I am a Midwest angler and am just getting into bass fishing for sport.  If I am catch and release fishing only, do I have to wait until the season opens to get out and start fishing?

Yes. You cannot target off limits species until the season is open. Presumably you are in Wisconsin. You've got 1 more week til the opener

If you're in Wisconsin, you cannot fish for bass (even if you're releasing them) until the first Saturday of May (next weekend). Make sure you have a fishing license too!

I thought this was a joke!  I've never heard of regulating fishing seasons - had to Google it.  Still don't understand the dates.

 

1 hour ago, flyingmonkie said:

I thought this was a joke!  I've never heard of regulating fishing seasons - had to Google it.  Still don't understand the dates.

 

Wisconsin regulates the targeting and harvest of gamefish on both Lake Michigan and landlocked bodies of water, from ice out until the first Saturday in May. There are exceptions on the river systems. They also have seasons on certain species of trout as well as sturgeon. During this time frame, for most of Wisconsin, fishing is limited to panfish on landlocked water, walleye on certain river systems, and trout/salmon, excluding lake trout on Lake Michigan.   

3 hours ago, slonezp said:

Wisconsin regulates the targeting and harvest of gamefish on both Lake Michigan and landlocked bodies of water, from ice out until the first Saturday in May. There are exceptions on the river systems. They also have seasons on certain species of trout as well as sturgeon. During this time frame, for most of Wisconsin, fishing is limited to panfish on landlocked water, walleye on certain river systems, and trout/salmon, excluding lake trout on Lake Michigan.   

You can catch bluegill with a Ned rig, I've done it!

So is the point to just take pressure off spawning fish?

14 minutes ago, Daneanders said:

So is the point to just take pressure off spawning fish?

Or was the legislation payed for by anti-sportfishing nuts?...

6 hours ago, flyingmonkie said:

I thought this was a joke!  I've never heard of regulating fishing seasons - had to Google it.  Still don't understand the dates.

 

Maine had a season up until a few years ago. Actually, there still is an off-season I believe for trout and salmon but now bass can be targeted in open water, any time of year, catch and release.

There are a few states, like Wisconsin and Minnesota, that have closed fishing seasons after the ice fishing period.  For the most part, these closed seasons are still in place because of social demands (it is a tradition, we have always had a closed season; therefore we can have an "opener") rather than biological implications.   

 

ClearCreek

 

 

 

deffinatly wait until season. then any time your better half is not watching