huzzsaba Posted June 1, 2015 Report Posted June 1, 2015 Why does bass season start so late even though they are plentiful? Or maybe they aren't? Is it because they spawn later than other species? Clearly a lot are being caught because they are biting but cant be kept due to being OOS. I'm asking because I stopped going to my usual fishing place because that is all that is there for the last month or so. There may be other species there like bows, but the bass is all that is biting.
AKRISONER Posted June 1, 2015 Report Posted June 1, 2015 its a protection thing. Bass are absolutely veracious during spawn. They will basically be caught by anything that moves therefore in order to protect them while they are vulnerable, they close the season. Of course people constantly catch them, and its well known that bass are being caught a lot inadvertently, however it does protect them from bass fisherman specifically targeting them and putting pressure on the fish at a vulnerable time.
Joeytier Posted June 1, 2015 Report Posted June 1, 2015 Good question. It baffles my mind that they aren't open in the winter and spring during the pre-spawn time (especially in zone 11 where they should be open all year!)
Paudash Posted June 1, 2015 Report Posted June 1, 2015 caught 3 or 4 this weekend while trolling for lakers on a rock ledge 15 feet down in 20 feet of water sometimes you can not avoid them
Moosebunk Posted June 1, 2015 Report Posted June 1, 2015 Closing bass for ice season is kinda ridiculous dontchyas think? Being that "ALL" fish under the ice are prone to certain winter habits which can be predicted, fish of many kinds will be caught and some will be kept. Protecting a more plentiful fish such as bass while most other species (some less plentiful) remain open just goes to show how bass ackwards we have it in our thinking. What makes them so special anyways? lol Smallies do rock tho!
manitoubass2 Posted June 2, 2015 Report Posted June 2, 2015 The season here got changed last year, bummed me right out. The population is INSANE!!! And nobody keeps them so why change the regs? Heck, barely anyone even fishes them on rainy river except for a tourny. Ah well
John Bacon Posted June 2, 2015 Report Posted June 2, 2015 (edited) Not only are bass late spawners, but they guard their nest until well after the eggs hatch. For most fish, once the eggs are laid the spawn is done. However, bass will stay and guard the eggs and even guard the fry after they have hatched. That explains the late opening. I am not sure why it is closed for winter. They don't seem to bite much through the ice so it probably wouldn't make affect the population too much if they allowed ice fishing. Edited June 2, 2015 by JohnBacon
Joeytier Posted June 2, 2015 Report Posted June 2, 2015 (edited) Opening them all year would have very minimal effect oj their population, at least in most areas of Ontario where essentially no one fished for them. Walleye, our most coveted fish, are only closed for 6 weeks in most zones yet they shut down bass for 6 freakin months. What a joke! Edited June 2, 2015 by Joeytier
Pigeontroller Posted June 2, 2015 Report Posted June 2, 2015 New York State doesn't seem to think they need protecting! I'd say they're right, as the Great Lakes are full of them!
jtracc Posted June 2, 2015 Report Posted June 2, 2015 It's a tough topic, on one hand they are plentiful, but is that because of our strict regs??? On the other hand having a wider season with bass fishing options will defiantly bring in revenue. I would love to have a catch no keep season from March till June, then closed for the month. However, we will need more enforcement which means more government spending. I would play $25-30 for a pre bass opener option with the money going toward enforcement. But that's just me thinking.
SuperDave Posted June 2, 2015 Report Posted June 2, 2015 Well as Pigeontroller just revealed, if you WANT to fish for them. buy a $50 NY license and you will have a blast! We've been fishing for them since April. However, as soon as they set up their nesting areas we stop. The pre-spawn bite can be spectacular!
OhioFisherman Posted June 2, 2015 Report Posted June 2, 2015 I am old, I remember the days before catch and release and closed seasons, there were a lot less of them around, getting too liberal with the seasons and limits could return that. Kind of like walleye fishing here, commercial netters battled with the sport fisher men for decades, they claimed not to be taking enough walleye out of Lake Erie to hurt the walleye population, but I never caught a walleye on Lake Erie until a few years after the walleye netting ban here.
chris.brock Posted June 2, 2015 Report Posted June 2, 2015 In the winter they do stack up pretty good in certain spots and big fish are vulnerable. Near my fish hut, if you stray to far, it's smallies in a small, defined area. They don't release well through the ice either, their swim bladder is often bulging out of their mouth.
Acountdeleted Posted June 2, 2015 Report Posted June 2, 2015 They are open year round in the Thunder Bay Area. I reccomend a trip up there.
Dara Posted June 2, 2015 Report Posted June 2, 2015 (edited) Open all year here too. I think its the government wanting to control. Here where we don't care or bother with them, its open, down south where you want to fish them, its closed...thankyou Kathleen PS, I caught a couple nice 4-5 pounders this weekend while fishing for walleyes Edited June 2, 2015 by Dara
BillM Posted June 2, 2015 Report Posted June 2, 2015 5 months is a short season? If you aren't fishing bass late into the fall, you're missing out on the best action of the entire season.
Gnote Posted June 2, 2015 Report Posted June 2, 2015 Bills right on there, im not a big bass guy but smashing 4+ lb smallies in october is still a good time in my book.
LostAnotherOne Posted June 2, 2015 Report Posted June 2, 2015 I don't really mind that bass season isn't year round. I fish several different species a year at different times. It just drives me crazy when I see people fishing for bass purposely near the river by my house.
John Bacon Posted June 2, 2015 Report Posted June 2, 2015 New York State doesn't seem to think they need protecting! I'd say they're right, as the Great Lakes are full of them! Actually, in the main body of Lake Ontario they don't spawn until after the season opens anyway. The MNR had some information sessions on this a couple of years back. I wouldn't be surprised if the the other great lakes were similar.
MrSimon Posted June 2, 2015 Report Posted June 2, 2015 Every body of water is different and responds differently to a closed season. For example, the lake I fish in NY has a closed season (no C&R) until mid June. However, the bass population is still steadily declining due to over-harvest in the summer and fall. This particular lake would be way better off with C&R until June and then lower creel limits and slot limits the rest of the year. But lots of lakes in Ontario with a closed season don't have an over-harvest issue, and have excellent bass fishing .... so something must be working.
jimmer Posted June 2, 2015 Report Posted June 2, 2015 Unfortunately I believe there are some that would definitely abuse the opportunity if they were open pre-spawn and it would definitely have a negative impact on the populations in smaller lakes.
AKRISONER Posted June 2, 2015 Report Posted June 2, 2015 Lets be serious here, I think the large majority of the members of this community would be willing to pay 500+ dollars a year to buy a fishing license if it meant that enforcement was extremely strict and seasons were open with limitations regarding catch and release. But lets be honest, that would never happen although I wish it would.
OhioFisherman Posted June 2, 2015 Report Posted June 2, 2015 (edited) New York State doesn't seem to think they need protecting! I'd say they're right, as the Great Lakes are full of them! http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/31421.html Those seem like regulations? Edited June 2, 2015 by OhioFisherman
grimsbylander Posted June 2, 2015 Report Posted June 2, 2015 New York State doesn't seem to think they need protecting! I'd say they're right, as the Great Lakes are full of them! It is certainly strange that a shared body of water (Canada/US) that in some places is a few hundred yards wide has vastly different seasons. Different by almost 7 months. There are two rules of thumb on the Canadian side: 1) any bass fishing before the 3rd Saturday in June will ruin the population, and 2) if you want a better shot at placing in an Erie bass tourney, get your butt to the US side. That's irony.
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