Public Meeting Iron Mountain Mon 7/14 6pm on proposed MI bass season regulations

[djkimmel]

Public opinion needed on proposed bass season regulations

Online survey on proposed Michigan bass season changes also available

In order to get public input on proposed regulations to expand Michigan's bass fishing seasons, the Department of Natural Resources has announced an online survey and public meetings throughout the state in July.

For the past year the DNR's Fisheries Division has been working with the Warmwater Resources Steering Committee (a public advisory group) to discuss expansion of bass seasons.

The public can hear about the four bass season options, discuss them and provide their input to the Michigan DNR during the first meeting Monday, July 14, 6-7:30 p.m. (CDT) at the Dickinson County Library, 401 Iron Mountain St., Iron Mountain (Upper Peninsula).

Read the Public opinion needed on proposed bass season regulations article on GreatLakesBass.com Conservation, Legislaton and Environment News for additional meetings dates, times, locations and details.

For more information or questions on these meetings visit www.michigan.gov/fishing or contact the Michigan DNR: Patrick Hanchin, 231-547-2914, ext. 227; Elyse Walter, 517-284-5839 or Ed Golder, 517-284-5815.

[djkimmel]

If you are able to attend this meeting and willing to handout some information before the meeting please contact Dan Kimmel.

PDF Resources
Michigan B.A.S.S. Nation Bass Season Proposal
-With full supporting documentation and research citations. This is one of the 4 options being presented to the public.
MUCC Michigan B.A.S.S. Nation Bass Season Resolution
-The bass season resolution as passed by MUCC delegates at their state convention June 22, 2014. This is MUCC's organization policy now.

[djkimmel]

BASS SEASON OPTIONS
Here are the 4 bass season options as described from the survey the MDNR is asking for public input on (the order and language may be different from various sources including the online survey, a mailed survey and what will be presented at the public meetings):

• Catch-and-immediate-release fishing from the last Saturday in April (Lower Peninsula) or May 15 (Upper Peninsula) to the Friday before Memorial Day. Harvest season from the Saturday before Memorial Day to December 31. Harvest season for Lake St. Clair and the St. Clair and Detroit rivers from the third Saturday in June to December 31 (current regulations). (NO CHANGE - Seasons would stay the same as they are now. No additional bass fishing opportunity.)


• Maintain current harvest seasons for Lower Peninsula, Upper Peninsula, Lake St. Clair and the St. Clair and Detroit rivers, but allow catch-and-immediate-release fishing for bass at all other times of the year. (ADD Catch-and-immediate-release (CIR) REST OF YEAR ONLY, St. Clair River-Lake St. Clair-Detroit River (LSC System) STAYS the 3rd Saturday in June - No additional angler choice fishing.)


• Maintain current harvest seasons for Lower Peninsula and Upper Peninsula, but change the harvest opening date for Lake St. Clair and the St. Clair and Detroit rivers to the Saturday before Memorial Day. Allow catch-and-immediate-release fishing for bass at all other times of the year. (This is the Michigan B.A.S.S. Nation (MBN) PROPOSAL - Add CIR rest of the year and move the LSC System in line with the rest of the Lower Peninsula Michigan waters regular opener of the Saturday of Memorial weekend.)


• Change the harvest opening dates to match the respective opening dates for walleye, northern pike, and muskellunge in the Lower Peninsula (last Saturday in April) and Upper Peninsula (May 15). Bass seasons would still close December 31. Allow catch-and-immediate-release fishing for bass at all other times of the year. (NEW OPTION - ALIGN the regular bass season openers, including the LSC System, forward with the inland pike/walleye/muskellunge regular angler choice openers, ADD CIR the rest of the year - Bass anglers have an additional month with the option to fish their preferred method of bass fishing.)

MDNR BASS SEASON STATEMENT
Here is the introductory language from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources from their public online bass season regulations survey regarding Michigan largemouth and smallmouth bass populations and management. If you have not taken the survey yet please do so.

Largemouth and smallmouth bass populations are widely distributed across Michigan and populations are maintained by natural reproduction. Over the past year, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Fisheries Division has been working with the Warmwater Resources Steering Committee (WRSC), a public advisory group, to discuss possible expansion of bass seasons. Several regulation options related to expanding bass seasons have been developed.

Expanding either the catch-and-immediate-release or traditional harvest seasons (by setting earlier start dates or year-round fishing) would pose a slight risk to bass populations in that it would likely increase fishing effort during the spawning period. Current bass seasons allow fishing (catch-and-immediate-release and then harvest) over spawning bass. The regulation expansion options being discussed would, to varying degrees, increase the extent to which possession and harvest are allowed during the spawn. However, bass populations would still be protected by a winter no-harvest season, the 14-inch minimum size limit, and the daily possession limit of five fish. Fisheries Division biologists are not in full agreement with the proposed changes, and conservation officers have some concerns related to law enforcement; however, the regulation options meet the biological requirements determined by fisheries managers and they likely only present a slight risk to bass populations. The Natural Resources Commission (NRC) and DNR, Fisheries Division have the authority and responsibility to protect and manage the fisheries resources of the state of Michigan.

Opinion surveys are a management tool used by Fisheries Division to gauge public opinion so we can best accomplish our statutory responsibility. The objective of this survey is to determine whether the public supports increased angling opportunities for largemouth and smallmouth bass through the use of changes to seasons. We encourage you to take the time to complete this review and answer the questions with respect to your angling desires.

If you do not want to see Michigan continue to be 1 of only 4 states with a statewide closed bass season, please make sure you take the online survey and take the time to attend 1 of these public meetings!