My boat should be back in the water next week. As soon as the water temps rise enough, I plan on spending the time to see what the fishing will be like this year. I love to catch big fish but am all for C&R with exception of an occasional meal made up of 18" to 28" fish.

Question, how many of you fish the regular season with no stinger hooks or the same barbless rig you use for PSCR? Also, I thought the 3 rod rule was no more....good thing I read this thread?

I don't really see a conflict between the 3 rod/person rule and the 6 rod/boat max rule in pre-season, other then if there's only one person on the boat they would be limited to 3 rods. Oh, the 3 rod/person rule also includes hand lines/dummy lines. I doubt that NRP is going to be enforcing the law under the circumstances - they didn't enforce it last fall before there was any uproar.

Hmmm tough one. The regs "No more than 6 lines may be employed while trolling regardless of the number of anglers on board."

Does that mean if 1 is fishing he can deploy up to 6 rods since it is regardless of the number of anglers on board? or is the 3 rods per person in effect here too?

I still find it funny that when the suggestion of 3-5 rods per person was suggested to DNR for the preseason a few years back they said it would be too difficult to enforce as they didnt want officers to have to count anglers and number of rods. They said it would be easier to just count 6 rods. (we all know it was their goal to reduce participation and not violate the freedom to fish act though)

I also find it funny that when I made an official request to have the rod restrictions lifted for the preseason (leaving the regs that focused on reducing release mortality like no stingers, barbless, circle hooks with bait) that DNR stated that they were not it a position to "liberalize" the striped bass regulations.. I should have made that request this year.

Jwinds - I use my barbless / single hooked lures during regular season.

I figure I'm catching on them in PSCR - why change them out ?

IMHO - once water hits about 55* and fish have spawned - they are much more aggressive. Stingers are not really needed - just about anything over 28'' will engulf a lure.

When I use stingers - I use a much lighter one. Mustad 34007 in 7/0 or 8/0.
Some stingers are so thick / big they destroy a lot of the shad's action.

Watch a shad on a lure with no stinger vs one with stinger hook.

Funny story about this one from fall 2012.


http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q...k/SAM_0355.jpg


It hit a PSCR lure and once landed - guy said " The stinger hook is missing ". I explained it was never one and lure was barbless.

He shook his head - saying if he had known that - he would have lost the fish :D


http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q...k/SAM_0357.jpg

It's beginning to look like I won't have to worry about PSCR. I have to go shovel some "global warming" off the boat in a few minutes:eek:
5th

This weather really working on my last nerve now!The last of the snow just melted away yesterday and now more ........ Snow!!I have a lot of work to do the boat before I can even think about fishing.Might not get to fish till the season opens this year.


Dan
(1morecast)

Finished up my must do boat projects Saturday, put the cover back on for the storm yesterday, pushed the snow off the cover this morning.

Short sweet and simple, I'm going Saturday if the 60 degree weather forecast holds.

X2. Snow is plucking my last nerve.