New rules.

[Nailer]

I copied this from another site.

Department of Natural Resources Director Rebecca Humphries signed fisheries orders that extend the spearing season through the ice for pike and muskellunge in certain waters, extend the whitefish spearing season on the Great Lakes and connecting waters, allow all anglers to use three rods, and establish a two-gallon limit on smelt.

The spearing season for pike and muskie will now run from Dec. 1-March 15, instead of just January and February and the whitefish spearing season will now be open year-round. The new seasons are the result of legislation enabling the DNR to set spearing regulations. These regulations take immediate effect.

Anglers have been allowed to use three rods when fishing for salmon on the Great Lakes for a number of years, but were restricted to two rods elsewhere and when pursuing other species in the Great Lakes. A survey of anglers showed overwhelming public support for three rods. The new regulation, which takes effect April 1, 2009, allows anglers to use three rods on all waters and in pursuit of all species, though the DNR retains the authority to reduce the rule to two rods if necessary.

The two-gallon limit on smelt, which historically have been unregulated, is designed to prevent waste during periods of high abundance and offer some protection to smelt as an important forage and sport species. The limit applies to both dip-net and hook-and-line anglers. This new regulation also takes effect April 1, 2009.

[1mainiac]

Well I don't spear fish or chase Smelt anymore so those 2 won't change my life however the 3 rod limit will make a big diff in my inland lake and river fishing especially for Walleye trolling. But for a lot of what I do it will still be 1 rod at a time as I remember my father in law pointing out that we were allowed 4 rods between us so he set out a 3rd rod and spent the next 2 hours jumping for pole to pole missing fish while I hauled them in. I told him several times they were hitting real light and to stick to one pole. When the evening was over I had caught close to 50 fish and had a nice limit he caught quite a few but we sorted out most of his. So there are still a lot of times I would not use the extra rods.

Was anything mentioned about changing the Salmon limits there was a lot of talk of making it a straight 5 fish trout limit on the great lakes ending the the 3 of one species rule? Since the new size and slot limit will help to protect the Lake trout it would be nice to not have to target lakers to fill the box esp for the big tournies. Since I don't eat Lake trout I allway toss them back if they look healthy enough to survive.

Tight Lines

Jim

[Nailer]

This was all that was posted .

I agree that three poles is too much to handle most of the time. It would be nice for open water fishing though.

[Paulywood]

The only way the 3 rod limit affects me is walleye trolling and ice fishing. Now I can set another tipup. I think the smelt limit is a good idea. I fish for smelt on Higgins Lake and there is no way guys spend the time to clean the 100's of smelt they catch. I think a lot go to waste. Hope the 5 fish flat limit for the great lakes is also in effect. I hate going in early but also hate throwing back fish.

[1mainiac]

When I was a kid our whole family used to go to the UP to smelt dip. Since I was too little to dip net I had to help clean em. They would get em by the thousands and we had to clean em and pack em on ice in the truck full of 55 gal barrels God I hated them I still won't eat them to this day. I don't think we wasted any of them one year we had a 25cuft freezer full of smelt and dad got a deer so we needed the freezer space. We ate Smelt for weeks and gave a bunch to the neighbors. We still had a lot of them to eat but I sure did not like em any more. Funny how you remember those things but anytime someone mentions Smelt I remember being cold and wet and cleaning em by the pailfull for hours and hours. But then I loved Head cheese untill my Great grandmother had me help her make it, one more item no longer on my food list.

Tight Lines

Jim

[Rayman96]

Here is the link to the new regs.............http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10371_10402-203142--,00.html

[Fishwhisperer]

But then I loved Head cheese untill my Great grandmother had me help her make it, one more item no longer on my food list.

Tight Lines

Jim

I looked at the ingredients on the package, the first time I seen it. Decided it wasn't for me.

[1mainiac]

True Randy but growing up around farms not much of anything we ever had came in a package. Chicken dinner meant kill it and pluck it first I knew the names of most of my meat till I was 17 and went in the Coast Guard Reserve. Every fall as a kid meant hauling livestock to my Great uncles farm to butcher was better than Thanksgiving.

[Priority1]

Isn't funny how a thread will wander. Love it.

When butchering a hog, the only thing that isn't used is the SQUEAL. Some of the products or practices go way back to a time when an extra few ounces of protein would make the difference of life or death.