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Small Mouth Cutoff????????????????????????????????????

primetime49

By primetime49
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RK Grand Master

RK

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Hiya -

I'm guessing the question is about the fall catch and release only rule for smallmouths.

In my opinion, this rule is one of the most progressive and resource-conscious regulations the DNR has ever put in place.

Smallmouths have a very unique life cycle when it comes to how they behave in fall and winter (actually, their entire life cycle is pretty fascinating - they're really an unusual fish in a lot of ways). Smallies overwinter in very specific areas, and moreover use the same wintering areas year after year. When they begin to migrate to these areas, they're extrordinarily concentrated. I've seen them with an underwater camera just before ice-up. The bottom is literally carpeted with smallies. When they're extrordinarily concentrated, they're also extrordinarily vulnerable to intense harvest. You can sit in one spot and catch them one after the other. In the area where I grew up, it was pretty common to see pictures in the paper of stringers of 3 to 5 lb smallies - usually walleye anglers stumbled on them while walleye fishing, and cleaned house on them. It made me just sick every time I saw it.

Once they're in their winter locations, smallies really don't leave until spring. So once you find those areas, you can go back to them day after day, and people did. On some bodies of water, nearly every smallmouth in the lake could be found in a couple small areas. It's a lot like spring crappies - it can seem like there's an infinite number, but you're literally targeting nearly every fish in the lake of that species. As a result, lakes with even good populations of smallies could really take a hit if just a few guys found out where they were wintering and kept hammering on them. Since the C&R regs came into play, and the stringer shots stopped showing up in the paper, I've watched the smallie populations on some of the lakes I'm on regularly steadily improve.

The bottom line is, the rule is in place to protect a segment of the fishery when it's extrordinarily vulnerable to harvest. The Dept determined, and rightly so I think, that fall harvest of smallies was having a detrimental effect on their populations. So they acted to end that harvest.

A side note, since I'm on my soapbox: The added dimension to this is that once the water drops into the 30s, smallies basically go dormant over the winter. They don't feed at all, although you can trigger/tease them into biting. Even without being caught and burning energy fighting the hook, they usually barely have enough energy reserves to overwinter. I cringe when I see guys fishing through the ice for them, and if I start catching them ice fishing, I leave. Typically only 1/3 of a population of smallies spawns in the first place (the rest are 'freeloaders'), so wearing out even a few of the spawners is not a good deal for the populations.

Here endeth the sermon... smile.gif

Cheers,

Rob Kimm

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RK Grand Master

RK

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Heya -

Thanks Bob. Unfortunately, this gig doesn't pay as well as writing for In-Fish does wink.gif

Speaking of In-Fish, if you want to learn more about smallies, go find some of the stuff Gord Pyzer has written about them in In-Fish over the years. I've had the great fortune of getting to know Gord pretty well over the last 8 or 10 years, and every time we talk the conversation usually comes around to smallies before long. He's spent a lot of time on smallies, both as a biologist and a writer, and his work in In-Fish is the Gold Standard on smallies as far as I'm concerned... Every time I talk to him, I come away learning something about smallies that makes my head spin...

Cheers,

Rob Kimm

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primetime49 Proficient

primetime49

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RK,thanks for the answer.

Very good information.

An older gentleman here comes into the same landing as us in fall when we have been walleye fishing,and he seems to have some pretty good days as he has been out for smallmouth on same lake.

He has with a pen written down the size[length of every smallmouth he has caught and returned each time with scribbling on the tops of his hands.

Last fall when he was at his happiest he had 19 lengths recorded on his one hand and 22 on the other.He also stated that he just could not get a fish over 22 inches and he held up the back of his hands showing us alot of pen scribbling of fish from 15 to the 22 inch mark.

I dont know of anyone keeping any bass any time in season ,but miss the competitive part of fishing in groups for these.The kids go back to school and I guess the smallies do also.

which magazine do you editor if you dont mind my asking??

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Kevin Turner Community Regular

Kevin Turner

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Quote:

What magazine are you editor of

EDITOR - Rob Kimm

Rob Kimm is a former instructor at the In-Fisherman's Camp Fish and former guide who now pursues muskies and pike in Ontario and Minnesota. His articles on muskies and muskie fishing have appeared in Muskie Magazine, Outdoor News, and the In-Fisherman Magazine. Rob is the featured muskie columnist for the Minnesota Outdoor News. A writer and editor by trade, education, and avocation, Rob holds a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and also works as a consultant in the technical communications field.

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SledNeck Grand Master

SledNeck

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My question is... who eats smallies?
confused.gif

UM, I dunno, people that are stuck up in the BWCA with no luck catching walleyes that are forced to eat bass or live off twinkies and potato chips!!!!!!!!!! grin.gif

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primetime49 Proficient

primetime49

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wow we can get the best of info here,and results are now.

No waiting for the next issue or waiting for the season.

been raining here all morning and after a coffee break and some warmer clothes going back out to play with the bass.

Thanks for info

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Black_Bay Veteran

Black_Bay

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Posted

Quote:

Quote:

My question is... who eats smallies?
confused.gif

UM, I dunno, people that are stuck up in the BWCA with no luck catching walleyes that are forced to eat bass or live off twinkies and potato chips!!!!!!!!!! grin.gif

I thought most people in the Bdub ate granola and would never even think about hurting one of mother gaia's creature's let alone eat one. I suppose there are a few excpetions. wink.gif

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primetime49 Proficient

primetime49

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Couple of freinds were up there 2 years ago and upon having too much fun and traveling to far away from home base realized they needed to put fish on the menu to keep going.

They ate[one smallmouth a day for two days and stated it kept them from being hungry.Fish bite was poor and they never did say if the bass tasted good.

Last year when we had the kids up there we ran into a couple kayakers that were over 13 miles from where they were supposed to end up after 3 days and were out of food sources completly.We hauled them and their gear to Grand Marais so they could phone freinds that were waitng for them somewhere.Does this happen often up there??

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Boedigheimer Enthusiast

Boedigheimer

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RK, I read your post with great interest. I have read much of Mr.Pyzers work, along with Dr.Ridgeway and Mr.Shuters, these men are true pioneers in the understanding of smallmouth bass.

In your post you mentioned the vulnerability of fall smallmouth, I to have seen way to many stringers of big bass destined to be chopped up.

But my question is at what point in the season do you feel it unfair or dangerous to the fishery to CPR these fish, I don't mean harvest, definitely not harvest. If you are not fishing too deep to cause bladder problems or using methods that may cause hooking mortality, do you see this as a problem?

Some of my best memories in a boat have been in the fall chasing big smallies and something I look forward to all year, not that I wouldn't give it up in a heartbeat, IF I believed there was harm being done....P.S. You, Chuck, and I should go fishing.

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