Fisheries events

Regulations

March 1- Ice fishing shelters must be removed from Wisconsin-Minnesota boundary waters.

March 1- Lake trout season opens on Lake Michigan, Green Bay & Lake Michigan tributaries through Oct. 31.

March 2- Early catch-and-release only trout season opens statewide, with exception of spring ponds and Great Lakes tributaries; artificial bait only, but barbless hooks no longer required. Season runs to midnight April 28.

March 3- The fishing season for all game species closes on inland waters that do not remain open all year. Check the current fishing regulations for waters that remain open to fishing.

March 3- The game fish season closes on tributary streams and ditches of Green Bay and the Fox River up to the first dam or lake (except yellow perch is open until March 15). There is an exception to this closure for portions of 9 major Green Bay Tributaries. Check the current fishing regulations for waters that remain open to fishing.

March 3- Ice fishing shelters must be removed from inland waters south of Highway 64 by the first Sunday following March 1.

Meetings

February 25- Wisconsin Fishing Club meeting at Graingers Southern Grill in Greenfield at 7:00 p.m. http://wisconsinfishingclub.com/

February 26- Presentation on the WDNR wild trout program by retired WDNR fisheries biologist Dave Vetrano at the Southeast Wisconsin Trout Unlimited meeting at the Charcoal Grill in New Berlin at 7:00 p.m.  http://www.sewtu.org/

February 26- Presentation on catching musky in southern Wisconsin at the Milwaukee chapter of Muskies Inc. meeting at the Waukesha Elks Lodge at 7:30 p.m. http://www.milwaukeemuskiesinc.com/

March 2-3- Lake Michigan Fishing Seminars and Tackle Show at Jalensky's in Kenosha.  http://www.jalenskys.com/

A gathering of Wisconsin's fisheries experts

           The Wisconsin Chapter of the American Fisheries Society held their 42^nd annual meeting a couple of weeks ago in Rothschild.  Each year, fisheries students and professionals get together to share information about current fisheries issues.  The gathering involves oral presentations, poster sessions, smaller meetings and socials.  The smaller meetings typically focus on the organizations internal affairs but this year there was a meeting of the WDNR Lake Michigan Team.  The bulk of the meeting is individuals giving oral presentations about ongoing or recently completed.  The poster sessions allows individuals to present their research in poster form.

            Most of the oral presentations were about studies on individual species.  The most reported on species was muskellunge, but there were also presentations on brook trout, common carp, lake sturgeon, lake whitefish, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, walleye and zebra mussels.  The most common topic, not including individual species, was habitat studies, including a report on the Ozaukee fish passage program.  There were also two presentations on climate change, one on angler behavior and one on the effects of regulation.  The poster session, like the oral presentation, was dominated by studies on individual species.  There were also posters about studies on habitat, mercury and angler behavior, including a report on the fish consumption by older fishermen survey.

            Summaries of each presentation are available on the Wisconsin chapter of the American Fisheries Society website.

Presentations: http://www.wi-afs.org/Portals/0/PDF/Annual%20Meetings/Abstracts_WI-AFS_2013.pdf

Posters:   http://www.wi-afs.org/Portals/0/PDF/Annual%20Meetings/Poster_WI-AFS_2013.pdf

Fisheries news for southeast Wisconsin

Inland catch-and-release trout season opens March 2nd

WDNR to hold public meetings on fishing in the Driftless Area

WDNR outdoor report

National
Study finds multiple sources of carp DNA other than live fish

Fish fraud is commonplace

International
Russians win world ice fishing championship

Japanese whaling fleet and Sea Shepherds battling in the Southern Ocean

Fisheries Events

Regulations

February 20- Ice fishing shelters must be removed from Wisconsin-Iowa boundary waters.

February 24- Lake Winnebago Sturgeon Spearing Season closes unless season closes early due to harvest caps being reached.

Meetings

February 18- Public hearing on the statewide panfish management plan at the WDNR Waukesha Service Center at 7 p.m.

February 19- Presentation by Joe Schmidt on ice fishing area lakes at the Okauchee Fishing Club meeting at the Knights of Columbus Hall in West Allis at 7 p.m. ($5 for non-members).

February 19- Presentation on fish plantings, conditions and forecasts by WDNR fisheries technician Cheryl Masterson at the Sheboygan Area Great Lakes Sport Fishermen meeting at the Sheboygan Outboard Club at 7:00 p.m.

February 20- Fly tying class led by Southeast Wisconsin Trout Unlimited at the Cabela’s in Richfield from 6 to 7:30 p.m.  www.sewtu.org/

February 23- Fly tying class at the Milwaukee Orvis store from 10 a.m. to noon.

Fishing

February 23- The annual Cedar Lake Fishing Derby at Cedar’s Bar and Grill in Manitowoc County.

February 23- The annual Long Lake Fisheree sponsored by the Long Lake Fishing Club in Dundee from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.  http://www.longlakefishingclub.com

Fisheries news for southeast Wisconsin

First panfish hearing in southeast Wisconsin set for February 18th

Upriver sturgeon spearing season closes after three days

WDNR creating citizens trout management task force

WDNR issues 44 citations against commercial fishing company

WDNR outdoor report

National
Great Lakes senators request Hurricane Sandy relief

Senators introduce bills to protect US fishermen and seafood consumers

Fisheries events

Regulations

February 9- Lake Winnebago Sturgeon Spearing Season Opens

Meetings

February 6- World of Walleye Series (1 of 3), classes on the state of the Winnebago system.  www.fvtc.edu

February 6- Fly tying class led by Southeast Wisconsin Trout Unlimited at the Cabela’s in Richfield from 6 to 7:30 p.m.  www.sewtu.org/

February 9- Fly tying class at the Milwaukee Orvis store from 10 a.m. to noon.

Fishing

February 9- Kids Ice Fishing Clinics at area parks from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (free, ages 15 and under): 
Humboldt Park, 3000 S. Howell Ave

McCarty Park, 8214 W. Cleveland Ave., wheelchair accessible

McGovern Park, 5400 N. 51st St., wheelchair accessible

Scout Park, 5902 W. Loomis Road, wheelchair accessible (Walleyes Unlimited)

Wilson Park, 1601 W. Howard Ave. (Wisconsin Fishing Club)

Menomonee Park/Lannon Quarry, Townline Road, 1/2 mile north of Good Hope Road, Menomonee Falls

February 9- Golden Lake Pub 7^th annual Fisheree from 5 a.m. to 2 p.m.

February 9- 4^th annual UW-Whitewater Ice Jamboree at Double D’s Pub and Eatery in Mukwonago from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

February 10- The Suckers Fishing Club 38^th annual fishing derby at AJ’s Bar and Grill in Muskego from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Fisheries news for southeast Wisconsin

Winnebago sturgeon spearing season opens February 9th

Wisconsin's new sturgeon specialist takes over at start of spearing season

WDNR announces web-based multi-media presentation dubbed 'Sturgeon Week'

Angler Education Workshops kick off on February 16th in Baraboo

WDNR to hold public meetings on panfish management

WDNR outdoor report

National
Map illustrates spread of Asian carp

International
Sea Shepherds recruit Japanese volunteers