Not long ago, I was about to take off from my local launch on Kentucky Lake when I saw a young guy standing on the shore next his kayak getting a talking to from a Fish and Wildlife official. I caught just a bit of the conversation, but it was enough to know the officer was giving this guy the gears for not registering his boat.
“I didn’t think I needed to register it since it’s a kayak,” I overheard the angler saying.
“You don’t need to register your kayak if it’s man-powered, but with a trolling motor it should be registered,” the officer replied. This rule was news even to me. The angler was getting off with just a warning when he started asking the officer, “Why are there was so many rules around fishing in this area anyways?” I’m sure the conversation continued long after I left the dock.
Which Fishing Regulations Affect Me?
It’s a common question among many newbie anglers. Which rules affect me, and why are there so many? Regulations vary state by state, so navigating the rules can be tricky. The simple answer is fishing limits, boating regulations and access rules are all maintained to conserve and improve fish populations. What benefits the fish, also benefits the angler. Let me explain. Fishing regulations typically come in three varieties: amount, size and season.
1 Limits on the Number of Fish Caught
Regulations covering limits on the number of fish caught keep fishermen from taking too many fish at one time and decimating a vulnerable population. Size limits are meant to protect fish of spawning size before they are caught. Fishing seasons protect fish during spawning, and limit the catch on heavily fished waters.
To come up with those limits, fisheries managers use fancy mathematic formulas to deduce how many fish are caught and how many reproduce. Most of this data actually comes from angler interviews and surveys. Fishing license and boat registration data are a valuable source of contact information for anglers and boaters, which is why it’s important to keep yours up to date. In some states, the registration fee also makes up a significant portion of the Fish and Wildlife budget, so anglers are paying for research and conservation to help protect our playground.
2 Regulations on Size
Because each aquatic ecosystem is unique, regulations vary by area, season and even year to year. For example, in my home state of Kentucky there is a 12-inch statewide size limit on largemouth bass. This allows the fish population to grow old enough to spawn and sustain itself.
Yet, even within Kentucky, regulations can change lake to lake, making it important for anglers to do location-specific homework before setting out. While Kentucky’s minimum size limit on largemouth bass is 12 inches, officials often set different limits on individual lakes.
Trophy lakes, like Kentucky’s Cedar Creek Lake, have a minimum size limit of 20 inches. Some bass anglers go their whole life without catching a 20-inch bass. But wall-hangers are regularly caught on Cedar Creek, making it a favorite destination for trophy hunters.
3 Slot Limits
Slot limits are also common. For instance, the state minimum size limit may be 12 inches, but Elmer Davis Lake has a slot limit of 12 to 15 inches. An angler may keep a largemouth larger than 12 inches but not longer than 15 inches.
Slot limits work best when the fish population has grown, but the size of the fish isn’t growing. Maybe the smaller fish are eating the food which should be helping the medium-sized fish grow. Officials will lift the slot limit after the population recovers.
Conservation isn’t just to help anglers catch more and larger fish. As bodies of water gain popularity, the commerce around the fishing spot grows. More tourists means more dollars for small, locally owned businesses, like outfitters, restaurants and hotels. Famous bodies of water appearing in televised tournament coverage and other media can quickly be impacted by an onslaught of trophy hunters, making regulations even more important. When those waters flourish, so do we.
Throw the little ones back, save more than a fish. | Feature photo: Dustin Doskocil
