As the hunting seasons begin to wind down, some of us begin looking towards the upcoming fishing seasons. I know trout season is still a long way off, but we ice fishermen are hoping to get out on a lake in the not-too-distant future. With the fishing season not far off, it’s also time to purchase that 2024 fishing license. I bought a lifetime license years ago, so I don’t pay much attention to buying a license, but for those who still need to purchase a license, you will be paying a bit more this year. A general resident adult license is now $27.97, which is up $2.50 from last year, and a trout permit is now $14.97, which is also up $2.50 from last year. The 2024 licenses are valid from Dec.1 to the end of 2024. Some dates to be thinking about: March 30 is the statewide mentored youth trout day and April 6 marks the beginning of the statewide trout season. By the way, fishing licenses make great Christmas gifts for family members.

Another bunch of regulations that are not new but often overlooked involve life jackets. All boaters must wear (that’s wear, not just have onboard) an approved life jacket from November 1 to April 30 on boats less than 16 feet in length or any canoe, kayak, or paddleboard. Children under 12 must wear them at all times in boats less than 20 feet in length. Another often overlooked regulation is that all boats over 16 feet must have a USCG throwable device (ring buoy, life ring, or buoyant seat cushion) on board. You might wonder who would be out on a boat in March and April. Well, in addition to the trout fishing opportunities in April, it’s also a great time to hit some lakes for some good deep water crappie fishing.

Also, this coming year, the Fish and Boat Commission will be more carefully regulating boats as they prepare to leave a lake. In an attempt to try to stop aquatic hitchhikers, boaters will be required to make sure their boats are clear of weeds, mud, or any other aquatic life. That includes checking anchor lines, lower motor units, trailer hitches and axles, props, lights, and any other areas or devices that might collect the unwanted hitchhikers. The commission also recommends that you drain your bilge and live well before leaving the area where you were boating. I prefer to keep my panfish catch in my live well until I get home, where I then drain it in the driveway; I’ll have to check to see if that’s approved. You should also be careful not to release any unused bait into the water you are fishing; if you don’t intend to use it again, take it home and dispose of it.

I’m sure some of these regulations and requirements are sometimes a bit distracting from our goal of fishing, but invasive plant and animal species are becoming an increasing problem throughout the country and even here in our state. It’s best that we all do what we can to help prevent some unwanted weed from taking over our favorite lake, and it’s already happening in some places.

Now, if we can just get some ice-cold weather for a while, some of us can start hitting the lakes. I’ll bet there’s a lot of people wishing for that!