State agency BAN of forward-facing and 360-degree sonar on the table

[WB Staff]

Recent move made by a state agency signals next-level concerns over forward-facing and 360-degree sonar.

FORESTVILLE, WI (April 10, 2024) – How can the Wisconsin DNR Spring Hearings potentially affect anglers nationwide? Because this round, they’re calling out fishing technology.

The Spring Hearings are part of a process that guides the Wisconsin DNR to make laws affecting the resources, and use of the resources, by the public. The process has been used for years, and although its effective, the general angling and hunting public need to pay close attention to what is being proposed…

The first step in the process is getting public input on questions concerning potential legislation. That first step is taking place now and the WI DNR is accepting online comments now. (And you do not need to be a Wisconsin resident to comment.)

Question #22 stands to be the most controversial amongst anglers. They read as such verbatim:

Background for Question #22: Ban live scopes and 360° imaging locations in Wisconsin waters (280123). With the ability of these types of units to detect fish as far as 180’ from the user, anglers have become more efficient at locating and catching fish. This type of pressure could reduce fish populations, which may lead to reduced bag limits for anglers.

Read it all: https://www.npaa.net/index.php?option=c ... e-coalmine

Question 22: Would you support banning the use of live scopes, and similar 360° imaging electronics in all Wisconsin waters?

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2024SpringHearings

[RMANZO]

lol. Why don’t we just ban hooks.

[tunaman]

How about basing any legislation on actual data, not ‘feelz’, and taking into account fish populations, creel counts, etc???

Good gawd, we are ruled by morons.

[Basssss]

[WRB]

Bass fisherman look at everything through our view point.
Midwest fisherman are primarily catching Walleye and Crappie with smaller groups targeting Musky and Bass. Walleye and Crappie are food fish, not catch and release.
Wisconsin does manage the fisheries a lot better then our DFW!
Passion wins over logic and I wouldn’t surprise me to see a ban on FFS-Livescope as it impacts a very small percentage of Wisconsin fisherman and settles controversy amongst the majority of anglers.
Back in the 70’s both Minnesota and Wisconsin banned Fish locators/sonar units for a few years.
Tomf

[tunaman]

So reasonable limits on those fish seem much more beneficial than trying to limit technology. Why should they let anglers catch buckets or trash cans full of fish if they’re worried about the resource?