December 2 – DNR Fisheries Staff will present the Draft Green Bay Great Lakes Spotted Musky Management Plan from 6-8 p.m. in the Auditorium at the Brown County Central Library, 515 Pine St., Green Bay. The purpose of the meeting is to review and get feedback on the draft management plan for the Green Bay muskellunge fishery and re-establishment program. The draft management plan identifies fisheries objectives, strategies and management recommendations to achieve the previously established goals for the fishery. For more information, please call David Rowe (920) 662-5480 or Mike Donofrio (715) 582-5050.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Monday, November 29, 2010
WCSFO MEETING MINUTES from October 16, 2010
October 16, 2010
President John Durben began our meeting at 9:18 a.m. Long time ex-President Ted Lind was not in attendance.
Secretary and media director, Larry Van Veghel, of the Wisconsin Fishing Club Ltd., read the minutes from our statewide spring meeting. The minutes were approved as read.
New Treasurer Cornell Stroik ably read the Treasurer’s report. He said we have $5384.82 in our checking account, and we have $3,061.00 even in our savings account. The Treasurer’s report was approved as read. President Durben submitted a few bills including that for our post office box.
We discussed our continual meeting topic of attracting more members. We have representative vacancies for Muskies, Panfish, Inland Trout and other species, per our spring meeting. Our mailing and dues lists will be updated. Dues forms for 2010 will go out at the beginning of the year. Clubs remaining behind are more than urged to “catch up.”
Per George Meyer, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation (WWF), the musky season still starts in June up north. The legislators must react to change this.
The no phosphorous in fertilizer bill was passed.
The Invasive Aquatic Plants and Species Bill is being enforced by wardens, especially when it is blatantly disobeyed. Boat washers were suggested, as they work quite well, but they are too expensive to have at all state launches.
The Department of Agriculture is still looking into a ban on Mercury usage, per Meyer.
With launch expert Lind not in attendance, Meyer covered the boat launching news. We voted to support having a launch in Rawley’s Bay in Door County. Although having numerous rock piles, per WCSFO secretary Van Veghel’s having fished here, there is a safety need for having a launch as there is a long distance between Lake Michigan launches. Van Veghel said that this has long been the back-up, safety site launch for the Washington Island ferries that cross the dangerous Devil’s Door between the Door County Peninsula tip and Washington Island’s Detroit Harbor.
Meyers said the North Lake launch continues to be hung up in court by the North Lake Association personnel.
The Wisconsin Wildlife Federation is pushing for removing wolves from the Federal endangered species list in our state. We have over 762 wolves. The DNR did not stock any of these wolves. These omnivores crossed the borders of Minnesota and Upper Michigan and have reproduced. Van Veghel stated this is because we have deer with CWD, and wolves prey on sick or weak deer. A majority of members’ present advisory voted to support this removal, even though we are a fishery and fish habitat organization.
Per Treasurer Cornell Stroik, who represents the bass anglers of Wisconsin, it was Gerry McGinnis who bought B.A.S.S. away from ESPN. McGinnis is an avid angler who had a long running family TV fishing show.
The Bass Federation, TBF, is reorganizing with “good” officers. TBF is a WCSFO member organization. Stroik also gave us an update on C.A.S.T., our offshoot tournament education organization.
Under “Old Business,” Meyers offered to work with Stroik on this project. Meyers asked if we should have a meeting. WCSFO members are urged to email their comments on this to President Durben, plus Meyers and Stroik. Secretary Van Veghel, due to having the impatience brought on by having cancer, requested that something finally be done on this, as C.A.S.T. has been bringing this up for years. After many years of service, Warren Zaren has retired from C.A.S.T., and only Stroik continues working toward getting things accomplished.
Meyers will send a draft to Mike Staggs asking to put oxygen requirements into the tournament permit request. He also added that he will state that permit requests require mandatory training before issuance to insure that tournaments are correctly and safely run.
Look for a DNR Advisory Board Question in the 2011 Spring Hearings asking if all lakes in southeast Wisconsin should have a 3 walleye 18 inch bag limit. At this time, there is absolutely no biological reason for this regulation.
Mike Staggs, Director Bureau of Fisheries Management, WDNR, unable to attend in spring was not able to attend this fall due to end-of-the-year state budget restraints.
Our March 29, 2011 statewide spring meeting is scheduled for Gander Mountain in Franklin, WI where attendees normally get a discount. This is the third Saturday of the month. Mark your calendars.
For representation, member clubs MUST send their delegates. New member clubs are always welcome as are new individual and business members.
Respectively submitted,
L.A. Van Veghel
WCSFO Secretary & Media Director
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
2010 Angler Education Workshops
These workshops focus on teaching basic spincasting and incorporating related topics in a K-12 curriculum. School teachers, fishing club members, and community youth fishing program leaders are invited.
Please check back from time to time for updates to this schedule. Unless otherwise noted, all workshops are free of charge and include lunch or dinner, however, we do have a $15 workshop commitment fee to ensure good attendance by registrants. Please arrive a few minutes early to settle in so that we may begin on time. If your plans change, please notify us so that we may plan accordingly and refund your workshop commitment fee. Pre-registration is required.
To schedule a volunteer or teacher training workshop in your community, please contact Theresa Stabo, Aquatic Resources Educator, (608) 266-2272. We need a minimum of 8 to 12 adult participants, depending on location, to hold a workshop.
General Angler Education Instructor Training
No general workshops are currently scheduled. We'll post them as we learn of the details.
Teacher Conferences
Look for us at teachers' conferences!
Photo: Instructors-In-Training test sample non-lead sinkers at a Rhinelander workshop.
Green Bay Great Lakes Spotted Musky Management Plan Meeting
December 2 – DNR Fisheries Staff will present the Draft Green Bay Great Lakes Spotted Musky Management Plan from 6-8 p.m. in the Auditorium at the Brown County Central Library, 515 Pine St., Green Bay. The purpose of the meeting is to review and get feedback on the draft management plan for the Green Bay muskellunge fishery and re-establishment program. The draft management plan identifies fisheries objectives, strategies and management recommendations to achieve the previously established goals for the fishery. For more information, please call David Rowe (920) 662-5480 or Mike Donofrio (715) 582-5050.
Southern Lake Michigan Fishing Report: November 15, 2010
-
Kenosha Co.
- No report.
- Racine Co.
- On the Root River in Racine fishing remains relatively decent. Water temperatures are in the mid-40s, clarity is good, but water levels are low. Most anglers have been picking up coho salmon and brown trout. Catches of steelhead have been limited, and most have been taken downstream from the weir. Fish have been caught on both spawn sacs under a bobber and on medium sized, brightly colored flies. Fish were processed at the Root River Steelhead Facility on Monday, November 8, and an additional 34 chinooks, 262 coho, 50 rainbows, and 2 browns were passed upstream. So far this season, DNR crews have spawned 756 coho at the Root and collected over 850,000 eggs. The facility will be shut down on Tuesday, November 16.
- Milwaukee Co.
- In Milwaukee shore fishing has been relatively slow along the lakefront. In the Milwaukee River browns and steelhead have been seen downstream of Capitol Drive, and egg sucking leeches and yarn have both been effective for fly anglers. Water levels are low and fishing has been slow on the Menomonee River and Oak Creek.
- Ozaukee Co.
- In Port Washington, shore anglers have been catching a mix of rainbows and browns on skein in the north slip and near the power plant. Fishing on Sauk Creek has been slow, and water levels are very low.
- Sheboygan Co.
- In Sheboygan anglers on the Sheboygan River have been catching a mixed bag of coho, rainbows, and browns between Esslingen Park and the Kohler dam. A few northern pike have been taken as well. Most anglers have been fly fishing, but a few fish have been taken on spawn sacs also.
Lake Mille Lacs walleye regulation to change Dec. 1
(Released November 15, 2010)
Walleye anglers who fish Lake Mille Lacs are reminded that effective Dec. 1, the regulation allows them to keep four walleye up to 18 inches, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
All walleye between 18-and 28-inches must be immediately released. One walleye more than 28 inches is allowed in possession.
Information about fishing regulations is available online.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Gamefish on the humps
Humping For Late Fall Open Water Gamefish
A cold wind crept down his back, but he did his best to ignore it. He knew soon 
He continued to cast…retrieve…cast…retrieve. The repetitive motion helped keep him warm as did a thermos of hot coffee. He made a well-honed cast toward and just beyond some broadleaved aquatic plants and began his retrieve.
Paul Redel with a typical largemouth that hit his special balloon tipped Mepps inline spinner.
Photo: Courtesy Paul Redel
Lawrence Van Veghel
Milwaukee Fishing Examiner
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