DNR panfish meetings

[LENNY]

Everyone, the DNR is planning to hold multiple public meetings on the future of panfish regulations. In my area, southwest Wisconsin it is March 7th, 7 p.m. at the DNR headquarters. Check out the DNR website under public meetings to find out where in your area. If possible try to attend whether you like the current rules or not because you never know what they have in mind and it will be too late after they change things.

[ice.ice.baby]

I bet they want to change the limit to 10. It already is 10 in St. Croix county. Maybe they should have a slot limit for bluegills. You can keep 24 under 7.5" and one trophy over 10.5". Ha ha!!!

[WeFish]

I am all for 10 fish limit plus a size limit on panfish on all Wis lake.

                                                                                      WeFish

[Ski Junkie]

Something more for the Wisc. DNR to totally screw up.
 

[RednckFishn]

I am all for 10 fish limit plus a size limit on panfish on all Wis lake.

                                                                                      WeFish

im with you

[pfscott]

IF that's what they are looking for, I guess it would depend on the lake.

[bassbull]

I have a lot of mixed feelings on the number of fish that you are aloud to keep as a limit. Over here on the Mississippi R., the river as a hole environmentally has gone down hill really bad. Between the wintering holes filling in and the beavers wrecking so many there isn't a lot of places for them to get out of the current anymore !!!! I think the DNR  should do more to fix the old wintering holes. It would help a lot more than restricting the limits on fish. If there isn't any fish there to catch it doesn't make a lot of difference in the end. They better start real soon because in ten years our so the won't have to worry about it because the younger generation isn't taking up the sport at all. I would say that is the direction they should put all there efforts in to get things back to where us old grampa's can take out the grand kids and catch some fish.

[Michaelo]

We need some kind of limit like 10 under 8 and 5 over or something. Fishing for panfishing has really diminished because people here about the spot that they are catching big panfish and they come and take home a bucket of 25 of them. We need a lower limit and why not issue out of state licenses? Its good for the economy let them spend the gas and the money to come fish here. I've fished in Minnesota before.

[pfscott]

Do we even know that a limit decrease is on the agenda?

[Perchand Destroy]

“why not issue out of state licenses?”
I live in Polk County, St. Croix County already has a 10 panfish limit. Both counties are adjacent to the Twin Cities. My primary perch lake right now is 5 miles from the border. On any given day 2/3 of the fisherman are from Minnesota. They don’t spend any money in the county, they just drive over and fish and leave. The population in these counties is 1/20th what it is across the border. We pay to have the lakes stocked, we pay for the boat ramps and lake maintenance only to have all the fish disappear. It is also ceded territory so none of the lakes have walleye because the tribe cleans them out every year. The current limits are up to 2 walleye over 18” All we have to fish here is panfish.

All a 10 panfish limit does is punish the residents for the behavior of non residents. A typical failed government policy that the ignorant can’t think through. I can see out of state licensing, but only for inland counties where the travelers are likely to spend some money.

[meier247]

I have a lot of mixed feelings on the number of fish that you are aloud to keep as a limit. Over here on the Mississippi R., the river as a hole environmentally has gone down hill really bad. Between the wintering holes filling in and the beavers wrecking so many there isn't a lot of places for them to get out of the current anymore !!!! I think the DNR  should do more to fix the old wintering holes. It would help a lot more than restricting the limits on fish. If there isn't any fish there to catch it doesn't make a lot of difference in the end. They better start real soon because in ten years our so the won't have to worry about it because the younger generation isn't taking up the sport at all. I would say that is the direction they should put all there efforts in to get things back to where us old grampa's can take out the grand kids and catch some fish.

agreed I fish pool 11 mostly and pool 12 all the way up to pool 3 for my flw bass tournaments and over the years everything has filled in. Most of the backwaters that I use to bass fish 2-3 years ago is so silted in I cant even get my boat back in there and most other backwaters are filled with lil pads and use to be around 5-8' now is barely 3.Its a joke out there. They don't dredge the river as much as they should. I seen them out there last year off the main channel dredging a lil bit off of finleys landing....it was about time cause it was getting so silted in that I think barges were going to start having a hard time getting through. And for me the limit I don't care....I don't eat or keep fish at all I release every fish I catch unless its huge and I want it mounted...so that don't bother me...but I think they should reduce it cause I know guys that go out catch 25 crappies eat them that night and go out the next day and do it all over again and along with bluegills....

[ice.ice.baby]

Do we even know that a limit decrease is on the agenda?

I just want to clear up something. I mentioned something about a ten fish limit earlier that may have started all of this. I was only surmising. I have no idea what the agenda is. The DNR website says something about wanting fisherman input. They could want to increase the limit for all I know, although I really doubt it. I do enjoy a good hardy debate though. I personally have only kept a dozen panfish this year. I know many folks who keep way more that they should and if that is what they need to help feed the family... o well. 

[littlesturgeonguy]

In the email i got it said if you can not make it to a meeting there is a survey you can complete. Here is the link to the survey.
http://5.selectsurvey.net/DNR/TakeSurvey.aspx?SurveyID=784Jn64

[ice.ice.baby]

Well based on that survey I'd say the panfish limit is definitely on the agenda.

[Ski Junkie]

Well based on that survey I'd say the panfish limit is definitely on the agenda.

Yarp

[LENNY]

Glad to see people energized by the conversation, whether you are for or against any possible changes, show up for a meeting or if you cant do the survey. If the DNR has it's opinion on what is wants to do they will most likely do it anyways. I for one like to express my thoughts when they ask, I even agree with them sometimes. Hope to see a big turnout.

[matt12]

me and some buddies have been talking about this alot.

same thing comes up every time tho. why dont we have the fish like the lakes in MN.. we all want to go west to find fish.   we spend so much money traveling to lakes in our area to find some kind of bite and decide it would be better to save our money and just do 2-3 trips to Mn. gets disgusting at times.

our lakes are so mis managed in wisconsin... rant off. ugh

[xcr440]

I would like to see the possession limit increased or taken away. Who cares how many fish you have in your freezer.

[eriksat1]

It's the people who abuse the possession limits by limiting out every day and filling there freezer. I think 25 is a fair limit, it is not that often you hit it just right where you can keep 25 nice eaters. I love to eat fish that is one of the reasons I fish, my wife and 2 daughters love to eat fish also, I seldom have fish in my freezer over 1 month. I save them up until there is enough for a nice fish fry, then go catch some more. I move to a lot of different lakes also, and don't like to hit one spot to hard. It is funny most of the places I really nail them I am fishing it all by myself, I don't follow the crowds. The thing is one day you can target Perch, another day you can target bluegill or crappie. I know all lakes can't handle extreme fishing pressure so I could see a lake by lake limit in certain area's. I guess I do feel sorry for those who fish in highly populated areas, but you can't just make a blanket statement for the whole state because certain area's get fished out.

[pipeboy98]

Well I live in st croix county and let me tell you ten is fine with me!  If I limit out with my wife or son...that's 20 I gotta clean.  If all four of us are out that's 40 we are allowed to take...who the hell wants to clean 40 panfish?  I'm not saying that I haven't....just that it's a giant pita!  Plus I have tip ups out and will usually take 2-3 northern too.  Every weekend I fish equals another fish fry at the house for those that don't ice fish.  There is never a shortage even at ten!  I only keep the ones bigger than my hands...and I've got plenty big hands.  Point is try to do the right thing...keep what you eat...eat what you keep...and clean your garbage off the ice.  Oh and try to introduce the next generation to the sport...I have more fun watching my 10 year old son rig his own line and chase tip ups, than I do fishing for my self now. 

[bearbgone]

I would like to see the possession limit increased or taken away. Who cares how many fish you have in your freezer.

I take it you are being sarcastic?

[eriksat1]

Well I live in st croix county and let me tell you ten is fine with me!  If I limit out with my wife or son...that's 20 I gotta clean.  If all four of us are out that's 40 we are allowed to take...who the hell wants to clean 40 panfish?  I'm not saying that I haven't....just that it's a giant pita!  Plus I have tip ups out and will usually take 2-3 northern too.  Every weekend I fish equals another fish fry at the house for those that don't ice fish.  There is never a shortage even at ten!  I only keep the ones bigger than my hands...and I've got plenty big hands.  Point is try to do the right thing...keep what you eat...eat what you keep...and clean your garbage off the ice.  Oh and try to introduce the next generation to the sport...I have more fun watching my 10 year old son rig his own line and chase tip ups, than I do fishing for my self now.

You are right, but I am most times fishing to feed 4 by myself. If I was with my 2 daughters I still would not want to keep more than 25 total between us when I am the one who has to clean them all.

[eriksat1]

I went bluegill fishing last week with my daughter and her boyfriend. I kept about 5 fish, they kept 29 bluegills between them. Then when it was time to go home he wanted to give me half the bluegills. I said no! You want to keep that many you clean them. I doubt they will ever keep that many again. I bet he was cleaning fish for 2 hours that night.

[xcr440]

I take it you are being sarcastic?

Nope. I normally get out 5-10 days a year on the ice. So I gotta get what I can. I have a family to feed. I aso only keep fish in the 10-14" range. I know many arnt like me. Highly doubt the procession limits will ever go up.

[eriksat1]

If I was worried about feeding my family I wouldn't ice fish at all. If I had all the money I spent on ice fishing to buy food I would need a deep freeze storage locker to hold all the store bought food.

[xcr440]

^^true!

[wax_worm]

I went bluegill fishing last week with my daughter and her boyfriend. I kept about 5 fish, they kept 29 bluegills between them. Then when it was time to go home he wanted to give me half the bluegills. I said no! You want to keep that many you clean them. I doubt they will ever keep that many again. I bet he was cleaning fish for 2 hours that night.

Someone needs some fish cleaning lessons if it takes more than 1 minute per gill start to finish.  All you need to know about the WISC DNR is how they botched the BASS elite series event last year.  Just a complete debacle with excuses that made absolutely zero sense.  Good luck if this group is the same ones making your panfish regs.

[eriksat1]

Ok maybe not 2 hours, but I think 2 mins per fish is more like it, that is still a solid hour without taking any breaks. An electric fillet knife could probably cut the time in half but I know he doesn't have one.

[pipeboy98]

You are right, but I am most times fishing to feed 4 by myself. If I was with my 2 daughters I still would not want to keep more than 25 total between us when I am the one who has to clean them all.

Don't get me wrong...I could care less how many fish anyone keeps to a point, but I'm just saying that cleaning 50-100 gills to fill a limit outside of stcroix county would be a giant pain!  Would be fun to try once though!

[Gillfisher]

Don't get me wrong...I could care less how many fish anyone keeps to a point, but I'm just saying that cleaning 50-100 gills to fill a limit outside of stcroix county would be a giant pain!  Would be fun to try once though!

It is anything BUT fun. It'll never happen to me again.