Wisconsin Fishing Opener Looks Like It Could Be A Big One

Retailers, Tourism Officials Encouraged Ahead Of Opening Weekend

By
Josh Haroldson (CC-BY-NC)

Wisconsin tourism officials and bait shop owners say they’re reeling in a lot of business with anglers heading for inland lakes for the opening of fishing season.

The Wisconsin Department of Tourism’s Drew Nussbaum said they’re seeing a flurry of activity.

“We used to have concerns about the limits and that hasn’t even been an issue in the last couple years with the Walleye Initiative raising the amount of walleye that are available in the lakes” Nussbaum said.

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The DNR stocked 760,000 walleyes last year with plans to stock more than 800,000 this year. Barb Anderson with Triple-A Sport Shop in Spooner said she had at least 100 customers before noon Friday.

“Everything from fishing license, hooks, lines, sinkers, bobbers, fishing poles, nets, anchors for boats. It’s been a busy morning,” Anderson said. “I never know what the next guy’s going to want coming in the door.”

Fishing license sales in the days leading up the fishing opener have been down in recent years. But, sales were up more than 25 percent last year.

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