bed fishing in MN?

[beeflover]

In the US our southern states and a majority of states allow bass fishing all year round. In MN we can't fish bass until maybe 5-6 weeks after ice out and this makes our short soft water season even shorter.

I really appreciate environmental and conservation concerns that an earlier bass fishing season might hurt future resources. I've been looking hard for science to make my own personal decision. Of course I'm biased I want a longer season and I know I could cheat if I wanted to.

I ran into this video that seems to be related to Michigan State University. Check this out

[RumRiverRat]

Look at Florida, it is probably the Bed/sight fishing capitol of the US and the fishing is awesome.

[Larson15]

Our rules definitely suck......hoping for a change in the near future considering a lot of fish weren't even on beds yet during bass opener yet! I think I caught bedded fish through July.

[hockeybc69]

There is discussion about changing the bass season as we know it.

http://www.outdoornews.com/December-2013/Is-it-time-for-early-C-R-bass-season/

[Gobbles113]

Heck, I live close to Iowa border and the bass fishing there is all year around. If I am having a bass fever itch, I just have to take 30-45 minutes drive (depending where) to fish for bass in Iowa. Yes, Minnesota law may sound questionable when it comes to bass fishing. Canada is even more tacky with their bass--too overprotective for my taste when bass opens for 6 months and closes for 6 months. However, we need to keep in mind; even though, we do not agree with some states' or countries' fishing regulations--we need to look at the success rate of fishing morality in all aspects, respectively.

[BTL]

The closed season does seem kinda pointless.

Though as someone who lives in a state with year-round bass fishing, I admit that I like MN's season. Cause when I come up for the opener every year, the bass haven't been pressured in 6 months!

[smalliehunter]

This talk of change makes me feel sick to my stomach.

[bassfshin24]

Ya know I love it and hate it at the same time. I don't like being told when to fish but at the same time the closed season forces me to fish Pool 2 of the Miss which usually turns out to be a pretty good deal haha.

[Deitz Dittrich]

RRR- we will have to agree to disagree to some extent. Florida and MN can not be compared at all. They have FAAAAAAR more spawning habitat, their lakes are shallow, fish can spawn just about anywhere in the whole lake, not just the 10% or so of lakes up here. And I dont think fishing is all that great in Florida, yes you can catch a big one from time to time, but you seldome hear of their anglers catching 50+ 2-3 lb fish.. Not saying its common up here, but you have a much better chance of it.

[DrJuice1980]

Bed fishing lacks skill. A LM is going to pretty much smack any baitfish looking lure that enters its area. Hoisting up a 6-7lb Bass you pulled off a bed and thinking it was a great catch is comical. Meanwhile a group of sunnies and perch are ready to eat up any spwan in that bed.

+1 on your comment DD

[JeffB]

Bed fishing to me is taking a nap in your bunk and waiting to be woke up by a rattle reel.

[Raider4ever]

Honestly, you can bed fish up through mid/late-July in northern MN. Especially this year. It's not for me though. I couldn't stand sitting on one spot for 40+ pitches with a white grub hoping one fish bites it.

[grab the net]

Our current seasons offer plenty of bed fishing opportunities. Particularly for smallmouth. Personal choice on the ethics of it.

[bassfshin24]

I'll bed fish every once in awhile but if I catch a monster I don't think I would feel like it was as much of an accomplishment as it would be if you caught it outside of spawning. It is fun to watch them react to you bait however.

[Search Function]

Bed fishing lacks skill. A LM is going to pretty much smack any baitfish looking lure that enters its area. Hoisting up a 6-7lb Bass you pulled off a bed and thinking it was a great catch is comical. Meanwhile a group of sunnies and perch are ready to eat up any spwan in that bed.

+1 on your comment DD

6-7lb fish in MN is almost certain to be a female. Females aren't the one's guarding the nest primarily, that is the males job. A female often spawns on more than one nest, especially the bigger one's.

Some fish on beds are easy to catch and others can be impossible to get to bite. I don't have the greatest eye sight and I'm only 5'8". I like sight fishing, but suck at it. Chances are by the time I see a bass it has already spotted me and has become gun shy. I blind cast to 99% of the fish I catch. I don't recall ever catching a large bass off of a bed sight fishing. I've caught a few in the 4 to 5lb range sight fishing, but they weren't on beds.

[RumRiverRat]

Bed fishing lacks skill. A LM is going to pretty much smack any baitfish looking lure that enters its area. Hoisting up a 6-7lb Bass you pulled off a bed and thinking it was a great catch is comical. Meanwhile a group of sunnies and perch are ready to eat up any spwan in that bed.

+1 on your comment DD

Pretty sure Female bass do not guard the nest.

Also a bass is not going to smack any lure that enters the nest.

Most just pick it up and spit it out faster than you can blink your eyes.

Bed fishing takes an abundance of patience and even more skill in reading the fishes body language.

Bed fishing is not about ethics, numerous studies have been done and the overwhelming conclusion is that males caught while guarding beds and then immediately released will return to the bed almost instantly.

Dietz I would rather stick 5 fish over 5 pounds than 50 2 to 3 pound fish.

I would rather stick one over 10 than 5 over 5.

To say the fishing in Florida is not all that great in Florida is silly. Why do anglers flock to The Big O, Toho, The Harris Chain, Stick Marsh and many other lakes? Surely not because the fishing is poor.

I have stated many times that bed fishing is the most fun you can have with your clothes on.

MN needs to end the silliness of a closed season and open bass and every other species to C&R year round.

This thread is being mocked and ridiculed on another forum because of posts like the one I quoted.

[corncob]

A number of studies have shown no apparent negative results from bed fishing ,and, I do not dispute these experiments, HOWEVER , when I have fished beds, I can't help but feel a bit uneasy about it.....I now avoid the beds during the spawn.....Just my opinion...On the other hand,I do think the season should open earlier.

[beeflover]

Some of these comments make me wonder if they watched on the video I posted how fast the bass were back on their bed after a quick gentle release.

Another thing that bothers me are the panfisherman catching bass like crazy prior to the opener. All of you are aware of how easy it is to catch bass with a leech under a bobber and I think a lot of these spawning fish are getting caught anyway.

[DrJuice1980]

When you pull a bass off a bed and watch a school of panfish swoop up on the fry, I would call assisting in the slaughter unethical.

I'm glad that you think its the most fun you can have with your clothes on. Keep telling yourself its ok because its the only way you know how to fish for bass during that season.

Maybe you would rather enjoy all the 2-3lb fish that come out of a lot of those southern lakes more than the pristine conditions MN can deliver while having a closed season. Go move there so guy like you dont rape lake because you just want to have fun.

Its called discipline, McFly.

[RumRiverRat]

Wow you take bass fishing way to personal.

The scientific research indicates bed fishing has limited impact.

Look at Lake St Clair, it is a smallmouth factory and bed fishing is phenomenal.

Raping a lake, surely you jest.

Questioning my fishing skills is laughable, the hole point of fishing is catching fish. If the fish are on beds that is where I am going to fish.

Bed fishing is a skill, takes more skill to catch a fish off a bed.

I worked a big female for 3 hours last year on opener that was on a bed. Caught her and the male and then spent the next hour watching them spawn. Caught that same male 2 days later and again 5 days later while he was guarding.

Hard to take you seriously when you get so emotional and resort to ridiculous statements.

[smalliehunter]

If bed fishing is the most fun you've had with your cloths on, then you sir must be the most sheltered and boring person around. No wonder you follow and post your opinions on multiple forums. Also bed fishing is very much an ethics topic. You are targeting a bass at one of its most vulnerable times. there are already options for people that can't wait 2 more weeks. Go to the river. St clair is a little different environment then our 2 and 3 hundred acre lakes. Florida is a completely different environment as well. Those were bad examples,imo

[RumRiverRat]

So all the FLW and Elite series anglers have bad ethics since they sight/bed fish?

That is quite an accusation.

Did any of you watch the video in the first post?

Also by your logic deer, turkey and many other types of hunting are unethical because you are targeting them during their vulnerable breeding season.

[Juan Grande]

Gee, leave it to a topic like bed fishing to turn the normally peaceful bass forum into WW3, just like the Mille Lacs forum.

[RumRiverRat]

What is your opinion John?

Part of it is cabin fever and people making blanket statements that bed fishing takes no skill.

Questioning the ethics of an angler because they bed fish is asinine.

Last time I checked bass fishing was pretty good on Pool 4,5,6 and so on. Lots of fish caught on beds there.

If people would look at the research and leave their emotions out of the process it would be abundantly clear that bed fishing is perfectly fine and not a detrimental to a fishery as many believe.

[DrJuice1980]

Look at Lake St Clair, it is a smallmouth factory and bed fishing is phenomenal.

Questioning my fishing skills is laughable,

Bed fishing is a skill, takes more skill to catch a fish off a bed.

I worked a big female for 3 hours last year on opener that was on a bed. Caught her and the male and then spent the next hour watching them spawn. Caught that same male 2 days later and again 5 days later while he was guarding.

Hard to take you seriously when you get so emotional and resort to ridiculous statements.

1. St Clair is a massive body of water. Not your local fishing hole.

2. I'm sorry to question your "fishing" skills. If pulling a bass off the bed is that hard for you then maybe it's your lure selection and casting skills that I should be questioning.

3. Congrats on catching the same fish 3 times, must have been hard. I wonder how that happened. Oh yeah he was guarding a bed from your bait.

Maybe it is me making the rediculous statements but I'm going to believe mine are much more acurate than yours.