Great Lakes Bass Fishing Forum

A number of speakers are planned for the Sunday, April 21, 2013 Michigan B.A.S.S. Nation presidents' meeting starting at 1:00 PM at Bass Pro Shops in Auburn Hills. The key speaker will be the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Deputy William Moritz.

This is a unique opportunity to hear the 2nd highest ranked person from the MDNR - Mr. Moritz is second to the MDNR Director - talk to organized bass anglers about how we can work together with the MDNR. Topics may include that, the Governor's fishing and hunting license fee restructuring budget proposal and Great Lakes dredging plans for 2013. There may be time for a few questions.

The meeting will be held in the Conservation Room at Bass Pro Shops - which is on the first floor near the stairs. Michigan B.A.S.S. Nation president Paul Sacks says the room will be setup with a few less tables than normal so we can fit 40 or more people in the room in case presidents want to bring guests, and even potential federation members or interested persons wish to hear what Mr. Moritz has to say. There is a full line up of other guest speakers along with some general federation business.

This will be my first Michigan B.A.S.S. Nation meeting as their new conservation director. I was pretty excited when the MDNR Deputy approached me a few weeks ago during the first Conservation Roundtable meeting asking if he could come speak to the federation members, saying he 'thinks that bass tournaments would be a great way to increase our natural resource economy.'

To say I was floored is an understatement hearing this from the person who is 2nd in the MDNR hierarchy. That whole meeting was a long awaited and very pleasant change. I'm very happy that Mr. Moritz was able and willing to take time out on a Sunday to drive to Auburn Hills to speak to us. I think that makes a statement about how things may go from this point on, backing up everything I have been told by MDNR personnel since that meeting.

I will be presenting several season proposals on April 21 to the Michigan B.A.S.S. Nation board of directors during their morning board meeting, and then will present the proposals to the presidents later in the meeting after Mr. Moritz and the other special guests have spoken. These are the proposals I will be taking to the MDNR Warmwater Resources Steering Committee in Lansing in June.

Depending on how this process goes, there may be additional improvements we can make to fishing opportunities in Michigan, along with rebooting the Michigan B.A.S.S. Nation conservation program from the club member on up based on ideas Paul Sacks and I have been discussing.