Michigan Bass Season for everyone else

[djkimmel]

In case you missed it, I am now on several committees with other fishing groups and the MDNR. Most of these are officially as a representative for the Michigan B.A.S.S. Nation (MBN).

Due to the way it goes, I am the conservation person for them and now also for TBF of Michigan.

This past Sunday, we had the latest MBN presidents' meeting, and the board of directors approved a couple season proposals that I will take on June 17 to the MDNR Warmwater Resources Steering Committee (WRSC) meeting in Lansing. I will be attempting to get TBF of Michigan to sign on to the same proposals if I can, and have a number of other groups and business leaders who want to look at the proposals to see if they will sign on to them.

The WRSC is a public group of citizens and user group representatives that provides input to the MDNR about warmwater fishing issues. Once that meeting has occurred, I may have a better idea of what to do next and what we might be able to expect.

I will spell out the gist of the two proposals later tomorrow, but they are basically efforts to reach more year-round fishing opportunity in Michigan with few or no closed seasons (mostly replaced with catch-and-release fishing).

You can continue to help by talking to your friends and neighbors about fishing all year and how this will help our important natural resources economy. You can talk to your local MDNR people about it, especially if you know them already. Same goes for your elected officials. The more people are aware of the benefits of more fishing opportunity ahead of time, the more we might accomplish sooner.

[djkimmel]

In summary, the primary MBN-backed proposal is:
1) Catch and immediate release legal for bass statewide on all waters^ from January 1 through the Friday before Memorial Day.
2) Catch and keep legal for bass statewide on all waters^ from the Saturday before Memorial Day until December 31.

^ There are exceptions for waters where all fishing for all species is closed such as closed seasons on inland designated trout/salmon waters, the closed seasons in the Sylvania Wilderness Area and near the listed Beavers Islands chain; along with exceptions for the special seasons on listed Michigan-Wisconsin Boundary Waters and those few special Exceptions to General Regulations by County - such as Wakeley Lake, Upper Bushman and a few other small waters with local limitations - where it is catch-and-release only or a limited season for special purpose.

The goal is pretty obvious - make bass fishing legal statewide with all waters on the same schedule (excluding those few special exceptions) for the entire year whether catch and release, or the existing regular season. People should be allowed to fish and not get a ticket unless they keep a fish that is not in its open season.

[djkimmel]

Speaking of "People should be allowed to fish and not get a ticket unless they keep a fish that is not in its open season" the 2nd proposal would provide more simplified and expanded fishing opportunity:
1) Basically - remove statewide closed seasons for fish, replacing them with legal catch-and-immediate-release. Anglers should be allowed to fish all year as long as they do not keep (possess) a fish that is not in open (catch-and-keep) season.

This could be accomplished for many species by editing section 324.48716 Open seasons by species of fish, NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ACT (EXCERPT) Act 451 of 1994 from present first sentence language (a) to new first sentence language (b):
a. OLD: "A person shall not take, catch, or kill or attempt to take, catch, or kill any fish of the species named in this section in any of the waters over which this state has jurisdiction except during the following open seasons:"
b. NEW: "A person shall not possess any fish of the species named in this section in any of the waters over which this state has jurisdiction except during the following open seasons :"

There may be additional law or regulation changes to accomplish this clearly. There are many good reasons why the majority of states do not regularly used closed seasons including it does not work well as a management tool, particularly when one species is open while another is closed. We have all seen the mess that creates for law enforcement, and particularly annual infighting amongst anglers.

Some of the same exemptions listed above for the bass season proposal would still apply along with continued protection for fish that have no open season (grayling, not sure what else) and/or are officially listed as endangered/threatened. If fishing for all species is closed, then there would be no fishing. If fishing for any species is open, then all species not officially listed as endangered/threatened should also be legal to catch as long as an angler does not keep (possess) a fish that is not in its open season.

This would open up lots of additional fishing opportunity, make it much easier for anglers traveling from the majority of states that do not used closed seasons to come here to fish and simplify law enforcement (and angler infighting) since there would be little or no more 'guess what I'm fishing for' being done (by CO's, other law officers, or more important even to me - other anglers and riparians). Keep a fish that is not in season and you can get fined. Throw back fish that are not in season and ENJOY YOUR FISHING! (No matter what 'kind' of boat you own, or what 'type' of legal fishing lure you are using.)

[dartag]

Sounds like a great proposal to me.  In most years you will really only be gaining a month or more of open water fishing time.  Hope it is successful.

[djkimmel]

Glad you like it. It would have been real nice last year. There are places to go fishing for bass even in the real cold weather season. I used to do it a long, long, long time ago. I'd like to have the option again.

[djkimmel]

So we still can't hold a tournament until nearly June according to your proposal.  As I hear it the deputy Director of the MDNR wants a proposal to further tournament opportunities in Michigan, and yet I don't see any proposals mentioning it.

That's what happens with selective hearing. It has been covered completely already in the other thread which is where I intend to keep that 'discussion.' The horse is dead for this thread. Please don't beat it on this thread. Take it to the other thread if you are unable to stop. Thanks.