SB 121 amends Indiana’s natural resources laws to restrict how minnows may be taken from waterways. In general, it prohibits the use of dip nets, cast nets, minnow traps, and minnow seines to collect minnows, but it creates an exception for people who are actively fishing with the minnows as bait and who meet several conditions. Those conditions include staying within a 24-minnow limit, keeping the minnows at the fishing location, having the appropriate fishing gear, and returning unused minnows to the same waterway before leaving.
The bill also exempts licensed bait dealers and people holding a scientific purposes license from the new restrictions. It defines “Sugar Creek” for purposes of the new section and treats that waterway differently: minnows taken there may not be transported away, and the Sugar Creek exception expires June 30, 2032. In addition, the Department of Natural Resources must submit a report by July 1, 2030 on Sugar Creek’s environmental condition and the status of fish and wildlife populations there.
Impact
The bill amends provisions in IC 14-8 and adds a new section to IC 14-22, changing the legal rules for minnow collection in Indiana. It narrows when certain devices can be used, creates specific compliance requirements for anglers, and carves out exemptions for bait dealers and scientific license holders. It also imposes a reporting obligation on the Department of Natural Resources regarding Sugar Creek, adding an oversight and monitoring component tied to that waterway.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have generally favorable support in the Senate. It was reported out of the Senate Committee on Natural Resources by a 7-1 vote and later passed third reading in the Senate by a wide margin, 44-4. The available record suggests broad agreement with the conservation and regulatory goals of the measure, though not unanimous support.
Contention
The main points of contention are likely the restrictions on traditional minnow-collecting methods and the special treatment of Sugar Creek. The bill limits common devices used by anglers and bait users, which may concern recreational fishers, bait harvesters, or others who rely on those methods. The Sugar Creek-specific prohibition on transporting minnows away from the waterway, along with the sunset date and required environmental report, suggests concern about local ecological conditions and fish populations in that stream. The narrow committee opposition and small number of floor nays indicate limited but present disagreement over the scope of the restrictions.