It's time to bait your hooks and cast your lines, recreational fishing is now open in the Parkland for the season.

Thanks to warmer weather taking its time coming to Manitoba, anglers are reminded to watch out for late-spawning female fish.

"The water temperatures are still much colder than they have been in the past few years and so we're actually seeing a later spawn. So we certainly want to encourage people to be mindful of what they're catching as they go out for the opener. You're gonna see fish that may not have spawned yet, so those larger females we certainly want to encourage people to protect, to release them so they can spawn", said Max LeGal, the Regional Fisheries Manager for the Western Region.

Keeping your water gear clean and decontaminated is also crucial, especially after the detection of zebra mussels in Lake Manitoba last year. Fishing licenses are a must as well. You can purchase them in person at select issuers, go to manitobaelicensing.ca, or call 1-877-887-1203. You can also find the Manitoba Angler's Guide here.