MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources reminds the public of the second meeting in a series of four public meetings of the Lake Michigan Lake Trout Commercial Harvest Stakeholder Group to present information and gather public feedback on the Lake Michigan lake trout population.
The second public meeting is on Monday, March 20 in Cleveland, WI, and all members of the public are welcome to attend and participate.
Following a summary of the first meeting, the focus of this meeting will shift to lake trout mass-marking and movement patterns in Lake Michigan. The public can join in-person or virtually by registering via Zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYqc--przgoGNR2cbTRc4SfPOnKuigY9fdl. More meeting information can be found on the DNR’s Lake Michigan Fisheries webpage at https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/Fishing/lakemichigan/LakeMichiganLakeTroutManagement, including a recording of the first meeting.
Additional opportunities to provide input on and learn about Lake Michigan’s lake trout population will take place at Lakeshore Technical College’s Lake Michigan conference room:
* Tuesday, April 18, at 6 p.m. focused on Lake Trout Population and Forecast Models
* Tuesday, May 16, at 6 p.m. focused on Working Group Discussion and Input
You can find more information about these information sessions and public input opportunities on the DNR’s event webpage at https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/events or the Lake Michigan fisheries webpage at https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/Fishing/lakemichigan/LakeMichiganLakeTroutManagement.

SOURCE: Wisconsin DNR

APPLING, Ga. – La Crosse’s Tom Monsoor was one of 100 professionals making an early exit after Day 2 in the Major League Fishing Tackle Warehouse Invitational’s second event of the season on Clarks Hill Lake in Appling, GA, on Wednesday.
Monsoor (pictured) finished in 79th place, well out of the top 50 qualifying spots for Thursday’s final round. Monsoor was within reach of the finals with a five-fish limit weighing 12 pounds, 8 ounces for 57th place after Day 1. While managing another five-fish limit on Wednesday, his bag only weighed 10-13 for a two-day total 23-05.
Dakota Ebare, from Brookeland, TX, leads the way into Thursday’s final after bagging 18 pounds, 6 ounces on Day 2. He holds a 5-pound, 5-ounce advantage over second-place angler Spencer Shuffield, of Hot Springs, AK. Ebare has a 42-03, two-day bag, while Shuffield is at 36-14.
“I did terrible. Couldn’t find any fish. Had seven bites all day including the one I lost,” said Monsoor from his hotel Wednesday night. “And I only had 10 bites yesterday.”
Clarks Hill Lake is huge and features a plethora of fishing habitat. However, Monsoor, who eclipsed the $1 million mark in career winnings on the MLF tour early last season, had a dismal tourney to say the least.
“It was really disappointing, a tough tourney for me,” he said. “The weather was beautiful, 75 and nice, very nice.”
Monsoor was quick to add that he experienced poor practice for three days before Tuesday’s opening round, in addition to several days on the water weeks ago.
“I just never did figure it out. The fish moved because it warmed up from the first time I was here a few weeks ago,” he said. “And then I never really did find them this week.”
The 2023 MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitationals format features a roster of 150 anglers competing at each event for a top prize of up to $115,000 and an invitation to compete at REDCREST 2024 – the Bass Pro Tour championship for the chance to win up to $300,000.
The tournament marks the second of six Tackle Warehouse Invitational events this year and offers competitors a total season purse of more than $3.9 million. The field is also competing for valuable points to win the coveted Invitational Angler of the Year (AOY) title. The top eight pros in the Tackle Warehouse Invitational AOY standings at the end of the season receive an invitation to compete on the Bass Pro Tour.

State-licensed Minnesota anglers will have the opportunity to harvest a walleye 21-23 inches in length or greater than 28 inches throughout the 2023 open water season on Mille Lacs Lake.
A lower walleye harvest this winter and an improving walleye population are combining to allow this year’s more liberal regulations.
“We are pleased to see improvements in both the growth of adult walleye and survival of young walleye in Mille Lacs,” said Brad Parsons, fisheries section manager for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. “Those factors create the opportunity for anglers to have a continuous harvest season in 2023.”
Walleye regulations will apply from the walleye opener on Saturday, May 13, until the end of the open-water season on Thursday, Nov. 30. Unlike recent years, there is no planned closure to walleye fishing or ban on using live bait during the first two weeks in July.
On opening weekend, fishing will be allowed 24 hours a day. Beginning Monday, May 15, the night fishing closure takes effect, and fishing hours on Mille Lacs Lake will be 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. for all species. From Saturday, June 3, through Thursday, Nov. 30, muskellunge and northern pike anglers using artificial lures or sucker minnows longer than 8 inches are exempt from the night fishing closure. Starting Friday, Sept. 1, the night fishing closure is relaxed, with angling hours being 6 a.m. to midnight.
“As always, we will monitor the factors that determine the state’s walleye take throughout the open water season,” Parsons said. “If conditions warrant, we will adjust regulations, either to allow additional opportunity if harvest is especially low like it was in 2022 or tighten regulations if harvest exceeds our projections.”
The DNR and the eight Ojibwe bands that have treaty fishing rights under the 1837 treaty agreed Mille Lacs could sustain a state harvest of up to 100,300 pounds of walleye this year, an increase of 20,000 pounds from 2022. Adult walleye grew well in 2022, and year classes of younger walleye in the lake have the potential to contribute to the fishery in the future. Harvest levels are set annually, and may be lower or higher in subsequent years.
“The lake has been in a state of change since the 1990s. As the water started to clear, we began seeing warmer water temperatures. Change continues with the introduction of invasive species such as zebra mussel and spiny water flea,” Parsons said. “We will continue to monitor the lake to see how ongoing changes will influence the fishery.”
This year’s winter walleye harvest was 4,300 pounds. Lower catch rates for anglers due to abundant forage in the lake combined with poor ice conditions in the early season were responsible for this winter’s lower harvest. That drop in walleye take gave the DNR more flexibility to implement open water harvest opportunities this coming season.
The northern pike population in Mille Lacs is healthy, and harvest of fish under 30 inches is encouraged for anglers looking for another option to bring home a meal of fish. Mille Lacs is also home to a smallmouth bass population that opens to catch and release angling on May 13, with harvest of fish less than 17 inches allowed starting on Saturday, May 27.
“Our goal with regulations for all species is to offer fishing opportunities while also keeping in mind the long-term sustainability of the lake,” Parsons said.
More information about fishing regulations on Mille Lacs Lake, ongoing DNR management and research, citizen engagement and Mille Lacs area recreation opportunities is available on the DNR website at mndnr.gov/millelacslake.

SOURCE: Minnesota DNR

APPLING, Ga. – La Crosse’s Tom Monsoor is in a three-way tie for 57th place after Tuesday’s Day 1 of the Major League Fishing Tackle Warehouse Invitational’s second event of the season in Appling, GA.
Monsoor caught a five-fish limit weighing 12 pounds, 8 ounces.
However, Day 1 of Toyota Stop 2 presented by Lowrance at Clarks Hill saw numerous pros catching fish and more than 30 catching better than 14 pounds.
Dakota Ebare, from Brookeland, TX, weighed in 23-13 to put himself more than 5 pounds ahead of runner-up Travis Harriman, from Mount Ida, ID.
The 2023 MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitationals format features a roster of 150 anglers, competing at each event for a top prize of up to $115,000 and an invitation to compete at REDCREST 2024 – the Bass Pro Tour championship for the chance to win up to $300,000.
The tournament marks the second of six Tackle Warehouse Invitational events this year and offers competitors a total season purse of more than $3.9 million. The field is also competing for valuable points to win the coveted Invitational Angler of the Year (AOY) title. The top eight pros in the Tackle Warehouse Invitational AOY standings at the end of the season receive an invitation to compete on the Bass Pro Tour.
Monsoor finished 36th in Clewiston, FL, in early February. His three-day total catch weighed 45 pounds, 1 ounce, including daily weights of 18-08, 14-03 and 12-06. While Monsoor slipped from 25th to 29th to 36th place during the week, he still collected $8,000 for his efforts.
Monsoor could not be reached for comment.

MADISON, Wis. – The Department of Natural Resources reminds the public that as March’s warmer temperatures and spring showers move in, Wisconsin’s winter ice cover on lakes moves out.
The lake ice that supported vehicles, fishing shelters and snowmobiles becomes more unreliable and dangerous as temperatures fluctuate between above and below freezing.
“Ice thickness changes at an alarming rate,” said Lt. Jacob Holsclaw, DNR Off-Highway Vehicle Administrator. “That could trigger a split-second and possibly fatal dunk for anglers, snowmobilers and other outdoor enthusiasts unless safety steps are followed.”
Here are a few basic ice safety tips to remember:
* Carry a cell phone, and let people know where you are going and when you’ll return home.
* Wear proper clothing and equipment, including a life jacket or a float coat, to help you stay afloat and to help maintain body heat.
* Wear ice creepers attached to boots to prevent slipping on clear ice.
* Carry a spud bar to check the ice while walking to new areas.
* Carry a few spikes and a length of light rope in an easily accessible pocket to help pull yourself – or others – out of the ice.
* If you fall in, remain as calm as possible. While attempting to get out of the water, call for help. Anyone who attempts to rescue you should use a rope or something similar to avoid falling through themselves.
* Do not travel in unfamiliar areas or at night.
“Remember to check ice conditions with local sources,” said Holsclaw. “Bait shops, outfitters and other anglers can provide recent information regarding ice conditions. And please remember that driving on late-season ice is a bad idea.”
The fast-approaching spring also signals the time to remove permanent ice shanties off of the ice. Anglers should know their shanty removal deadlines, as some have passed. The remaining ice shanty removal deadlines are:
* Inland waters south of Highway 64 by March 5
* Wisconsin–Michigan boundary waters by March 15
* Lake Michigan, Green Bay, Lake Superior and inland waters north of Highway 64 by March 19
Portable ice shanties can still be used after these dates, so long as they are removed from the ice when they are not actively in use and at the end of each day.

SOURCE: Wisconsin DNR

APPLING, Ga. – La Crosse bass professional Tom Monsoor enters the second Major League Fishing Tackle Warehouse Invitational event of the season in 36th place.
Tuesday’s MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitational is on Clarks Hill Lake in Appling, GA.
The 2023 MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitationals format features a roster of 150 anglers, competing at each event for a top prize of up to $115,000 and an invitation to compete at REDCREST 2024 – the Bass Pro Tour championship for the chance to win up to $300,000.
The tournament marks the second of six Tackle Warehouse Invitational events this year and offers competitors a total season purse of more than $3.9 million. The field is also competing for valuable points to win the coveted Invitational Angler of the Year (AOY) title. The top eight pros in the Tackle Warehouse Invitational AOY standings at the end of the season receive an invitation to compete on the Bass Pro Tour.
Monsoor finished 36th in Clewiston, FL, in early February. His three-day total catch weighed 45 pounds, 1 ounce, including daily weights of 18-08, 14-03 and 12-06. While Monsoor slipped from 25th to 29th to 36th place during the week, he still collected $8,000 for his efforts.
This week’s stop on Clarks Hill Lake has played host to many MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) events over the years, but this event marks the first time the fishery has hosted a professional-level MLF event.
What makes this week’s tournament even more intriguing is it could provide some heavy bags. February and March have produced consistent weights on Clarks Hill through the years. So, while the potential to catch a really big bag is there during the spawn, anglers are likely to see really good fishing this week.
However, weather will be a definite factor as the pros could see  snow, or it could be 70 with the fish moving up to spawn.
Anglers will also have a variety of habitat to fish on the massive lake, including  ditches, creeks, timber and docks with different choices of water clarity.
Monsoor could not be reached for comment on Monday.