For those that haven't seen it yet, IDNR is proposing a variety of possible rule changes that cover most anglers in the state in one form or another. Here is a short list of the more interesting items, including making the 3 hook ("A-Rig") rule permanent:
- Number of Hooks: Allow 3 hooks to be used on a sport fishing line instead of 2 and clarify that Alabama rigs and other similar devices can be used with no more than 3 hooks that have live bait or 3 artificial lures, or a combination of both. This is currently authorized by temporary rule and a permanent rule is needed.
- Dogwood Lake (Daviess County) largemouth bass size limit: Change the size limit for this lake back to the statewide 14 inch minimum size limit (it is 15 now).
- Kunkel Lake (Wells County) largemouth bass limit: Allow only 2 largemouth bass to be taken per day and be at least 18 inches long.
- Crappie size limit at Dogwood Lake and Hardy Lake: Add a new 9 inch minimum size requirement to harvest crappie at these two lakes.
- Muskie size limit change on Lake Webster, Backwater Lake, and Kiser Lake in Kosciusko County: Change the size limit from 36 inch to 44 inches for muskellunge and tiger muskellunge on these 3 lakes.
- Walleye/Sauger/Saugeye: Establish a 16” size limit for walleye north of State Road 26 on all public waters (lakes, impoundments, rivers, and Lake Michigan) with the exception of these 5 lakes: Lake George (Steuben County), Bass Lake (Starke County), Simonton Lake (Elkhart County), Wolf Lake (Lake County), and Wall Lake (Steuben County).
- Eliminate the minimum size limit for saugeye on all waters statewide, except for Huntingburg Lake (Dubois Co.) and Sullivan Lake (Sullivan Co.).
- Add sauger to the aggregate bag limit for walleye and saugeye (does not include the Ohio River).
- Sunfish: Establish a statewide daily bag limit of 25 (in aggregate) for all species of sunfish (includes species such as bluegill, redear, warmouth, pumpkinseed, green sunfish, and others).
- Catfish (both sport and commercial fishing): Increase the minimum size limit on channel catfish, flathead catfish, and blue catfish from 10 inches to 13 inches on rivers and streams statewide, except on the Ohio River;
- Allow not more than 1 channel catfish to be taken per day that is 28 inches in total length or longer in lakes and streams statewide;
- Allow not more than 1 flathead and 1 blue catfish to be taken per day that is 35 inches in total length or longer in lakes and streams statewide.
They are accepting comments either in 'support of' or 'opposed to' from now through Feb. 28. Go to the following IDNR webpage to make sure your input is heard. Once there, click on the PDF link for "DNR, Division of Fish & Wildlife Issues" to read all proposals. You will then need to register by creating a username and password (just like most fishing forums) in order to comment online.
This is your chance to express your opinion one way or the other and be part of the process to possibly change fishing regs in the state this go-round.
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