Will we be fishing with a legal C&R in a week??

[gmetime24]

I was wondering what kinda chance there is that the catch and release will be opened up by next weekend. Looks like temps will be close to 60 by then and I'm going to get my gear ready to go and run the boat this weekend

[Skulley]

I was wondering what kinda chance there is that the catch and release will be opened up by next weekend. Looks like temps will be close to 60 by then and I'm going to get my gear ready to go and run the boat this weekend

I sure do hope so.  I got the boat home yesterday and have some work to do on it but that won't take but a day.  It's been a long long long winter.


BD                       

[dartag]

need an ice breaker on my lake.  the crawdads are crawling along the bottom by the breakwall so that is good.

[Waterfoul]

Lots of open water over on the west side.

[djkimmel]

Here's the agenda for the Thursday, April 9 NRC meeting in Lansing: http://www.michigan.gov/documents/dnr/Agenda_485879_7.pdf

These are public meetings from start to finish. Anyone can attend them.

If you scroll down to NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION ACTION you'll see Fisheries Order 215.15 is up for action by the NRC Commissioners: http://www.michigan.gov/documents/dnr/FO_215.15_Bass_485862_7.pdf

If a majority of the NRC Commissioners vote yes on that then CIR bass fishing will be legal all year in Michigan for bass effective immediately. So you could go bass fishing April 10th.

There has been no significant opposition to the CIR part during the process so unless something happens that I'm completely unaware of I expect them to vote yes. But... since there is still a fair amount of stupid bias and prejudice against bass tournament anglers, and too many people have no clue about modern bass biology I will not guaranty anything until they have the actual vote sometime that afternoon/evening and I don't hear anything yelling about a lawsuit.

This could be a lot easier, and we should have received Option 4. If you want to make sure we at least get the CIR part then attend the meeting and speak in favor of it. Squeaky wheels can still beat out even science. We need to do more squeaking because the science and common sense has not been enough to get the victory we should have had. We need to make sure we at least get the minimum which doesn't even include managing Lake St. Clair by their own science (study that said there is no scientific reason that Lake St. Clair needs more 'protection' than any other Michigan lake).

[Skulley]

I'm with DK on this.  It's not over until it's over.  There can still be an influence by us to get at least a CIR season.  It would be nice to get it all.  It's going to take some influence on our part.  Email the NRC.  I have again and you should too.  I would hate to see all the hard work that was done to get us this far go to waste. 



BD                                 

[Waterfoul]

Hey Dan, can you post up those links on where we can send emails again?

[djkimmel]

For now just send them to nrc@michigan.gov. The message will get out that way. We handed in more support than the people who don't want us to fish more but they seem to be getting more than their fair share of hearing...

Make sure you mention you know what Option 4 means including the ability to harvest more bass and have bass tournaments but you know most people release them anyway, you just want the choice to be your's. Some of them seem to think we only want tournaments and we don't understand that Option 4 gives the anglers the choice to fish their way. We do understand. We're not stupid. We'll leave the not understanding basic bass population biology to the 'other' side.

[rangerfan]

Hopefully its

I was wondering what kinda chance there is that the catch and release will be opened up by next weekend. Looks like temps will be close to 60 by then and I'm going to get my gear ready to go and run the boat this weekend

Hopefully its open for everyone but Kim and Art....

[dartag]

Will the vote be in the 3 pm session??  I am planning on driving up if all goes well here. 

[djkimmel]

The vote will be after the public speaking part which is after the 3pm session. It depends on how many speakers. The schedule is a little light right now compared to the ~60 speakers last month. There were just 2 on the agenda earlier today.

[Waterfoul]

Good afternoon,

I would like to show my support for option 4 (D) in the upcoming vote on the Michigan fishing season.  I am an avid bass fisherman and tournament angler and would simply like more opportunity to fish in the future.  I know this would mean there could be more tournaments held in Michigan, which I believe to be a good thing, though I myself am not really looking to fish MORE events per year.  But the economics benefit to our local economies can't be ignored.  I know there has been some opposition to this proposal from certain individuals who seem to have their own agenda, claiming that a longer harvest season would harm the fishing in Michigan.  All of these concerns seem to be centered on Lake St. Clair.  Perhaps that one single lake could have it's own regulations (much like it does now).  I would ask that you do not ignore the studies and science behind option 4 (D).  Nearly 90% of all bass fisherman practice 100% catch and release and there is absolutely no reason to believe this would change with a longer catch and keep season.  The last bass I kept was nearly 20 years ago, and it's hanging on my wall. 

Thanks for your time,

[djkimmel]

Very nice!

[bassmandan]

i wrote a 3pg paper, hopefully it wasnt all for nothing, if not i tried

[djkimmel]

It's never all for nothing. Last I knew we still had the majority of comments. I'm trying to confirm that because I want that known if it is the case because the science is not really against us no matter how you say it.

[thedude]

Hello -
I have emailed in the past in regards to this issue and wished to share my continued support for this option as it is being voted on this week. I'm troubled by the recent, 11th hour push against the option by several special interests - primarily instigated by the FreePress articles which were subversive, self-serving and out-right libelous. It was my understanding that the formation of this committee was to put wildlife regulatory power into the hands of biologists and significantly hinder groups like HSUS and PETA in their efforts to sway and drive public outcry through their propaganda. The recent backlash seems to be the same noise - sadly, coming from within the ranks of Michigan's outdoor community. Regardless of the source, I feel it is still the duty of the council to consider data collected and use the scientific evidence at hand which seems to support the 4th option. There really is no place for conjecture and anecdotal evidence which seems to be driving the push towards the more conservative options. Finally, considering the methods and obvious bias of some of the more out-spoken tenants against 4d, one can only be suspicious of their motives. I personally find their methods unconscionable and morally reprehensible.  Allowing the intrusion of self-serving agendas, special interests and emotional outcry into the decision making process will remove any credibility the NRC should hope to derive and carry forward.

I look to the NRC to deliver on its charter and separate the science from the politics.

Thank you for your time,
Justin Keithley (Rockford, MI)

[djkimmel]

Very well said. I'm being told this is 'social science'... isn't that just another way of saying 'emotion?' We need real scientific management, not management by opinions and emotions, especially emotions based on misinformed beliefs that our season protects the spawn, when it obviously does not protect the bass spawn, especially the 'sensitive' Northern Michigan and Upper Peninsula bass spawn that happens AFTER the 'harvest' season opens.

I feel like I failed all of you and I don't like the feeling very much.

[Kal-Kevin]

Dan you never have failed us and your doing a great job, your just going up against year of misinformation that some use as knowledge

[TheFishinPollock]

I know that feeling you speak of Dan.

Even though I only spoke at 1 meeting for even less than my given 3 minutes. I felt it fell on deaf ears.
But to me it's not like I failed. I felt more they failed us.  By us I mean everyone fishing in this state no matter if you agreed with the decision that is to come, or you don't.    It  seemed like it was treated as "mandatory participation" even if you didn't like option D. No one ever said you have to go out and C&K at that time of the year . If you didn't like the option , don't do it, but for God's sake. Don't think that ever gives a small group of people the right to tell you that you cannot do what they disagree with.

That's how that feeling affects me . Not of failure, but more  " ok we keep trying to provide good solid evidence that these people have yet to embrace and keep working forward. Ever hopeful"

[dartag]

Can you post the  address for the meeting tomorrow.  It was in one of the threads but I can't find it.