Catch and Release?

[carolina chip]

I was reading the news blotter above: ?

Legal catch-and-release bass fishing all Lower Peninsula - inland and Great Lakes - begins last Saturday in April 2006

If so cool!!!!.........That has been voted on and is now approved? ? Tell me so!


Chip

[carolina chip]

Oh Boy!  Found it!

Another change includes allowing anglers to fish for bass during a catch and immediate release season prior to the possession season. Catch and release fishing will be allowed from the last Saturday in April through the Friday before Memorial Day in the Lower Peninsula including the Great Lakes and connecting waters, from the last Saturday in April through the third Saturday in June in Lake St. Clair, and from May 15 through the Friday before Memorial Day on Upper Peninsula waters including the Great Lakes and connecting waters. The opening day for harvest on Lake St. Clair remains unchanged. The previous regulation allowing catch and release bass fishing beginning April 1 on six lakes in the Lower Peninsula has been dropped.

http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10364-129648--,00.html

Guess I need to pay a little more attention 

Chip 

[cwinsiii]

Your administrator is one of the main players to make that happen. I think Dan wore out his truck driving all over the state to the meetings. Also if Dan Kimmell, Ron Spitler and Anthony Adams weren't so involved Bass season probably would be opening in the middle of June. Dan if I left a name out please give them the credit they deserve.

[carolina chip]

Cudos to all!!!    Its hard explaining to my southern brethren that we have a bass season.. much less could not legally fish for them until half the season was past....

Now I have another reason to die a HAPPY OLD MAN in this state...oh bout 50 years from now I hope...

BTW.. I have a regulatory background in environmental... If I can ever lend a word to an issue, just ask...

Chip 

[Savage]

Can't wait to get out there early, it's always so hard to wait until season opens. . .

[djkimmel]

Chip - you may have just volunteered...

The bass season fisheries order and drop-shot regs fisheries order are both posted waaaayyyy below (apparently) in the Conservation and Regulations board along with other important stuff.

You ever get really bored, check out the Bass Season Action Page many of us used during the final two years of this issue.

George and Vic helped out. Rob and Wonderland Marine helped. Randy at D&R Sports helped. Jim Sprague and NBAA helped. Russ at BBT Bass helped. Probably close to 300 bass tournament anglers attended our own meetings and the public meetings. A whole bunch of anglers and business people helped make the process an overall success in the end.

Next up, I may be attending an MDNR Fisheries management team meeting this month or next to talk to fisheries about bass angler issues and where we can work together to improve things for everyone. Pretty good deal to have them invite a Michigan Bass federation representative to speak to them.