Fishing for bass and releasing before season opener

[river rat316]

I am already talking up the Branson area to my wife, LOZ and Table rock are real close plus a ton of small creeks for smallie action.

[Juan Grande]

Cecil,

You could move any direction (N,S,E,W) and probably fish bass this weekend. This time of year drives me nuts that we have to wait another month. I guess I'll just have to buy a Wisco license and quit complaining.

[Deitz Dittrich]

I could be wrong, but I dont think you can go North.. Canada has a closed bass season as well.

The closed states are Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Maine, New York and Vermont.

[Larson15]

New York, Vermont, and Michigan have a C&R season. Maine has an interesting season, from April 1st - June 30th they have a 1 fish limit and you can only fish for bass with artificial lures. After June 30th the regular season opens which is a 3 fish limit and only one of them can be over 14".

[Supercrew]

Plain and simple - don't do it.

[Larson15]

what do you agree 100% with?

[Comit 2]

Quote:

I still haven't seen anyone post a link or paste in the regulation that tells you to move. Sounds like a lot of "I've heard that this is illegal..." stuff.

Not seeing any proof, I would think that a CO would look for the angler to do something to avoid continuous catching of an out-of-season species. One could stay in the same spot, but switch lures or presentation, trying to catch your intended species.

Why would anyone want to stay in a spot where they know thay would catch a lot of fish that are out of season. It shows no sence of fair play and even less common sense.

It is a Rookie move to stay on a spot like that.

[Hula_Grub]

Dietz-

I just looked at the Ontario regulations and you can fish for bass continuously from Rainy River to the eastern edge of the Quetico. Except for a few "inland" sections of the MN lakes that border that region you can them for bass year-round also.

[Shawn Kellett]

If you have to ask you already know you're in the wrong.

[fishuhalik]

I know I'm gonna get bashed for this, but I look at cpring out of season the same way most look at speeding, yes it's illegal but not wrong. I won't throw a lizard on a bed, but if I'm out catching crappies and I see a bass swimming around, you bet I'm gonna drop my minner in front of it! And any of you out there saying you'd pull your minner away from a 5lb bass that's gonna hit it are lying.

[Getanet]

I don't know if most people think speeding isn't wrong, they just hope they don't get caught doing it.

[gunning]

What I don't understand is that the DNR opens the deer season right smack in the beginning of the rut and keeps the fishing season closed until after the spawn kind of ironic don’t you think. The whole deer overpopulation argument is bunk too we might be lucky if we have 1.5 deer per square mi of habitat down here in Blue Earth Co. The DNR is run by a bunch of idiots!!

[Duffman]

I know I'm gonna get bashed for this, but I look at cpring out of season the same way most look at speeding, yes it's illegal but not wrong.

[river rat316]

The DNR is run by a bunch of idiots!!

I couldn't disagree more, the DNR has one of the toughest, most thankless jobs I can think of, We have it pretty good here, I think there should be a C&R season but I believe it would be changed if it didn't have to go through the MN house first for every rule change, those people are the idiots!

[fishuhalik]

Originally Posted By: fishuhalik

I know I'm gonna get bashed for this, but I look at cpring out of season the same way most look at speeding, yes it's illegal but not wrong.

That's poacher talk.

Originally Posted By: fishuhalik

And any of you out there saying you'd pull your minner away from a 5lb bass that's gonna hit it are lying.

You must not hang out with many ethical people.

Sorry, I'm just trying to be honest. I know there's alot of people that say one thing on a forum but act completely different when they're on the water. And just so ya know, I have never in my life kept an out of season or illegaly caught fish, and the only time I kept more than my limit of fish was once when I lost track and kept one crappie too many. And I might keep a total of 50 fish a year.

[Duffman]

We had a gathering up at buds cabin last summer, a nice bass was hanging on a bed right under the dock. It was funner to hand feed it leeches than it was to catch it. But not all in the group knew it was there, because we kept it a secret from those whose only wish would be to catch it. It would've been the largest bass anyone caught that weekend had we caught it. And this was during open season. I know it might be hard to believe, but some of us aren't gung ho in the pursuit of fish all the time.

It's only a few more weeks, what's the big deal about waiting?? Granted, this early spring has made it seem like it's forever till opener. Where are you guys in September and October? You're like the girls who can't wait to hit the walking trails the first decent day in the spring, and come fall and they're no where to be seen.

Maybe it's an age thing, time flys by pretty quick. For me the next season rolls around in a hurry, be it trout, 'eye, bass or muskie. I can wait.

[Coach Dog]

Not that I target bass before the season, but (hypothetically) what if I wanted to throw spinnerbaits or crankbaits along weedlines and had a wire leader tied to the lure? Not sure they could do a darn thing about that as a leader would indicate I was fishing for northerns. Am I right?

[Duffman]

Am I right?

Yep, one of my favorite pike baits is a spinnerbait.

[gritsnham]

Fishing for northerns after that season opens is one thing but if you keep catching bass and keep doing it by the regs it is illegal. Those two weeks are the hardest part I think since I cant name any bass lures that have not had a hammer handle on them at one time or another.

Still this weekend I saw people throwing senkos shallow and have a hard time believing they are panfishing. But to be honest I have never heard of anyone getting ticketed for something like this and the DNR enforcement is not out enough to make people stop doing it. Either way something needs to change, either enforce the rules or change them if they cant

[jjz]

It all depends on ones intent. That is something the DNR wants to avoid...

[corncob]

Easy to solve this so-called dilemma.....Allow catch and release from may lst til whenever.....With Wisconsins may 1st opener , only makes sense.....Better for Minnesota resorts as well........

[Comit 2]

Quote:

Not that I target bass before the season, but (hypothetically) what if I wanted to throw spinnerbaits or crankbaits along weedlines and had a wire leader tied to the lure? Not sure they could do a darn thing about that as a leader would indicate I was fishing for northerns. Am I right?

There are no rules that say you can't open x-mass gifts early but we don't.

Show some self control.

[Jig Master]

Don't listen to all these closed-minded fuddy-duddies. If you're throwing spinnerbaits for trophy crappies and catch some bass, that's all considered incidental catch and is out of your control. You're legal.

[corncob]

How stupid are we all!......Bass are surely not an endangered species, and, they dont seem to be negatively affected by catch and release, and Wisconsin bass are plentiful even with an early season.......Where is the problem with an early catch and release season?......Lets get real folks!

[minnleu]

Thank frickin a dead carp that in three weeks this [PoorWordUsage] issue will be over till March. The DNR would change to open season year round but they laugh their azzes off for months every spring reading this site.