(image: MN DNR)
Saturday is the Minnesota fishing opener. Today in Part 3 of our 6-part series, KRWC Radio News is focusing on the family aspects of the fishing opener. Once again this year, the opener coincides with Mother’s Day weekend. The Minnesota DNR is holding “Take a Mom Fishing Weekend,” when Minnesota moms can fish without a license through the Mother’s Day weekend.
In conjunction with “Take a Mom Fishing Weekend,” the DNR encourages you to participate in this year’s “Minnesota Moms Fishing Challenge.”
“Any mom who catches a fish and posts it to our Facebook challenge page group that we have set up with our Student Angler Association of Minnesota they are one of our partners along with Sheels and Lunds — and everybody that posts a picture is entered into a drawing for over 100 prizes.”
The DNR’s Benji Kohn says the DNR is also encouraging first-timers to participate in a pre-challenge event dubbed “Fishing 101” hosted by Women Anglers of Minnesota. He says they will cover topics like gear, set-ups, and techniques to get you started… “Anybody that is not familiar with fishing can tune in to this virtual presentation and learn a little bit more about it and hopefully improve their success rate on Saturday and Sunday.”
Last year, more than 2,400 Minnesota moms joined the challenge, and the DNR hopes for even more this weekend.
Going hand in hand with Minnesota moms fishing, is taking a kid fishing. DNR Regional Fisheries Manager Brian Nerbonne has tips for keeping kids interested and helping them have a good experience…”If you’re going to take a kid fishing, I think it’s real important to having a good chance at having some success and getting a fish on that end of the line so they can see what that’s all about. So targeting a species like panfish, some bluegills or crappies is a really good way to go. That’s a way to get some action, and keep that interest high. Other fish like northern pike or walleye you might have a little longer point between bites, so that might be a little bit harder for those kids to stay focused on.”
For complete information on Saturday’s fishing opener along with rules and regulations, visit the Minnesota DNR website at; www.dnr.state.mn.us.
