Wisconsin’s Proposed Trout Rule Changes

  • LenH
    Wisconsin
    Posts: 2385
    #1360684

    On February 18 there was a trout chat with Wisconsin DNR experts about the upcoming proposed rule changes. First off I asked the experts what the typical Wisconsin trout angler looks ? Do they have a fly rod in their hand? Do they have a spinner attached to their rod or are the vast majority of Wisconsin small stream anglers worm or live bait anglers?

    Matthew Mitro WDNR answered my question by quoting a 2011 mail survey, sent to a random sample of Wisconsin trout anglers, indicates that about 55% of resident trout anglers “often” or “always” fish with bait, about 44% “often” or “always” fish with spinners or lures, and about 27% “often” or “always” fly fish.

    I responded and asked if the typical Wisconsin trout angler is 55 percent a bait angler….why are they being excluded from the extended seasons proposed. The current trout season runs from the first Saturday in March through the last Sunday in April as a catch and release only and artificial only season. The live bait anglers are excluded currently from that season. The regular season opens the first Saturday in May to all anglers.

    The new proposals by the WDNR trout experts is to extend the seasons. Season would begin on January 01 as catch and release and artificial only anglers and this season would run through the last Sunday in April.

    The live bait anglers who are the vast majority of trout anglers in Wisconsin again are totally ignored. One of the other proposals is to extend the season through October 15th. And I bet you guessed what type of season it will be? It will be a catch and release only and artificial only season. The 55 percent or majority of trout anglers in the state will be excluded. If the WDNR experts have their way there will be 4.5 months of catch and release only with artificial lures and 5 months of the possibility of keeping trout.

    I asked the experts three different times why the majority were being ignored. The fish manager from LaCrosse “Jordan Weeks” told me to write a proposal to the Conservation Congress at the spring meeting if I was so concern. I felt like the 55 percent when my comment was ignored by Weeks.

    I was a Conservation Congress member for half a year. I had to resign due to medical reasons. In the short amount of time in the congress I met many like minded trout anglers. I ran in to one of the heads of the congress Larry Bonde and he told me that the bait and spinner anglers that liked keeping trout were not represented on any committees and he welcomed me to the congress. Larry told me he had heard for years from congress members that the bait angler and spinner angler was being ignored by the WDNR when it came to rules.

    He helped me get in on a trout committee through the WDNR. He appointed me as the Conservation Congress representative.

    Later two more names were added to the committee. These two conservation congress members were not appointed by Larry and he checked to see how they were appointed. Larry had them removed from the committee. Both anglers removed were catch and release advocates.

    Monday, April 14, 2014, 7:00 p.m.is the yearly Conservation Congress Meetings throughout the state. There are six proposed rule changes on the agenda. I am one of the 55 percent anglers that are tired of being ignored by the WDNR. Go to your meetings in your counties and vote “NO” on extending seasons that leave out 55 percent of the trout anglers in the state.

    The minority “27 percent” should not rule when it comes to trout fishing. Locals I urge you to go to those meetings and let your voices be heard.

    Mike Stephens
    WI.
    Posts: 1722
    #1391309

    It’s a shame that true conservation is even being addressed by people that have no clue. That’s why I gave up trout fishing in the 70’s. Morons

    LenH
    Wisconsin
    Posts: 2385
    #1391316

    Quote:


    It’s a shame that true conservation is even being addressed by people that have no clue. That’s why I gave up trout fishing in the 70’s. Morons


    sorry to hear you gave it up. I am always looking for a fishing partner. I have three rods in my vehicle at all times at least.

    icenutz
    Aniwa, WI
    Posts: 2540
    #1391320

    Quote:


    Quote:


    It’s a shame that true conservation is even being addressed by people that have no clue. That’s why I gave up trout fishing in the 70’s. Morons


    sorry to hear you gave it up. I am always looking for a fishing partner. I have three rods in my vehicle at all times at least.


    Len,

    Do you strictly fly fish? Personally I have never tried fly fishing because of where I did all of my fishing you would have a had time fly fishing. Mostly thick tag elders and some open areas. I grew up using a small spinner with a small long shank hook with an earth worm. I caught mainly Brook Trout with a few Brown thrown in.

    Now that I moved to Western Wisconsin, I would like to try trout fishing again. Any recommendations on streams to try?

    LenH
    Wisconsin
    Posts: 2385
    #1391322

    i fish with spinners and stick baits 98 percent of the time.

    mower
    Wisconsin, Outagamie
    Posts: 515
    #1391331

    I also quit Trout fishing. When you started needing a lawyer to understand the rules. If they would simplify them again, I’d be glad to buy a stamp again.

    drew-evans
    rochester MN
    Posts: 1099
    #1391352

    Quote:


    I also quit Trout fishing. When you started needing a lawyer to understand the rules. If they would simplify them again, I’d be glad to buy a stamp again.


    thats why i quit! and that trout unlimited ran around MN marking every unmarked trout stream there was (non pressured waters fished only by locals)
    put strict rules on them mostly catch and release to protect the trout well let me tell you i had three unmarked streams i fished they all three are now catch and release but the funny thing is theres no trout to catch there anymore there all dead or poached………. thanks for nothing trout unlimited……

    sidescan
    Posts: 73
    #1391446

    To build a good trout fishery takes alot of work and management. The good trout streams and lakes have: No bait, artificals only, single barbless,strict slot limits.Maybe Wisconsin’s trout fishing is so good you do not have to worry about what the real problems are.Catch and release and live bait just does not work, kills to many fish. Time to think about the future not only the frying pan. If it were not organizations like Trout Unlimited trout angling would be in dire staits everywhere, too many hook and cookers.30+ years I have worked here in Canada as a fishing guide for trout in Alberta, British Columbia Steelhead, for bonefish+tarpon in the Carribean,One thing I learned catch and release works, artificals work,bait kills.Just my opionion.Fish safe.

    timmy
    Posts: 1960
    #1366246

    I honestly do not see it as “ignoring” the majority.

    Expanding a portion of the fishery (in this case the C&R/artificial season). It is not ignoring the bait crowd. The bait crowd can still partake, they just have to follow certain regulations, just the same as following regs when the kill season opens, ie: bag limits, length restrictions, season dates, etc.

    Please excuse me if I am wrong, but I thought the purpose of C&R/artificial regs was to allow the greatest amount of use out of the resource while sustaining it at the same time. It is well proven that C&R/artificial rules allow for fish to be caught multiple times with far less mortality than that which occurs as a result of bait fishing.

    Anybody with a license and trout stamp has the EXACT SAME chance to use the resource – if they choose not to, that is their choice. They are not losing chances, they are actually gaining them. If they choose not to partake, that is their call, and theirs alone.

    I see it as no different than the extensive opportunities to hunt the archery deer season versus the relatively short amount of time the gun hunters get. I am a gun hunter, but I don’t feel slighted that the majority (gun hunters) are only allowed 16 days to hunt, while the bow hunters(minority) have about 100 days. I am allowed to hunt if I follow the rules, I just choose not to. It does not mean that the DNR is ignoring me.

    Sincerely – T

    LenH
    Wisconsin
    Posts: 2385
    #1391529

    and…
    what if the 27 percent was told they had to use what the 73 percent told them to use.

    Shoe on other foot and I bet it is painful.

    timmy
    Posts: 1960
    #1391532

    Quote:


    and…
    what if the 27 percent was told they had to use what the 73 percent told them to use.

    Shoe on other foot and I bet it is painful.


    Probably the same as when Archery hunters in WI (the majority) are told they HAVE to wear blaze orange in the field when youth or T-zone hunters (the minority) are hunting.

    But…….it is comparing apples to oranges, IMO. The artificial rules are in place because of the lower mortality associated versus bait fishers. Artificials/C&R is a conservation issue. An open season with restrictions is NOTHING new. Nobody is losing opportunityies (please correct me if I am wrong), but EVERYBODY is gaining them. Whether or not they choose to utilize the opportunity is entirely up to them.

    BBKK
    IA
    Posts: 4033
    #1391535

    Quote:


    Nobody is losing opportunityies (please correct me if I am wrong), but EVERYBODY is gaining them. Whether or not they choose to utilize the opportunity is entirely up to them.


    Right on. But there are a lot of elitist trout fishermen in all states, and they don’t like being told what to do unless it coincides with what they believe to be the way trout fishing should be… and they will fight to the death to make their way the only way everyone can fish.

    You can never please everyone, and sometimes you can’t please the masses.. but you have to put your foot down and do what is best for the fishery.. whether the fishermen like it or not.

    timmy
    Posts: 1960
    #1391536

    Quote:


    But there are a lot of elitist trout fishermen in all states, and they don’t like being told what to do unless it coincides with what they believe to be the way trout fishing should be


    This is the issue. And I agree 100%

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