Night Ban

  • dabears
    Northfield, MN
    Posts: 32
    May 1, 2012 at 11:41 pm #1289360

    Anyone know for sure when the night ban is lifted for the 2012 season? Thanks.

    kroger3
    blaine mn
    Posts: 1116
    May 2, 2012 at 12:41 am #1064614

    Starts 10pm may 14th and ends 12:01am June 11th

    josh a
    Posts: 588
    May 2, 2012 at 2:34 am #1064693

    why is there a night ban during this period?

    John Peterson
    Woodbury, Minnesota
    Posts: 349
    May 2, 2012 at 4:09 am #1064716

    Reduce harvest.

    Apparently the DNR creel studies showed

    a history of strong high harvest levels for night angling

    immediately after the Opener.

    From Steve Fellegy years ago:

    It saves, according to early studies, about 14 percent of the potential “night bite” harvest of walleyes.

    steve-fellegy
    Resides on the North Shores of Mille Lacs--guiding on Farm Island these days
    Posts: 1294
    May 2, 2012 at 12:03 pm #1064760

    The “night ban” has been in place, I think, since ’81 or ’82–about the same dates as we have now.

    A group of Lake Mille Lacs resorters/guides (The Mille Lacs Advisory Association at the time) proposed this to the DNR and pushed the DNR into implementing it into law.
    The DNR suggested that if it was from sunset instead of 10 pm., it would have a much more positive influence on the night harvest numbers. But the public screamed, literally, loud enough to compromise and put into place what we have now.

    Personally, I wish it was the entire open water season and started at sunset. No different than many of our hunting laws–for the same reasons. (no, I won’t get into a debate on it here) I see zero difference between hunting/killing a duck or deer during a vulnerable time frame versus a walleye or especially a big muskie.

    Think about what the slot could be if you didn’t fish 24 hours a day the whole open water season? And, in my opinion, it holds no water to say you can’t catch them during the daylight hours. If we took that approach with game laws…??

    Just my opinion…nothing more but since it ws brought up–just sayin’.

    Fife
    Ramsey, MN
    Posts: 4040
    May 2, 2012 at 1:56 pm #1064834

    This discussion comes up every year. The night ban has been around longer than I’ve been born, so I’ve always grown up with it and just followed the rules. This is just one of those rules that is more of a “tradition” than it is necessary.

    Mike W
    MN/Anoka/Ham lake
    Posts: 13292
    May 2, 2012 at 9:14 pm #1064989

    Plenty of lakes near Mille lacs a person can night fish if they want.

    big_g
    Isle, MN
    Posts: 22392
    May 3, 2012 at 2:22 am #1065093

    I have always heard it was becuase the walleyes are pretty much post-spawn, hanging shallow and have the feed bag on. Kinda like why do the natives net during the spawn… because they can decimate a school of walleye with their net in one set. How about a night ban on nets too during the spawn… I am sure that is not a “conservation” issue though…

    John Peterson
    Woodbury, Minnesota
    Posts: 349
    May 3, 2012 at 3:07 am #1065117

    Really seems like salt in an open wound the netters have every advantage to reach their quota. But anglers have for nearly 30 years forgone spring night fishing to conserve or at least postpone the harvest.

    By the way has the DNR ever defined what a “Conservation Issue” is?

    chris-tuckner
    Hastings/Isle MN
    Posts: 12318
    May 10, 2012 at 12:39 am #1067105

    Quote:

    Really seems like salt in an open wound the netters have every advantage to reach their quota. But anglers have for nearly 30 years forgone spring night fishing to conserve or at least postpone the harvest.

    By the way has the DNR ever defined what a “Conservation Issue” is?

    Exactly.

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