5 hours ago, IndianaFinesse said:

I wouldn't worry about it.  Unless you are keeping them it doesn't really matter anyways.

Actually up here it does matter.  We have a very short growing season and it takes a long time for a bass to get up to trophy size, being in the 6lbs class through this chain of lakes.  Many bass are still on beds up here, and we're half way through the year.

6 hours ago, MassYak85 said:

This is the part I don't get, even if you are 100% trying to target other species, odds are you will still hook into some bass. Do people just not fish at all when the season hasn't started in an attempt not to accidentally hook one?

Yes, we still hook the occasional bass.  I've fished panfish, pike, and walleye so far this year and can count on 1 hand the number of bass that I've caught as incidentals.  When I catch one I tend to leave that area and focus my efforts elsewhere, especially if I'm fishing shallow as I have been.  So we fish, we just tend to leave the bass alone and concentrate on other species that are available.  It's a different type of game up here...

3 hours ago, Attila said:

Actually up here it does matter.  We have a very short growing season and it takes a long time for a bass to get up to trophy size, being in the 6lbs class through this chain of lakes.  Many bass are still on beds up here, and we're half way through the 

Yeah, you're probably right.  I didn't think about the fact that catching a bass causes them to lose weight and spend a lot of energy.

11 hours ago, MassYak85 said:

This is the part I don't get, even if you are 100% trying to target other species, odds are you will still hook into some bass. Do people just not fish at all when the season hasn't started in an attempt not to accidentally hook one?

i still fish for pike if the season hasn't started just release it as quick as possible as the rules state