What is a bass season?

I have seen numerous references to bass season opening here and there at
various times. What exactly is a bass season? Is the season the period
during the year you can actually fish for bass, or is it the period during
which you can keep them?

We don't have a bass season in Florida...sheesh, I hope not! It would be a
little late to find out now! We do have seasons on other fish, such as
snook, trout and redfish, but the season is the time you can keep them
within certain size ranges. You can fish for them all year, but you must
release them when the season is closed.

So, what's the deal with bass seasons in other parts of the country? Thanks
in advance for the clarification.

Keith

Luv2bafield wrote:
What exactly is a bass season? Is the season the period
during the year you can actually fish for bass, or is it the period during
which you can keep them?

Depends on the state. In NY, you can't target them in the closed season. If
a CO saw you catch a bass and then make another cast to the same area with
the same lure, he could ticket you for targeting bass during the closed
season.

On the other hand, in VT, you are specifically allowed to catch them but
must release them immediately.

RichZ©
www.richz.com/fishing

RichZ wrote in message ...

Depends on the state. In NY, you can't target them in the closed season.

It's brutal here in NY, with the season not opening until the third Saturday
in June. Catch-and-release fishing during all or part of the closed season
looks like a fair bet starting in 2007, but that's an eternity, especially
when you're an old fossil.

"luv2bafield" wrote in message
ink.net...
I have seen numerous references to bass season opening here and there at
various times. What exactly is a bass season? Is the season the period
during the year you can actually fish for bass, or is it the period during
which you can keep them?

We don't have a bass season in Florida...sheesh, I hope not! It would be
a
little late to find out now! We do have seasons on other fish, such as
snook, trout and redfish, but the season is the time you can keep them
within certain size ranges. You can fish for them all year, but you must
release them when the season is closed.

So, what's the deal with bass seasons in other parts of the country?
Thanks
in advance for the clarification.

Keith

Like RichZ says, different states have different rules.

Here in Northern Wisconsin, from the middle of March, until the first
Saturday in May, you cannot target bass, or any other gamefish for that
matter. Any that are caught while panfishing (the only legal game in a most
lakes and rivers), must be returned immediately. From 12:01 a.m. on the
first Saturday in May on, you can fish for bass, walleye and other game
fish. However, you cannot keep any bass until the middle of June, which
isn't a problem for me, 99.999% of the bass I catch are released anyway.

There is a big controversy, many think that the bass season should be kept
closed until after the spring spawn, to protect the fishery. Others think
that the bass season should be opened with the regular fishing season. The
Wisconsin DNR arrived at this compromise which is fine with me.

To further complicate matters, the southern portion of the state has
differing rules for gamefish. AND certain rivers are open year round for all
gamefish (with the exception of bass and muskies). The season still opens
on the first Saturday in May, but catch and keep for all fish opens then (if
I remember correctly, it's been a while since I fished the southern part of
the state).

Then too, different lakes and stretches of river have different size/bag
limits for different species of fish. Some days, you have to be a
Philadelphia Lawyer to figure out the rules....
--
Steve @ OutdoorFrontiers
http://www.outdoorfrontiers.com
G & S Guide Service and Custom Rods
http://www.herefishyfishy.com

"Steve @ OutdoorFrontiers" wrote in
message ...
BIG SNIP

Some days, you have to be a
Philadelphia Lawyer to figure out the rules....
--
Steve @ OutdoorFrontiers
http://www.outdoorfrontiers.com
G & S Guide Service and Custom Rods
http://www.herefishyfishy.com


I don't know about Philly lawyers, but that confuses the heck out of this
Florida lawyer. Sounds a little like our speckled trout rules. Actually,
now that I think about, we have bass rules that vary throughout the state,
but they are size limit rules, not season. Trout have different sizes and
seasons depending where you are.

Thanks for the info.

Keith

"luv2bafield" wrote in message
ink.net...
I have seen numerous references to bass season opening here and there at
various times. What exactly is a bass season? Is the season the period
during the year you can actually fish for bass, or is it the period during
which you can keep them?

We don't have a bass season in Florida...sheesh, I hope not! It would be
a
little late to find out now! We do have seasons on other fish, such as
snook, trout and redfish, but the season is the time you can keep them
within certain size ranges. You can fish for them all year, but you must
release them when the season is closed.

So, what's the deal with bass seasons in other parts of the country?
Thanks
in advance for the clarification.

Keith



In NH (aside from pond-by-pond regulations), from ice in to May 14 - two
bass. May 15 - June 15 immediate release. June 15 - ice in 2 fish. In the
past, they have also limited the use of live bait for part of the season,
but I don't see it in this yyears book.
http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Fish..._Digest_04.pdf

In Pennsylvania, you can fish for bass during the closed season, but any caught
must be immediatly released. Also during the closed season, you can not fish
for a bass on a nest, or something like that.
However, when trout are closed (the freshwater kind, not seatrout), you
can not fish in approved trout waters for anything until opening day of trout
season.

-Zimmy

G. wrote:
However, when trout are closed (the freshwater kind, not seatrout), you
can not fish in approved trout waters for anything until opening day of trout
season.

However, when trout are closed (the freshwater kind, not seatrout), you
can not fish in approved trout waters for anything until opening day of trout
season.

Ditto here. Any water stocked with trout is closed to all fishing during its
closed trout season.


RichZ©
www.richz.com/fishing

That's because troutr so easy to catch ;-)

Warren

"RichZ" wrote in message
...
G. wrote:
However, when trout are closed (the freshwater kind, not seatrout), you
can not fish in approved trout waters for anything until opening day of
trout
season.

However, when trout are closed (the freshwater kind, not seatrout), you
can not fish in approved trout waters for anything until opening day of
trout
season.

Ditto here. Any water stocked with trout is closed to all fishing during
its
closed trout season.


RichZ©
www.richz.com/fishing

That's because troutr so easy to catch ;-)

Hmmm...