Fishing Openers...different states, different dates

[Coach1310]

I completely agree Duffman. I would much rather have slot limits than no fish!! Don't get me wrong, I love to keep a meal of fish now and again, but isn't the true joy in the catching, not the eating. I for one think there should be a slot on panfish. Something like, you can only keep 5 crappies over 12" and 10 sunfish over 10" and 10 perch over 12". It would help protect these big spawning fish during the early open water season, but still allow you to keep some for a meal. I wish they had a license plate for "SEASONS & SLOTS". I'd have one for sure!!!

[PERCHJR]

Good new's we are open year around, HUH what luck!!!

Perchjr

[LMITOUT]

Hey, don't rub it in!

[walleyeaddict]

No come on seriously...a 4 fish limit would be plenty...and opener is what it is, a money maker. If ya need and eye or 2 in the offseason head to nd or sd...give and take there are plenty of fish to go around...if u can catch them!!! Headed to Sd again this weekend....if catching 100+ eyes in a day isnt fun then I think it time to quit fishin!!! bottomline is get off your duffs and go enjoy what the other states have to offer!!!

[shae1986]

Walleyeaddict

I agree completly with your statements, all of it. I dont see why there needs to be a six fish limit and dont see the problems with going too a four fish limit.

[idratherbefishing]

I think we should have a Southern Minnesota opener and a Northern Minnesota opener. Last weekend in April south of say Hwy 212 just for a line and second weekend in May for north of that line.

[st.crioxfishin]

Whats wrong with the opener giving the economy a boost? Last time I checked, it was a good thing when a company's revenue increased. The opener gives us a time to look forward to, it represents tradition in Minnesota and I have absolutly no problem with the date its set at.

[LMITOUT]

Preventing us from fishing until a certain date just so there is a big influx of cash to fishing related industries and state funds is wrong and corrupt. Smells of politics all the way to the bank. The less that politics are involved in our natural resources, the better.

As mentioned earlier, no opener for SD and I sure don't see their fishing quality going down the tubes anytime soon and their businesses seem to be surviving. They must know how to handle their funds better than those do here, as well as management of their resources.

If the state ever gets rid of the opener, then those who like the traditional opening day can set any date they want and have their own "opener".

[CNY Tim]

New York walleye opener is always the first Saturday in May so lakes will be full of fisherman this Saturday 5 May at 12 a.m.... Should be another great opener...

[PierBridge]

Whats the problem?

We have some of the best year round open water Walleye fishing in the world in Minnesota......

Yesterday was kind of slow only 4 Eyes first one being a 24"er.

[LMITOUT]

Mother's Day often falls on opening weekend of fishing, as it did last weekend.

"Having Father's Day the same weekend as the fishing opener would make perfect sense," Sen. Satveer Chaudhary, DFL-Fridley, said Thursday.

Less tongue-in-cheek, Chaudhary floated the idea that the fishing season should open a week earlier to avoid Mother's Day. He also suggested cutting the walleye limit from six to four, because late-spawning fish might be vulnerable to overfishing.

"Now with effects of climate change, we are seeing some spawns happening earlier," he said. "I think that if we combine an earlier opener with a reduced walleye limit, we could make a sound biological move while resolving an all too common source of family tension."

State law requires the fishing season to open two Saturdays before Memorial Day weekend. Between 1990 and 2007, 13 openers clashed with Mother's Day.

Moms get no break in 2008 and 2009, either, when they again compete for attention ... with walleyes.

[GlassEyeangler]

my wife got her Mother's Day gift on Opener - she caught the biggest eye of the day!

uugh, can't take women anywhere...he he

[PierBridge]

That is a problem for sure half of our group had to leave at the crack of dawn Sunday of the opener.