Sorry about the confusion. I was sure of the passage of the Senate Bills 54-55 to give fisheries order authority back to the NRC immediately meaning the Commissioners could have voted on the bass season at the March 19th meeting but I just found out late Monday night that the new state legislative leadership had decided they would not use the immediate effect authority during this entire 2015-16 session.
Without immediate effect bills have to wait 90 days under state law after being signed by the Governor before they can take effect. We are back on the original time schedule forced on us by the anti-hunter, radical animal rights people behind the humane society of the United States.
It's extremely fortunate we ran our citizens' initiative petition drive to make the Scientific Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act the law of the land last year. That new law ensures the NRC gets full authority back but by law we have to wait for it to take effect 90 days after the end of the last state legislative session, which means the NRC gets their full authority back on March 31st.
Hence, they can vote on the bass season at the April 9th NRC meeting in Lansing. We continue to try to negotiate the best possible outcome for the new bass season. At worst, we will have year-round legal catch-and-immediate-release bass fishing in Michigan but we will have a delayed start this year sometime after April 9th.
I will update all of you with more details as they become available. MUCC and other groups supporting our Option 4/D are working hard for the best outcome still. If you want to be a part of the solution you must send in your thoughts on this issue before April 9th, and preferable before March 19th when the MDNR Fisheries Division is expected to present their final, official recommendation. Even better, send in your comments by February 12th when we have our next meeting with them. See the post
Act NOW for the New Michigan Bass Season for more details.
