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MADISON – A task force charged with developing alternatives to the early trout season that ran on a trial basis in 1997-1999 is weighing five different plans and is encouraging anglers, landowners and other interested parties to tell them which plan they like.
People can drop in to one of eight open houses scheduled around Wisconsin in late October and early November to express their preferences on the plans, which range from keeping the status quo, to a season that would open April 1 and allow anglers to keep what they catch, to seasons with varied season dates and some streams off limits.
"The task force has come up with these recommendations for an early trout season and we want to get broader input from the public, especially as to how people in different parts of the state feel about the alternatives," says Larry Claggett, a Department of Natural Resources trout expert.
DNR fisheries officials recommended last spring that the Natural Resources Board, the DNR^s policy making body, reauthorize the trial early season as a permanent season because fisheries experts said it expanded fishing opportunities and didn’t harm trout reproduction. That season ran March 1 to opening day of the regular season for inland streams, and anglers had to use artificial lures and barbless hooks and had to immediately release any trout they caught.
Voters at the DNR Spring Fish and Wildlife Rules Hearings in April narrowly approved that recommendation, 2,417 to 2,145. Because of the vote’s closeness and continuing concerns expressed at the board^s May meeting, board members approved extending the season to 2000 and beyond until a compromise is reached. Board members then directed fisheries officials and the Conservation Congress to form a task force to develop that compromise early season and report on it by Dec. 20 so board members could act on the issue at their January meeting.
The task force is comprised of four members of the Conservation Congress Trout Committee, representatives of Trout Unlimited and Badger Fly Fishers, four DNR fisheries biologists, one DNR researcher, three DNR conservation wardens, and several members at large. Mike Reiter from the Congress and Larry Claggett co-chair the group.
The task force is weighing five compromise plans, including one that calls for the same structure as the trial season. The other four plans call for early seasons that would:
Open April 1 and allow anglers to use bait and keep the fish they catch in most waters. Rules for the regular season, which opens the first Saturday in May, would apply.
Open on different dates in three different geographic zones, close in all three zones five days before the regular May season opener, and allow only catch and release. Streams in the southern zone, south of Interstate 94, would open Feb. 15 for the early trout season; streams north of I-94 and south of State Highway 29 would open March 15, and streams north of State Highway 29 would open April 1.
Open Feb. 15 on streams named later this fall by local DNR fish managers, based on proposed criteria. This alternative would also allow only catch and release, and would close five days before the May regular season opens.
Open March 1 on all streams west of Highway 51 and south of State Highway 23; open northeast of that line on March 1 on streams selected by local fish managers. This alternative would be catch and release.
The eight public meetings are scheduled:
Dodgeville, Oct. 28, 4-8 p.m., Iowa County Courthouse, County Board Room, 100 E. Fountain St.
Lake Mills, Oct. 26, 4-8 p.m., Community Center Room 157, 200 Water Street.
New Richmond, Oct. 27, 4-8 p.m.,Cashman Conference Center at the Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College, 1019 S. Knowles Ave.
Rhinelander, Oct. 28, 4-8 p.m., DNR Regional Office, 107 Sutliff Ave.
Shawano, Oct. 26, 4-8 p.m., Shawano Community High School library, 220 County Road B.
Viroqua, Oct. 26, 4-8 p.m., Western Wisconsin Technical College Room 115, 220 s. Main St.
Wautoma, Nov. 1, 5-8 p.m., Parkside School cafeteria, 300 S. 16th Ave.
Spooner, Nov. 2, 4-8 p.m., Spooner High School cafeteria, 500 College St.
People may also submit written comments to Larry Clagget at claggl@dnr.state.wi.us or Larry Claggett, DNR, P.O. Box 7921, Madison, Wisconsin, 53707-7921.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Larry Claggett (608) 267-9658
Uploaded: 10/15/1999
Uploaded: 10/15/1999