Guys already bass fishing

[21XDC]

No harm meant...   But comparing killing an animal out of season to catching a bass and immediately  releasing it alive and well, is ignorant no matter who said it...  Please don't take offense to that.  

I don't have a problem with anyone that catch's walleye, pike, or anything out of season if it's released... The "Season" is for "Harvesting" your limit.... The limit is 5 bass per day to kill and eat during the season, While fun fishing and catching 100 per day is no different in my mind. Should we stop fishing after catching 5?

I think there should be no season for "fishing any species".... I'd like to see some more effort catching the average bucket fisherman that fills the bucket up with everything they catch, including 6 inch bass, etc... These are the ones hurting the species.... It sure isn't us.

[Genie]

I LOVE LAMP!

[Genie]

That escalated quickly

[djkimmel]

We actually turned in a 2nd proposal that asks to change Michigan to remove the language about attempting to take, catch, etc. That proposal was not taken up at this time because the MDNR Warmwater Resources Steering Committee response said it was too difficult and would take 5 years. They did say that if we get enough of the major fishing groups to support that proposal they would reconsider. We have not wrote that proposal off. We are just concentrating on the bass season proposal right now since the MDNR is working on that one and we have lots of support for it.

[djkimmel]

I will update everyone on the SB 869 hearing tonight or tomorrow - I just received the recording of that hearing yesterday (it was televised). I'm still working on things from an all day Lake Erie St. Clair Citizens Fishery Advisory committee meeting yesterday at Belle Isle.

[Genie]

I think Dan just stabbed a guy with a trident

[rustydog]

Try catfishing. Ice goes out on Wed. catch 11 amongst ice flows, 30 Fri. open water, 55 actual count on Sat. Alot of fun and didn't have to leave the yard. Beer fridge only few steps away. A fun way to start the season, no hassle.

[Got Fish??]

Vary well said pinelk49, i would like to shake your hand!!

[gmetime24]

As far as I can tell the 6 lakes on the DNR's test list from several years ago are still fishable all year long for C&R.  So hit Muskegon or Hardy pond all you want. Post pics all you want. 

Where can you find this list of lakes?? This is pretty cool I had no idea test lakes had be chosen.

[Waterfoul]

As far as I can tell the 6 lakes on the DNR's test list from several years ago are still fishable all year long for C&R.  So hit Muskegon or Hardy pond all you want. Post pics all you want. 

Where can you find this list of lakes?? This is pretty cool I had no idea test lakes had be chosen.

I asked the DNR about them today.  Here is their response:

The answer to your question is "no"  -  You may not fish for bass year round.  There is a Catch-and-Immediate Release season.  You will find the following in the 2014 Fishing Guide.  The section in red refers to Muskegon Lake and Hardy Pond which are in the Lower Peninsula. 



Catch-and-Immediate-Release seasons: On the following waters, bass may be caught and released during the seasons listed. All bass caught must be immediately (see common terms) returned to the water: L. St. Clair, St. Clair R. and Detroit R., from the last Sat. in Apr. – Fri. before the 3rd. Sat. in Jun.; All Lower Pen. waters including Great Lakes: Last Sat. in Apr. – Fri. before Memorial Day; All Upper Pen. waters including Great Lakes: May 15 – Fri. before Memorial Day.

Thank you for submitting your question.



So you can no longer fish the 6 lakes year round.

[Skulley]

Science is what this should be all about.  Not "feelings" or "politics" or "what's popular".  It shouldn't be about one man's opinion either just because he is the leading angler on the professional tour.  That's just ludicrous.  Pretty narrow thinking in my opinion.''  The Governor should just sign it into law like he did so many other things like Right to Work for less and the taxing pensions.  He shoved those issues down our throats.  A year round bass fishing season is one I'd like shoved down my throat and I'm sure a lot of the rest of you would mind that one either.  I wouldn't complain about a year round season on bass.



BD                             

[Firefighter Jeff]

I think Dan just stabbed a guy with a trident

   You had me at I LOVE LAMP !!!   LOLOLOLOLOL   

[Mojo]

 
OMG Kimmel....... You did it !!! Holy Shipwrecks!

Senate Bill 869 (as introduced 3-12-14)
Sponsor:  Senator Goeff Hansen
Committee:  Outdoor Recreation and Tourism

Date Completed:  3-20-14

CONTENT

The bill would amend Part 487 (Sport Fishing) of the Natural Resources and Environmental
Protection Act to eliminate the prescribed open season for black bass.

Part 487 prohibits a person from taking, catching, or killing or attempting to take, catch, or kill any fish of certain species in any waters over which the State has jurisdiction except during prescribed open seasons.

Generally, the open season for largemouth and smallmouth black bass is from the Saturday immediately preceding Memorial Day to December 31. In Lake St. Clair and the St. Clair and Detroit Rivers, however, the open season is from the third Saturday in June to December 31. The bill (SB 869) would eliminate these provisions (allowing a person to take largemouth or smallmouth black bass at any time).


IMHO
They should amend (the new) part A to include Black Bass with Sunfish And Bluegill so that CO s cant say No Bass Fishing Anytime ! Because in this language, Bass aren't mentioned at all (in the section for fish covered)  under the provision......

Dan Good man, darn Good Man

[djkimmel]

I think Dan just stabbed a guy with a trident

More like snapped with a wet towel... but I always wanted to throw the trident in my younger days trying my hand at track and field. (that's a track and field event right - throwing the trident?!?)

[djkimmel]

As far as I can tell the 6 lakes on the DNR's test list from several years ago are still fishable all year long for C&R.  So hit Muskegon or Hardy pond all you want. Post pics all you want. 

Where can you find this list of lakes?? This is pretty cool I had no idea test lakes had be chosen.

I asked the DNR about them today.  Here is their response:

The answer to your question is "no"  -  You may not fish for bass year round.  There is a Catch-and-Immediate Release season.  You will find the following in the 2014 Fishing Guide.  The section in red refers to Muskegon Lake and Hardy Pond which are in the Lower Peninsula. 



Catch-and-Immediate-Release seasons: On the following waters, bass may be caught and released during the seasons listed. All bass caught must be immediately (see common terms) returned to the water: L. St. Clair, St. Clair R. and Detroit R., from the last Sat. in Apr. – Fri. before the 3rd. Sat. in Jun.; All Lower Pen. waters including Great Lakes: Last Sat. in Apr. – Fri. before Memorial Day; All Upper Pen. waters including Great Lakes: May 15 – Fri. before Memorial Day.

Thank you for submitting your question.



So you can no longer fish the 6 lakes year round.

Part of the whole 2006 statewide catch and release bass season deal was to give up the April 1st catch-and-release opener on the 6 test lakes (that have now had spring catch-and-release bass fishing every year since 1988 - 26 seasons. And they still have bass...)

[djkimmel]

I think Dan just stabbed a guy with a trident

   You had me at I LOVE LAMP !!!   LOLOLOLOLOL   

I can't tell you how many times I'm sitting in an exhilarating meeting and 'I LOVE LAMP' just pops into my head... it's been that way for a long, long time too... 

[djkimmel]

Try catfishing. Ice goes out on Wed. catch 11 amongst ice flows, 30 Fri. open water, 55 actual count on Sat. Alot of fun and didn't have to leave the yard. Beer fridge only few steps away. A fun way to start the season, no hassle.

Wait a minute!! How come I'm just finding this out now for the first time?!? Other than the beer, that sounds like a lot of fun!! (you can have my beer)

[djkimmel]

OMG Kimmel....... You did it !!! Holy Shipwrecks!

Senate Bill 869 (as introduced 3-12-14)
Sponsor:  Senator Goeff Hansen
Committee:  Outdoor Recreation and Tourism

Date Completed:  3-20-14

CONTENT

The bill would amend Part 487 (Sport Fishing) of the Natural Resources and Environmental
Protection Act to eliminate the prescribed open season for black bass.

Part 487 prohibits a person from taking, catching, or killing or attempting to take, catch, or kill any fish of certain species in any waters over which the State has jurisdiction except during prescribed open seasons.

Generally, the open season for largemouth and smallmouth black bass is from the Saturday immediately preceding Memorial Day to December 31. In Lake St. Clair and the St. Clair and Detroit Rivers, however, the open season is from the third Saturday in June to December 31. The bill (SB 869) would eliminate these provisions (allowing a person to take largemouth or smallmouth black bass at any time).


IMHO
They should amend (the new) part A to include Black Bass with Sunfish And Bluegill so that CO s cant say No Bass Fishing Anytime ! Because in this language, Bass aren't mentioned at all (in the section for fish covered)  under the provision......

Dan Good man, darn Good Man

Okay... hang on a minute... I really need to get caught up more on updates and information. Too many meetings with too much info... There's a 2nd assessment that clarifies the actual intent of SB 869 which is to fix state law so the Natural Resources Commission (NRC) has the proper legal authority last year's Public Act 21 gave them to set the bass season based on sound science and input from the MDNR and fishing groups. Your suggestions about the part A aren't necessary because Public Act 451 of 1994 is very big and has sections that already cover our other needs about game fish species and authorities. I have actually gone through large chunks of the existing law twice in the past two weeks looking for issues, conflicts and things that are already allowed along with study related to many other issues that are coming and going as we go through lots of discussion about lots of change. Plus, most CO's I talk to are pretty reasonable people. I've had great discussions with the Law Enforcement Division chief and assistant chief.

We do have to remove the language from state law (Public Act 451 of 1994) that specifically limits the regular Michigan bass season to Memorial weekend statewide and the 3rd Friday in June for Lake St. Clair first. Public Act 21 of 2013 gave the NRC the authority equal to the Michigan Legislature to name fish and game species but it did not fix a number of technical issues still in state law such as the specific bass season limits. Passing SB 869 into law would fix the bass season limit problem giving the NRC legal and technical authority to create a different bass season.

SB 869 is now in the Michigan House Natural Resources Committee after being passed unanimously by the Michigan Senate 37-0 (1 excused) and so far it is not scheduled to be heard before the committee yet. I've been told by Rep. LaFontaine's (the committee chair) legislative aide they will let me know when it is scheduled so MUCC, the MDNR, Michigan B.A.S.S. Nation, etc. can go testify. MUCC's legislative liaison Matt Evans is helping keep an eye on things for us.

SB 869 has to be passed out of committee to the full House, and then passed by the House, and then signed by the Governor before the NRC can create a longer bass season, hopefully this fall in time for 2015.

Once you see the testimony from the March 20th Senate Outdoor Recreation and Tourism committee you will see we have very good support from the Senate, MUCC AND the MDNR leadership.

I'm as positive as ever that we are getting a longer Michigan bass season in 2015. The Senators definitely support it. I still don't know exactly what it will be. There's still lots of work to do.

NOW - if you want the NRC to KEEP the authority we are fixing for them to give us the longer bass season you need to get all the registered Michigan voters you know to sign - one time only before the end of this month - our The Scientific Fish & Wildlife Conservation Act petition! Otherwise Michigan citizens could vote that authority away in November thinking they are saving the wolves, and all this hard work goes out the #$%#$% window!

Go to www.citizenswildlife.com and get a petition to sign. Do it now if you haven't done it yet! Get your friends, neighbors, family, whomever you can, to sign it too!

[djkimmel]

I need an intern...

[motocross269]

It's good to see in this country that citizens can still have a voice...It just takes ambition and positive direction,,,,

The closed season doesn't really bother me.....It forces me to fish for other species and the patterns that you would find probably wouldn't apply to most tournaments...
My buddies are catching nice limits of Walleye on the Detroit river and other friends are killing the Crappie....now that is fun fishing and good eating...I have from memorial day on to chase bass but the walleye fishing gets a little tougher out of a bass boat as the season progresses...

Also winter and the Closed season helps to cut down on my fishing expenses...If I could fish year around I would be broke..

I look how crappy the fishing is in some of the other states in the region and I know there is a host of factors but things are going well here in Michigan...Tournament weights are higher than they have ever been and opportunities are pretty much limitless on both the great lakes and inland waters....It is pretty hard to argue that increased pressue over a longer period of time could have a negative effect...


It's all good and everyone has a different agenda......I tend to agree that I will not blatantly break a conservation law and will take it as it comes....If it changes great, if not whatever, life goes on...I'll still be enjoying the Michigan outdoors in some way....