What can we fish for before opener... (dumb question)

[Slyster]

Dumb question but maybe helpful to others (and certainly me)

So.. what can we actually fish for when the water FIRST opens up? The "opener" is in 49 days away according to the counter.. but I can't imagine we can't fish at all before that magic date? What CAN we do on the water? What are the rules? Does the opener just apply to Bass and Walleye etc?

[mnvikingsfreak]

Its for all game fish I think walleye,bass northern and etc..but I think bass is 2 weeks after the walleye opener you can catch panfish all year long though

[Fisher Dave]

The crappie bite is usually good for a few weeks before the opener..

Theres plenty of other fihing opportunities on the river.. pool 2(below ford dam) starting in Minneapolis is open year around for catch and realease on the *closed* species.

Theres also plenty of carp and other various species in the river ... this can be a good time to drown a worm and see what bites next.

Pool 3 & 4 on the river the seasons are continuous(sp?) on most species... If you really want to get *out there*, Rainy is a good place to go to hit some walleyes and sturgoen here shortly.. follow the reports on the forum here.

I live in Minneapolis.. and I have been fishing open water for more than a month 15 minutes from my driveway... and consistantly getting into fish.. anything from limits of crappies, numerous carp, a few walleyes, a northern .. and some smallies... I'm glad I dont wait for the opener!

[marine_man]

Of course... if you had it bad enough you could always drive to ND where the walleye season is always open

marine_man

[Slyster]

So basically we can only go out for panfish on local lakes until opener?

[mechanictim]

Catfish are open year round, excluding some waters near North Dakota.

[bigmouth]

This is straight out of the 2005 MN regs.

Inland Waters

• All calendar dates are for 2005 unless noted otherwise.

• Daily and possession limits are the same unless otherwise noted.

• Most species have experimental or special regulations on some

waters. See pages 32–54.

• For Lake Superior, Canada, Wis con sin, Iowa, South Da ko ta, and

North Dakota border water reg u la tions, see pages 27–30, 55–65.

continued on next page

SPECIES OPEN SEASON POSSESSION LIMIT (SIZE)

WALLEYE May 14, 2005- 6* (Not more than 1

and SAUGER Feb. 19, 2006 walleye over 24" may be

(either or combined) taken each day.)

*(Minimum size limit 15" for walleyes on the inland waters of Pool 3 [dam at Hastings

to railroad tracks on the Minnesota—Wisconsin border]).

NORTHERN PIKE May 14, 2005- 3 (Not more than 1 over 30"

Feb. 19, 2006 may be taken each day.)

MUSKELLUNGE June 4, 2005- 1*

including HYBRID Feb. 19, 2006

MUSKELLUNGE

*Minimum size limit for both species: 40". Exception: Minimum size is 30" in Shoepac

Lake in Voyageurs National Park (St. Louis County).

LARGEMOUTH May 28, 2005- 6

and SMALLMOUTH Feb. 19, 2006 Catch and release only for

BASS (either or (May 14, 2005- smallmouth bass from Sept. 12

combined) Feb. 19, 2006, through the end of the season.

north and east of

U.S. Hwy. 53 from

Duluth to Inter-

national Falls and

Pelican and Ash

lakes in St. Louis

County.)

CRAPPIE Continuous 10

SUNFISH* Continuous 20

(either or combined)

*(bluegill, pumpkinseed, green, orange spotted, longear, warmouth, and their hybrids)

ROCK BASS Continuous 30

WHITE BASS Continuous 30

SEASONS AND LIMITS–INLAND WATERS

24

2005 Minnesota Fishing Regulations

SEASONS AND LIMITS–INLAND WATERS continued

SPECIES OPEN SEASON POSSESSION LIMIT (SIZE)

CHANNEL and Continuous 5 (Only 1 fish over 24".

FLATHEAD CATFISH Not more than 2 can be

(either or combined) flathead.)

PERCH Continuous 20 daily and 40

in possession

BULLHEAD Continuous 100

WHITEFISH and Continuous No limit

UNDER-UTILIZED FISH*

Exception: Whitefish limit on Leech Lake Indian Reservation is 25 and cisco is

50. *Under-utilized fish include: carp, buffalo, sucker, sheepshead, bowfin, burbot, cisco,

gar, goldeye, and redhorse. For more information see the DNR web site.

SMELT Continuous No limit

LAKE STURGEON Closed

or SHOVELNOSE

STURGEON

See Border Waters section (pages 57, 60, 61, 64) for other sturgeon waters.

PADDLEFISH No open season

LAKE TROUT May 14-Sept. 30 2

Summer,

statewide

Winter, Ram Lake and Jan. 15, 2005- 2

lakes outside or March 15, 2005

partly outside the and Jan. 14, 2006-

Boundary Waters March 15, 2006

Canoe Area

Wilderness (BWCAW)

(including all of Clearwater, Sea Gull, East Bearskin, and Snowbank Lakes)

Winter, lakes Jan. 1, 2005- 2

entirely within the March 31, 2005

BWCAW except and Dec. 31, 2005-

for Ram Lake March 31, 2006

[Jim W]

IN SE MN,

Catch and Release Trout opens April 1st!!!!!

[Down to Earth]

I've always thought opener was the first weekend in June?

[SteveWilson]

And catch and eat trout statewide on April 15th.

[Tom Linderholm]

You can always sit on the North Shore and fish for Loopers & Coho's.

[ZapBranigan]

First week in June? Sounds like the std. Bass opener. The rest are in May. Bass usually Memorial weekend. Read the book then plan to get out. If I had to wait until June my wife would have killed me from moping around the house. Gotta be on the water. Sooner the better.

[Kris Haley]

This is the time when we eat fish sticks people!!!!! J/K

p.s. "Gordon's" are actually pretty good fried in a little oil.......just a thought

[hogsucker]

Redhorse! They will begin thier spawning runs shortly in almost all of our rivers, and all of the redhorses found in our state are excellent targets. Catching dozens of hard-fighting current fish up to ten pounds and keeping a few small shortheads or silvers for fish patties is my idea of a great day on the river. Opener? They're gone by then......~hogsucker

[walleye_guy18]

dont forget muskies on june 4th