The early catch-and-release trout season in Wisconsin, billed as a late winter survival tactic for some anglers, runs from 5 a.m. March 2 to midnight April 27.

The early season is for anglers who like to fool their prey with artifice rather than bait. It’s for people who think how they hook a trout is just as important as actually catching it.

These anglers fall into two main groups, spinner fishers and fly fishers. Spinner fishers, for instance, can reach into deeper pools on small, alder-choked streams that defeat fly casters.

While the best early-season fishing