news ·  weather ·  sports ·  community ·  job board ·  restaurants ·  station/bios ·  HDTV ·  what's on
newscasts  ·  more weather  ·  more info 13 sunrise ·  13 today ·  technology spot ·  wi journal ·  medical ·  e-news ·  featured links ·  elections ·  home
New Fishing Regulations Save Email Print
Posted: 5:51 PM May 15, 2008
Last Updated: 5:51 PM May 15, 2008

A | A | A

State lawmakers want changes in Wisconsin's new fishing tournament rules to address fishing groups' complaints.

The state Natural Resources Board passed regulations in January that limit boats in a tournament and require organizers to purchase permits.

The Assembly Natural Resources Committee asked for unspecified changes after a May 1 hearing.

State Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Director Mike Staggs says fishing groups complained about permit fees, letting wardens search live wells and size limits on traditional tournaments.

Staggs says the groups also complained about a ban on culling, or throwing back small fish and keeping large ones. He says lawmakers will have to address that in legislation.

He says he plans to present changes to the Natural Resources Board perhaps as early as June.

More Stories
NewsCenter 13 at Noon

State Warning Boaters About Debris in Flood Areas

Patriotic Water Parade

Keeping Pets Cool

Shooting in Milwaukee Kills Four

One Man Dead After Tour Bus Hits Van on I-94

Restaurants Struggling Along With The Economy

Truck Hits Parked Prairie du Chien Squad Car

Post Your Comments
First Name:
Location:
Enter Comments: characters left
Email (optional):
Email will not be displayed on site. For station contact purpose only.
Read Comments
Comments are posted from viewers like you and do not always reflect the views of this station.
Posted by: Les Location: Chippewa county on May 16, 2008 at 06:16 PM
Lets just ban tournaments. They just tear around the lakes with over powered boats so no one else can use the lake at the same time. Most fish released after being handled that much die anyway a total waste of the resource!

Posted by: Dave Location: Dane County on May 16, 2008 at 10:31 AM
This is just another example of the DNR out of control. There needs to be more checks and ballances of the DNR. I'am an avid hunter and fisherman and have been my whole life. I also believe in the DNR's purpose. To preserve our natural recorces. But over the last 20 years or so the DNR has lost all of it's common sense, and due regard for the Wisconsin people that use these recorces. most of the problems that have been effecting our recorces have come from outside the state. I hear very little if anything about the DNR doing anything about it. The regulation of these tournaments is a prime example of all of this. They should have stoped at some basic rules and regulation for some uniformity across the state. the users of these recources are not against rules, as long as they make sense, these do not. Most of these tournaments are organized by non-profit organizations. With a lot of these organizations the money raised is for preserving or improving a natural resorce.