Minn fishing opener info

[Lee Borgersen]

                  Minnesota fishing opener info

What: Minnesota’s general fishing opener When: Season opens at 12:01 a.m. Saturday The talk: Anglers are watching their favorite lakes, wondering if the ice will go out before the opener.

What: Minnesota’s general fishing opener

When: Season opens at 12:01 a.m. Saturday

The talk: Anglers are watching their favorite lakes, wondering if the ice will go out before the opener.

Licenses: $22 for adult annual license; $5 for resident and non-resident youth ages 16 and 17 annual license; $45 for adult non-resident annual license; $35, resident combination annual license (married couples).

Fishing closures: Some areas that are not normally closed on opening weekend or after will be closed this year. Among them are the Cut Foot Sioux flowage near Lake Winnibigoshish (closed upstream of Williams Narrows through May 17) and a large portion of Pipestone Bay on Basswood Lake near Ely, plus other areas along the Gunflint Trail north of Grand Marais. For a complete listing, go to mndnr.gov or check signs at local landings.

Bait issues: Spottail shiners may be in short supply this spring because of a late spring and a new ban on harvesting the minnows from May 22 through Oct. 31 on Lake Winnibigoshish near Deer River.

License sales: As of two weeks before the opener, license sales were down. A total of 83,512 had been sold, down from about 155,000 at the same time last year and down from the past seven years’ average of 176,000.

[The General]

                  Minnesota fishing opener info

What: Minnesota’s general fishing opener When: Season opens at 12:01 a.m. Saturday The talk: Anglers are watching their favorite lakes, wondering if the ice will go out before the opener.

What: Minnesota’s general fishing opener

When: Season opens at 12:01 a.m. Saturday

The talk: Anglers are watching their favorite lakes, wondering if the ice will go out before the opener.

Licenses: $22 for adult annual license; $5 for resident and non-resident youth ages 16 and 17 annual license; $45 for adult non-resident annual license; $35, resident combination annual license (married couples).

Fishing closures: Some areas that are not normally closed on opening weekend or after will be closed this year. Among them are the Cut Foot Sioux flowage near Lake Winnibigoshish (closed upstream of Williams Narrows through May 17) and a large portion of Pipestone Bay on Basswood Lake near Ely, plus other areas along the Gunflint Trail north of Grand Marais. For a complete listing, go to mndnr.gov or check signs at local landings.

Bait issues: Spottail shiners may be in short supply this spring because of a late spring and a new ban on harvesting the minnows from May 22 through Oct. 31 on Lake Winnibigoshish near Deer River.

License sales: As of two weeks before the opener, license sales were down. A total of 83,512 had been sold, down from about 155,000 at the same time last year and down from the past seven years’ average of 176,000.

But I thought raising lic fees wouldn't hurt?  I'm sure it's down because of global warming or something else though.