Late spring to impact fishing opener
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By Mark Gunderman
mark.gunderman@lee.net
Friday, May 2, 2008 9:20 AM CDT
Department of Natural Resources Area Fish Manager Joe Kurz planned on being on Lake Altoona working on a fish population survey a couple of weeks ago. Instead, he spent this week trying to catch up.
A small matter of lingering winter ice kept him from getting started.
Kurz and his crew weren’t the only ones who noticed that the water is a little colder than usual as April turned into May. Several species of fish noticed, too, and fishermen heading out for the opening weekend of the open water season Saturday will notice, too.
How much, of course, depends on where the individual angler goes.
“We’re ice-free down here, but the big question is what’s going on in northern Wisconsin,” Kurz said last Friday.
Lakes in the Hayward area and elsewhere still had ice on them this week. But even if a lake is ice-free, water doesn’t start to warm up until the ice is gone, and that’s what triggers spawning patterns.
“It’s all temperature-dependent,” Kurz said.
For a typical opening day in Chippewa County, for example, the walleye are done spawning and are not very active. This year, because of the long winter, it’s uncertain where the walleye will be in their spawning cycle on some waters.
Now, on impoundments behind dams like Lake Wissota and Lake Holcombe, the inflow of river water and the high water tend to warm the water faster than what would be seen on other inland lakes.
On some lakes, Kurz said, “Walleyes have just started to spawn, and they’re not going to be done. Walleyes are still going to be spawning opening weekend.”
On other waters, they will be done, and will be in post-spawn as usual.
“We’re at least a week behind,” Kurz said. “Long Lake is probably two weeks behind — at least a week and a half.”
A thermometer may help some fishermen. Kurz said northern pike are always the first to spawn, followed by the walleyes when the temperatures reach the mid-40s. The perch spawn at the high-40s, the muskies at the mid-50s to low-60s, crappies at the mid-50s. The bass spawn later, with the smallmouth preceding the largemouth.
Of course, none of this means anything to the fisherman who doesn’t know how spawn patterns affect biting and fish location patterns. Even the fish in the so-called post-spawn doldrums can be caught, Kurz said.
“They’re feeding, but won’t be as active because of the energy expended spawning,” Kurz said.
So analysis of late springs, spawning patterns and weather systems aside, it may all come down to angler skill, and a little bit of luck.
Same as usual for a Wisconsin fishing opener.
New regulations
By now anglers are used to the changing regulations of bag limits and size limits, sometimes varying from water to water. But this year, the big change in regulations is in a DNR focus on preventing the spread of disease and the spread of the invasion of exotic plant and other aquatic species.
“There’s no doubt anglers move things around,” said Bill Schwengel, conservation warden supervisor with the DNR.
Concern over the transporting of species like zebra mussels and Eurasian milfoil remain, but what the state really wants to stop is the VHS disease that is already in the Fox River Valley area. It is to fishing what CWD is to deer hunting.
The DNR has new regulations aimed at stopping the spread.
“The general idea is you can’t move water, plant or animal tissue from one body of water to another,” said Schwengel.
Boaters are again reminded to check their boats when they come off the water and again when they launch to make sure invasive species are not attached to the boat or trailer. Live wells should be emptied after each trip, and preferably disinfected. Those rules have been around for a while.
Ice fishermen were introduced to new rules that prohibited them from transporting any live fish off of the ice — including minnows and caught fish. Any minnows brought onto the ice for a fishing trip had to be left behind on the ice.
Regulations that went into effect April 4 relax the rules. Open water fishermen can move minnows purchased from a licensed bait dealer off the water, but should be careful to avoid transporting lake water from one water to another.
“The bait dealers do get certification. We look upon them as low risk as far as spreading VHS goes,” Schwengel said.
Fishermen should consult the regulations booklet for a complete description of the new rules and DNR concerns. Schwengel said it is a new focus of the DNR, and this year interns will be employed at boat landings to educate the public about the concerns, with some interns having enforcement powers.
It’s a good idea to take the rules seriously. The penalty for transporting live fish away from waters or shores of restricted waters, except for minnows in up to two gallons of water, is $329.
Failing to drain water from boat, trailer or equipment before transporting away from water or shore is $228.50
Launching a boat with aquatic plants attached costs $154.50.
One other new regulation of note is a requirement to use artificial lures and barbless hooks during the catch-and-release bass fishing season (May 3 to June 20) in the Northern Bass Zone, north of Highway 64 and east of Highway. 27 in our area.
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