Early Season Muskies

[Mat Hegy]

Just in case you didn't hear, It was brought to my attention again that the legislation to enact an early catch and release musky season in northern Wisconsin has been rescinded. All it takes now is the governors signature and it will go away. Even in the event that the governor doesn't sign the bill, there will be no early season this year because the DNR never acted on it or put anything in place to make it happen.

There has been a lot of heated argument on both sides, and as result there will be no happy ending here. The thought behind the bill was to boost the economy of the area in this weakening time. Now the people upset at this would only benefit from this bill too, due to added tourist dollars. As for the Muskies being harmed or disturbed during spawn, I believe that the Muskies would change there habits to avoid fishermen if they felt pressured, but I don't think they would not spawn. Most fishermen know that when Muskies are spawning they are spawning, not chasing or eating lures on a regular basis if at all. There has been many times a pair of spawning muskies have swam right under my boat unconcerned of the fact that we were even there. Finally I feel that the people that would be doing something dishonest like "snagging" Muskies as they sit in the shallows will continue to do so no matter what.

Now you may say I am not thinking of our fisheries after the statement that I just made, but a lot of the money that helps drive our fisheries comes from tourism, and the more tourism that we get the more attention our fisheries will get from the state. Equalling better fisheries for everyone down the road.