2011 Michigan Bass Regulations Proposal Petition

[wounded minnow]

Please take a moment to read and sign the petition. If we can get enough public support, we stand a very good chance of making this a reality...

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/michiganbassregulations/

[Dan]

Interesting, but I find it a little funny that there is an option for petition signers names to be published, but that the petition circulators name is not available. Before I would add my name to any petition, I would like to know who is circulating it. That's just me.

[wounded minnow]

Easy, the first signature is me!

Kory W. Boozer

Just a side note: I figured it would be available due to the extensive amount of stuff I had to fill out to create the petition. Guess not, but not trying to hide or anything. I am not some big wig Bass angler, just merely a Michigan resident who lives on a reservoir in the Saint Joseph River system and would love to be able to chase some Smallies during what is now the "closed season". After speaking with a MDNR employee it would appear this could be a possible change that could be made if there is enough support, therefore I started the petition...

[SethV]

I signed it.  Great "next step".

[Cy]

I signed the petition but I want to clear up the verbiage in the petition. 

Petition States:

"This petition is in regards to changing the current Michigan Bass regulations in order to do away with the current closed season in all areas of the state and change it to a catch & release season. The current catch & release seasons in all areas would stay the same as would the current open seasons in all areas."

The first line says to me that we want a statewide catch and release season, expect when we have catch and keep, IE: Sat before Memorial Day to December.

Then the second line tells me we want no changes to the current C & R season nor changes to the C & K season.



Are we asking for No Closed Season aka catch and keep all the time or are we asking for a longer Catch and Immediate Release Season or are we asking for a Catch and Immediate Release Season Only, meaning no catch and keep.  I didn't find the petition to be very clear on what we want.

I'm not trying to be a jerk, I just want this to be clear so we don't end up with less then what we started with.

Cy

[gr@ssmonkey]

i think it clearly states that we want a catch and immediately realease season where we know have a closed season and everything else will stay the same,sat. before mem. still will be tournament season or catch and keep..........i'm for no season at all....

[wounded minnow]

The ONLY change I am petitioning for is to take the current CLOSED season all over the state and make it immediate CATCH & RELEASE. I am not petitioning for any other change than that.

I see this as a realistic goal and one that would benefit a lot of different entities WITHOUT hurting the resource we all enjoy so much.

[MadWags]

I signed the petition but would prefer it asked for a lifting of any seasonal restriction for targeting bass. Obviously I would like to see the bag limit at 5 fish per angler but see no reason to seperate a catch and release from a catch and keep season although I am not opposed to it. It just makes more sense to ask for more than you expect to recieve so that it appears that you are reaching a compromise.

[t-bone]

Signed, sealed and delivered

[wounded minnow]

I spoke with a source at the Michigan DNR today in regards to this petition.

Basically I was told the best route to get this really given some serious consideration would be to get as many "clubs" involved as possible. Not just Bass fishing clubs, but also Musky fishing groups and any Walleye fishing groups I could. The reason being, a large part of the reasoning behind having a closed season for Bass is due to the fact it's tough for the Conservation Officers to enforce against people fishing during the closed Walleye season or Musky/Pike season if Bass fishing is open as the angler could just say "I am fishing for Bass". Therefore if we could get the groups who support the Walleye and Musky/Pike fishery to support the ending of a closed Bass season there would likely be zero resistance from the Michigan DNR to end the closed season on Bass fishing.

So if any of you know of any Bass, Walleye or Musky/Pike clubs please do what you can to spread the word and get all the support you can. This is something that we can get changed, it will just take support from a lot of people. This petition is just a start, but is a great way to show how serious we are. If you know of any other forums or any other type of fishing related sites, please post a link to the petition.

[Mike S.]

Signed it.  We need a whole lot more signatures than 36 to get this done.  I understand that it just went up, so hopefully our voices are heard.  Good job on starting this.

[1javelin]

hancocked.

1jav

[djkimmel]

As discussed on the other thread, easiest way to get other types of clubs signed on (if possible) is for someone to get on the MUCC fisheries committee and get them to agree to it.

Getting this accomplished will be one of the main obstacles for more change.

Of course, I have always felt that to punish good people because of a few bad ones is not right even if it seems easier. If someone keeps a fish out of season, give them a ticket. Otherwise, leave them alone except for special needs.

[bigjc]

As discussed on the other thread, easiest way to get other types of clubs signed on (if possible) is for someone to get on the MUCC fisheries committee and get them to agree to it.

Getting this accomplished will be one of the main obstacles for more change.

Of course, I have always felt that to punish good people because of a few bad ones is not right even if it seems easier. If someone keeps a fish out of season, give them a ticket. Otherwise, leave them alone except for special needs.

and how would one go about getting on the MUCC fisheries committee

[wounded minnow]

I personally would like to give more credit than is being given to the Conservation Officers. The two local CO's around here I have no doubt in my mind could easily tell if someone was Bass fishing or Walleye/Pike/Musky fishing. They weren't born yesterday and do this for a living.

So the whole argument that it's to make it easier for CO's to make sure nobody is chasing other species during their closed season in my opinion doesn't have much of a leg to stand on.

[Cy]

As discussed on the other thread, easiest way to get other types of clubs signed on (if possible) is for someone to get on the MUCC fisheries committee and get them to agree to it.

Getting this accomplished will be one of the main obstacles for more change.

Of course, I have always felt that to punish good people because of a few bad ones is not right even if it seems easier. If someone keeps a fish out of season, give them a ticket. Otherwise, leave them alone except for special needs.

and how would one go about getting on the MUCC fisheries committee

I was wondering that too.  Dan can you give us some details?

[MadWags]

I personally would like to give more credit than is being given to the Conservation Officers. The two local CO's around here I have no doubt in my mind could easily tell if someone was Bass fishing or Walleye/Pike/Musky fishing. They weren't born yesterday and do this for a living.

So the whole argument that it's to make it easier for CO's to make sure nobody is chasing other species during their closed season in my opinion doesn't have much of a leg to stand on.

This has always been my position, however, CO's should not be tasked with determining what an angler is fishing for. Fishing season is either open or closed. Now possesion is a different story. Some of these cases have been tried in a court of law and the angler usually comes out on top. You can't ticket an angler for illegal fishing on a body of water that has an open fishing season, if he is not in possesion of any fish. It is tough for a CO to prove that the angler intended for a particular fish to bite a lure. Be it a bass, pike, walleye, muskie, drum, carp, blue gill, crappie, perch..... I have caught them all on the same lure.

[Fishmael]

Don't forget catfish...I've caught more than one on those stinky gulp drop shot gobies...I caught what probably would have been the state record freshwater drum on Muskegon on a jerkbait before I knew what the current record was.  Of course I threw it back without second thought...

I think if the DNRE tried to make the argument for not extending the season, one could legitimately refer to their success in getting prior tickets through.  If they can't enforce it, even when it is law, how would extending the C&R season really change anything?

[MadWags]

True! Also Salmon and Sturgeon. You really never know what you are going to catch when fishing I don't care what species you are fishing for.

[Cy]

I personally would like to give more credit than is being given to the Conservation Officers. The two local CO's around here I have no doubt in my mind could easily tell if someone was Bass fishing or Walleye/Pike/Musky fishing. They weren't born yesterday and do this for a living.

So the whole argument that it's to make it easier for CO's to make sure nobody is chasing other species during their closed season in my opinion doesn't have much of a leg to stand on.

This has always been my position, however, CO's should not be tasked with determining what an angler is fishing for. Fishing season is either open or closed. Now possesion is a different story. Some of these cases have been tried in a court of law and the angler usually comes out on top. You can't ticket an angler for illegal fishing on a body of water that has an open fishing season, if he is not in possesion of any fish. It is tough for a CO to prove that the angler intended for a particular fish to bite a lure. Be it a bass, pike, walleye, muskie, drum, carp, blue gill, crappie, perch..... I have caught them all on the same lure.

I agree 100% with Wags.  If you don't have fish in the box...who is to say that you're not just a novice that fishes for Blue Gills with a stick bait or dog fish with a rattle trap because you don't know any better?  I don't know how you can control fishing for one species and not another...I don't think you can.  That's why we have closed seasons and that's why the C & R Bass season opens when Walleye and Pike do.  However I do think that you can open a season for C & R all species and have a separate catch and keep season for all species.  Those that are going to catch and keep fish during the C & R already fish out of season and those that follow the law now will continue to.  Those that just love to fish and catch and release will be thrilled with new regulations and so will the tackle shops.  Shoot if the state whats their cut have a license for each season.  You are required to pay more to fish the C & R season.

Cy