Walleye swimming in the Peshtigo River in Peshtigo, April 2, 2021. PC: Fox 11 Online
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Opening day is just around the corner for inland sport fishing. The Department of Natural Resources has some reminders about new rules and regulations.
One of the biggest changes, according to the DNR, is a change in the daily walleye bag limit on most inland lakes, to three.
“For those folks who are used to fishing in the northern third of Wisconsin, you have already been under the three bag limit for several years, at this point. So, you’re used to this,” said Justine Hasz, DNR Fisheries Management Program Bureau Director.
Justine Hasz says the new regulation doesn’t include the Great Lakes, nor the waters of Green Bay. At Smokey’s on the Bay Bait Shop, owner Jeff Tilkens says the change is needed.
“They should put that three walleye limit on the Bay of Green Bay. Instead of having five over 15, they should be three over 15. We got to conserve our population of fish. Let them grow. Let them go, instead of harvesting so many,” said Jeff Tilkens, Smokey’s on the Bay Owner.
Another change involves requiring those who run small fishing tournaments to register with the DNR. Hasz says it comes down to accountability.
“This is really to capture some of these tournaments, that happen every Wednesday, and there’s only 15 boats participating. There was a lot of questions, a lot of concerns about the use of waters by tournaments that were not permitted,” she said.
“If you have these tournaments, and sometimes the boat launches get a little packed up, and stuff like that. But it’s only fair to let people, the general public know, that there’s a tournament going on, and what they’re doing out there,” said Tilkens.
“It’s been a big change,” said Hasz.
“We have had several hundred tournaments actually already register in the new system. And we’re looking forward to gaining some insight and information from how well our fisheries are used by these smaller fishing tournaments,” she said.
The general inland sport fishing season kicks off Saturday, May 4.
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