Michigan Bass Season Public Meetings in July

[djkimmel]

DNR to host public meetings in July regarding proposed changes to fishing regulations including a test catch-and-delayed-release bass season for 2016

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has announced a schedule of public meetings in July to discuss several fishing regulation changes proposed for 2016.

Read the whole article on GreatLakesBass.com Bass Fishing News for dates and times.

[djkimmel]

If you want scientific management of bass fishing in Michigan you MUST attend one of these meetings and voice your opinion. Social issues and bias are holding us back. Nothing else. Help us get the bass fishing opportunity we deserve and our bass can handle by joining me at one of these meetings to say that you want catch-and-delayed-release bass fishing to be tested starting in 2016 on 16 inland lakes in Northern and Southern Michigan. Thank you!

[DennisB.]

Any idea what the 16 lakes might be?

[djkimmel]

I have a list. Not sure why the MDNR isn't including them in the press release but I always make sure they release the information first before I do as a courtesy while we are working together.

They are larger, inland lakes popular with bass tournaments and with good bass populations. As soon as the MDNR releases the lakes I can provide a list. They are pretty predictable as far as popular, larger inland lakes go. They are also lakes that the MDNR has previous bass population information on in general so they have some historical data to compare future study data to.

[djkimmel]

Some of the requirements were decent size inland lakes.

Popular with bass tournaments.

Past data if possible to compare future creel survey or testing results as the CDR test season progresses since the goal would be possibly identify other lakes to add a few at a time if the science supports the additional fishing pressure.

Spread out throughout the geography of Northern and Southern Michigan.

Mix of largemouth, smallmouth and largemouth-smallmouth bass population lakes.

Public access that can support bass tournaments of varied sizes and the general public.

[djkimmel]

Is anyone going to the Bay City meeting tonight? Need someone there.

[djkimmel]

The first meeting went well with no negative comments on the CDR bass season study though only 3 persons showed up counting me. We will need better attendance at the other meetings to make sure the MDNR and any ambivalent public gets a clear message that this is important to us.

[djkimmel]

Here are the 16 proposed test CDR lakes for 2016 released at the meeting last night by the MDNR in Bay City:

• Lake Charlevoix (Charlevoix County)
• Houghton Lake (Roscommon County)
• Burt Lake (Cheboygan/Emmet County)
• Mullett Lake Cheboygan County)
• Hardy Dam Pond (Newaygo County)
• White Lake (Muskegon County)
• Muskegon Lake (Muskegon County)
• Gull Lake (Barry/Kalamazoo County)
• Gun Lake (Barry County)
• Kent Lake (Oakland County)
• Portage Chain (Livingston/Washtenaw County)
• Cass Lake (Oakland County)
• Half Moon Chain (Washtenaw County)
• Pontiac Lake (Oakland County)
• Wixom Lake (Gladwin County)
• Holloway Reservoir (Genesee County)

The test CDR season would run from that last Saturday in April until Memorial weekend. All tournaments would have to be entered on the Michigan Fishing Tournament Information System, and tournament directors would be required to enter their results of of the tournament after the event on the system. This information will be critical to helping determine if there are any serious negative changes to the various lakes and chains.

We are working on possibly improving and enhancing the Michigan Fishing Tournament Information System in conjunction with this NRC-proposed test season that would probably run 5-10 years and including 2 or 3 lakes having detailed fish surveys taken of them.

[BassDaggett]

Any updates on CDR for 2016?

thx

djd

[djkimmel]

I keep thinking everyone knows what happened but I'm finding out that many did not hear. The NRC threw out the whole idea of a CDR even test season because it was 'too risky' and other reasons all equally as dumb as the next. It was a purely social issue once again not scientific.

We need different NRC Commissioners in those seats who understand their job better - to protect those of us who now better from the idiots who make all their decisions based on what they think not based on readily available science. It will be a few years to get rid of some of the present problem commissioners because they are appointed by the Governor every few years.

It won't be easy to get anything else going now because they all think they're done because we have year-round bass fishing. They think we will all have major league fishing style tournaments doing away with weigh ins and that way the other socially-run people and the people who cow-tow to them don't have to change (just we do). I told that was naive, unrealistic and why do we have to change? Just because some people don't like us...??

The real question always has been and always will be are we harming the resource? If not, then @#R@#$ let us fish! As you can tell, I'm still a little upset by their poor decision and even worse reasoning for it.