Opening Trout Thursday

[Northdrifter08]

Can someone explain to me why you would have an opener on a Thursday? And why wasn't this corrected prior to the date being set?

I'm inquiring due to me and a whole lot of people now having to take time off from work to hit the opener. You ask why, if you have any experience trout fishing through the ice, you know that the bite will drop dramatically after a couple days, and thus it's an opener that shouldn't be missed...

I've been a participant of this opener for some 20 yrs now and to me it would be like have walleye opener on a week day....

I feel sorry for the conservation officers patrolling this weekend, their going to get an ear full, if they haven't already... To bad for them, since they had nothing to do with this date....

Does the DNR remember who their boss is? "Joe" Public... and this doesn't seem like they even thought of "Joe" Public...

Just so everyone knows, this is the date the DNR is going to use every year now and unless people don't voice their comments, this is not going to be changed...

Avid Trout Fisherman...

[walleyeking]

The DNR HSOforum and Fishing Regulations Book are incorrect. The Trout opener is on Saturday Jan. 17th. I called the DNR today and verified.

[caseymcq]

You received some less than stellar information from the DNR employee you talked to. The opener is Thursday, January 15, 2009. It was a change in the law that was passed this summer. The online regs were updated to reflect the change.

http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/rlp/regulations/fishing/fishing2008.pdf#page=15

[DTro]

Trout anglers reminded of new winter season dates for 2009 (December 16, 2008)

The 2009 winter season for lake and stream trout in all Minnesota lakes will open Jan. 15, and close March 31, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

In past years, winter trout season dates were different for Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) lakes, trout lakes outside the BWCAW and those on the Canadian border. Legislation enacted after the 2008 Fishing Regulations booklet was printed changed the winter trout season dates for all lakes, making the information printed on pages 14, 15 and 45 incorrect.

The only exception to the statewide winter season is that lakes in Becker, Beltrami, Cass, Crow Wing and Hubbard counties are closed to winter stream trout fishing. Blue Lake in Hubbard County is the only lake within those counties where stream trout can be caught during the winter season.

Winter season dates for lake trout and stream trout in lakes, as well as other corrections and changes that have occurred since the 2008 Fishing Regulations booklet was published, are listed online.

[Far-I]

I think its kind of nice in a selfish way. Even though I ususally support the "more the merrier" side in etiquite threads, i also find it somewhat appealing that there may be less people out on opener due to mixed signals. I am also lucky to be a student at the moment with only a night job. I can miss school no problem and live right in the northern mix here in ely. I can understand the working trout-man's frustrations, especially if great trout lakes are not in their backyard. For me though this could be nice. Just saying

[Northdrifter08]

For us avid trout anglers that are working stiffs, some of the trout openers are going to be missed, that's when the 15th falls on a Tuesday or Wednesday since this would call for multiple days off...

I did have a comment of how the guides like the date... easy to plan things then... Hmmm... Don't they publish the dates almost a year a head of time... hmmm..

With this in mind... Why don't we have Walleye Opener on the 15th of May every year?...

[lakerunner]

Northdrifter--a lot of states set a particular date for the opener. It just means some more advanced planning. When deer season opens on Nov 15th and it is in the middle of the week, there is a lot less pressure which is nice.

[dstndnls]

I am sure I will upset some with this but..... Being a transplant to Minnesota I dislike having all or most of the openers falling on different dates each year because I am use to knowing the exact date each season opens. I much more prefer to have the date the same every year no matter what day of the week it falls on. In Michigan your seasons always opens on a date, not a "day". So when November 15 (Firearms Deer) rolls around it doesn't matter if it is a Sunday or a Wednesday... That IS the opener. If it is a Wednesday you will not have the fair weathered hunters in the woods (nothing against them), also you most likely will not have the drinking/party hunters in the woods who believe deer camp is about having a party. The majority of people in the woods are the people who are passionate about their sport, who will take time off no matter what day of the week it falls on because it has been 350ish days since they were last able to do it. Back home we have a bit of a war of words that is continually going on between those who live South of Flint and East of Lansing. Basically the Detroiters..... And every few years they start to write letters to the editor saying the deer opener should always be on a Saturday. Why.... simply so they don't have to take a day off of work. They can leave Friday night for camp and be back Sunday night for work the next day. To tell you the truth, IMO most of the rest of us are happy they will not be up. I am not going to go into all of my personael stereotypes of the hunters/fishers from that part of the state, but I feel if your not willing to take a few days off to go enjoy hunting or fishing (and the best days of it) then I guess you should just wait till the weekend when your willing to spend time in the outdoors.

I really don't mean to pi$$ anyone off.....just the thoughts of an opinionated guy.

[lakerunner]

dstndnls--I concur exactly with your statements. I'm also originally from MI--thankfully I'm not a "flatlander" (I'm from the northwest lower)!

It is always nice to know the dates that everything states--small game-Sept 15th; archery deer-Oct 1st; firearms-Nov 15th-30th; muzzleloader-Dec 1st to 15th; Spring trout (river)-April 1st (although some rivers vary), etc., etc.

I don't always have to worry about consulting the regs book (or online) ALL of the time to make sure something is open.

[Clay.P]

I guess I don't generally get too hung up on the date that the season starts. I only know that I will be there or be there shortly after the start and I will be hitting it hard.

I don't think it is a bad idea to have a set day for each season. It would seem to cut down on some confusion.

[DARK30]

I'm already waiting for the April trout opener. I started fishing the Root River around 1980 and only missed one opener since. Gonna spend a lot more time down there in 09 compared to the last few years tho.

[dstndnls]

Lakerunner.......good to hear from another michigander on the site! I'm originally from Twining which is Northeastern Lower.. For the U.P. guys who read this... yep I am a troll, but I'm not a city boy.

You evewr fish the steelhead run at the Tippy Dam? I almost flunked out of college due to the steelies up there.

[lakerunner]

Ever fish the steelie run??? I grew up in Brethern--lived on that river and many others. Myself and one other guy guided on the Big and Little Manistees, the PM, the Bestie, and the Platte. Forgot Tippy, lots of better places without the crowds.

[Sifty]

With the drop in kids fishing in Minnesota the DNR has really failed them here. A opener on a thursday. Two years ago there where just about more Dads and kids then others.

This is a no brain screw up by the Minnesota DNR.

Sifty

[caseymcq]

This was NOT a decision made by the Minnesota DNR. This was a law passed by our elected officials.

https://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/laws/?id=368&year=2008&type=0

You have to scroll down about 9/10's of the way to Article 2 Section 67. It reads

Sec. 67. Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 97C.395, subdivision 1, is amended to read:

Subdivision 1. Dates for certain species. (a) The open seasons to take fish by

angling are as follows:

(1) for walleye, sauger, northern pike, muskellunge, largemouth bass, and

smallmouth bass, the Saturday two weeks prior to the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend

to the last Sunday in February;

(2) for lake trout, from January 1 to October 31;

(3) for the winter season for lake trout on all lakes, from January 15 to March 31;

(4) for brown trout, brook trout, rainbow trout, and splake, between January 1 to October 31 as prescribed by the commissioner by rule except as provided in section 97C.415, subdivision 2; and

(5) for the winter season for brown trout, brook trout, rainbow trout, and splake on

all lakes, from January 15 to March 31; and

(4) (6) for salmon, as prescribed by the commissioner by rule.

( The commissioner shall close the season in areas of the state where fish are

spawning and closing the season will protect the resource.

[Northdrifter]

Who proposed the dates? Let's propose we have walleye opener on May 15th and deer opener on Nov 7th...

Who would care...

[KG243]

stop crying atleast we have a season!

[splakeshaker]

stop crying atleast we have a season!

Thank you

[KG243]

Originally Posted By: KG243

stop crying atleast we have a season!

Thank you

No problem splakeshaker!

[BRULEDRIFTER]

Senator Saxhaug (DFL) from Grand Rapids, District 03 ( Lk woods, Kooch, Itasca, and Aitkin) and Senator Bakk (DFL) from Cook, District 06 (Arrowhead).

[so haaad]

It will be interesting to hear if there's less pressure on the metro trout "ponds" that first morning.

[Quetico]

I might actually head out for the first time ever for winter trout opener. I'm hoping this week day start might actually lower the crowds.

[caseymcq]

Who proposed the dates?

[ICE_KING]

I guess im really confused what the fuss is all about??? Openers opener! I dont care what date or day of the week it is ill be there! Having a universal date is really helpfull because now i can say to everyone "Dont bother trying to get ahold of me cause from 4:30am 1/15/09 to some time friday night i will be out laker fishing all alone on my favorite lake with no one around"! Then i can take the rest of the weekend off and let the weekend wariors go at the trout while i chase monster greenbacks-south or yellowbellies-up here!

[magic_minnow]

WOOO HOO!!! I get thurs and fri off! Hats off to the DNR and lawmakers for changing the opener to Thurs! Just anther excuse to take off work. Sux that dads and moms wont be getting out with their sons and daughters though. I still think thats what its all about.