Open water?

[Pikeslayer]

I was wondering if the ice is gone on Red lake or if I should go catfishing down on the St.Croux river this weekend!

[Drake]

Stopped to take a look at Upper Red Tuesday and along the east shore there was still ice out there, including some nice size ice chunks, so no crappie fishing this weekend. On a side note, Blackduck Lake also has ice but some of the smaller lakes in the area are open water. So have fun catfishing!

[Random guy]

The only open water currently is a small hole just big enough for two boats in front of the mouth of the closed Tamarac and in shallow water on shore. The ice sheet currently(Sat 28th) is pressed against the east shore.

Couple of boats are "Crappie fishing" among the spawning walleyes just on the border of the closed for fishing line. It won't take much of that trick before the DNR locks the lake up PERIOD during spawn. Millions of dollars and hours spent and the fish are getting rough housed or wacked with the boat prop on the way to spawn.

[halad]

That goes on every year Jon the DNR dosent seem to care. This is the only lake i know of that people come here and brag about all the walleye they catch when the season is closed.

[kelly-p]

Sorry Hal but I have to disagree. I think the DNR Fisheries does care. That is why the Tamarac was closed to fishing when the jerks/poachers sat in the river and pounded the spawning walleyes saying they were, "fishing crappies". Some of the jerks, (very few) just moved to the mouth of the Tamarac to pound the spawning walleyes saying they were "fishing crappies". In the end the DNR will have to close the entire URL to protect the spawning walleyes from the jerks. All fishermen will lose because of these jerks.

[halad]

Friday afternoon there were 4 boats fishing in front of Shotley Brook i dont think they were catching a lot of crappies there. It would take a lot of guts to close the lake say from ice out to opening. Not that i think the DNR fish is gutless hell look at Millacs they harpoon the wallies in the spring when they come in to spawn.

[shefland]

You know there are plenty of people who fish for "crappies" in Red this time of year and of course are hammering the walleyes,but as long as they stay out of the river, they are not breaking the law, they are fishing with jigs and minnows for crappies and catching walleyes, now I am just playing the devils advocate here, it is a gray area, just like bass fisherman who toss spinnerbaits over nesting bass and saying they are fishing for northerns, illegal? unethical? I realize this time of year they are jammed in that area with the spawning ritual, maybe the DNR should buoy off a 1/4 mile or so in a half circle from these rivers and close them to all fishing until a certain date? I have seen them do that to portions of lake Minnetonka and other lakes to protect bass. Would it be a enforcement nightmare? Close the entire lake till opening? with whats going on the other portion of the lake? Lots of questions,I wonder what the DNR thinks? maybe its all up to personal ethics? Lots of walleyes were caught by crappie fisherman before it was re opened? Any fishery biolgist out there have any thoughts? Some states have no closed season. Just wondering