Arkansas Game and Fish Looking at Changes in Trout Catch-and-Release

First posted on 04-16-2009

In a short meeting of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission today, commissioners were briefed on proposed fishing regulations for the 2010 season. Two of the proposed changes would include modifying or removing catch-and-release areas on the Norfork Tailwater and Sylamore Creek in north Arkansas.

AGFC fisheries chief Mike Armstrong told the commission that one proposal would move the upper boundary of the Norfork Tailwater catch-and-release area up to the bottom of Long Hole and lower boundary down to an island just above the confluence with the White River. The area will now cover about 2.7 miles compared to the previous one mile section.

The other proposed trout fishery change would completely remove the Sylamore Creek catch-and-release area. AGFC population samples, as well as data from the University of Arkansas, show that the area is not meeting expectations of increasing the abundance of larger trout.

Anglers will be able to provide input on the proposed fishing regulation changes during public meetings scheduled across Arkansas in May. The Fisheries Division will report the results to the May meeting to the Commission in June. A final list of staff recommended regulation changes for the 2010 will be presented at the July meeting with final approval coming in August. The changes will then go into effect on Jan. 1, 2010.

All the public meetings will start at 7 p.m. Dates, locations and phone numbers are:

May 5
AGFC Brinkley Regional Office
1201 Highway 49 North
Brinkley
(877) 734-4581

McMullan Lecture Hall
ASU Mountain Home Campus
1600 S. College
Mountain Home
(877) 425-7577

May 7
AGFC Monticello Regional Office
771 Jordan
Monticello
(877) 367-3559

May 12
AGFC Jonesboro Regional Office
2920 McClellan Drive
Jonesboro
(877) 972-5438
AGFC Camden Regional Office
500 Ben Lane
Camden
(877) 836-4612

AGFC Russellville Regional Office
1266 Lock and Dam Road
Russellville
(877) 967-7577

May 14
Bystates Justice Building
100 N. State Line Ave.
Texarkana
(877) 777-5580

May 19
Beaver Lake Regional Office
455 Dam Site Road
Eureka Springs
(877) 631-6005

Camp Robinson SUA Club House
331 Clinton Road
Conway
(877) 470-3309

May 21
Maurice C. Lewis, Natural Resources Complex
2 Natural Resources Drive
Little Rock
(800) 364-4263

Andrew Hulsey State Fish Hatchery Visitor Center
350 Fish Hatchery Road
Hot Springs
(877) 525-8606

Fishermen may bring their ideas to the meetings or they can send written comments to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, c/o 2010 Fishing Regulations, 2 Natural Resources Drive, Little Rock, AR 72205. Comments can also be sent by email to: . A brief outline of the proposed fishing regulation changes include:

*Add alewife and blueback herring to the list of fish that are not approved for use as bait. Blueback herring and alewife introductions have had negative impacts on reservoir fisheries in several states. This has prompted these species to be considered aquatic nuisance species in many states, including Tennessee.
*Rescind the largemouth bass catch and release regulation for Lake Ashbaugh and impose a largemouth bass daily creel limit of six fish.

*Removal of the Community Fishing Program restrictions from T.J. House Reservoir near Mulberry. The lake is the water supply for Mulberry and has been part of the AGFC Family and Community Fishing Program. City Officials want to remove the lake from the program because the lake has a large number of small bass.

*Increase the daily limit of catfish for bowfishers to half of the daily limit for the waters being fished. For bow fishers, this would increase the daily bag limit from two fish per day to five fish per day during the open season. This would align the bag limit of bow fishers with that of spear fishers.

*Allow use of artificial lures with barbed hooking points and treble hooks in special regulation areas on the Bull Shoals and Norfork Tailwaters.

*Ban the commercial harvest of all aquatic turtles.The Center for Biological Diversity, Center for Food Safety, Center for North American Herpetology, Center for Reptile and Amphibian Conservation and Management, Audubon Society of Central Arkansas and Arkansas River Coalition have petitioned the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and the Arkansas Department of Health under the Arkansas Administrative Procedures Act to repeal the commercial harvest of all freshwater turtles. The petitioners assert that the unregulated harvest threatens the viability of aquatic turtle populations and contaminants pose a serious threat to humans who consume turtles. AGFC staff will collect public comment on the petition during the fishing regulation public comment period.

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