Finnbay:Possible new info on Basswood Pike?????

[Great Outdoors]

Ken,

If you get a chance, swing by the shop on Saturday, 6 am - 2 pm.

Talked to one of the mushers in town shortly after you left.

Possible new developements in the Pike deal.

Don't want to put anything on the forum, as it is unsubstantiated as of tonight!!

[Tullibee]

I was wondering what the mushers thought of this whole deal. To me its low blow as a recreation fisherman going, but the people that guide folks with dogs have to be really shaken up about the rule change. Thanks for doing some research great outdoors.

Cory

[Redlantern]

My main reason for having sled dogs is for fishing in the BWCA. Trout limits are down to two a day and no longer can I fish for Northerns in March on parts of Basswood. I typically would go at least two weekends in March and sometimes take a week vacation to do some fishing and traveling with the dogs in the BWCA. I was hoping to take my nine year old daughter with me this year since she's absolutely nuts about catching northerns. I sure hope it changes back to what it was. I'd even be content if it was just catch and release.

[Great Outdoors]

Redlantern,

Don't give up yet, there may have been a change.

Still checking things out.

NO ONE from the DNR wanted to answer/return their phone calls on Friday.

This included Grand Rapids, Two Harbors, Tower, and several numbers in St. Paul.

Did reach one Captain in enforcement at DNR HQ, and he is supposed to get back to me today.

[ANYFISH]

Great outdoors,

Any factual info that you get could you please post (probably would anyway) for us here. It would be great to know if I could keep my plans for this spring and in the future. Thanks for effort!!

[Tullibee]

I talked to a tower DNR fisheries guy today for about 15 minutes on the subject and he was a very nice guy although he couldn't really give me a straight answer (imagine that). What I got out of the conversation was that the MN DNR fisheries program was trying to set up a bunch of lakes in MN to manage for trophy pike. The managers for each area in the state were asked to pick a handful of lakes in their area to propose for this management. Basswood as well as a few other lakes in the Ely area were picked. Then here is where the situation of a border water comes up. I'm assuming that after his proposal of these few lakes were handed over to the powers that be, it was probably out of the tower guys hands as to what would happen. After explaining this he then eluded to the fact that there needs to be Consistencies in regulations (which I agree with) and they needed the same set of rules for these approx. 70 lakes. Now I'm assuming that since they all needed to have the same regs, the easiest thing to do was to just make Basswood the same season as the other 70 or so bodies of water. Like I said I never really got a solid to the point answer and like any decision that is made at this level, there are a ton of factors that come into the equation so he had to give me the background of the whole deal. hope I wasn't rambleing on too much but thats what I know.

Great Outdoors, let us know what you find out with your research on the this topic. We are all awaiting you news.

Cory

[Jackpine Rob]

I applauded the DNR for clamping down on the late-season northern fishing in Wind and Rice Bays, and continue to think that it was a very good idea. I hope they keep the new regs in place.

Both of those bays load up with the big girls in March, as part of the annual pre-spawn. Several years I witnessed a lot of large slimers being dragged out - particularly out of Wind - probably more than the lake could handle losing on a regular basis.

Sorry if others disagree with me, but that's my view.

[finnbay]

Jackpine,

I find it hard to argue with you. As I mentioned in a previous post, Wind Bay in particular looked like Winnie at times the last few times I was there.

Just a couple of things for consideration. First, implimenting the slot a couple of years ago should have taken the pressure off a bit - as long as everyone followed the slot (and my last trips in after the slot was implimented, we certainly did). If there is a lot of outlawing going on, then it's an enforcement issue and an ethics issue of the users of this great resource.

Second, I think the question at hand is more that there be some explanation of why the change. Seems that communication up until this point has been rather sketchy. I'm past the point in my own fishing career where I'll get too hept up about any changes, especially if there is good management reasoning behind it. Just seems that the reluctance to discuss has a lot of us shaking our heads.

Finnbay

[Mimic Shiner]

I'm surprised the DNR would even allow a border water to be considered in their trophy pike waters study if they are worried about having consistant regulations on all the lakes. I have no idea what the closing dates are for Canadian border waters, I'm guessing they are when ours were, in April. If thats the case I assume Canada won't be changing their closing date so the lake would still remain open for fishing, albeit on the Canadian side but it would still not be a consistancy on their study.

As far as that lake having too many large females taken out of it on a regular basis it certinely hasn't shown up as a drop in the population with regard to catches. There are still many large pike as well as many, many small ones. That lake is so large and vast that there is a lot of water that never gets touched, especially at that time of year.

[Great Outdoors]

Mimic Shiner,

You're right.

The Canadians aren't changing their season.

The Tribe isn't going to change their season.

Maybe it's time to get remote border crossing permits and Canadian licenses to fish Basswood.

Then you can fish a mile or so (at most), away from your normal area, which will REALLY make a big difference in the lake.

The trophy lake thing is what did it according to DNR personnel I talked to today.

If the entire lake doesn't change, what's the point.

POLITICS!!!

[caseymcq]

 Originally Posted By: Great Outdoors

...This included Grand Rapids, Two Harbors, Tower, and several numbers in St. Paul...

Two Harbors is Enforcement, Forestry, Trails and Waterways, Wildlife and Waters(i.e. water quality), so you probably won't get much info on fishing regs unless you talk to a C.O. out of the office. Fisheries offices are your best bet to getting an answer.

As far as the Canadian season on Basswood it may be a relatively moot point. The Canadian side is in the Quetico P.P. I am willing to bet that there isn't nearly as much pressure on the Canadian side of Basswood that time of year.

[Great Outdoors]

Same body of water, different regs.

Moot point to some, not much common sense to others!

Close the season here, some of those affected will move to the Canadian side, and continue to march.

I'll say it again, when politics begins to govern, common sense leaves the equation.

[Jackpine Rob]

Move to the Canadian side? Not anymore GO.

The Canucks have implemented a "no organic bait" rule, meaning no ciscos, minnows, etc. Live or dead. Frozen or salted or freeze-dried. Nothing, zip, nada.

No treble hooks either.

They already have a protected slot on slimers.

This is going to change the face of lake trout fishing in Quetico for many of us. In fact, I didn't even bother to renew my RABC this fall.

But hey, if guys want to hit the Canadian side for late-ice northerns, it doesn't bother me a bit. There simply aren't any concentrated spawning areas on the Canadian side to compare to Hoist Bay, Jackfish Bay, Rice Bay and Wind Bay.

Add to that the distances involved / additional work necessary to get over the border, and any late ice pressure would be minor, at best.

Of course, there are a few spots on other lakes....

[caseymcq]

Thanks Jackpine, I took for granted that not everyone is familiar with the Quetico regs and the morphology of the lake on the Canadian side. The pressure just isn't there as a result.

[Mimic Shiner]

Thanks GO for the time checking all this out and I couldn't agree more. If this lake is part of a research proposal that is supposed to stay consistent with all other waters then what is the DNR thinking. They can't make this lake have the criteria it needs there for it should not be included. These biologists went to college this is one of the first things they teach you about doing research, make sure all specimens have equal treatment. Certainly it is further to go into Canadian waters and there aren’t the bays there that congregate pike but if even 1 person goes in there and fishes for pike theoretically it should eliminate this lake from the list of future trophy waters because of inconsistencies to the proposal. I'm sorry if I sound bitter but like GO said, when politics begins to govern common sense and evidently biology gets thrown out the window.

[Great Outdoors]

Jackpine Rob

I knew about the organic baits, but when did the treble hook ban go into effect??

I know that all hooks must be barbless, and thought that was the only restriction on all hooks, including trebles.

That is a new one on me!!

[caseymcq]

If you guys are going to continue to get puckered up so tight about politics influencing natural resource management do yourself a favor an swallow a few pieces of coal so you can at least produce a couple of diamonds. I will clue you in on a little something... politics influencing NR management will continue to happen and if you are going to keep getting your undies in a bundle over it plan on singing an octave higher in the shower.

I still think the regs are in place to protect the resource. The fish are concentrated and hungry so they are easy pickins in these areas during this period. It is the same rationale behind having the Seagull River and Saganaga Narrows closed from April 1 to May 23 and Saganaga Falls close to May 31 while the rest of Sag is open May 10. There are a ton of walleyes stacked up in those areas that would be really susceptible to overharvest if there weren't special regs in place to protect the resource.

[Jackpine Rob]

My bad. Should read what I type before hitting submit.

It is barbless, and not the treble. Although trebles were in the proposal, that part didn't make it through. Just wait though, they actually proposed banning depth finders, and that is probably just a matter of time.

As for the Basswood regs, beginning quite a few years back - when the "border fishing" regs came into effect, several of us have voiced our concerns about the impact on the northerns.

Now as you know GO, me and my family have taken our share of fish out of that lake over the generations, and I generally support the notion of fishing, catching, eating, and enjoying what's out there. Heck, I've speared on that lake since about 1962 (at least that's the earlies pic of me doing so). What was happening with the late-ice northerns was out of hand though. As Finnbay alluded, there were a bunch of people out there - and it was the old story of the "hot bite" that everyone and their brother heard about.

As far as I'm concerned, if the regs do change again - leave Wind and Rice off-limits and open up the rest of the so-called border waters. Wouldn't hurt my feelings a bit, but more importantly it would protect a vulnerable population while allowing opportunities for fishing.

[Great Outdoors]

caseymq,

Cmon man, you need to lighten up a bit!

Puckered up, undies in a bundle, sheeeeeesh!!

Tsk, tsk!

[laker1]

You are right on no organic bait(dead or alive) also I know it is barbless, but to my knowledge you can still use treble hooks or at least one treble hook? Correct me if I am wrong.

[warsh]

what else is there to do about the basswood deal???