May 28th

[vis]

One thing I never understood is minimum lengths you would think it would be better to have a slot limit just for the fact that the larger fish produce more and genetically stronger fish and the larger and older the fish the higher the mercury levels. Personally I would love to see all the larger fish put back. Chisago lake for instance has a 12" maximum size limit anything larger has to be released immediately I would like to see more of this except for the fact that I fish tourneys so that would be an issue unless there was a tourney regulation implemented since probably 99% of all tourney fish do get released. Just my 2 cents.

I think their reasoning behind it (I could be wrong tho) is that if the smaller fish are released it gives them a chance to spawn potentially increasing possible number of fish then hopefully raising the population. Like I said I'm no expert by any means but this is all I can think of that would be their reason.

Now I have seen slot limits, they do this with strypers in Maine. If they didn't then the numbers kept would just decimate the spawn each year eventually lowering them to endangered numbers. I can't remember the exact limits but I think it was something like 16-24" and over 42" personally I always threw back anything under the upper limit because those are simply schoolies and I'd like to give them a chance to spawn.

[RK]

Hiya -

Couple thoughts...

When applied to a population that undergoes a significant level of harvest, the "release the little ones so they grow up" mentality is quite simply and outdated, 1950s understanding of fish population dynamics that isn't supported by current science. The reality is (again, in populations with high levels of harvest), sustained harvest of this kind can remove fish with the genetic potential for large growth in a very short period of time. Fish are just like people - some will be 5'5" tall as adults, some will be 6'5". Remove the ones with demonstrated genetic potential for growth, and you can be left with a population with overall low growth potential.

A study done a few years ago on Atlantic Silverside Minnows took the largest 25% out of successive generations of a captive population. Within 3 generations, the maximum size at age potential of the population was reduced by about 50%. Basically, the genetic cookbook had all the pages with recipes for bigger individuals torn out of the cookbook.

Restricting harvest to a minimum size can also upset a population's balance in other ways as well. An imbalanced population with high numbers of juvenile fish can really mess with forage populations, and individual fish end up expending more energy foraging than growing, leading to not only forage base compression but slow growth rates in predator populations. If you want to see an example of this in action, look at the pike populations in most lakes in Minnesota.

You can argue how much that applies to species like bass that aren't, in most cases, a consumable species like walleyes or crappies, but it's an interesting dilemma, especially when we're talking about fishing when mature adults in a population are pretty vulnerable.

As far as fishing beds... I know I'm in the minority on this, but I really would hate to see this become any more available to anglers than it already is. There's ample evidence that even catch and release angling of nest-guarding fish can negatively impact brood survival. Why increase the likelihood of nest failure? (I know there's research to the contrary as well, but with research done in northern waters like MN, Ontario and Michigan, the results are pretty definitive.) To me it's not worth it just to be able to fish a couple weeks earlier...

I just think there's more to lose than to gain by opening the season any earlier.

Cheers,

Rob Kimm

[Craigums]

I know there's research to the contrary as well, but with research done in northern waters like MN, Ontario and Michigan, the results are pretty definitive.)

This is interesting, Do you know were I can find this study? Especially ones pertaining to the waters we fish...

[RK]

A few studies:

Ridgway, M.S. and B.J. Shuter. 1997. Predicting the effects of angling for nesting male smallmouth bass on production of age-0 fish using an individual-based model. North American Journal of Fisheries Management

Suski, C.D., et. al. 2003. The Effect of Catch-and-Release Angling on the Parental Care Behavior of Male Smallmouth Bass. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society

Kieffer, J. D., M. R. Kubacki, F. J. S. Phelan, D. P.

Philipp, and B. L. Tufts. 1995. Effects of catch and release angling on nesting male smallmouth bass. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society

Suski, C. D. et al. 2004. Factors Affecting the Vulnerability to Angling of Nesting Male Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society (A very interesting study which points out the larger the nest brood the more likely the fish was to defend the brood aggressively and be caught in the process...)

Siepker, M. J., et al. 2009. Individual Reproductive Success of Largemouth Bass and Smallmouth Bass Subjected to Different Components of Competitive Angling Events. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society

[bassfshin24]

I vacation up on a boundaries water lake and their regulation is that every smallie over 12in needs to be released. Ive been going up to this lake for over 10 years now and the size structure of the smallies has went downhill big time. I remember when i first started going up there with my family we could catch numerous #'s 3lb-4lb smallies a day. The past 4-5x ive been up there i struggle even to get a smallie pushin 3lbs. You catch a ton of 2-2.75lb smallies. I really think that regulation that has been placed on this lake has really affected the larger sized smallies. Just my opinion though!

[grab the net]

I reviewed and read the listed studies and found the only one that really addressed the issue of CR on nesting bass was the Kieffer study. The end result was bigger males, both LM and SM were the most agressive in nest defense and thus more vulnerable to angling pressure. Prolonged angling pressure with catch and kill would eventually lead to a smaller size male guarding the nest in a less effecient manner, with smaller recruitment of the species. However another study indicated that it only took a few sucessful nests to provide a sucessful recruitment for a whole lake to remain healthy. Given many SM bass nest in water depths of up to 9 feet, it would seem that recuitment would be maintained as these nests would be much less susceptible to fishing pressure due the difficulty in locating them.

However a Michigan study on Habitat alteration and spring fishing pressure suggested that nesting depth did not seem to make a significant difference in success.

Another interesting statistic in this study was the majority of nesting was done in mid May and they measured angling pressure in both May and June. At the time Michigan had a closed season for bass prior to Memorial day. They physically observed fisherman, noting number of anglers, and method of fishing, noting if they were using a technique, lure and area of lake they were fishing to determine if they were targeting bass. The percentage of total anglers targeting bass was 35% prior to the opener (may) and 42% in June after the opener, despite regulations which prohibited fishing for bass in May.

Kieffer suggested one avenue to protecting nesting fish was sanctuaries,where no angling is allowed for any species until a certain date to ensure a reasonable chance at no human interference. A variable that carried as much weight as anything else was weather conditions with fluctuating water levels, temperatures, wind etc.. All things we have no control over at all and can have the biggest impact on recruitment of a certain year class.

Only 4 more days and we can put all this behind us. I do believe the fish will be in full spawn mode by the weekend, if the sun continues to shine. I observed males sweeping nests on lily pad roots this past weekend. Water temps were at 62-63 degrees, and I believe will continue to rise if the weather holds out. Thus a lot of vulnerable fish await us, maybe.

[vis]

maybe that is the difference in our opinions, where i'm from and used to fishing bass is a highly consumed fish. in maine they don't even have crappie or walleye that i'm aware of anyway while growing up there my entire life. this is the problem with moving to a different place and learning the ins and outs of fishing here lol.

btw members of my family that also moved out here hate walleye and crappie lol.

[Basseyes]

So what's the main reasons for keeping the season the way it is?

1. To protect bedding spawning bass.

2. To protect over harvest of spawning fish.

3. ?

Water temps play a big role. This year we'll have bedding bass from the Canadian border all the way to the Iowa one I'd bet. Should we call for an emergency closure of an already short 5 month open water season on LMB because we are going to have bedded LMB females at risk all over the state? The idea we are protecting the species by having an opener is a rudimentarily flawde thought process if the main reason is to protect breeding females. One successful bed is huge. What about the rest of the year those same fish can be harvested legally. Should that stop entirely to save future bedding-breeding females? A female bass harvested now or latter is still gone and not going to spawn, right? Weather will control fry survival rates more than taking fish off their beds. It's protectionists preservation ism more so than level headed conservation. Agree we want to protect what we have and what we have is great. Is it all because we have an end of May opener? I doubt it. But there's a tipping point where conservation and preservation ism takes hold. The latter starting a slid down a slipper slope. Fish don't live forever. They die from a vast array of causes even if anglers were taken out of the equation. If you look at our 5 month open water season the pressure is mainly in June and July. Fish in August, September and October and you'll have a lot of room to yourself. So out of basically 12 months of the year our LMB's get pressure in 2, 3 months tops that are warrant for concern IMO. If you opened it up earlier with a CPR regulation I doubt it would have as huge of an impact as some might fear when our bedded bass are already being targeted as will be evidenced this weekend. Or maybe we should just move the opener to July 4th to really ensure there is no chance to encounter bedded bass giving us only a 4 month window to catch them unless we want to drill holes through 3 feet of ice. An earlier CPR opener might actually take some pressure off the LMB's instead of them getting pounded like they will on Saturday right in the middle of spawning.

Signed Sincerely,

Already sick of way to much sensitivity training i.e. walleye fishing!

[thatoneguy]

huh?