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Change in Lake Trout opener?


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I read an article in the March 7 Mesabi Daily News about a bill by a local state representative that would make the BWCA winter trout season the same as the winter trout season in the rest of the state. Anybody else read that article? It would open on approxiamatly Jan. 15 instead of Jan. 1 and close around the 15th of March instead of March 31.

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  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Creators

Jnelmark88, I vaguely remember a rumor on season dates but I thought they were extended. Anyway glad to see you here.

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The article was very vague, but the bill is supposed to set the trout season from December or January 1st until September 30th on all of the 247 trout lakes in Cook, Lake, and St. Louis County. I'll keep the forum posted on any movement of the proposal.

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  • 1 year later...

Right now in the regs it's all messed up??? It has a little "update" arrow and then states for winter inland lakers and trout an opening date of Jan 12th and Jan 15th. It doesn't explain anything more. It would be nice for people who need to put in for vacation because the dates are Monday and Thursday???

This was from the online current Reg book.

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Brent, there is no more special early BWCAW ice laker season. It's been nixed. There also is no more special late BWCAW ice laker season. That's been nixed, too.

Now, whether you're fishing in the BWCAW or outside the BWCAW, the winter inland laker season starts mid-Jan (pretty sure it's Jan. 17) and ends at the end of March instead of mid-March.

Formerly (for those who didn't know), the BW season had opened about two weeks before the non-BW season and closed two weeks later. This change abolishes any special BW season but extends the overall non-BWCAW season by two weeks at the end of March, giving people a shot at laker lakes outside the BW for two extra weeks compared with previous years.

Hope that's clear as mud! gringrin

Caseymcq posted a link in a previous thread to the legislative action that changed the seasons, but I can't find it now.

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Steve,

The 17th would make the most sense being it's on a Saturday, however, when you look at the regs online it has the dates highlighted in green w/ an Update arrow pointing to them saying the opener is on Thursday the 15th. Go figure??? confused

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At this point, who even knows? This whole thing came as a surprise to the masses, and Ely mushers who specialize in early BWCAW lake trout season trips were canceling bookings left and right after the Legislature did what it so loves to do.

Sigh. frownfrown

But hey, I'll take opener a couple days before the traditional Saturday! Sure won't be many weekend warriors on the ice on a Thursday. gringrin

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According to Sam Cook in the Duluth News Tribune the season will open on Thursday the 15th. He also had some quotes from Great Outdoors ( Jim Maki ) Looks like Steve is going to have the lake pretty much to himself on Thursday. Just might have to take friday off.

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Looks like Steve is going to have the lake pretty much to himself on Thursday. Just might have to take friday off.

Steve and every college student in the state...

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Actually to my surprise this bill was brought up in 2006 by:

Senator Saxhaug (DFL) from Grand Rapids, District 03 ( Lk woods, Kooch, Itasca, and Aitkin)

and

Senator Bakk (DFL) from Cook, District 06 (Arrowhead)

Those are the main inland lake trout waters zones... :-k

Nice.

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Well, well. Just so happens that I'm off work the 15th and Junior is now in school all day. Wonder what I'll be doing that day????? whistlegrinwink

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Well, well. Just so happens that I'm off work the 15th and Junior is now in school all day. Wonder what I'll be doing that day????? whistlegrinwink

Xploring the North Arm with me, if you want to. gringringrin

bwtrout, you should take the day off and join me up here! smilesmile

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For everyone bummed out about the delay in the MN laker opener the Ontario opener is still the first week of Jan. It's not that far to Nestor Falls or the Manitou and the fishing is usually excellent.

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So when does stream trout open up for ice fishing the same as laker??? That hole deal kinda confuses me.

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Stream trout are the same as laker season now, Jan 15th to March 31.

STF, that sounds like an excellent idea. I'll check in with ya the weekend before and we'll see what I can do to make it work (if the 1.69/gallon gas in Cloquet stays, it'll make the decision easier too grin)

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well looks like i am skipping college classes january 15th i think vermilion community college teachers will under stand lol

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STF I'll have the Shack setup Wednesday night for Thursday Morning!!! The Weekend will be all Laker time. I track you down!!!

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Ding, ding, ding, ding....What's that ya hear..... Oh, that's the bells I'll have on when I'm up there! grin

Bring it!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Does this change include the current year? As far as I am concerned I see the 3rd of Jan written in my regulation booklet for stream trout inside the BWCA. Do you think they would throw me in jail for going by the printed regulations? I am sure they will be out in force to turn away all the guys trying to go out on the printed date. These people sure do love to confuse the bajeesus out of us. I am just glad I have internet access. Otherwise I would never know about all of these handy last minute changes to the G/D regulations!

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Yup, it's for this January. If you fished anyway and got tagged you more than likely would have to make another trip to tell it to the judge...

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Maybe this will be good. How many guys are going to take the effort to hump 3 miles into the B-dub to fish trout when they can just park at the access on any lake outside and still fish the same date? Lower pressure is always better. C'mon There has to be a positive somewhere in all of this.

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One positive is that the lakes outside the Bdub will be open two weeks later than usual. It's pretty nice out on the ice in late March. smilesmile

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Good point Steve, I am already looking forward to getting a sun tan while fishing lakers in march.

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