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2023 MN Season Thread


gimruis

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11 minutes ago, gimruis said:

Here it is.  Good luck to everyone this upcoming season.

Wake me when Ice-Out is declared?

 

Ice-skate GIFs - Get the best GIF on GIPHY

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Glad to see the MN gang is all here

 

I finally got a new spinning rod and reel combo (Daiwa Exceler on a fenwick eagle) for finesse techniques after my old rod broke in the boundary waters. I also have a Garmin Striker 4 now that I've been using for ice fishing, and if my budget allows I am going to mount it to my kayak come spring.

 

I have been getting out ice fishing lately but nothing is as fun as good ol' bass fishing

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  • 3 weeks later...

I guess I'll start off the pics with my first bass of '23

 

PXL_20230107_211058391.thumb.jpg.ee6b5e80385071e8658ca236ee0d7601.jpg

 

Itchin' for open water season already.  Picked up an 8wt fly rod to try for some bass / pike on the fly, and also a new 6'6 m/f baitcaster setup for jerk baits.

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For you MN guys.

 

There is a proposed bill that bans the use of lead jigs, sinkers, weights, etc that are lead-based and 2.5 inches in length or shorter, or 1 ounce in weight or lighter, which would take effect July 1, 2025.

 

I am not posting this for political purposes, just as informative and something to keep an eye on.  If it passes, you will need to upgrade all of your small lead components to be legal by that time frame.  "Lures" are exempt.

 

Please do not respond with what you "think" of this bill, as it is a season-long thread fishing thread.

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I just heard this morning on the radio the Bald Eagle numbers are declining here in Michigan and the majority of the birds have elevated lead levels. I can see a similar bill happening here. 

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40 minutes ago, 12poundbass said:

I just heard this morning on the radio the Bald Eagle numbers are declining here in Michigan and the majority of the birds have elevated lead levels. I can see a similar bill happening here. 

The lead tackle ban proposal here is primarily from loon population decline (which is the MN state bird).  They swim to the bottom and pick up grit, sometimes consuming discarded or lost pieces of lead fishing tackle.  Eagles ingest lead from lead-based ammo fragments after a hunter has shot a deer.  They pick away at the carcass or gut pile and sometimes ingest lead via that route.  Obviously an eagle does not swim to the bottom of the lake like a loon does lol.

 

The last time they attempted to implement this lead ban, it also had a provision about banning lead-based ammo on public lands.  There is no inclusion of that this time around.  Perhaps they are intending to introduce that in another separate bill later.  The argument against a full lead-based ammo ban is that the bald eagle population in North America has literally never been higher.  It used to be somewhat rare to see one.  Now I see them regularly.

 

I am not loaded up on hundreds of lead based weights or jigs, etc.  I have some, and upgrading to something else like tungsten wouldn't be a major problem.  But a lot of walleye anglers use small lead weights and jigs, and there are a lot of walleye anglers here.  They are in an uproar about it.  #pitchforks

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38 minutes ago, 12poundbass said:

I just heard this morning on the radio the Bald Eagle numbers are declining here in Michigan and the majority of the birds have elevated lead levels. I can see a similar bill happening here. 

I'm sure most raptors that feed on fish have elevated lead levels (and other toxins) everywhere, while not good, I haven't seen it causing a decline in numbers, but I'll take a look at the literature. The eagle numbers around here have been on the rise for decades.

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16 minutes ago, throttleplate said:

Well then if harming birds is the concern then they should be banning wind turbines and US Bank Stadium.

I appreciate your honest throttle, but for the sake of continuing this thread for the next 11 months, please let's not dip into that foray.  I simply posted the initial information so people were aware.  Not asking for opinions on the subject.  Appreciate it.

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We have hoards of eagles and loons, more about baitfish IMO. I wouldn’t mind an alternative sinker material, I always end up biting those things……

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9 hours ago, Deleted account said:

I'm sure most raptors that feed on fish have elevated lead levels (and other toxins) everywhere, while not good, I haven't seen it causing a decline in numbers, but I'll take a look at the literature. The eagle numbers around here have been on the rise for decades.


I was 9 when I saw my first bald Eagle and that was in northern Michigan. We don’t see them regularly around here but see one maybe every couple of months. There are areas around here where there are nesting pairs so people around there probably see them on a regular basis. Nonetheless, they have increased in the last 30 years. 

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38 minutes ago, 12poundbass said:


I was 9 when I saw my first bald Eagle and that was in northern Michigan. We don’t see them regularly around here but see one maybe every couple of months. There are areas around here where there are nesting pairs so people around there probably see them on a regular basis. Nonetheless, they have increased in the last 30 years. 

We saw several up on Lake Michigan when I got married, I’m assuming that’s pretty standard 

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59 minutes ago, 12poundbass said:


I was 9 when I saw my first bald Eagle and that was in northern Michigan. We don’t see them regularly around here but see one maybe every couple of months. There are areas around here where there are nesting pairs so people around there probably see them on a regular basis. Nonetheless, they have increased in the last 30 years. 

I regularly see eagles, hawks, and owls while cutting the grass, I'm only maybe 1/2 hour south of DC, and there are all sorts of critters running around, winged and not. You would think I'm out in the middle of nowhere.

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5 minutes ago, Deleted account said:

I regularly see eagles, hawks, and owls while cutting the grass, I'm only maybe 1/2 hour south of DC, and there are all sorts of critters running around, winged and not. You would think I'm out in the middle of nowhere.

Urban critters are now more common that wilderness critters, it’s all about available food 

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1 hour ago, TnRiver46 said:

Urban critters are now more common that wilderness critters, it’s all about available food 

I saw a sizable coyote trot through my back yard around 6pm last night. Since I moved last May, that is the first time I’ve seen one here. I have also seen deer and wild turkeys since living here, but the coyote was more of a treat for me being that they are far more elusive and smart.

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  • 1 month later...
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As @MN Fisher stated in another thread, 2023 angling licenses are now required as of March 1.

 

As for goals or techniques, my first goal every spring is to catch a monster crappie...like 15+ inches.  Hasn't happened yet, maybe this is the year.  I'll be doing the annual Lake Minnetonka Crappie Contest on May 6 again too.

 

As for bass fishing, I did quite well last spring with jerk baits and my intention is to continue to toss them longer into the season.  Last year they worked all the way until early July.  I've got a couple new ones I will be throwing.

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22 hours ago, gimruis said:

As @MN Fisher stated in another thread, 2023 angling licenses are now required as of March 1.

 

As for goals or techniques, my first goal every spring is to catch a monster crappie...like 15+ inches.  Hasn't happened yet, maybe this is the year.  I'll be doing the annual Lake Minnetonka Crappie Contest on May 6 again too.

 

As for bass fishing, I did quite well last spring with jerk baits and my intention is to continue to toss them longer into the season.  Last year they worked all the way until early July.  I've got a couple new ones I will be throwing.

Can’t wait to get in the open water for crappies.   It can’t come soon enough.  I don’t drink or smoke, etc, but this fishing addiction and withdrawals are horrible.  15+ crappies are awesome.  True trophy around here.  Have caught them up north, but haven’t done it down here……….yet!   Good luck on Tonka May 6.  

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2 hours ago, Fishin Dad said:

True trophy around here.

I have fished in that crappie contest 5 times in the past 7 years and some of the slabs people bring in are just astonishing.  In 2018, the guy standing in line in front of me had a 17 1/4 incher in his bag.  And it's not just one or two that big, there's like 20 people that bring in a 15+ incher every year.  I cannot figure it out.

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Just now, gimruis said:

And it's not just one or two that big, there's like 20 people that bring in a 15+ incher every year.  I cannot figure it out.

Have their boats been inspected for a rack?

Amazon.com: Torture The Rack Nthe Rack A Medieval Torture Instrument 19Th  Century Wood Engraving Poster Print by (24 x 36) : Home & Kitchen

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1 hour ago, gimruis said:

I have fished in that crappie contest 5 times in the past 7 years and some of the slabs people bring in are just astonishing.  In 2018, the guy standing in line in front of me had a 17 1/4 incher in his bag.  And it's not just one or two that big, there's like 20 people that bring in a 15+ incher every year.  I cannot figure it out.

That’s crazy!   I know it’s a big event and Tonka has big ones, but that is unreal.  They must have those spring spawners figured out.  

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  • 3 weeks later...
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Got a bunch of reels re-spooled with line and bought my 2023 angling license the other day…plus my spring turkey hunting license.

 

Ready for spring and some open water.

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