My 2 Cents

In anticipation of the fishing season, I thought it might be fun to reminisce about past rules and regulations as many avid anglers don’t remember when North Dakota had a true opening day for the open water season.

North Dakota has had a year-round fishing season since 1993.

The Missouri River System has been open year-round since 1975.

That’s getting to be a number of years ago yet I’m often reminded of how North Dakotan’s do like tradition and some traditions are not easily forgotten.

Over the last couple of months during the legislative session the question of year-round fishing has been asked several times in various settings, simply out of curiosity.

With Minnesota still holding onto a spring fishing opener, it probably makes some sense as to why anglers are still reminded of our long-ago spring fishing opener.

While I’m not a proponent of going back from our current year-round fishing opportunities, I do have to admit, and I’m certain others feel similar, that we all love the excitement of an “opening day” experience.

A concentration of anglers camping at a small North Dakota lake in spring during the opener is one of those things you don’t often see nowadays.

Opening the state’s waters to year-round fishing essentially spread-out early fishing pressure over several weeks.

Gone, for the most part on many North Dakota waters, are the days of having to share prime shore-fishing real estate with a bunch of other anglers.

As background, seasonal closures (generally mid-March through early May) were common in most walleye fisheries throughout the U.S. through the 1970s.

Limited science and knowledge at the time resulted in the sentiment that fisheries managers must protect the spawners.

However, in the past 40 years, the biological knowledge has improved dramatically throughout the country and now most states have a 365-day season.

In the few cases where there is a spring closure, its driven by tradition, not biology.

The Department has evolved over the years through research and data collection to allow for more opportunities for anglers without impacting the resource.

While the occasional discussion still comes up about protecting spring spawners, the Department closely monitors fish populations and would consider appropriate regulations if they would result in actual improvements to a fishery.

But much of the time it comes down to a social issue, which the Department feels is best left up to an individual angler in making a catch or release decision.

The year-round angling experience is here to stay, but a look back is thought-provoking when remembering how things used to be.