A press release from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources:

Experimental fishing regulations for bass, northern pike, crappie, sunfish, yellow perch, and walleye will be the subject of 10 public meetings that the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
will be holding across the state in the coming weeks.

Experimental regulations are in effect for a specific period of time, typically 10 years. Before the regulations expire, fisheries managers must evaluate the results and gather input from public meetings to help determine whether to extend, modify or drop the existing experimental regulations.

“Fisheries managers welcome the opportunity to hear opinions from anglers,” said Al Stevens, DNR fisheries program consultant. “Public participation is critical in determining whether proposed and existing regulations are meeting angler expectations.”

The goal of experimental regulations is to produce a quality fish population that can sustain increasing angling pressure and improved angler efficiency. During the past 20 years, fisheries managers have monitored a variety of regulations across Minnesota.

“We have learned a great deal from our efforts to improve fish populations with length and bag limits,” Stevens said. “If experimental regulations are successful in one area, then they may be replicated on similar waters.”

The DNR waters evaluation list was posted at public access points this spring. Public notices for each meeting will be published in local newspapers. For more information about a specific meeting, contact your local DNR Fisheries office.

For those unable to attend a local meeting, there will be an open house at the DNR Headquarters, 500 Lafayette Road, St. Paul, from 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 23. Staff will be available to take comments on any proposal. Comments may also be submitted until Monday, Oct. 5, by e-mail to al.stevens@dnr.state.mn.us or by calling 651-259-5239.

Written or verbal comments will also be accepted at local fisheries offices up to 10 days following a local meeting.

Telephone numbers and addresses of local fisheries offices can be found on page 75 of the 2009 Fishing Regulations or online at http://mndnr.gov/contact/locator.html

The open houses are scheduled for:

- Beltrami County - Pimushe Lake (review existing regulation for
sunfish): 7 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 8, at Northwest Technical College, 905 Grant Ave. S.E., Bemidji

- Chisago County - Green Lake (review existing regulation for crappie): 4:30-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 21, at the Chisago City Hall

- Crow Wing County - East Rabbit and Big Rabbit lakes (review existing regulation for northern pike): 5-9 p.m. Friday, Sept. 11, at the DNR building, 1601 Minnesota Drive, Brainerd

- Hubbard County - Little Mantrap (review existing regulation for largemouth bass): 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 17, at Northwoods Community Bank, 1200 East 1st St., Park Rapids

- Itasca County - Lake Winnibigoshish (review existing regulation for walleye), Bass and Grave lakes (review existing regulations for
sunfish): Date and place to be announced

- Olmsted County - Bear Creek Reservoir (review an existing regulation for bass and sunfish and a new proposal for panfish and northern pike), Rochester-area ponds and reservoirs (new proposal for panfish, bass, and northern pike affecting nine water bodies): 6:30-9 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 15, in the community room at People’s Cooperative Services, 3935 Highway 14 East, Rochester

- Otter Tail County - Little McDonald Lake (review existing regulation for walleye) 7-9 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 9, at the Perham Area Community Center

- Wabasha and Winona counties - Mississippi River pools 5, 5a, and 8 (review existing regulation for sunfish) 6:30-9 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 20, at Winona Elks Lodge, 4540 Service Drive, Winona; 6:30-9 p.m. Wednesday, Oct 21, at the LaCresent American Legion Post 595, 509 N. Chestnut St, LaCresent; 6:30-9 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22, at Wabasha High School, 2113 Hiawatha Drive East, Wabasha