15" Min for Saugers on the WI side of the Mississippi

http://www.in-depthoutdoors.com/community/forums/topic/mississippi-river-advisory-committee-of-the-wisconsin-conservation-congress/

Would this law be enforced by the dam down in redwing?
And if so I don’t think it’s a good idea because than people will just sit over the deep holes and crush fish until they get there 6 15 inchers. I think this would kill more Saugers than save. I may be totally wrong on this point but what do u guys think?

I agree with your thoughts Matt. This will not help produce bigger sauger. People will also be taking all the bigger spawners in the spring that are over 15 inches.

If you fish the river and are for or against, you might want to voice your concerns to:
Marc Schultz at 608-792-1445
or
Wes Domine at 608.687.3230

Sorry, I don’t have an email ad handy.

The county congress meets tomorrow evening at 7pm.
Follow the link above if you would like to attend.

Great post. Thank you. For the record, I am for the increased size limit, but not for killing fish in the scour hole. I’ll tell them this.

mattgroff wrote:

Would this law be enforced by the dam down in redwing?

I was there for the initial reading. I believe it was for all of pool 4.

Thanks bk.
Ya I’m not so sure this is a good idea I see a lot of dead fish if this happens. We are going to have some fat eagles if this goes down. I would rather keep smaller Saugers for eating. my kids and wife like the smaller fish to eat. And is there really that much difference to a fillet between a 14 to 15in fish anyways. Maybe try something like keeping 5 under 17 and 1 over. Idk. What’s everybody else’s thoughts? I fish red wing all winter and I enjoy to just catch fish and like to keep a limit of smaller fish to eat. Wouldn’t it make more sence to not kill/keep the bigger ones for spawning reasons?

I would be in favor of the sauger 15 inch limit. A fillet from anything less only makes fish gravy. I also would be in favor of prohibiting fishing the dam scour hole and to protect the spawning walleye and sauger a closed season during spawn for a determine length below the Redwing Dam.

I remember last winter when James and Will did that early ice show out in western SoDak and the rule was you had to keep the first 5 fish you caught because of the mortality rates of pulling them out of the deep water. Perhaps that should be considered? Totally agree with you that this would just kill more fish and create terodactyl like eagles.

Brian Klawitter wrote:

If you fish the river and are for or against, you might want to voice your concerns to:
Marc Schultz at 608-792-1445
or
Wes Domine at 608.687.3230

Sorry, I don’t have an email ad handy.

The county congress meets tomorrow evening at 7pm.
Follow the link above if you would like to attend.

Soooo, what was the outcome?

“Hi Brain

Thanks for the interest. The Sauger resolution also failed. Again there was much interest and discussion. But the thought that I believe captured the committee members was a biologist’s input stating that a large percentage of sauger can never reach 15” in length, especially the males. The resolution may have advanced if the length size was given as say, 13” However, there were other comments relating to size limits in general, due that badly hooked fish, those destined to die, must be wasted/discarded over angler’s fear of being caught with too small a fish. A member of that court commented that he keeps the fatally hooked fish regardless of size, and counts them against his limit. And perhaps it would be better for the sauger population if we could find a way to promote that sort of rational? So in the end the resolution did not advance.

The official minutes have not been finalized and posted yet by the Secretary, and the resolution’s author not yet notified. Above comments are my best recollection and opinion.

Wes”

Thanks BK!