2006 Wisconsin Spring Hearings Quickly Approaching
esoxcpr
Posted 3/19/2006 6:30 AM (#183177)
Subject: 2006 Wisconsin Spring Hearings Quickly Approaching




Posts: 149


Just a quick note to all interested parties out there to get involved in the Wisconsin spring hearings process. Regardless of the countless people here and on other boards who continually complain about the fact that Wisconsin actually gives a voice (albiet a non binding one) to their paying customers in regards to proposed fish and game rule changes unlike anywhere else in the world, numerous hard working individuals are continuing to do their best to get musky regulations changed regardless of past efforts. The process is what it is and Monday, April 10, 2006 at 7:00 PM in every county of the state is your chance to be heard. ANYONE (even non residents) can vote on ALL proposed rule changes at ANY meeting. You must however be a resident of the county you attend to be able to vote for Conservation Congress representatives.

The following is a link to the WDNR website which answers all questions about the process, including meeting locations, a copy of the questionnaire that will be used, etc:

http://dnr.wi.gov/org/nrboard/congress/springhearings/

I urge EVERYONE to vote YES to the following questions at your counties spring hearings meeting on April 10:

Question 31: Do you favor increasing the minimum length limit for muskellunge in the Fox River between Lake Winnebago and the DePere dam, including Little Lake Butte des Morts, from 34" to 50", and changing the season opening date from the first Saturday in May to the Saturday closest to Memorial Day?

Question 32: Do you favor increasing the minimum length limit for muskellunge in the Lake Winnebago system (including the Upriver Lakes) from 34" to 50"?

Question 40: Do you favor increasing the minimum length limit to 50 inches for muskellunge on Pelican Lake, Oneida County?

Question 47: Do you favor removing the special regulations for northern pike and muskellunge on Long Lake, Waushara County, so they would revert to the statewide regulations (34" minimum, 1 fish daily bag limit for musky; 26" minimum, 2 fish daily bag limit for northern pike)?

NOTE: Long Lake has long been a DNR rearing lake for the Great Lakes spotted strain of musky which has been used in their Green Bay re-introduction effort and has been closed to all musky fishing and had a 32" northern pike size limit to protect the musky brood population. The Long Lake Association has successfully petitioned the DNR to discontinue using that lake as a brood stock lake for the Great Lakes spotted strain and the question intends to open the lake back up to musky fishing. Either way the question gets voted on (yea or nay) the lake will no longer be used as a brood stock lake.