Doug Leier: Science supports North Dakota’s year-round fishing season, biologists maintain

WEST FARGO – The fishing opener for North Dakota was technically April 1. No fooling. Anglers fishing in North Dakota wanted a brand new fishing license April 1, 2022, because the earlier license expired March 31. It’s been that means for nearly 30 years.

The harvest of massive fish in spring earlier than walleye or northern pike have spawned is a standard dialog amongst anglers. Some anglers wonder if we should always have a closed season or, alternatively, whether or not we should always have some kind of fish-length restriction that would scale back harvest of bigger fish.

First, slightly background.

In 1993, Recreation and Fish made the choice to have a year-round fishing season statewide. On the time, the Missouri River System was already open to walleye and pike harvest year-round, however the “recreation fish” season was closed in the remainder of the state from mid-March to early Might, a regulation that dated again at the least to the Thirties.

Earlier than implementing a year-round season, biologists evaluated the professionals and cons. On the time, the priority wasn’t a lot whether or not anglers would overharvest pre-spawn fish, however whether or not eliminating a conventional fishing opener would dampen angler enthusiasm. Additionally, opening the harvest season from mid-March to early Might would significantly enhance shore fishing alternatives all through the state for underutilized northern pike populations.

In almost three a long time since then, the year-round season has been principally effectively acquired. Anglers like the additional alternative, and biologically, any extra harvest of pre-spawn fish has not proven to be a detriment in any of our fishing waters.

However each spring, we hear considerations from anglers who witness or see images of individuals preserving some large, heavy, egg-bearing feminine pike or walleye caught from lakeshores, beneath dams or in constricted rivers or channels.

Whereas these fish are potential producers, everyone knows there are much more not being caught and every having the potential to offer tens of 1000’s of eggs. It’s mainly a numbers recreation for fish.

For essentially the most half, a stringer full of massive walleye or pike taken earlier than the spawning run could make the anglers appear to be recreation hogs within the eyes of some folks, however it doesn’t damage the fishery any greater than catching and preserving those self same fish over Memorial Day weekend.

That stated, experimental or restrictive rules are all the time an possibility if it seems there’s a want and the regulation might be pretty evaluated in a way that produces dependable outcomes, so we all know it was the precise factor to do for the fishery in the long run.

Fisheries biologists yearly assess grownup fish populations and replica on main waters, and Recreation and Fish displays fishing success by means of creel surveys, as effectively. These findings are important in figuring out if and when regulation adjustments are wanted.

It’s a great factor to have involved anglers and hunters who ask the Recreation and Fish Division, by means of digital communications or in any other case, for extra restrictions after they really feel our assets could also be threatened.

Whereas area limits hinder me from going deeper into the topic, there’s

extra particulars obtainable on the Recreation and Fish Division web site

at

gf.nd.gov/fishing/faq#p20

.

Whether or not you select to maintain large fish or launch them, it’s going to be a terrific yr for fishing in North Dakota.