Expanding trout season worth a look

[Lee Borgersen]

Monday, February 05, 2007

Expanding trout season worth a look

by: The Ely Echo


Sometimes an idea is floated that seems like somebody should have thought of it earlier. Extending the trout season to run continuously from ice fishing season to the normal opener in May sounds like a good one at first blush.

Legislators in St. Paul have been approached with the idea, brought up by local trout enthusiasts, and it may get some play when discussions on DNR issues are held.

The idea is this:

Currently the winter trout season on lakes outside the BWCAW runs from Jan. 13 to March 15. Then trout season grinds to a halt until the regular opener on May 12.

That no-trout land between March 15 and May 12 could provide a nice boost to the local economy if it were an open season.

First you have to remember that people who fish for trout are nuts to start with. They take their addiction so seriously that they'll travel from one end of the state to the other.

An example would be the ice fishing contest held on Burntside Lake last weekend. Called the "Burntside Bash," this one-day event brought in trout anglers from all over to try their luck for an array of prizes.

Some have come each year for the Bash and have enjoyed the fishing and the camaraderie out on the lake.

However, there is a continuing trend of newcomers showing up because the word "trout" was involved. One group of anglers read about the Bash Friday night

 and drove all night from southern Minnesota to participate.

Those are the kind of tourists that could be attracted with an extended season. Trout anglers will travel by car, snowmobile, snowshoe and whatever means of travel are necessary to put them on a good bite.

So what do they do now when the season ends for the winter on March 15? There's some speculation that they pull out their crappie poles and hang out at home looking for panfish instead.

But if the trout season were to continue, Ely could benefit with lakes like Snowbank and Burntside available for the trout-crazed.

There's even been some discussions on including stream trout as well, at least those put-and-take lakes like Miners and Tofte.

It's not uncommon for both Snowbank and Burntside to have good ice into April and even as far as May due to the deeper, colder water. Leave the same rules in place, just change the date on the calendar.

We're ready for the argument of trying to limit people from going out on the lakes when the ice begins to honeycomb and become more unpredictable.

You see, we subscribe to the belief that people should be able to make their own decisions in that area. And the way things are now, there are numerous seasons that run all year long including crappie and perch.

We'll wait to hear from the biologists on the impact to the resource, certainly that should play an important role in this issue. However, there are strict limits in place for trout, with a possession limit of just two for lakers and five for stream trout (not more than three over 16 inches).

But any ideas that bring people to Ely so they can spend money in our stores, restaurants and gas stations should at the very least be explored by the powers that be.

And for those trout anglers where Obsessive Compulsive Fishing is a way of life, this idea could be the best thing since the airplane jig.

[jigglestick]

as I was reading I almost lost track of the fact the article was about extending trout season. ::)
nice plug

[QuillGordon]

I agree with your thoughts, jiggle.. Snow has been a rare item in the NE for several years and tourism has been way down during the winter.. The extended season would help towns like Grand Marais, Ely, and others in the NE.. As long as it is ecologically safe and will not endanger the trout population, you have my vote..

[QuillGordon]

oops!! I meant Smallmouthguide not jiggle.. sorry