Five live release fish records established

Five anglers have had their catches accepted in Wisconsin’s live release records program, the state’s newest big fish registry.

The fish — a 17.75-inch white bass, 8.25-inch pumpkinseed sunfish, 10.5-inch rock bass, 10.5-inch bluegill and 53-inch muskellunge — were caught over the last two months on Wisconsin waters.

The live release fish records program was initiated May 6 by the Department of Natural Resources.

The program uses a “catch, photograph and release” format.

To enter, fish must exceed a minimum qualifying length for the species. Then anglers must photograph the fish lying on its side against a ruler or other measuring device with the length number clearly visible. A separate photo with the angler holding the fish is also required.

The photos must be submitted with an application; all are reviewed by a DNR fisheries biologist prior to acceptance.

New entries must exceed existing records by at least 0.25 inch.

Fish must be caught by legal angling methods and released in good condition back into the same water.

Rod Eberly of Appleton was the first to have an entry accepted in the new program. He caught the 17.75-inch white bass May 8 while fishing on the Fox River in Brown County.

Eric Amenda of Germantown caught and released an 8.25-inch pumpkinseed sunfish on May 28 from Pleasant Lake in Waushara County.

The remainder of the records were: Dennis Wilkerson of Twin Lakes, a 10.5-inch rock bass on June 10 from Powers Lake in Kenosha County; Ben Halfen of Prairie du Sac, a 10.5-inch bluegill on June 16 from Reynard Lake in Bayfield County; and Jacob Holmstrom of Danbury, a 53-inch musky on June 24 from a Burnett County lake.

“We’ve heard from anglers over the years that they wanted an opportunity to get recognized for catching and releasing trophy fish, so we’re happy to say we have our first live release records on the books and look forward to many more,” said Justine Hasz, DNR fisheries director, in a statement released by the agency.

Minimum qualifying lengths have been established for 32 species in Wisconsin. They include 23 inches for largemouth bass, 22 inches for smallmouth bass, 52 inches for muskellunge, 13 inches for yellow perch and 30 inches for walleye.

Applications are available by visiting and searching “Live Release.”

DNR.wi.gov

Bird band reporting goes online: As of July 2, the U.S. Geological Survey’s “1-800 bird band” phone number, which allowed the public to report waterfowl bands, was discontinued and replaced by an online procedure.

The bands can now be reported at www.reportband.gov.

Even if the band features a “1800” number, it can be reported on the new website.

To report a band, you will need the band number (or numbers if the bird has more than one band).

After reporting a band, the U.S. Geological Survey’s Patuxent Bird Banding Lab will send you a certificate of appreciation via email that includes information about the sex, age and species of the bird, and where and when it was banded.

This information helps determine population size, direction of travel and survival rates of game and non-game migratory species.

For more information regarding waterfowl hunting in Wisconsin, visit dnr.wi.gov and search keyword “waterfowl.”