Newsmakers: Fishing Season Opens
Mike Staggs, fisheries director for the State Department of Natural Resources, previewed the fishing season that opens Saturday in a Newsmakers interview on May 3. Staggs said the number of anglers dropped over the last two years, reflecting weather and other factors, but said the most recent study found it a $2.75-billion industry that supports 30,000 jobs. Staggs said the number of anglers buying licenses who are under age 25 is increasing, the number in the 25-to-50 age bracket is decreasing, but more older residents are returning to fishing. The favorite fish of Wisconsin anglers are walleye and bass, but musky remains the trophy fish, Staggs said. He also said DNR is aware of a report last year that warned that brook trout populations could drop by 95% in decades, if water temperatures rise.
