Bass season opens THIS WEEKEND!

[Quackrstackr]

Congrats.

It has been storming here literally since 2 am. I don't know that I have ever seen a thunderstorm that lasted 7 1/2 hours continuously but it looks like more of the same until at least tomorrow afternoon.

So much for any fishing for me on my 2 days off.

 

[perchin]

That or some size limits.

My local lake has a 15" limit on bass and 10" on crappie. 5 bass per day and 20 crappie.

Nice - we have a 14" limit here and some lakes have an 18" limit (so the bass eat the crawdads) Most of the ones I catch are 15-16 inches - and I let them grow up to be bigger next year.

I've seen people take 5 gallon buckets of small panfish home. Then they were there working on their next bucket the next day. Worst was one group who was there 3 days in a row! I didn't go back on day 4 because it would have hurt to bad to see that.

My bait is bigger than what they were keeping :evil:

Yeah.... We have size limits on the bass, but not on panfish, And I strongly beleive there should be.

Congrats.

It has been storming here literally since 2 am. I don't know that I have ever seen a thunderstorm that lasted 7 1/2 hours continuously but it looks like more of the same until at least tomorrow afternoon.

So much for any fishing for me on my 2 days off.

It rained the entire weekend here to

 

[stinkynathan]

Update - Went out this am and between 2 of us we managed 5 bass! Very good since a front came in last night and it stormed like crazy. Supposed to be a chance of rain to day and more rain tommorrow.

8)

I thought the smallie season opens THIS weekend (May 15)?! At least that's what I've been told by a few guys at work.

I guess I may be on the border between the northern and southern zones AND the "ceded territories" (whatever that means).

I'll be headed up to my favorite piece of the Chippewa River for (what I thought was) the opener. If anyone is in the Eau Claire, WI, area, you're welcome to join me. I'll be on the road by 5AM though.

Just checked the WI DNR site.......I definitely could have been smallie fishing the past two weekends.

.......

Offer still stands if anyone wants to go out for the "opener."

 

[wasilvers]

That's an awesome idea. I'm going to tell everyone the opener is June 1st next year. Get all the fishing to myself for a whole month! :LOL2:

In all seriousness, if should be some decent fishing. If I wasn't going to Texas next week, I'd so be there. But unfortunately there is much to do here still :|

 

[angry Bob]

Well I missed the opener, but I did look at a house that weekend that we ended up buying so it wasn't all bad. I did sneak out last weekend and the fishing was brutal. I only managed a 16" smallie. missed a couple of pike (gladly) and one other bite. My buddy got a couple of small bass, and pike. Air temp was 35 when I got up, and there was frost on the ground and boat cover. Still it was nice to be out on the water again. Very few boats as well. Water temps were 55-57 on Nagawicka. Gonna hit Rock lake this Sat.

 

[wasilvers]

So you were the one boat on Nagawicka...

I drive by there every Sunday after church. Only saw one boat there last time. I have only tried there 2x - never had anything of size on the line. Maybe this year I'll get a pass and learn the lake.

 

[angry Bob]

It coulda been me. There was only one other boat at the launch when we got there, and we didn't have much company the whole day. It was pretty nice. The smallie population has exploded on that lake. It used to be they were a rare catch, now they're practically all I see and catch. If you like to bow fish or fish for carp there are some giants in that lake. If I could catch them I'd probably fish for them, but like I told my buddy I think I'd rather try to make a living being a walleye fisherman than try to catch carp. They just don't like me.

 

[bobberboy]

dang didnt know any states had a bass season

tear um up!

I had no idea...

You guys from the South have it made. It's warm, the bass grow all year 'round and no season on them. In MN bass season opens on May 29th.

 

[wasilvers]

Angrybob - If there was one lure to use on smallmouth at Nag, what would it be? Now don't give all your secrets out. I wouldn't be able to try it for about 4 weeks anyway. Just looking for a finger pointing the way. I've only caught 3 smallies, and those were pure accidents - one while perch fishing and 2 in frame park - on the same day. One guy there said he caught 2 16's and an 18 last week under the dam at Frame park. Of course, I can't hook anything - though I had something of size on yesterday for about 2 seconds. It took drag straight out and spit the lure. :evil:

 

[angry Bob]

Day in day out a 4-5" grub on a 3/16 oz. jighead is what I catch most of my smallies on anywhere. When summer kicks in a superfluke on the surface can be deadly. I had great success last fall with a wacky worm so I'll be throwing that alot more this year.

 

[fishshtick]

dang didnt know any states had a bass season

tear um up!

I had no idea...

You guys from the South have it made. It's warm, the bass grow all year 'round and no season on them. In MN bass season opens on May 29th.

Maine has had some pretty complicated regulations and season on Bass. Until this year there was an "open-water" season that started May 1 and that was when you could start fish from boat or shore for bass (artificials only and one fish limit). You could catch bass earlier in the year, but you had to do it through the ice. This left a black hole period for a chunck of April when there was basically no way to fish a lake for bass. The laws have now changed on most bass lakes so you can fish them year-round via boat, ice or shore. However, there are still several different bass seasons. From May 1 - June 30 you have to use artificial lures and can only keep one fish (over 10"). From July1-Sept 30 the limit is three fish with only one keeper over 14" and live bait is permitted. From Oct.1 - April 30 its back to one fish but live bait is permitted. You can fish with artificials all you want during any of the seasons and catch-and-release all you want.

It's always been a bit complicated, but I only envy the southern guys when it comes to fishing year round. Otherwise, I have to say that its worth it to have a state that attempts to manage the fisheries conservatively. The bulk of the recreational anglers in Maine have always eaten whatever they catch, and the bass would be decimated without the regs. As it stands we have phenomenal bass fishing up here. You might not think it, given the cold temperatures, but most waters have an average size over 2 lbs (with 3-5 lb fish reasonably common) and if I don't release at least a dozen fish in an afternoon I leave with some serious self doubts. Most tournaments are won with 20 lb+ limits (5 fish total).