Year-Round Bass Waters???

[BigMike]

I'm just wondering with the official close to bass season approaching, what waters are still open to bass fishing year round? I know that parts of the 'sippi are open (especially those waters along WI/MN border). Are there any other waters open to year round bassin'?

[Dan Wood]

BigMike,
Only the WI/MN border waters are open year round. You can get a couple week head start if you go over to WI for bass opener.

[Dan Wood]

Wisconsin opener this year is May 1st.

MN is May 29th.

[HawgTide]

Dan, I need you to show me some WI waters. I don't know if I can wait the whole month of May before getting out. Maybe we can plan a swap of areas, Monti one day and Wis one day.

[Coach Dog]

The mighty Miss. down by Winona can be phenomenal for smallies and largies starting in April. The last couple years have been difficult though w/ the water levels being so out of whack in the spring. Last year the water was so low and the two years before it was so high. Both made not only fishing difficult, but finding an access was sometimes a challenge cause they were either under water or not near the water. Maybe this will be the year.
Not the easiest area to fish unless you know where to go and you make it out enough to follow the fish as the water levels and temps change. I'm no river expert but know a couple guys who fish it hard down there and they can go out and catch a couple dozen nice fish in a half day. Like I said, it can be phenomenal.

Coach Dog

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GIT-R-Done!

[BigMike]

I still think we should hold the first smallie magnet tourney on a stretch of the 'sippi that borders WI/MN... POOL 4!!! We could get out a lot sooner and Pool 4 has some good backwater areas. Then we could hit the anoka in June and then maybe a monti outing in August !!! I could be the SMT circuit.

So are the MN/WI 'sippi open year round or just after WI opener?!!! Inquiring minds want...no HAVE to know

[Coach Dog]

They are open year 'round.

[bass-o-matic]

The ol' Sip can be unbelieveable at times in the spring for Smallies. A few years ago in one of the "normal" years Coach Dog was referring to, we boated 50-60 smallies, with nearly all of them over the 14" min. size restriction. Another time in a tourney we boated 10 keepers that weighed 34.5lbs. with 5 fish over 4lbs. or more! It can be awesome! (all fish were released alive; it wouldn't take too long to clean out an area like that in the spring!)

[EBass]

Q on the WI opener. Can I fish the upper croix on May 1st with a MN lic?

Hawgtide, we'll get out this summer. I know parts of the upper criox pretty well, and other area I haven't even seen.

[LOWinEYEin]

Theres good fishin to be had in the upper croix. N. of St. croix..

[HawgTide]

BigMike, if you wait until august to go to Monti, it would be Jets and Rafts only. Last June when the river was up, I believe almost any boat could get around there.

I'd love to get over to the WI side to fish some early season Smallies. I just need someone to show me the way. I've never been south of Coon Rapids and I don't know where any of the "pools" are by numbers.

[Wayne Ek]

BigMike, how about the warm water discharge lake out in Bismark N.D. It's a 5 hour drive but it's open water and has a good bass population. Get hold of Smallie, he has beat it's waters to a froth a couple of times and if I'm not mistaken will be heading out that way soon, as he has just purchased a new Skeeter...

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Wayne
Agape Fishing Guides
www.agapefishingguides.com

[EBass]

Plan on putting on some miles this year Hawgtide.

No one has answered my Q above. Anyone??

[Dan Wood]

EBass,
The season doesn't open on that stretch until May 29th for both WI and MN residents.

[Dan Wood]

Above St. Croix falls it looks like you can fish with a WI license starting May 1st.