No new update on extended Bass season in MN

No update on longer Bass Season. There is a rumor going around that it’s a non-starter. I’ve been in contact with both DNR Game and Fish and Rick Hanson , chair House committee. Neither of them have heard or seen any activity. Based on what I heard in the Roundtable, it is supported by the Bass Workshop advisory committee but is still being reviewed by the DNR Black Bass internal committee. Based on my experience, there needs to be grassroots efforts by groups like the MN Bass Nation , Minnesota Bass Federation and MN Fish. There is a huge misperception by the public that this is a major change. The Bass season is currently open May through February. A leading and well respected guide at the Roundtable told me we need to protect Smallmouth in the Fall. He wasn’t aware that we already do with a C&R season both in the Spring and Fall. These are the types of voices that we need to educate.

Crappies love 1/2oz black and blue jigs!

LOL, yeah I don’t see this happening for a while it sucks, but just hop across the boarder for better fishing.

Thanks Buzz. Would have been an ideal spring to have a C & R season before May here this year. But alas, it was not to be. Plus I don’t think this type of fake winter is going to be occurring again over and over anyways. El Nino is not a consistent long-term pattern.

Isnt there already a C&R season on certain lakes that opens earlier? I dont fish bass but I swear there is.

CaptainMusky wrote:

Isnt there already a C&R season on certain lakes that opens earlier? I dont fish bass but I swear there is.

Inland waters open the same day walleye and pike season does on May 11, but for C & R only until Sat, May 25 when the normal “harvestable” season starts.

There is no season (C&R or harvestable) for bass until May 11 that I’m aware of on MN inland waters.

The only Spring C&R for Bass is from the walleye opener until May 25th. It becomes a C&R and harvest season then,

I guess I fail to see why the need to extend the season. What would be the reason for this?

Minnesota is the only state that still has a specific completely closed season for bass. No other state does this anymore. Studies have shown that an open C & R season does not harm bass populations.

The MN DNR knows this but they are protecting the sacred walleye. They don’t want people “bass fishing for walleyes” during that closed season.

If the goal was to protect bass while they spawn, they would have a C & R or closed season in May/June when they’re actually spawning.

I would agree a C&R season would likely not hurt the bass population. Heck, they could have a harvest season year round and it would likely have little to no effect because I dont know anyone who actually keeps them.

Good question, another is “ Why is there a season?”. All surrounding States have year round. The Mn DNR can give no biological or scientific reason not to. Bass will do better with climate changes than walleyes or Pike and have been expanding in density, recruitment and population numbers in MN lakes. The myth that it is closed to protect the spawn isn’t supported since since 1966 the regular opener has been before or during spawn especially in central and northern MN

CaptainMusky wrote:

I would agree a C&R season would likely not hurt the bass population. Heck, they could have a harvest season year round and it would likely have little to no effect because I dont know anyone who actually keeps them.

Probably true. If the goal is to protect bass while they are spawning, it should be open the rest of the year outside of that period. But during that period, it should be C & R only.

Targeting bass on their bed generally has no negative effect as long as they are returned to the water quickly. They will go right back to the bed. But targeting them on a bed and keeping them or hauling them to a weigh in for a tournament is clearly not beneficial. This is when it should be mandatory C & R. Prespawn is my favored time period to target bass but I don’t always get that opportunity based on local weather conditions. They are often staging shallow and usually they are at their heaviest weight of the season.

Its closed during the wrong time of year to protect people from targeting walleyes. Just my 2 cents

gimruis wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>CaptainMusky wrote:</div>
I would agree a C&R season would likely not hurt the bass population. Heck, they could have a harvest season year round and it would likely have little to no effect because I dont know anyone who actually keeps them.

Probably true. If the goal is to protect bass while they are spawning, it should be open the rest of the year outside of that period. But during that period, it should be C & R only.

Targeting bass on their bed generally has no negative effect as long as they are returned to the water quickly. They will go right back to the bed. But targeting them on a bed and keeping them or hauling them to a weigh in for a tournament is clearly not beneficial. This is when it should be mandatory C & R.

Its closed during the wrong time of year to protect people from targeting walleyes. Just my 2 cents

Bingo^

It’s not so much about what it does to the bass as it is keeping people from targeting walleyes.

Bass continue to expand their populations in bodies of water across the Midwest. It’s the walleyes that are in a tough spot with warming waters, the demand for harvest, and so on. This is just a different way of continuing to protect them that I bet won’t be changed anytime soon.

One of my all-time favorite walleye lakes as a kid was a surefire bet for a ~30 fish day with a healthy size structure. They were easy to see in shallows in the mornings/evenings. The last few years I’ve been there (distant relative has one of the few cabins on the lake)…it’s almost impossible to keep smallmouth bass from whacking any presentation you offer in any part of the lake. Catching a walleye is newsworthy now and happens only on rare occasions, while 12-16″ bass are almost a nuisance that make up a huge % of the lake’s biomass.

Gimruis, you nailed the issue which isn’t just ‘your $.02’ but are the facts as told to me directly by the house majority leader when I was communicating with him about sponsoring a bill to allow a year round C&R season a few years back.

Minnesota…Land of 10,000 Regs. Gotta keep all of us fishing law-breakers under control!

BrianF wrote:

Gimruis, you nailed the issue which isn’t just ‘your $.02’ but are the facts as told to me directly by the house majority leader when I was communicating with him about sponsoring a bill to allow a year round C&R season a few years back.

Didn’t they do the first step already last year which was a public comment period? I seem to remember that. If they’re taking the first step towards it, one has to assume they’re eventually going to follow through with the rest of the steps. Or maybe that’s just a disguise to say they did their due diligence on the matter. Who the heck knows.

gimruis wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>BrianF wrote:</div>
Gimruis, you nailed the issue which isn’t just ‘your $.02’ but are the facts as told to me directly by the house majority leader when I was communicating with him about sponsoring a bill to allow a year round C&R season a few years back.

Didn’t they do the first step already last year which was a public comment period? I seem to remember that. If they’re taking the first step towards it, one has to assume they’re eventually going to follow through with the rest of the steps. Or maybe that’s just a disguise to say they did their due diligence on the matter. Who the heck knows.

Actually, pretty much everything hinges on the complexity of needing both statute and rule change. The intent is to have the next available round of both to have the early C&R season for bass. There is a complete issue brief that summarizes the biology, sociology (91% support overall), tribal support and needed legislation. It’s not a fast process unfortunately. I have personally been working to get this changed since 1999. Needless to say, it certainly wouldn’t hurt if there is a grass roots email campaign to select individuals in the DNR.

Attachments:

1. inbound5435201763456376396.pdf

gimruis wrote:

The MN DNR knows this but they are protecting the sacred walleye

As it should be. I mean who actually fishes for Bass?

buckybadger wrote:

it’s almost impossible to keep smallmouth bass from whacking any presentation you offer in any part of the lake. Catching a walleye is newsworthy now and happens only on rare occasions, while 12-16″ bass are almost a nuisance that make up a huge % of the lake’s biomass.

I know of at least one lake this exact thing is happening it’s been declining in Walleye population and the smallies are flourishing.

Thanks for the update smallie hawgin. At least the wheels appear to be in motion. Even if they’re stuck in mud.

Smallies definitely have a huge impact on other fish populations like walleye.

Hmmm, I’ve looked for diet studies that might support the idea that Smallies have more of an impact on walleyes than other fish. Diet studies on Smallies show reliance on crawfish. Not to say that all fish prey on each other. However the biggest factor in walleye numbers are increases in small pike. This is the rational for the MN central zone pike regs. It’s an attempt to reduce small pike by keeping the 21-23 inch pike in the system. They are the biggest small pike eaters. The more we can harvest under the slot, the greater the benefit to walleye production.

I’m sure the muskies are eating all the walleyes too.

Buzz wrote:

Hmmm, I’ve looked for diet studies that might support the idea that Smallies have more of an impact on <em class=”ido-tag-em”>walleyes than other fish. Diet studies on Smallies show reliance on crawfish. Not to say that all fish prey on each other. However the biggest factor in walleye numbers are increases in small pike. This is the rational for the MN central zone <em class=”ido-tag-em”>pike regs. It’s an attempt to reduce small pike by keeping the 21-23 inch pike in the system. They are the biggest small pike eaters. The more we can harvest under the slot, the greater the benefit to walleye production.

I wouldn’t say walleye fry are a major food source on the lake I’m mentioning, rather the water has cleared, continues to warm, and walleye spawns aren’t consistently as successful as bass spawns are. The bass are just carving out a bigger percentage of the carrying capacity in many lakes due to the changing conditions and minimal harvest. They aren’t going to suddenly give that back and it’s likely a permanent change. This trend is fairly common in the Upper Midwest.

All fish eat fish. To what degree it is the main diet is a different story. Sunfish probably the least amount of fish.
I don’t think it has as much to do with eating of other fish as it does taking of the space in the lake itself. A lake can only sustain an X amount of fish in its biomass. Doesn’t matter if it is bass sunfish walleye. It is not an infinite number.
I agree I don’t think they will have an open early season anytime soon. Frankly I don’t think it would hurt anything, but the DNR usually can’t get out of there own way so there is that.
I for one think don’t think there is a problem with harvesting some bass. It wouldn’t make a dent.

Bucky, just out of curiosity what have the DNR sampling, lift and trap net results been for walleye and small pike? In many central mn lakes, over the past 20 years we have seen an inverse in numbers?

Ripjiggen wrote:

All fish eat fish. To what degree it is the main diet is a different story.
I don’t think it has as much to do with eating of other fish as it does taking of the space in the lake itself. A lake can only sustain an X amount of fish in its biomass. Doesn’t matter if it is bass like sunfish walleye. It is not an infinite number.
I agree I don’t think they will have an open early season anytime soon. Frankly I don’t think it would hurt anything, but the DNR usually can’t get out of there own way so there is that.

Exactly what I meant and well said. Never said or meant they were eating them.

buckybadger wrote:

Its closed during the wrong time of year to protect people from targeting walleyes. Just my 2 cents

Bingo^

It’s not so much about what it does to the bass as it is keeping people from targeting walleyes.

This probably has the most truth to the reason. You would have people out right from ice out targeting and catching Walleye all while saying they are fishing for bass. Not much different from those who were targeting bass starting on walleye opener and saying they were fishing for walleye or pike. Thus the reason why Bass fishing now starts for catch and release on Walleye opener

John Rasmussen wrote:

As it should be. I mean who actually fishes for Bass?

Far more than those who fish for Walleye. There is a reason why the Bass population is so healthy on most lakes. The people who fish them go out without the intent being to keep a limit of them each outing.

fishthumper wrote:

Far more than those who fish for Walleye. There is a reason why the Bass population is so healthy on most lakes. The people who fish them go out without the intent being to keep a limit of them each outing.

I know, it was all in fun. I used to Bass fish almost exclusively, now it is pretty rare.

John Rasmussen wrote:

As it should be. I mean who actually fishes for Bass?

Far more than those who fish for Walleye. There is a reason why the Bass population is so healthy on most lakes. The people who fish them go out without the intent being to keep a limit of them each outing.

John Rasmussen wrote:

I know of at least one lake this exact thing is happening it’s been declining in Walleye population and the smallies are flourishing.

There is a answer to that. Start keeping those smaller SM to eat. I think you all would be surprised how good eating they are. I know many people who would prefer to eat a SM bass over a walleye any day. Far to much negative thoughts passed onto todays fishing population on the taste of bass.

buckybadger wrote:

I wouldn’t say walleye fry are a major food source on the lake I’m mentioning, rather the water has cleared, continues to warm, and walleye spawns aren’t consistently as successful as bass spawns are. The bass are just carving out a bigger percentage of the carrying capacity in many lakes due to the changing conditions and minimal harvest. They aren’t going to suddenly give that back and it’s likely a permanent change. This trend is fairly common in the Upper Midwest.

BINGO ^^^^ there is little to no proof that Bass are eating Walleyes leading to their decline. Many factors including over harvest are the factors to declining walleye populations