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Posts: 2894
Location: Yahara River Chain | Got a email from our Cap City President. The early season muskie fishing law has been repealed. See document.
Edited by muskie! nut 1/2/2009 10:44 AM
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 earlyseasonrepeal1.JPG (46KB - 141 downloads)
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Posts: 999
| Awesome!! |
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Location: Hayward, WI | Good to hear! |
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Location: Oshkosh | Thats GREAT NEWS!!
Peter
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Location: Richland Center, WI. | That is great news. Now I have a question that I am embarrassed to ask because I should know the answer. Did the musky season in Wisconsin get extended this year to December 31st? I don't think it did but am asking because I was going ice fishing the other day and stopped in for some bait at a bait shop and the owner asked if I was going musky fishing. I told him no, the season closed November 30th. He went on to tell me that the season was extended but it was not published. Any thoughts on this one?
Ken |
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Posts: 999
| I believe the Southern Zone will be extended till Dec 30th this year (2009) |
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Location: Yahara River Chain | Yes, I think it is for this year 2009 and south of HWY 10 and it might be to Dec 31st. Should know for sure once the regs come out in March/April. |
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Posts: 413
Location: Madison WI | It is being proposed for 2009, I guess they want us to catch em through the ice! |
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| most years there isn't ice on the southern lakes until the middle or end of December.
the extended southern season was proposed by Capitol City Muskies Inc members to increase open-water fishing opportunities at a time that doesn't impact fish when they are attempting to spawn. (unlike the early spring law in the north that was rightfully reversed.)
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Location: Yahara River Chain | He means Capital City Muskies Inc.. Lamboo don't you remember when the teacher asked you to name the state capitals??? Capitol is the building while state capital is the city. |
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Location: Cave Run KY. | We don't have seasons on fishing in Ky. If something is out of season does that mean that you can't even fish for them or do you just have to release it when caught? |
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Location: madison wisconsin | It means that you can't fish for them at all. |
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Location: Yahara River Chain | Like Jamie said you can't fish for them at all. Meaning that you can not target them. If you are throwing muskie baits during the muskie close season, you can't say you are fishing walleyes. The laws are up to the wardens to decide if you are blatantly ignoring them. Hope this answers your question. |
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Location: Madison WI | muskie! nut - 1/3/2009 9:57 AM
Like Jamie said you can't fish for them at all. Meaning that you can not target them. If you are throwing muskie baits during the muskie close season, you can't say you are fishing walleyes. The laws are up to the wardens to decide if you are blatantly ignoring them. Hope this answers your question.
If thats the case then I better stop using muskie baits for walleyes, that sucks cause that is what the big ones like is a nice 6-10 inch lure. |
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Location: Cave Run KY. | Do you not use the same baits for pike, or are they on the same season? |
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Location: Sun Prairie, WI | muskypup - 1/4/2009 12:26 AM Do you not use the same baits for pike, or are they on the same season? Sometimes, yes, the same baits are used for Pike. Seasons can vary for Pike and Musky depending on the waters. Example...Wisconsin River area where I like to fish, Pike is year round and Musky season closes the end of November. If you're throwing a Musky/Pike bait and are stopped by a warden, you're taking a chance on a fine, especially if you're throwing it with a big Musky rod. Best to bring the lighter rods and downsized lures when Musky season is closed if you want to fish for Pike. |
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| Good luck with the extended season, hope the meat hawg ice fishermen don't do a number on your muskies like they did for years in MN!  Dan Crooms |
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Posts: 2894
Location: Yahara River Chain | I was under impression that the rule was repealed, but I guess it was just proposed. The hearing on it is the 19th. I plan on going. Here's the email I got on the issue. See below. - Gerard
You heard it here first. The public notice has not been issued yet but Senator Holperin's staff has indicated that the musky bill is being scheduled for hearing. It is the third bill listed below: SB 48 is the Senate version of the bill that Rep. Hraychuck issued in the Assembly (AB 4).....Senate Bill 48 is not yet released but I am told that it is identical. I will send you a copy as soon as it is public.
Take care, George Meyer
The Transportation, Tourism, Forestry and Natural Resources Committee (Chaired by Senator Holperin) is scheduling a hearing on following items at the time listed below:
Thursday, February 19th
10:00 AM
330 South West
Senate Bill 38
Relating to: issuing annual vehicle admission receipts for motor buses for entry to state parks and other vehicle admission areas under jurisdiction of the Department of Natural Resources
Senate Bill 47
Relating to: designating portions of the Totogatic River as a wild river.
Senate Bill 48
Relating to: catch and release bass and muskellunge fishing.
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Location: FORT ATKINSON | I would like to see the season extended in southern WI but I don't think that they should open the northern season up any earlier. |
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| if they want to bring more business to N WI early season, they should open it as early as possible......i know a few guys that be more than happy to spend a litte extra to make the trip there to get an early start on the season!!! |
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Posts: 929
Location: Rhinelander. | Just not sure how I feel about it. I still am not convinced that the early season was harmfull to the overall population. I am sure a few were caught and kept but was it such a bad problem that it got into such a heated debate. Pros and cons about it. Just have to put a dent in the walleye population in may instead.
Pfeiff |
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Posts: 2894
Location: Yahara River Chain | Well I will give you a reason why. Shortly after Memorial Day last yr, I get this call from a fellow Cap City member. On that day he get gets a personal best of 50 inch on a northern WI lake. Of course, he wants a picture (who wouldn't fishing 20 plus years and get his 1st 50). And due to the late spring, many of these muskies have not spawned yet, so when he picks up the fish she starts dropping eggs all over the boat. Now if it was on Lake Monona it would not be such a big deal as the spawned eggs would more than likely never hatch. But on the waters in N WI they often do. Now you think it would be a good idea to have folks do this legally through out the spawn?? I would think not. That and the stress of the capture just might not be good as well.
You (not Don per se, but the entire muskie community) can't have it both ways. The WDNR gets lambasted because they are breeding "dinks". I would much rather see the fish do their own "selective breeding" rather than the WDNR. But having anglers interrupt their spawn would not help this one bit. |
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Location: Yahara River Chain | One more thing. They vote last April and they sportsman of this state did not want a early season bass/muskie season. Something else to keep in mind. |
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Posts: 999
| Kinda makes sense as they "protect" every other species during the spawn. Why would musky's be any different? That was the main reason why the went with the Memorial day opener in the first place.
If they want to make a few extra bucks then extend the season to DEC 31st and make it open water ONLY. If your lake is frozen go find another. If the lakes stay open in the southern part until the end well that's where you'll have to fish. If your caught on frozen water with a dead musky then you are in violation!!
Anybody like my idea?
Mr Musky
Edited by Mr Musky 2/15/2009 5:10 PM
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Location: Lake Tomahawk, WI | I was torn over this whole early season thing for awhile. The thing is, our best trophy walleye/bass tactics are probably the best muskie tactics during that time period as well. 7" Rapalas, jig/6" redtail, etc. are our go-to May walleye/bass presentations, and the muskies don't seem to shy away from them. Problem is, if I'm toting my big Frabill net along, warden is going to cite me for muskie fishing. So I don't bring my muskie net, making safe handling of the incidental muskie catch a little more difficult. Luckily the water is cool in May and releases are easier, but it would be really nice to be able to carry the proper gear.
The whole 'people are going to snag' argument didn't make much sense. It's illegal regardless of during an open or closed season, and someone with the mentality of a snagger is ignoring the regulations anyway. I just don't think that if the season opened earlier, snaggers would flock to the Northwoods.
If the powers that be determine that a Memorial Day opener is the way to go, then so be it. I just didn't think it as big a deal as was made out. On a side note, looks like the barbless lure/no live bait rule for bass fishing will be pulled as well. Now that was a terrible law. Most of our walleye spots give up smallmouth too, don't know how that law could ever be enforced. Our bass fishing in N.WI has become nothing short of world class without that regulation.
Spring is right around the corner, keep optimistic and enjoy the rest of the winter!
JS |
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Posts: 2894
Location: Yahara River Chain | I have never stated that the reason I was oppose the early season rule was due to snagging. Like Sloan said, it is illegal with or without this law and someone should call it in if they see it happening.
I'm not sure if having a large net will get you a ticket for fishing muskies out of season. I have never heard of that.
The reason why Rep Meyer did this is to have more folks come fish muskies in the north in May to bring more tourist dollars to the area. But why would we do that at the expense of hurting the resident spawning population of muskies? We see MN with higher size limits and folks want to catch bigger fish. Yet we stay at 34 inches and yet if we make an effort to increase the limit on some lakes that can grow these fish that big, the resort/tourist industry says no. Just what am I missing here? Why is it so hard to educate folks that releasing (getting a replica) a big fish is better for the fishery than keeping it? And a repro also a better value than a skin mount (last longer). Yet I see more than half of the readers photos in Wis Outdoor News with pictures of muskies that were harvested. Why isn't our word getting out? I see it being preached in every publication I get, but it rings hollow. What do we need to do??? When we try to preserve our resource of which there are so few in number we are called "elitist" by the other anglers. Do these other anglers think that they are as abundant as panfish??
Sorry for the rant, but its just frustrating and I needed to vent. |
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Posts: 1168
| I have always carried my muskie release tools with me (net, hook cutters, etc) in season or out of season. I have spoken to wardens during a closed season and have never run into any problems eventhough my large net was clearly in sight. You might run into a warden who wants to press the issue but those that I have spoken with all understood the reasoning why I carry that stuff along with me without the need for me to explain the rationale behind it. They "got it" on their own. |
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Location: Lake Tomahawk, WI | I did read the snagging argument in several publications in regard to not opening the season early, which is why I brought it up. I have also heard different things in relation to using a (large) net. If a warden watches me net a muskie out of season, even though this is safer for the fish and angler, am I going to get a ticket for targeting them? Maybe, maybe not. That's enough for me to leave the net home. I'll take the chance of getting a hook in the hand by dealing with the fish boatside with a needle-nose or cutters. No injuries yet (knock on wood). 
Anyway, it looks like the season is staying the way it's always been. Good thread here by people concerned about the health of our muskie fishery in Northern Wisconsin.
JS
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Location: Waukesha & Land O Lakes, WI | Sloan, I talked to Dwayne Herpster about this back when he was the Warden a bunch-o-years ago. He said he didn't have a problem with big net in the boat, he did have an issue with big rods and reels. There's a difference between a 8ft XH St.Croix baitcaster with an Abu 6600 and a 6-6 mh St. Croix with a Quantum Energy. Posed the say question to Warden McKenzie about 2 years ago, he basically said the same thing.
I walleye fish with my Musky net occasionally, I place it over my motor cowling to show the dnr I'm not trying to hide anything. I never ever bring out my Musky gear. I always clear the hold out of any Musky baits that may have dropped in from last fall. Nobody is going to give you a hard time if you're Pike fishing. But if you come to pike fish with all your Musky gear, you're asking for problems.
I second the Bass fishing comment, it's fantastic. I've gotten a few wall hangers with Jackpots and Weagles. Some say up by us that the Musky fishing has slowed because the bass poulation has exploded. |
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Posts: 2894
Location: Yahara River Chain | Today at noon the Governor will sign the repeal law, repealing the early season muskie season in the north that was slipped into the budget bill a year ago without any input from the angler, or WDNR.. |
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Posts: 413
Location: Madison WI | muskie! nut - 4/14/2009 5:41 AM
Today at noon the Governor will sign the repeal law, repealing the early season muskie season in the north that was slipped into the budget bill a year ago without any input from the angler, or WDNR..
Is this going to take affect for the 2009 or 2010 season? |
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Posts: 2894
Location: Yahara River Chain | If the law was not repealed it would have to taken effect in 2010 as they didn't have the language drafted up in time for the printing of the 2009 regs. Now they don't have to because it will not happen. |
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Location: Waukesha & Land O Lakes, WI | this is the smartest thing he's done so far. |
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