No new update on extended Bass season in MN

fishthumper wrote:

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.

I have no problem eating a Bass in general. I bet I have eaten more LM Bass than anyone on this forum since growing up we harvested them along with the panfish and fried them up together all the time. I am sure I have eaten more Bass than Walleye in my life.

There is nothing wrong with selective harvest of small to mid sized bass provided that its legal to do so. In fact, studies have actually shown that removal of a percentage of smaller bass would create more carrying capacity for bigger ones. The issue arises when you start keeping big ones. They take 10 years to reach trophy size in northern waters. Same with northern pike. In general, smaller fish not only taste better but they have less bioaccumulation of chemicals in their bodies too.

I personally think the over-population of snot rockets is a bigger problem than bass are, especially in smaller to mid-size lakes. The daily bag limit being 10 would seem to indicate that the DNR also thinks this is the case too. The problem is that very few people have the desire to keep a pile of 20 inch slime darts.

Pretty simple solution make it all C and R until the actual opener. Don’t see any harm and don’t see a reason to completely close seasons. Seems silly.

I have no problem eating a <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>Bass in general. I bet I have eaten more LM <em class=”ido-tag-em”>Bass than anyone on this forum since growing up we harvested them along with the panfish and fried them up together all the time. I am sure I have eaten more Bass than <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>Walleye in my life.
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I’m there with you. I bet I can cook a bass and most would guess it’s a walleye fillet but I don’t keep any over 15 or 16 inches. We used to eat bass weekly. Especially out of cold water.
Maybe that’s what’s wrong with me
I do fish bass often and would like to stay on this side of the border for the c & r season. I’m so close to wi it doesn’t even matter though.

Buzz wrote:

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?

I can count on one hand the number of pike I’ve ever caught or seen caught. It’s a great muskie lake though (for numbers).

I’m of the argument that bass just are better at adapting to warming waters, many of which are clearing too. Couple that with a better success rate of spawning and more spawning areas in many of the lakes in the Upper Midwest…and you get an expanding range of bass. I don’t think it has much to do with predation of young walleye or crazy over harvest on most typical small to medium sized inland lakes. I also don’t think this trend will stop or slow. There’s not really blame to cast, it’s just a reality.

It seems to me that a significant chunk of walleye fishermen, which I’m guessing is way more than a majority, are meat fishermen who don’t think much of catch-and-release fishing. I don’t think that many walleye guys would be out there skirting the rules if they can’t keep them.