Michigan Closed Bass Season

[J BASS]

Michigan has just passed a bill to open up the language on the law books for bass fishing in Michigan...
 

[nascar2428]

I'm all for the open season. When I E-mailed MDNR earlier this year, the response was that an open Bass season would be an enforcement issue for them. Because the almighty Walleye and Pike spawn in the same areas with the Bass. It's easier for them to have everything closed down. I'm not a tourney guy so I could care less whether it was a fully open season or catch and release from Jan, to last weekend of May. I just want the chance to fish as soon as the opportunity presents itself.

[ww2farmer]

NY used to have a closed.... As in you can't even fish for them until season opens.... type deal. In 2006ish (give or take a year, I don't remember exactly) they started allowing c+r only bass fishing on most waters, with artificial lures only, during the formerly closed bass season. Catch and keep, and/or tournament season begins the third Saturday in June, and runs until late November. I have seen no signs of it hurting the fishery. It gives us the opportunity to have fantastic recreational fishing during the prespawn period, yet still protects the fish from being harvested while they are spawning. Win for all IMHO.

[A-Jay]

I'm also in the No Closed Season corner.  C & R is fine - they can even have a Slot if they want to.

 

I believe that most bass anglers practice C & R any way.  As far as enforcement goes - I understand the dilemma.

 

But if I could be on the water right after ice out - bass fishing - I certainly would be.

 

A-Jay

[Marty]

 

NY used to have a closed.... As in you can't even fish for them until season opens.... type deal. In 2006ish (give or take a year, I don't remember exactly) they started allowing c+r only bass fishing on most waters, with artificial lures only, during the formerly closed bass season.

 

I'd been fishing almost 40 years at the time and when they opened things up for C&R that was the best thing that ever happened as far as I was concerned. It started December 1, 2006 and in the spring of 2007 I was keeping track and counted 80 keepers that I wouldn't have had without the rule change and at least 75% of them were shore fishing.

[somebassguy]

Closed bass seasons only exist in 4 states because they aren't needed. Fishing is good in Michigan because we have more freshwater resources with good habitat and clean water than just about anywhere on the planet. Our primary bass season hasn't changed in 43 years but our bass fishing sure has gotten much better since the mid to late 80's (when no major fishing regulation changes occurred).

 

A real good way to get an education on modern bass biology and fisheries management is to talk to people who make their living managing bass fisheries and populations. In the B.A.S.S. Nation we now have one of the best bass biologists in the country on staff full-time - Gene Gilliland. I talk to him as much as I can. To say anyone is 'very money connected to fishing' shows a misunderstanding about how fisheries management is financed - through fishing licenses and equipment purchases BY anglers (user fees and excise taxes related to the activity).

 

To have enough fisheries management budget you have to have enough anglers buying licenses, equipment and gas. To have enough anglers buying licenses, equipment and gas you need to give them access to good fishing waters and make it as easy to go fishing as possible. A real good start is to emulate other states that are successfully managing their bass fisheries AND providing the maximum fishing opportunity to complete the circle. In Michigan, fishing is a multi-BILLION dollar industry that directly supports over 40,000 JOBS. People like me and many of my best friends.

 

The people who care the most about the fish and game are the people who hunt and fish them (hunters and anglers who foot over 90% of the annual management bill) and the people who need healthy natural resources to keep their JOBS. I know every decision I make and every position I support or urge the various groups I'm active in to support directly affects my job, the jobs of many of my friends and my personal most favorite in the world activity - fishing. It also happens to be the favorite activity of most of my friends. The vast majority of the people I meet along the public meeting, citizens' advisory, policy change paths are doing so mostly as volunteers on their own time because they care enough to give their time back to the sport, the natural resources and the big picture that keeps hunting and fishing as protected as possible from the people and groups who go way beyond restricting opportunity unnecessarily to taking away our rights to hunt and fish completely.

 

Every major fisheries meeting and group of consequence knows the significance and importance of keeping the economics of fishing out in the open and clear. Anyone who doesn't understand why that is important needs to make an effort to find out why. Questioning persons, groups and agencies that do put an emphasis on the economics of fishing shows a need to seek more understanding about who our system of fisheries management works. I NEVER question anyone's motivation until I get to know them personally well enough to be sure I'm not judging them based on my own personal bias or interests verses what they actually say and do. I especially don't question or judge the people I see putting a great deal of their personal time into attending meetings, writings letters, email and papers, speaking at public meetings and joining committees, and generally vocally and publicly working for change and the betterment of hunting and fishing as a volunteer because just the fact that they are doing that in this day and age tells me they are probably at least trying to be well informed and to make the world a better place. Even if I don't agree with them all the time I give them credit for doing things not enough people do these days (just in my own opinion) - giving their own time freely to make a difference.

 

I know I started to back off on talking about the economics of fishing earlier this year because some people were claiming that since I'm a 'former bass tournament angler' I only care about money. This came up at several meetings from people who really don't know me personally at all. And then I realized that I was making the fatal mistake about caring too much about what uninformed persons think (or persons who just plain don't like any change or the change I'm working for, and look for any excuse to stop it). It's more important to care about what the people already on your side, and the people open to listening and learning think than what we call the 'unsavables' inside any change movement. Change is hard for most people. But those who volunteer to make a difference can't let that stop them.

 

It is critically important to the future of hunting and fishing to educate and discuss the complete economics of the industry. I know I have returned to the groups and ways of the others who don't forget that because I was listening to and thinking about the wrong people. If someone won't ever change their mind, or try to learn if they might be on the wrong track that's an unsavable. It's too important to the future of hunting and fishing to not do the right things all the time regardless of the occasional uncomfortable times.

 

Which means educating people in government, business and the public about the entire economics of fishing and hunting, and making it as easy as possible through increased public access and minimum absolutely necessary restrictive fishing and hunting regulations much heavier on scientific management than social management. Social management too often leads to 'doing something' that does nothing positive. It's been great the past 18 months to see more progress made in the right direction in Michigan than pretty much the 30 years prior. I hope it continues and I hope to see more people comprehend why this is so awesome for Michigan, bass fishing and our Natural Resources Economy.