bass opener

[jedimaster]

Just so I am reading this right. Bass opens in 17 this weekend right?

[fishindevil]

yes that is correct !!!

[Dan668]

What lakes will everyone be on this weekend for the opener?

[boombap]

Ill be on sturgeon

[jedimaster]

Dalrymple on Sunday in a tourney. Saturdays plans fell through for a tourney on the tri lakes. Gonna do some fathers day stuff on Saturday. Was going to go musky fishing this weekend until I realized it was the opener this weekend haha.

[ehg]

Started same topic a couple of days ago.....

http://ontariofishingcommunity.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=70087

 

Shouldl be fun weekend in Zone 17.

[The Urban Fisherman]

the fish are still going to be on beds - it'll be a slaughter for those who don't care to take fish off their beds......NNNever mind... zone17 is way south of where I was last week! haha

Edited June 12, 2013 by The Urban Fisherman

[jimmer]

Many are concerned about this, but most will do it anyways. Sad for FMZ 17.

There are many arguments on both sides about this, I just can't figure out why there was the need to change it to a week earlier. There are plenty of other species to fish for in that zone.

the fish are still going to be on beds - it'll be a slaughter for those who don't care to take fish off their beds......NNNever mind... zone17 is way south of where I was last week! haha

[davey buoy]

Saw some huge bass last Sunday in zone 16,cruising around in 4' of water. Not a care in the world.Looks good for the 22nd here! Good luck guys this weekend .

[Mistaflyboy34]

Yes can't wait!

[fishindevil]

I live right on fmz17 on sturgeon lake and there are still fish on their beds in some spots !!!! And because it's a late year and the lake temps are colder for this time if year than normal !!! The goon squad will be out in full force this weekend that's for sure ...... Should have left the opening date where it was on the 4 th Saturday !!!!!! Oh well ......

[fishindevil]

If I see fish on their beds I will not be targeting them that's for sure !!!!! But I will keep my eye out for them and take some water temps at various spots on the lake !!!!! A nieghbor of mine has had a nice 3lb aprox smallie right at his dock I'm about 3 ft of water for about a month now !!!!!! Under his boat lift !!!!!! And he is aggressive and swims around in circles and comes right back to his spot !! So he is still guarding his nest !!! He makes sure that the kids don't fish on his dock so as not to disturb him I hope the bass is gone by the weekend ......

[Stoty]

I dont think the opener being a week earlier is the problem..... If we had "normal" spring/summer temps the fish would have been long off their beds by now.

Just so happens that the year they change the opener by a week, is the same year that we have below seasonal temperatures.

 

I've been on Rice every weekend since Walleye opener and the last time I noticed any bass on beds was on the May 2-4 weekend. Havent seen them up shallow since, so I'm guessing that the majority of the fish are spawned out already.

That being said, I'm sure there are still fish on beds but even if those lingering fish are targetted I'm guessing that they are a very slim portion of the population and shouldnt have any effect on the overall spawn success.

[Rich]

Okay, I'm gonna post this everytime people debate the 'early' season.

 

Why is it illegal to pull the most prolific and abundant fish in the province off a spawning bed for 15 seconds, and protected for months, yet at the same time it's perfectly legal for folks to line up a decimate salmon/steelhead on their migratory run every year, and worse yet tromp all over their beds?

[MCTFisher9120]

I'll be pounding them for a week up near Gananaque..don't care what they are doing, I release them all and handle them well. The bonus is 1 less week to wait

[fish_fishburn]

I still have another week to wait up here in zone 15. But next friday is already booked for a day of largie fishing.

[kipdouglas]

yes.

[wkimwes]

Our counterparts south of the border (NYC, PA, MN..etc) are allowed to fish earlier than us and understand why the rules are there and such. They've been fishing pre-spawn and spawn and don't hear an issue of bass population problems. Not that I would target of course on purpose. Just saying, if it hasn't had a serious adverse affect there...it shouldn't be too bad up here. Unless we're saying there are more bucket brigade type/stupid guys up here?

 

I still think there are lot of guys who illegally fish for bass though, like yesterday I was at the bridge off highway 62 south Belleville, as I walking I noticed two guys fishing towards the rip rap under the middle of the bridge. Pretty obvious they were targetting bass. I yelled at them, but either they didn't hear me or didn't care.

Edited June 13, 2013 by wkimwes

[jedimaster]

There are tournaments this weekend on almost every good bass lake in every zone that's open and you can be darn sure every bass angler in those tournaments will fish beds, and any big ones won't be going right back in, they will be going for a day long joy ride in a live well.

[jimmer]

What is one to do???? Hit the beds, avoid the beds or stay in bed? I will tell you this, the number of anglers fishing for bass has increased to amazing numbers in the past decade and it's a competition whether you're in a tournament or not!

[davey buoy]

I noticed a huge differece in fishing this last Sunday in Simcoe.There were by far more boats fishing than I have ever seen .Bass isn't even open for another week and a couple of days.Could only imagine the extra pressure once bass season is open. The wait to get off the lake at 2:30 was a hour give or take.Grant you all were not fishing but many were..Good luck Zone 17 this weekend!!

Edited June 13, 2013 by davey buoy

[Sinker]

I think a lot of you bass guys worry way too much about the most populated sport fish in ON. I could understand if they were in decline, but let's be serious, bass are a dime a dozen, found in. Just about every pool of water in the province, and are easy to catch!

 

If your that concerned about them, don't fish for 'em!

 

I'll never understand the bass mentality!

 

S.

[fishindevil]

Yes you are right jimmer specially here on the kawarthas where we live !!!! But after the weekend when all the citiots go home we have the place all to ourselves and nice and quiet no sea-doos or kids tubing and no boat traffic !!!! I usually head north on the weekends and don't even fish my lake which is sturgeon !!!! If I do I start at 4:30am and I'm usually done by 10-11am as soon as the first sea doo and all the clowns get out I'm done !!!!!! So I drive north on Saturdays and have lakes up on Haliburton all to myself !!!!!! But this weekend I'm kinda stuck fishing here for bass as fmz15 is not open till next weekend !!!!!! So the key this weekend is to start early and finish early !!!! Come back in and have a BBQ and a few beers and chill !!!!! Then get ready to do it all again on Sunday !!!!!!!!!!! The lake will be a little insane tommorow ........

[Stoty]

Like I've said a few times in previous posts, I think that Bass should be open all year long. Our populations are insanely good and if they are really that "concerned" about it affecting the populations, then have a "catch & release only" season during the prime spawning times (May 1 - 3rd Sat in June). There is absolutely no reason why Bass cant be open all year long. Heck, they probably arent even in the top 5 harvested species.... there's plenty of other species that people target for the pan.

[jedimaster]

The only people I regularly see catching bass to eat are American tourists. I don't see why a thaw to freeze bass season couldn't maintain the population. Even maybe a thaw to June catch and release.