Just Dumb

Today is March first, so in the state of Rhode Island any water that is stocked with trout is off limits until Opening Day, April 13. The state closes the trout lakes so people will get excited about Opening Day. It is a "time honored tradition" for many anglers to be out at 6 am the second Saturday in April. The "logic" is two fold. Opening Day gives a spring boost to tackle shops. I don't know if the bait shops benefit from the holiday of Opening  Day, or if having a year long season would make them more money. The state believes Opening Day gives them the boost.The shops make some money selling gear and licenses, and bait. Also, the ponds can be stocked without the disturbance of anglers getting in the way.

Boo. That's what I say. I think the negatives of Opening day outweigh the good.  Massachusetts does not have a closed season. All lakes are open to fishing all year. In Rhode Island fishing is still allowed in lakes not stocked with trout. But the lakes stocked with trout are completely off limits.

You could say " Stop your whining and fish the other ponds." This would be a fair point, but many of the trout ponds are some of the best lakes in the state for other species. Lake Tiogue in Coventry is an excellent carp lake. The average size fish is about 18 pounds. It also happens to be the best catfish lake in the state...Closed.

Olney Pond in Lincoln Woods is most likely the busiest lake in Rhode Island on nice weekend days. There are hundreds of picnic tables, a ball field, boat ramp, walking trails, and more. It is also a very good carp lake. Bass fishing is good enough that tournaments are held on it every year Yet it can not be fished until April 13...Closed

There are other popular fishing and recreational destinations closed to fishing because of this bogus Opening day. The Blackstone River and Wallum Lake are a couple more...Closed

I'm sure my friends in New Hampshire would point out that they have an Opening Day. This brings me to my next point. NH is cool enough where trout fishing is good spring through fall. Rhode Island trout season is over by the first week of June. Most places will not carry over trout. They WILL die before the summer is over. By starting the season so late, trout fishermen are missing out on six weeks of fishing while the water is comfortable for the fish. There are some nice trout in Olney Pond from the fall stocking that are off limits until April 13. Its a shame no one can catch these fish for a while.

So of course I have some suggestions on how to fix this. First off I know Rhode Island will never drop Opening Day. They do believe in its tradition and that it gives a boost to bait shops. So my ideas work within that one rule.

1. Move Opening Day to the last weekend of March. This will give fishermen up to two more weeks of fishing during the short spring trout season.

2. Make the trout lakes catch and release during the "closed fishing season"  No trout can be kept March 1 until Opening Day.

3. If they won't do that state wide how about a few water bodies in the state be catch and release for trout from March 1 until Opening Day. This could be expanded further to Nov 1 until Opening Day. If fishermen had some well stocked catch and release ponds to fish all winter and spring where they could catch good numbers of trout (and know it won't get fished out), this would definitely boost local economies all winter long. With or without ice a few catch and release stocked lakes with some breeders would draw fishermen in all but the worst weather.

4. Have catch and release fishing from March 1 until one week before Opening Day then close the season for a week. This would give stockers time to stock without interference. Trout that were still there from the fall stocking would still be there. Lastly, there still would be a waiting period to build anticipation.

 Rhode Island would never do any of this. They have "general laws" for the whole state. NH and Maine have different laws for different water bodies. This way the water body is managed the best way possible. Rhode Island government does not feel their citizens are smart enough to understand different rules for different lakes so they keep them the same state wide. All the while, half the lakes in the state are off limits until April f-ing  13th!