New to the area looking for some metro guidance

[Larson15]

I moved here about a year ago from Pittsburgh and its like starting from scratch again with fishing. I like to fish bass, walleye, muskie, but primarily bass. What are some good lakes to try out that will be fishable next weekend. I finally picked up my new rig and want to get out. I am also looking to join a bass club and meet some people to fish with.

[eyebjim]

Bass season is closed along with walleye and musky. Walleye opens in mid may. Bass 2 weeks later and I think musky is 2 weeks after that. Check the Minnesota DNR website for the details. You can fish for catfish, crappies, sunfish, perch now. Most lakes are still froze over now but a few very small lakes have opened.

[JimBuck]

Hey Paul. Season's are closed right now on all of the fish you mentioned. I think Walleye are open on Pool 4 but don't quote me on that. Different species of panfish and roughfish are all you can fish for right now. I don't know if you've ever given Carp a shot, but this is the time of year I like to get into them. Here's a link to the Mn. DNR Website. Here you can find out information on local lakes by using the Lake Finder. Take a look at the gill net surveys and the summary of each lake that your interested in and take it from there. It's a good tool. Also, poke around on this site and use the Open Seat section for fishing buddies or look in the Tournaments/Leagues/Charitable Events for leagues. Good luck!

[Larson15]

Excuse me for being new to the state, rules, and regulations but you cant catch and release bass till the season opens?

[PerchJerker]

In this state it's not legal to target fish that don't have an open season on them.

One tactic that is controversial at times (but legal) is pike fishing with spinnerbaits (pike season opens two weeks prior to bass season here).

And I have to say, every spring I see an awful lot of boats pitching jig-n-pig and jig-worms under docks on Tonka all spring ..... like in April and May ..... pretty hard to argue that those are panfish baits.

[Larson15]

Thanks for the information. Pretty liberal state! I dont want it to seem like I am ranting but I am bothered by this and would wonder why they would have such restrictions especially on bass. The bass fishing season is already limited due to the weather compared to alot of states that dont have this restriction and have much nicer weather. How strictly is this enforced?

[17FishMan]

..... How strictly is this enforced?

Ok I'm am serious here. Why would you even ask that question. The law is the law. Are you trying to say that you will only follow it if you get guidance or advise that it is "strikly enforced"

I'm sorry but it is attitudes like this that can give everyone a bad rap. That may be the way you all do it in PA, but around here, I would like to think we FOLLOW THE LAW, no matter how ridiculous one might believe it to be.

The season is closed on your selected species, and you may not "target" those fish. PERIOD !!

[sanka]

You could always go down to the shore in pool 2 and fish for smallmouth. It's catch and release only.

[Larson15]

Why would I ask that question? I thought this was a forum for asking questions. Your right the law is the law. It just so happens this state has the most laws out of them all. I dont think i was giving attitude fishman. I am sorry if Im trying to get educated on fishing this state and anxious to get out on the lake for the short time we have it. We all pay alot of money to the state to do the recreation we like. Its attitudes like yours who steer people away from joining forums and participating. Being the law is the law, do you wear your seatbelt and drive the speed limit all the time, you probably are one of those sunday drivers.

Everyone else, thank you for the information

[Burnham]

yea pool 4 on the 'sippi is catch and release walleyes, bass and i believe pike all year round. I think that even pools 2 and 3 have these same regulations but am not positive

[PerchJerker]

yea pool 4 on the 'sippi is catch and release walleyes, bass and i believe pike all year round. I think that even pools 2 and 3 have these same regulations but am not positive

Pool 2 is C&R only, Pool 4 allows harvest. Neither has a closed season.

[Burnham]

yep, and then is pool 4 harvest year round, or just the season?

[Sandmannd]

Paul, I agree, lots of strict laws here. I moved from ND and my jaw dropped at the one law line and all the closed seasons. Seems to work for the fish population though and that's what we all want. If you want to specifically target bass or eyes head down to the Sippi. Pool two is all C&R. If you want to harvest, hit pools 3 or 4. Year round good fishing there.

[AceintheHole]

Our laws our in place to protect our fish, xspecially our spawning fishing. I would like to see 2 lines but after that our laws are there to protect our fish. Many guys out their would not hesitate to call TIP on you if you are breaking the law me being one of them. Just follow our rules and enjoy the fishing. AS far as finding fishing spots use DNR lakefinder they have most the info you need.

[FishCat]

PC - I'm a MN transplant as well. I know how shocking it is to find out much of the year is off limits for bass. But, that's how it is.

It can be torturous for folks that are honest and wait for the openers. Believe me, I feel for you. I start getting pretty stir-crazy this time of year, every year, just counting down to the opener. So when you see folks disregard the law by pulling [PoorWordUsage] like throwing buzzbaits in the shallows in May, it can be pretty frustrating; to say the least. It can be infuriating really. So when someone says something like “Do they really enforce the law?”, regardless of where the question was coming from, it presses buttons. You catch my drift?

And, just so you know, many fellow anglers will call the DNR TIP (Turn In Poachers) line when they see folks breaking the law.

Pool 2 (around St. Paul)on the Mississippi does not have a season. I have no idea why that is, but I’m planning to test the smallmouth bite for the first time this year. Just from shore, but it should tide me over ‘till the LM opener on May 23. At least we have that option. Good luck man and hang in there.

[Sandmannd]

Pool 2 (around St. Paul)on the Mississippi does not have a season. I have no idea why that is

I may be mistaken but isn't the Sippi federal water and therefore under different regs?

[shizzy]

the reason for this is the stress placed on the fish when you catch them during spawning. even if you release them and they survive it may effect if and how they spawn. this is going to effect the future fish.

and yes, I have the TIP # on my cell phone and wont hesitate to use it as well. As bored as I get watching a bobber this time of year and as bad as I want to toss my lucky Meps, I just need to grin and bear it. A little over a month and its on.

[Shack]

Special Regulation:

Pool 2 is open to year around fishing. Fishing for walleye, sauger, largemouth bass and smallmouth bass is restricted to catch and release only. All walleye, sauger, largemouth bass and smallmouth bass must be returned to the water immediately.

Info gained from here!

Here is more info about Pool 2 in the Pool 2-3 forum just below this forum:

Click Here For All You Want To Know About Pool 2

[Shack]

OH, Welcome to FM Paul Coffey also!

Great to have you! Ask away!

[Larson15]

This is great information and is really appreciated. If it wasn't for this forum I would probably be out next weekend catching and releasing bass on some lake. I knew what the opener dates were but thought that it was for "keeping fish." I had no idea it was for catch and release as well.

I guess I will have to maybe try out some of the river spots but am a little worried since I have never been on the river before. I see that walleye opens up in the beginning of May. I have to get myself excited about walleye fishing before the bass season is open.

For people with river experience, can you chime in as to what to watch out for or be careful of on the river

[AceintheHole]

This time of year look out for deadheads, floating logs and wingdams

[Shack]

Hey Paul, Here you go. Click below for Minnesota's On-Line Regulations guide. It is a great read and will get you up to speed on all the regulations and laws new to you in Minnesota:

Click Here For MN DNR On-Line Regulations Book!

Check out the Pool 2-3 forum for post's on how to handle the river. There are many of them and after the first time, it becomes very easy and second nature

Click Here For Pool 2-3 Forum!

Good luck dude!

[DTro]

Hi Paul welcome to MN and this website!

Like you’ve discovered, the fishing seasons are just that. You cannot target a species during a closed season. There are exceptions to that rule in certain areas as also mentioned before.

MN takes it’s game laws very seriously. It might be different in other states where thing are a bit more relaxed. The benefit of closed seasons has been debated for years and years.

Bottom line is that you cannot target a species during a closed season.

You have the right idea in joining a Bass club or something like that, you will gain a lot of knowledge about the area lakes and shorten the learning curve quite a bit. Be sure to check out all the information available here in the regional forums and also the species specific forums. There is a ton of info.

Be sure to ask a lot of questions too. There is always someone out there willing to help out a new guy!

[17FishMan]

Why would I ask that question? I thought this was a forum for asking questions. Your right the law is the law. It just so happens this state has the most laws out of them all. I dont think i was giving attitude fishman. I am sorry if Im trying to get educated on fishing this state and anxious to get out on the lake for the short time we have it. We all pay alot of money to the state to do the recreation we like. Its attitudes like yours who steer people away from joining forums and participating. Being the law is the law, do you wear your seatbelt and drive the speed limit all the time, you probably are one of those sunday drivers.

Everyone else, thank you for the information

Paul, I understand you are trying to educate yourseslf about he plethora of regulations this state has. And I appreciate that, but to ask how well they are enforced tells me you intend to disregard the regulations that are in place. They are in place to protect a fishery that is avaialabe to everyone in this state.

They are much different then something like the seat belt law. If I don't wear my seat belt it has no way of affecting you or anyone one else. If someone goes out and takes fish out of season or overharvests, they have the potential to damage a public resorce that I or anyone else can no longer enjoy. As you've seen on this topic, the main avenue of enforcement for almost all of angling arrest is the TIP line. I can't think on any of the more recent high profile cases that weren't started with a TIP call to the local DNR office.

Bottom line, In MN we have a long history of sharing and preserving our natural resorces. We've made big mistakes in the past and have seen the costs associated with returning fisheries to their natural levels (red, LEech, ect..). Thus the reason for the restrictive and numerous regulations. Yes, they can be very confussing, difficult and erratic. But they are in place for many reasons some good and some bad. All who participate in using/enjoying the public waters and fisheries are expected to follow the same rules.

Other than that welcome to MN and the forums, hope that you can enjoy many hours on our lakes and rivers.

[polarsusd81]

Paul, fishing the river is a lot of fun, but can get hairy at times as well. Right now the rivers are up very high, but should start dropping soon. I see your location listed as North Saint Paul, so you have a couple good river options close to you. Pool 2 is very close, just hop on 35E and head south a few miles. The St. Croix is another very good option for fishing, and the St. Croix opens a week before the rest of MN because it is a Wisconsin border water.

As for what to watch for on the rivers, there are several things. Floating debris is a big one, this time of year lots of logs and other junk heading down stream, dead-heads will wreck your day. Watch for little limbs sticking out of the water or swirling water as you head up or down stream. That is a good rule for any river fishing really, watching for swirling water. It is one indicator of something under the surface that is causing the water to flow differently and could be a number of things. The other thing to watch out for is wing dams. They are in place to break the current of the river and prevent shoreline erosion. The other thing they do is provide really good habitat for fish and the fish will sit in front of or behind wing dams waiting for food to come down stream.

Your first couple times on the river, go with caution and take it easy, you will soon figure out safe navigation areas and a few good fishing spots.

As for finding smallies, fish any spot that water comes in to the river such as creeks or drains. Fish wing dams and brush piles as well. Riprap shorelines can produce good numbers as well. Backwaters hold lots of fish too but more panfish and largemouth generally.

[AceintheHole]

Well said

[WingDing2]

Welcome Paul,

I hope you dont get a bad taste in your mouth from this thread.

Not all threads are like this, so read on and ask questions thats why most of us are here.

I cant wait to slide my boat in the water for the year I might just have to wait a little longer as there is still 2+ ft of ice on my lake! Again welcome.

[metro fisherman]

17FishMan, Paul had a totally legit question "How strictly is it enforced." Maby he wanted to make sure that if he was fishing crappie with a 1/16 jig he wouldn't get ticketed for walleye fishing. If you want to assume the worst in people go ahead.

Paul, it could be worth it to hire a guide, if finance permits, on the Mississippi to get some spots and tips on the river.

[17FishMan]

17FishMan, Paul had a totally legit question "How strictly is it enforced." Maby he wanted to make sure that if he was fishing crappie with a 1/16 jig he wouldn't get ticketed for walleye fishing. If you want to assume the worst in people go ahead.

Paul, it could be worth it to hire a guide, if finance permits, on the Mississippi to get some spots and tips on the river.

Metro Fisherman, I believe this is where I'm supossed to apologize for my clearly knee jerk reaction to the question, but I not going to. Mr. cofey did not include any context to what he was asking, so without it I simply offered my opinion on an easily inferred assumption to the question. When he did provide a bit of context I spelled out my thoughts on the issue, and then welcomed Mr. coffey to our site. I do not wish any ill will to Paul or anyone, but you have to admit without context the question is issulting.