Do you think the proposed Native Spearing will have a affect on Tomahawk`s tourism business this coming year?

ODDS BODKINS!

A week has passed , and not one comment.

Not much.

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"There are two parties in politics: Republicans and Democrats. Republicans have bad ideas, Democrats have no ideas." - Lewis Black

The Native AMerican spearing wreaks more havoc, farther north. The Minocqua, Lake Tomahawk, Boulder Jct, St. Germain, etc. areas. ALthough, with the ice not off the lakes right now, is wreaking havoc on their spearing.
As always, most of the sports fisherman and anglers are not happy about the spearing and the bag limits. But the fishing and tourism has pretty much been ruined up here for numorous reasons.

Having a one walleye bag limit is like closing down the season on a body of water. Sure, if you have a cabin on the lake you might fish it, but no way would anyone travel far or even by bait with those kinds of restrictions. It just wouldn't be worth the effort. This will hurt everyone from the resort owners to the casino owners. Will be interesting to see if quotas remain where they are if spearing gets pushed back to coincide with the opener because of all the ice still on area lakes.

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Gone Fishin'

Most people I talk to have mixed feelings.
If they are die hard walleye fishermen, they are very upset!
But, most go after all kinds of fish, and said they don`t think it will be a big deal.

I think there should be better ways to get back at $cott Walker. Which I believe is the reason behind the proposed increase in spearing.

I don't think it effected tourism in past but really don't know. since walleye hens are allready containing roe in Dec. that fish if caght by an icefisherman is lost to spawning anyway.

Oldie83, Are you kidding? It absolutely has ruined fishing in the past. Why do you think all the mom & pop resorts have shut down, and sold off in the past 20 yrs? It's because of the lack of fishing. Due to regulation and spearing. They were not making any money anymore. Families are no longer interested in taking a week long family vacation with the kids and go fishing. If they are, they might take them up to Canada.

Also, getting back at Walker has nothing to do with it, they always overspear and go over their desinated bag limits.

Might have a bit more to do with the fact that the typical family vacation has changed considerably in the last 20 years and property values have made even successful resorts difficult, if not impossible, to sell whole. Say you have a small resort you've been running for the last 20 years and you want to retire. You can try to sell it whole and hope you find someone that thinks they can charge enough to pay all the bills, their loan and taxes or they can sell the individual cabins, a much easier sell, for more money. It's a financial no brainer to just sell the cabins off to people that want to own their own little piece of the Northwoods. That's also what's happened to many of the campgrounds, etc. The land is too valuable for anyone to be able to make any money running a business on it.

I pretty much agree with you Kerry.

If the land is holding those high values but the fishing has gone to pot enough to where it no longer draws enough fisherman vacationers, then it must be something else that is keeping land values so high.

I can also remember when the resorts were a summer time only business. Back before the snowmobiles they closed down for the most part right after Labor day. Now you have lot more people looking for lodging in the winter. Or has that too changed in recent years? I don't pay much attention to anything that happens outside once it falls below 60 degrees.

Something is keeping land values up. Anyone know what it is?

As for the one walleye limit, I am assuming that means you can only keep one. That can't possible effect catch and release. I am a big fan of catch and release. I have no desire to clean a smelly fish and cook it myself anymore. I have people that do that for me now. So do you. You can find them at Red Lobster or your local equivalents! lol

Kerry and Floyd Alvin,

I know. My in-laws owned a resort in Northern Wisconsin for 48 years. I also am a small business owner in Northern WI. I know how business works and economics too, I really do not need the education on it. I managed the resort for 10+ years. The point had to do with fishing and why it is no longer economical in the Northwoods.

Does anyone know when the sprearing "season" starts and ends, and what rules have to be followed?