Roger's Outdoor Notes

FISHING NEWS:    NEW RULE INCLUDES FIVE FISH DAILY LIMIT FOR LAKE TROUT AS PART OF THE COMBINED SALMON AND TROUT BAG:  The DNR Board approved expanded harvest opportunities for Lake Michigan Lake Trout using the emergency rule process. The new rule would: 1. Expand Lake Michigan lake trout harvest opportunities to the daily bag limit of five, 2. Include the five fish daily lake trout limit as part of the overall five trout and salmon combined daily bag limit, 3. Maintain closure of refuges, which are supporting some natural reproduction, 4. Offer a continuous open season, 5. Maintain the commitment to lake-wide lake trout restoration and promotion of a diverse salmon and trout fishery through continued assessment of lake trout restoration goals and impacts of management actions on those goals. These rule changes were due to the public getting involved in the process of attending public hearings and voicing their opinions. You see, once in awhile the DNR will listen to those who really know what is going on in Lake Michigan, meaning those who make a living off of the lake. The lake trout emergency rule now moves forward for consideration by Gov. Scott Walker. Pending this approval, the DNR will hold concurrent public hearing for the emergency rule and planned permanent rule in anticipation that the emergency rule will take effect during the 2017 season.  

The Fox and Wolf rivers are mostly open, some reports of anglers catching a few male walleyes. The 2017 Sturgeon Spearing season on the Winnebago System ended in a slow fashion with only 10 fish harvested over the last seven days. The season closed with a total harvest of 847 fish, including nine fish harvested that were over 140 lbs or larger. Locally on the West and East Twin Rivers, there were a few fishermen out this week trying to catch a few steelheads, but the snow in the middle of the week and the break-up of ice up-stream has the fishermen dodging ice floats coming down stream. In the southern part of the lake shore, Port Washington and south they are catching some brown trout, steelhead and the occasional salmon. Near Voyageur Park and the Fox Point Landing saw the most of the action this past week. Boaters and shore anglers alike were catching perch, whitefish, and walleye jigging and using live bait such as minnows and wax worms. A few anglers were fishing pike out of Sunset Beach and Long Tail using large shiner minnows or dead smelt in the round.