alarms over the forward-facing technology. If it starts to impact sensitive fishing populations actions may need to be taken.

Is it the technology or limits fault?

Comments from anglers are mixed. Many point out the problem with some people's morals when it comes to fishing, and suggest using better catch-and-release techniques. Others point out the fact that the sonar can't make the fish bite.

How different is it the technology used for summer fishing?

If we start banning technology for ice fishing, how would that translate to summer fishing? You're much more mobile in a boat, and the technology for summer angling is mind-boggling with some of the new imaging out there. Could this be the start to a slippery slope of over-regulations?