Minnesota 2016 Fishing Opener

Okay, I need to rant. Just realized today that the 2016 MN fishing opener is a week LATER than normal. Now set for the weekend after Mothers Day. What’s up with that? Why push the season back even further when our winters are getting shorter and ice out coming earlier? If the DNR is worried about anglers being turned loose and over-exploiting a species during the spawn – any species – have a C&R only season until the perceived risk is over. Simple as that.

The weather across the upper Midwest is supposed to continue to be unseasonably warm the rest of the winter and spring due to the persistent El Niño conditions in the Pacific. If that’s the case, and ice out comes unusually early as expected, how do we set the wheels in motion to have an earlier fishing opener like was done in 2012? Good lord, at least move it back to where it was for the last several decades.

End of rant, but I trust others feel the same?

Fishing opener, as with deer hunting opener, can’t be before a certain date if the 1st of the month is on a certain day of the week. There is a formula that they use. They just don’t throw a dart at the calendar. I haven’t even looked at may yet to see when opener is. When you live on the lake, it’s just another Saturday, just a little more crowded. As far as early ice out, that hasn’t been the case here on mille lacs. Two years ago, ice out wasn’t until the Thursday after opener.

Fishing opener is always has been for as long as I can remember 2 weeks before Memorial weekend!

That’s all wrong.

Mother’s day is the second Sunday in May

Fishing opener is always the second Saturday in May.

Only when May begins on a Sunday are they not on the same weekend.

And then the opener is the 14th, the latest possible date for a
second Saturday.

x2 on this.

eyekatcher wrote:

That’s all wrong.

Mother’s day is the second Sunday in May

Fishing opener is always the second Saturday in May.

Only when May begins on a Sunday are they not on the same weekend.

And then the opener is the 14th, the latest possible date for a
second Saturday.

Mothers Day is May 8 2016. Minnesota fishing opener is May 14, 2016.

http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/opener/index.html

-J.

Not that I know what an “opener” is, but doesn’t this happen every 6-7 years? I recall posts about this from the past.

“Fishing opener, as with deer hunting opener, can’t be before a certain date if the 1st of the month is on a certain day of the week. There is a formula that they use. They just don’t throw a dart at the calendar. I haven’t even looked at may yet to see when opener is. When you live on the lake, it’s just another Saturday, just a little more crowded. As far as early ice out, that hasn’t been the case here on mille lacs. Two years ago, ice out wasn’t until the Thursday after opener”

X2. To all others I have not missed a fishing opener in 25 years. In 2010 it was on May 15th. I know in my family where my mother is fully aware that every so often there is fishing opener not on mothers day weekend, like it is in 2016 on may 14th. If you remember either Dayton or Tim pawlenty was trying to pass a vote making fishing opener a week later, but it never passed. I fish near Longville,MN and the ice out varies. We have had better luck on bigger eyes on the earlier start dates, but the later dates have produced 1) warmer weather 2) more hungry male eyes for the frying pan 3) you have a better chance of getting the crappies up shallow.

So for me fishing opener has always landed between the 9-15th of May. Which is fine by me, and expecially my mom who get to spend a mother’s day with her husband and sons.

Also, by my calculations opener will be May 13th 2017, and May 12th 2018, May 11th 2019, May 9th 2020, May 15th 2021. So there is a pattern

The “MN Fishing opener” is set by statute:

97C.395 OPEN SEASONS FOR ANGLING.
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

Set aside Mother’s Day for a moment, let me ask a question that gets to the heart of the matter: Why have a closed season for any popular sport fishing species at all?

If worried about harvest – or specifically over-harvest – the DNR already has tools at their disposal to address the issue. They can use C&R only regs, harvest regs, slot limits, length limits – whatever is needed. With these tools available, why restrict us from angling during certain periods of the year?

g-no wrote:

The “MN Fishing opener” is set by statute:

97C.395 OPEN SEASONS FOR ANGLING.
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

Before this set of scheduling rules were in place, it was the “closest Saturday to May 15th”. That meant that some years, the Opener was the week before Memorial Day weekend–causing lots of arguments for people that had “standing/annual” reservations for the “2nd weekend” and “Memorial Day weekend”. As a resort owner back then….it was a NIGHTMARE to deal with those years/reservations/customers etc. Tourism lobbied for the current scheduling statute….thus insuring there would be THREE weekends including the Opener and Memorial Day weekend.

BrianF wrote:

Set aside Mother’s Day for a moment, let me ask a question that gets to the heart of the matter: Why have a closed season for any popular sport fishing species at all?

If worried about harvest – or specifically over-harvest – the DNR already has tools at their disposal to address the issue. They can use C&R only regs, harvest regs, slot limits, length limits – whatever is needed. With these tools available, why restrict us from angling during certain periods of the year?

I would guess so that you do not disturb the species during a vulnerable time of year. I.e. Spawn.

Yes the season is open to limited harvest on some border waters, but time has proven that the pressure doesn’t have a significant affect on the species in rose bodies of water. We all se how fragile some bodies of water are.

BrianF wrote:

Set aside Mother’s Day for a moment, let me ask a question that gets to the heart of the matter: Why have a closed season for any popular sport fishing species at all?

If worried about harvest – or specifically over-harvest – the DNR already has tools at their disposal to address the issue. They can use C&R only regs, harvest regs, slot limits, length limits – whatever is needed. With these tools available, why restrict us from angling during certain periods of the year?

I think this is a very good question where the MN DNR does not give us a satisfactory answer. They claim it’s because as biggill wrote that late winter is a “vulnerable time” for the fish. I believe the science we know refutes that claim. Catch and release fishing doesn’t hurt anything when the water temps are cold. Fish in some lakes might be stressed from oxygen depletion, but those fish become lethargic and very difficult to catch. By the time fish get enough oxygen to begin normal feeding again they are perfectly fine. Like I said before, catch and release fishing doesn’t hurt anything when the water temps are cold. There is no good reason why immediate catch and release fishing with artificial baits is outlawed.

Yes the season is open to limited harvest on some border waters, but time has proven that the pressure doesn’t have a significant affect on the species in rose bodies of water. We all se how fragile some bodies of water are.

BG Lakes and Rivers are two very very different animals.

Yes the season is open to limited harvest on some border waters, but time has proven that the pressure doesn’t have a significant affect on the species in rose bodies of water. We all se how fragile some bodies of water are.

BG Lakes and Rivers are two very very different animals.

I think at this point it is such a tradition built into the culture that even if research supported that closed seasons do nothing, they wouldn’t change it.

The opener is so anticipated and talked about that it may serve sort of as marketing and get people annually excited. Not going to take that away when participation is declining.

Just a thought…

Not to switch topic here but…

Where is everyone heading this year for opener? I will be fishing Leech with some friends, or night fishing Pelican (Brainerd) with the old man. Cannot wait for the ice to go and get the boat out of storage.

^^^^ Does that sort of show you what I’m saying?

Brian Klawitter wrote:

Not that I know what an “opener” is, but doesn’t this happen every 6-7 years? I recall posts about this from the past.

Yes it does…. do you really think I would have gotten married on the opener ? May 8th, 1993 was a saturday and the opener was the 15th.

As far as closing the season.. probably giving rescue personnel and hospitals a break… can you imagine how many idiots would be in their boat doing 50 and hitting chunks of floating ice… let alone those who would be “breaking” the ice in order to get out. I could see a dude ice fishing and someone else breaking his ice up with a big boat and sinking him…

Yeah just go to the Dakotas to fish after ice out.

Bass Pundit wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Brian Fitzpatrick wrote:</div>
Set aside Mother’s Day for a moment, let me ask a question that gets to the heart of the matter: Why have a closed season for any popular sport fishing species at all?

If worried about harvest – or specifically over-harvest – the DNR already has tools at their disposal to address the issue. They can use C&R only regs, harvest regs, slot limits, length limits – whatever is needed. With these tools available, why restrict us from angling during certain periods of the year?

I think this is a very good question where the MN DNR does not give us a satisfactory answer. They claim it’s because as biggill wrote that late winter is a “vulnerable time” for the fish. I believe the science we know refutes that claim. Catch and release fishing doesn’t hurt anything when the water temps are cold. Fish in some lakes might be stressed from oxygen depletion, but those fish become lethargic and very difficult to catch. By the time fish get enough oxygen to begin normal feeding again they are perfectly fine. Like I said before, catch and release fishing doesn’t hurt anything when the water temps are cold. There is no good reason why immediate catch and release fishing with artificial baits is outlawed.

I couldn’t disagree with this more. Harassing fish during the spawn absolutely does affect them. C&R fishing during the season is great, but harassing them during spawning is just plain senseless!

The state already has a location to harass and deplete spawning eyes. That’s enough.

As far as bass go, the opener often lands right on or before the spawn. The wave of fishing pressure and tournaments created by the opener seems counterproductive to me… At least if protecting spawning fish is the goal.

Bass ? Who let you in ?:???:

Bass……IT’S WHAT’S FOR DINNER

big_g wrote:

Bass ? Who let you in ?:???:

puddlepounder wrote:

Bass……IT’S WHAT’S FOR DINNER

Coming from two guys who have connections to the one lake that’s going to receive the most financial help from bass guys this year.. SMH.

I am guessing I won’t get 1 plugged nickle out of the deal… Actually…. I enjoy catching the bronze footballs alot

c_w wrote:

Coming from two guys who have connections to the one lake that’s going to receive the most financial help from bass guys this year.. SMH.

The tribal casino hosting the event stands to make the most financially. Area businesses??? Who knows…. I doubt these guys are going to hire a launch for a day.

-J.

I couldn’t disagree with this more. Harassing fish during the spawn absolutely does affect them. C&R fishing during the season is great, but harassing them during spawning is just plain senseless!

Who is the “them” you speak of? Walleye, Pike, Bass, Steelhead. Once you answer that then tell me how they are they are negatively affected by immediate catch and release with artificial lures during their spawn?

Walleye don’t successfully spawn in most MN water. Walleyes that are “harassed” for the purpose of state stocking have fry that survive just fine in our hatcheries. Where is the evidence that it is any different for walleye’s that are immediately caught and released with artificial lures in bodies of water that walleyes spawn successfully? Is there any at all? I’m not a walleye guy so maybe there is evidence, but I doubt it. Also it is my understanding that once walleyes begin spawning they become very difficult to catch for a while.

The trend in bass fishing, which I am familiar with, has gone to allowing at a minimum catch and release fishing during the spawn because immediate catch and release fishing with artificial lures does no harm to the resource as a whole. Your argument just isn’t true when it comes to largemouth bass.

I don’t understand why we even have a closed season for pike.