1.1                          A bill for an act
  1.2             relating to game and fish; establishing noncontinuous 
  1.3             season for crappie; amending Minnesota Statutes 1996, 
  1.4             section 97C.395, subdivisions 1 and 2. 
  1.5   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.6      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 97C.395, 
  1.7   subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
  1.8      Subdivision 1.  [DATES FOR CERTAIN SPECIES.] (a) The open 
  1.9   seasons to take fish by angling are as follows: 
  1.10     (1) for walleye, sauger, northern pike, muskellunge, white 
  1.11  crappie, black crappie, largemouth bass, and smallmouth bass, 
  1.12  the Saturday two weeks prior to the Saturday of Memorial Day 
  1.13  weekend to the third Sunday in February; 
  1.14     (2) for lake trout, from January 1 to October 31; 
  1.15     (3) for brown trout, brook trout, rainbow trout, and 
  1.16  splake, between January 1 to October 31 as prescribed by the 
  1.17  commissioner by rule except as provided in section 97C.415, 
  1.18  subdivision 2; and 
  1.19     (4) for salmon, as prescribed by the commissioner by rule. 
  1.20     (b) The commissioner shall close the season in areas of the 
  1.21  state where fish are spawning and closing the season will 
  1.22  protect the resource. 
  1.23     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 97C.395, 
  1.24  subdivision 2, is amended to read: 
  1.25     Subd. 2.  [CONTINUOUS SEASON FOR CERTAIN SPECIES.] For 
  2.1   sunfish, white crappie, black crappie, yellow perch, catfish, 
  2.2   rock bass, white bass, lake whitefish, and rough fish, the open 
  2.3   season is continuous.