The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission heard a slate of proposed fishing regulations at its meeting Thursday in Little Rock, including several that could improve fishing quality on certain waters.
The commission will vote on the proposals at its next meeting Aug. 18 in Little Rock. If passed, they will be effective Jan. 1.
Ben Batten, assistant chief of fisheries for the AGFC, read 14 proposals to the commission, including three that address crappie fishing at Lake Atkins and largemouth bass fishing at Mallard Lake and Lower White Oak Lake.
The Lake Atkins regulation proposes establishing a 10-inch minimum length limit on crappie.
Citing a study conducted from 2012-2014, Batten said anglers are probably keeping too many crappie before they reach their size potential. Annual mortality rates for crappie at Lake Atkins are 70 percent to 82 percent, Batten said, and 63 crappie -- 1.7 percent of the sample -- were ages 2 or older. Establishing a 10-inch minimum length limit would increase the average size of crappie in the lake and maintain a high number of edible-size crappie.
The Mallard Lake regulation would reduce the protected slot length limit from 16-21 inches to 14-17 inches. Anglers would be allowed to keep just one bass larger than 17 inches. Batten said that Mallard Lake has a high-density bass population, and reducing the protected slot length limit is a way to encourage anglers to keep smaller bass.
At Lower White Oak Lake, a proposed regulation would establish a 15- to 18-inch protected slot length limit for largemouth bass. Anglers would be allowed to keep just one bass longer than 18 inches.
The AGFC has not allowed anglers to keep bass at the lake since 2012. The lake was restocked with bass in 2014, and the 2015 class of bass was the largest the lake ever produced. But the lake now has too many bass, and many fish are in poor condition. The regulation would encourage anglers to keep some small fish, as well as an opportunity to keep one trophy bass.
Other proposals include:
• Increasing the creel limit for striped bass at Lake Greeson from three to six.
• Implementing statewide creel limits for game fish -- except for crappie -- at Lester Sitzes Bois d'Arc Lake at Bois d'Arc Creek Wildlife Management Area.
• Clarifying the need for the AGFC to require a license to sell wild-caught fish.
• Clarifying the definition of "snagging."
• Clarifying that game fish cannot be possessed while gigging.
Commissioner Ford Overton of Little Rock challenged the need for this regulation. He said it is obvious to wildlife officers whether game fish have been taken by gigging, which is illegal. Batten said the AGFC's enforcement division requested the provision.
• Closing the White River to commercial fishing from the Newport Access to the Jacksonport Access.
Sports on 07/22/2016