Fishing Before Season Opens

[Hays]

My cousin claims you can fish for perch, bluegill, and sunfish in Ozark streams before the bass season opens as long as you release any bass you catch. I think he's wrong. Can anyone direct me to the fishing regulation that says so? Thanks.

[Seth]

Sure you can. If you weren't allowed to fish when bass season is closed, you wouldn't be able to fish A LOT of places. It's not illegal to catch bass, only keep them from the streams while season is closed.

[WHARFRAT]

actually, thats a pretty good question. Are you allowed in MO to target bass for catch and release while season is closed? I pretty sure in Minnesota you can not. But it's ok if you catch one while fishing for other species. You just can not specifically target them while season is closed.

[Feathers and Fins]

Both MDC and AGFC have on their websites the "special area" sections and the restrictions that go with them. Just go to the websites and look up where you are planning on going.

[Hays]

That's just it, I don't find a restriction that applies, but if their is no prohibition there is effectively a preseason catch and release season for bass in streams that are otherwise restricted. If that's so, you would think the MDC would explicitly say so. I've just submitted my question to the MDC through its website. I will post the answer when it comes.

[Old plug]

Perch bullgill and sunfish are not game fish to begin with.

[fishinwrench]

actually, thats a pretty good question. Are you allowed in MO to target bass for catch and release while season is closed? I pretty sure in Minnesota you can not. But it's ok if you catch one while fishing for other species. You just can not specifically target them while season is closed.

How in the world could they prove what species a person is targeting? Do they have a Thought Reader now?

[Jason R.]

I was definitely been stopped by the undercover MDC a few years ago on the Elk while obviously fishing for bass. I had no idea there was a bass season in Missouri at the time (being from AR). We were just fishing for fun and were not keeping anything and the guy just checked our licenses and told us not to keep any bass.

By the way those undercover MDC guys are hilarious. One guy had a fly fishing vest, one of those floppy hats with all the lures stuck on it and was fishing with a tiny ultralite rod- looked like one of those guys on medication ads who was dressed as a generic fisherman by the props department..

[Bird Watcher]

I was definitely been stopped by the undercover MDC a few years ago on the Elk while obviously fishing for bass. I had no idea there was a bass season in Missouri at the time (being from AR). We were just fishing for fun and were not keeping anything and the guy just checked our licenses and told us not to keep any bass.

By the way those undercover MDC guys are hilarious. One guy had a fly fishing vest, one of those floppy hats with all the lures stuck on it and was fishing with a tiny ultralite rod- looked like one of those guys on medication ads who was dressed as a generic fisherman by the props department..

I'm actually really encouraged to know they were putting that much effort in to patrolling it.

[Greasy B]

I was definitely been stopped by the undercover MDC a few years ago on the Elk while obviously fishing for bass. I had no idea there was a bass season in Missouri at the time (being from AR). We were just fishing for fun and were not keeping anything and the guy just checked our licenses and told us not to keep any bass.

By the way those undercover MDC guys are hilarious. One guy had a fly fishing vest, one of those floppy hats with all the lures stuck on it and was fishing with a tiny ultralite rod- looked like one of those guys on medication ads who was dressed as a generic fisherman by the props department..

That is hilarious because it's so true. Kind of like the Cold War Russian spies who all wore white socks with their black shoes and slacks.