Public Input Sought on Wisconsin Panfishing; Balsam Lake Meeting Set for March 18
OutdoorHub 03.15.13
Barron and Polk county anglers and others are invited to share their preferences and expectations for panfishing in Wisconsin.
“Panfish are undoubtedly very important fish to Wisconsin anglers,” said Aaron Cole, DNR fisheries biologist. “Anyone interested in panfish should not pass up this great opportunity to get out and discuss the future of panfish management in Wisconsin. We are really looking forward to hearing what local panfish anglers have to say.”
The meeting will be held at the Polk County Government Center’s east conference room, 100 Polk County Plaza, Monday, March 18 at 7 p.m.
The Balsam Lake public meeting is one of the 28 being held in February and March by the DNR’s fisheries managers to discuss the future of panfish management in Wisconsin.
“Panfish are undoubtedly very important fish to Wisconsin anglers,” said Aaron Cole, DNR fisheries biologist. “Anyone interested in panfish should not pass up this great opportunity to get out and discuss the future of panfish management in Wisconsin. We are really looking forward to hearing what local panfish anglers have to say.”
The evening’s agenda includes a brief presentation about long-term trends in panfish size and numbers. Attendees will be asked to fill out a short questionnaire and/or discuss how they view the panfish populations in their area, what they would like to be different, and what they might be willing to give up in exchange for improvements in panfish size or numbers.
The panfish questionnaire and background materials presented are now also available online by going to the DNR home page, dnr.wi.gov, and do a keyword search for “panfish plan.”
Panfish account for nearly two-thirds of all fish caught in Wisconsin, according to a 2006-7 mail survey, with nearly half of all panfish caught being kept for the table. The DNR has long had management plans in place for game fish species such as walleye, bass, musky and northern pike, and biologists and some anglers believe such attention is necessary for panfish.
