Inland fishing season kicks off Saturday and the DNR thinks it will be a good one.
Wisconsin waters are warming up and the DNR's Steve Hewett says all signs point to a good opening day. There should be good Walleye fishing in the Mississippi River and northern waters. Trout supplies look good as well.
There are approximately a million and a half licensed adult anglers in the state. Sixth highest in the nation. Hewett says the big change this year though is new rules aimed at preventing the spread of a deadly fish virus, VHS, from the Great Lakes to inland waters.
Those include a ban on using frozen dead fish such as smelt and herring for bait. Also no transporting live bait from outside the state and there are restrictions on moving water and live fish inland.
The virus doesn't harm humans but can wipe out ecosystems. Hewett says that's way there's such national and even international concern over keeping VHS in check.