Getting rid of the closed season on bass

The DNR must have a way to tell what your fishing for, because its legal to fish for walleyes and pike in Green Bay before the opener, but not smallmouth!!!

This law really changes very little: yes you can target bass now prior to gamefish opening...but you still can't place a bass, walleye, muskie or pike in your livewell. Some of each of those species may get caught by accident...just like they have in the past while crappie fishing. The bottom line is you put one in the livewell, and get caught, you get a ticket just like in the past!!!

To what Piker Biker said.... Its possible that there may be poaching, but how is that any different then what goes on right now? If someone wants to poach, theyre gonna do it regardless. Ive caught pike on beetle spins, crappie minnows and jigs with pinched off nightcrawlers fishing for bluegills and crappies with my ultralite before. Pike are predators and will feed when an easy meal presents itself. The only way to prevent the unwanted pressure youre talking about is to have a season where you close down fishing all together. Thats not gonna happen. Ive never heard of bass muscling over a lake from a pike population before. In fact ive always heard just the opposite where the pike kill off all the bass. Dont get me wrong...I love fishing for pike and im with you on rather catching a decent pike rather then a bunch of dinky bass, but I think youre worrying about nothing. Youre probably right as far as fish kills and weird weather affecting pike populations, but none of us can do much about the weather. As far as there not being enough wardens for enforcement of laws, warden or not, laws or not, people are gonna do what they want and I honestly think if people were interested in poaching, theyde be poaching the bass rather then the pike anyways. Bass are easier to clean. I dont see anything wrong with no closed season for bass. Its not going to affect the fishery as much as some people are fearing.

Pike and bass live well together, both large and smallmouth....heck, pike eat bass as they are not a spiny challenge a gill is....many of the best bass lakes are also the best pike lakes. Delevan, geneva, and green bay are just a few examples. Shallow lakes may not produce the giant pike, but thats due to big pike being cold water creatures that tend to grow biggest in deeper lakes (or with cold springs or creeks running in. Those deeper lakes won't have numbers, but the pike get big (oconomowoc for example). Shallower lakes warm too much and give pike less of an opportunity to grow large, but small fish often boom.

Not to mention the HUGE numbers of big pike that are caught and kept every winter through the ice. Its the sole reason I don't look at the pic thread in the winter! My opinion is that ice fishing is perhaps the worse thing that happens for pike, as they are frequently fished with trebles on a tip-up. I really do LOVE big pike, but I think overharvest of large pike is the single biggest hurdle these esoconids face, certainly not bass.

Walleye struggle in a lot of areas because they are very often stocked into lakes NOT conducive for them. Many "walleye" lakes either have no natural reproduction or so little that its hardly self sustaining. I don't think its realistic to think your going to have a whole bunch of spectacular put and take walleye fisheries. Its also not realistic to stock them in waters that already have an abundance of LMB (but it happens all the time). Reason is that LMB reside in the exact same areas that walleye fry need to hide in to reach adulthood. LMB predation of walleye fry is ridiculous, nearing 100% in some cases. You never hear, maybe we shouldn't put them here...instead the NATIVE largemouth population is blamed as if its the bass' fault!

SMB on the other hand, prefer nearly the same habitat as eyes and pike, and are also KNOWN to live well together.

Walleye also aren't exactly a species likely to be released by most anglers (probably a higher percentage kept of any fish in the state IMO). The number of lakes with NATIVE walleye populations is a fraction of the lakes currently holding them.

Walleye do best in oligitrophic (younger, rockier hard bottom), and struggle mightily in competition with largemouth when they live together in eutrophic (older, weedy, soft bottom) lakes). Every lake in the world will eventually become eutrophic in due time and will therefore, no longer be good walleye habitat. Much of the public could care less whether a body of water is conducive to eyes, they just want to catch them, regardless.

Bottom line, not all lakes are prime for pike, especially trophies, and just the same, not all lakes provide the best walleye habitat....but just about every lake IS conducive to a bass.

Bass fishing keeps getting better because they're replacing Pike and Walleye populations! Part of this is due to the shorter winters and longer, hotter summers in recent years which have a huge impact on Pike especially. I already know a couple lakes that had major pike die offs this past summer are going to explode with bass and the pike population will probably never be the same on some of them.

The inadvertent catch still puts unwanted and unnecessary stress on the fish! Not to mention there's only three wardens in my county and over 100 lakes. There's no way to keep track of them! Thus there will be people out "bass fishing" and keeping whatever. You already know there's going to be increased poaching and other violations. I hate how bass fishing is so great but no one cares about the pike! Id rather catch one 30" Pike then 10 Largemouth. They're just a big dumb green panfish. In the same family even!

Sorry I know some of that is vent but it's all true.

Thats great news!

Bass fishing in this state and across the us are not in decline in any way, shape or form, not here or in any state. Its literally the golden age for bass (and muskie for that matter- thank you catch and release revolution!) as there are truly magnificent bass lakes across this state and in every single state in the continual United States, including Hawaii. The past 20 years bass fishing has gotten better and better and continues to do so exponentially across the country. And this despite the fact that they are almost never stocked and are fished for by millions, including multiple pro level tourneys and countless smaller ones in every part of the country.

WDNR only stocks 'em when the entire fishery is started over (eagle lake, racine/delevan early 90's) and not even when there's a significant kill. They simply don't need help to recover, even following seemingly catastrophic fish kills. They are extremely resilient, and far, far from a fish in peril. The biggest complaint I hear regarding bass these days is that many feel there are TOO many "green carp"...lol, not me though.

Inadvertent catches will be handled just as they are today. Every spring bass, sturgeon, muskie and perch on lake michigan, are inadvertently caught by panfish and walleye (rivers) and trout (great lakes) anglers alike. Fish caught out of season, while fishing for another species must be immediately released. Our wardens are already paying attention to this where it applies. Its something they are all, already well schooled in dealing with.

I'm happy it passed. I've said it before and now again, there's no biological reason to close the season on bass fishing ever...none, zero, zip. Glad all of us bass fishermen in this state can save their $$ and stay home next spring and spend it where it belongs....here.....viva la pre-spawn!!

Okay heres my question How do you prove your "bass" fishing? People already pull the "crappie" fishing BS. Throwing bass baits will catch pike, musky, and depending on what your throwing walleye. Now creature baits, or crayfish baits would be the only thing that catch almost strictly bass. Because pike especially will hit any kind of lure. Musky too. Walleye will hit cranks, tubes, jigs, spoons, etc. It will be impossible for DNR to enforce! The month off gives the fish a nice rest as well. There's a reason fishing keeps going down the drain in this state. This surely won't help!

Going to school in the south and getting my fisheries degree in TX, I can tell you there is more subjective reasoning than biological reasoning in a lot of what the WI DNR does. Unfortunately the long term WI residents don't know any better and believe the propaganda that the DNR spreads. Year round seasons are biologically sound and will not affect the black bass species.

My fear is more in the fall. Good thing though is while there is the best smallie fishing of the year in river systems, most are up in a tree stand. I like it that way.

yes it passed, probably won't help bring any more large tournaments as its a catch and release season from the end of gamefishing season to the Sunday prior to the opener. Wisconsin will finally get to experience some true pre-spawn fishing...legally!!!

Why do they catch bass down south if all those fish are educated all year? Poor reasoning. This will boost tourism and bring in bigger tournaments and more revenue for the state.

I wish it was not passed. In my opinion all it will do is educate the fish. Witch will make it harder for us to catch. O well good luck guys

my sources tell me this bill just passed and will take effect in 2014, wisco bassers reoice!

Assembly Bill 6 was introduced by Rep. Kleefisch and was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources and Sporting Heritage in early February. A public hearing on AB 6 has been scheduled for April 10th at 9:30 a.m. in the state capitol. After the public hearing is held, the next step would be for the bill to be voted out of the committee and then taken up by the full Assembly and Senate. Should the bill pass both houses, it will go to Governor Walker for his signature. You can track the status of this legislation by clicking here: https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2013/proposals/ab6. Further, if this bill comes before the full Assembly for a vote, I will be happy to keep your strong support in mind.

There are species in the bill that will not be open for catch and release year round fishing. Muskies is one of the species.

The Bill is Assembly Bill 6. Bass are the only species that can be targeted for catch and release fishing during the traditional closed season period.

Does anyone have an update on this?