New Year Brings Changes

SPOTTED BASS LENGTH LIMIT GONE AT BEAVER LAKE

With the arrival of a new year, several changes in Arkansas sport fishing regulations have gone into effect, including removing the 12-inch length limit on spotted bass at Beaver Lake.

Most of the changes apply to specific waters. One is statewide. Bait fish now can be collected at night. This change came after requests by anglers and with the endorsement of the fisheries and enforcement divisions of the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission.

OTHER CHANGES

Lake Columbia removed the protected slot limit and reduced creel limit on largemouth bass the new daily limit is the 10-fish statewide limit but only one bass can be over 20 inches long.

Lake Hindsville discontinued the catch-and-release regulation on largemouth bass and returned to the statewide 10 fish daily limit.

Added Lake Bentonville, Paradise Lake near Jacksonville and Community CenterPond in northern Pulaski County to the Community Fishing Program regulations.

Lake Bentonville is an 11-acre reservoir in Benton County and is owned by the city of Bentonville. Paradise Lake is a 7-acre lake owned by the city of Jacksonville. Community Center Pond is a 1-acre pond owned by Tommy Majors who operates the land as North Pulaski Community Park. All three lakes now have a three-fish daily limit on catfi sh.

Added Monticello High School Pond to the Family Fishing Program. This is a 2-acre lake on Clyde Ross Drive that is owned by the Monticello School District.

Lowered White Oak Lake, daily limits of 50 bream and five channel catfish. The lake has been renovated extensively.

At Felsenthal National Wildlife Refuge, the 13-inch minimum length limit on largemouth bass has been removed on four small impoundments fished mostly by children, senior citizens, and mobility-impaired anglers.

Outdoor, Pages 7 on 01/09/2014

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