Here in NW Wisconsin it's 26 degrees this morning and the lakes still have ice. With the warm weather we've had, it appears they will be opening soon. The problem we have is the fishing season, for game fish, doesn't open until May 1. :'( We can fish crappie and panfish, but legally we can't fish with baits considered to be "game fish baits". :'(

Do any of you have a similar problem in your state?

Our bass season is from: 4th Saturday in June to December 15th.

We can fish perch, crappie, sunfish and pike all year in my FMZ.

No , thank God.

Why did your states feel like you all needed a "fishing season."?

wow , that sucks, i fish any time , went this morning 64water temp, sunny skies, mild wind. nothing but a few dinks  on  worms though..yesteday afternoon the same but found a few 2 pounders on a floating jerk , and crankbait on deeper grass , started out fishing beds ,but nothing on them that i could see, i dropped back deeper and found some roamers..

wow , that sucks, i fish any time , went this morning 64water temp, sunny skies, mild wind. nothing but a few dinks on worms though..yesteday afternoon the same but found a few 2 pounders on a floating jerk , and crankbait on deeper grass , started out fishing beds ,but nothing on them that i could see, i dropped back deeper and found some roamers..

  Thanks for making us feel better  ;D! I live in SE Wisconsin and I am in the same fix!   

Here in VT we can target bass catch and release only starting the 2nd Saturday in April.  The ice is off Champlain in most places and will be off the inland lakes soon.  We can't start having tournaments until the 2nd Saturday in June.  We have some paper tournaments during the early season, but it is not as much fun.

No season here. I just got back from fishing, and it's 77 degrees today. 8-) 

yeah this sux. its supposed to reach 74 today, AND its overcast, AND a front is rolling through tonight....but......i got called into work during prime conditions, so.....yeah :-[

yeah...i left work that day and caught 9 keepers one 5 pounder. And no one noticed me missing. i rule. ;D

Glad i live in the Eff Ell! Went out today for a few hours. Water temp was 58 degrees and 75 outside. Heavy winds but managed 4 dinks a 2lber and a 5lb 6oz fatty.

No season here. I just got back from fishing, and it's 77 degrees today. 8-)

Yup, sure is.

Nope. Missouri is year round too.

Glad i live in the Eff Ell! Went out today for a few hours. Water temp was 58 degrees and 75 outside. Heavy winds but managed 4 dinks a 2lber and a 5lb 6oz fatty.

Gotta love living down here.  I went out for an hour and landed three little stinkers, and lost one large fish (all fish you lose are large though).  Thank god for some nice weather this evening.

No , thank God.

Why did your states feel like you all needed a "fishing season."?

The MNR wants to ensure that the bass are off the beds before any anglers can target them.

Fishing season... ;D

Fishing season is year 'round in Washington state. However, many smaller lakes are closed Nov-Apr.

Just went out today and got a 3-10, 4-14, and 5-10. 8-)

Year round in Cali too. 8-)

In PA some lakes stocked with trout are closed all together during the time stocking starts and the forsdt day of trout season begins. Once that season opens you can fish for bass C-N-R only. Some wardens are that fussy, you can't take pictures or anything. I've heard rumours that fish wardens want people not remove the fish from the water when unhooking it.

In NY you can't even target bass before the seaon opens...same in Ontario.

Yes the reason is to protect the bass during the spawning season.

Aside from some Mississippi/Lake Michigan and a few other seasonal restrictions, this is a general map of Wisconsin's bass fishing zone.  Notice the northern zone barbless hook rule, I'm not sure if there is a huge benefit to the fish or not. :-/

In PA some lakes stocked with trout are closed all together during the time stocking starts and the forsdt day of trout season begins. Once that season opens you can fish for bass C-N-R only. Some wardens are that fussy, you can't take pictures or anything. I've heard rumours that fish wardens want people not remove the fish from the water when unhooking it.

In NY you can't even target bass before the seaon opens...same in Ontario.

Yes the reason is to protect the bass during the spawning season.

Incorrect....NY now allows C&R only bass fishing from Dec.1 - 3rd Sat in June (start of the regular season). There may be a few waters with special regs, but this is now policy state wide.

Fishing season is year 'round in Washington state. However, many smaller lakes are closed Nov-Apr.

Just went out today and got a 3-10, 4-14, and 5-10. 8-)

STOP! your killing me!

In PA some lakes stocked with trout are closed all together during the time stocking starts and the forsdt day of trout season begins. Once that season opens you can fish for bass C-N-R only. Some wardens are that fussy, you can't take pictures or anything. I've heard rumours that fish wardens want people not remove the fish from the water when unhooking it.

In NY you can't even target bass before the seaon opens...same in Ontario.

Yes the reason is to protect the bass during the spawning season.

Incorrect....NY now allows C&R only bass fishing from Dec.1 - 3rd Sat in June (start of the regular season). There may be a few waters with special regs, but this is now policy state wide.

Interesting.

I'm a former NYer, and we had the 3rd Sat in June season. I lived on a good bass lake and remember watching our local CO (Conservation Officer) hiding with binocs all day to bust a guy who was "raping" the pre-spawn. He'd fill a small cooler, then come in and stash the fish in his shed. Then go back out. In the north the pre-spawn is short and intense and consolidates fish. Find em and you can make a serious killing. Then, when actual spawn came on, everybody could kill 'em.

Another issue was nest success of smallmouth in the Thousand Islands and Finger Lakes, where disturbing bedding males fishing was found to be significantly detrimental.

The closed season regulation was enacted prior to widespread C&R we now take for granted, and in some cases, has run amok since lol.

On the other side of the fence is the fact that a small number of successful nests have been shown to be able to produce a strong year class, as strong year classes are controlled by larger scale ecological factors that, when in place, allow young bass to survive and prosper. Esp in fisheries in which bass are kept, good fishing down the line tends to start with strong year classes. BUT... I argue something else, I've not heard discussed: That having MORE successful nests (than just a few) does two potential things for a fishery: Adds genetic diversity, and all those YOY bass are food for larger bass. In many ponds I've seen over the years, YOY bass are prime fodder for larger bass and a strong hatch year creates a flush of easy prey that can alter the fishing. I've seen this a number of times over the years, the most recent was last year. In a few ponds switching to UL or finesse tactics more than doubled our catch rates of mature bass.

I applaud the NY DEC for adjusting and allowing year round C&R for bass. That's what I did back then anyway, but mostly left bedded bass be, which I still practice to this day -an old habit I'll keep. Call me old fashioned.

Year round here in So CAL BUT most of the lakes are only open 3 days a week - Wed., Sat., and Sun (and most Monday holidays) to keep the pressure down. Some of the lakes are also "catch and release" only with barbless hooks and NO live bait either. I certainly can understand why some states have seasons if it enhances the fish populations.

Year round fishing here.It was 80 degrees today. The lakes are full and starting to heat up. Putting the boat in the water in 2 weeks. Taking my 10 year old granddaughter shoreline fishing next Saturday.

Fishing season is year 'round in Washington state. However, many smaller lakes are closed Nov-Apr.

Just went out today and got a 3-10, 4-14, and 5-10. 8-)

STOP! your killing me!

Went out again today on the same lake and Keri nailed a 6-13! 

We don't have a "fishing season".

It was 70 degrees here Saturday, and we're supposed to get a rain/snow mix here tomorrow. Got to love TN weather.