04-27-2005, 09:42 PM
Anglers invited to participate in fishing rules meeting
LITTLE ROCK - Recommended changes for Arkansas fishing regulations for 2006 will be discussed at a dozen public meetings around Arkansas in May. Anglers are urged to attend and voice their opinions on the proposals as well as offer any additional input they choose.
The input meetings are part of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission's regulations-setting process, according to Mike Gibson, chief of fisheries. "Our staff members make suggestions and we take recommendations from the public. These will be reviewed by the Commission's Regulations Committee, then the rules for the next calendar year will be set by the Commission at its August meeting," Gibson said.
Most of the rule changes suggested by the AGFC staff pertain to specific waters. The proposed changes include:
Eleven Point River, 14-inch minimum length and two fish a day limit for smallmouth bass.
Greers Ferry Lake, increase walleye daily limit to six.
Beaver Lake and Table Rock Lake, extend walleye limits of 18-inch minimum length and four fish per day to tributaries of the lakes.
Gurdon Lake, reduce daily crappie limit to 15.
Lake Atkins, put a 16- to 21-inch protected slot limit and a daily limit of four, of which only one can be over 21 inches, on largemouth bass.
Make three-day resident and non-resident fishing licenses valid for 72 hours from time of purchase instead of from midnight to midnight.
Dardanelle city park ponds, Wells Lake at Fort Chaffee and Yell County Wildlife Association Pond, put and take fishing from the bank only.
Prohibit the sale of frogs for fishing bait.
Bull Shoals, Norfork and Greers Ferry Lake tailwaters, add “no other fishing devices shall be used to catch fish” to the rule limiting anglers to one rod or pole each.
Beaver Tailwater, improve put-and-take fishing and quality trout management using river-wide slot for rainbow and brown trout with a no bait zone.
Several other proposals apply to commercial fishing and to the raising and selling of turtles.
All the public meetings start at 7 p.m. Dates, locations and phone numbers are:
May 3 -- Brinkley AGFC Regional Office, 1201 U.S. Highway 49 North, Brinkley, 1-877-734-4581.
May 3 -- Hot Springs Convention Center, Room 205, 134 Convention Boulevard, Hot Springs, 1-877-525-8606.
May 3 - University of Arkansas-Fort Smith, Math and Science Building, Room 101, Kincade and 50th streets, 1-877-967-7577.
May 5 -- Russellville AGFC Regional Office, 1266 Lock and Dam Road, Russellville, 1-877-967-7577.
May 5 -- Greers Ferry Visitor Center, 700 Heber Springs Road North, Heber Springs, 1-877-470-3309.
May 10 -- McMullan Lecture Hall, Arkansas State-Mountain Home, 1600 S. College, 1-877-425-7577.
May 10 -- Monticello AGFC Regional Office, 771 Jordan, Monticello, 1-877-367-3559.
May 12 -- Rogers City Administration Building, 300 W. Poplar, Rogers, 1-866-631-6005.
May 12 - REA Building, 110 Crosstrails Road, DeQueen, 1-877-777-5580.
May 19 -- Camden AGFC Regional Office, 500 Ben Lane, Camden, 1-877-836-4612.
May 19 -- AGFC Jonesboro Regional Office, 2920 McClellan Dr., Jonesboro, 1-877-972-5438.
May 24 - AGFC Main Office, 2 Natural Resources Dr., Little Rock, 1-800-364-4263.
Anglers may bring their ideas to the meetings or they can send written comments to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, c/o 2005 Fishing Regulations, 2 Natural Resources Drive, Little Rock, AR 72205 or email [url "mailto
RBeckham@agfc.state.ar.us"]DRBeckham@agfc.state.ar.us[/url]. Deadline for comments is May 27.
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LITTLE ROCK - Recommended changes for Arkansas fishing regulations for 2006 will be discussed at a dozen public meetings around Arkansas in May. Anglers are urged to attend and voice their opinions on the proposals as well as offer any additional input they choose.
The input meetings are part of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission's regulations-setting process, according to Mike Gibson, chief of fisheries. "Our staff members make suggestions and we take recommendations from the public. These will be reviewed by the Commission's Regulations Committee, then the rules for the next calendar year will be set by the Commission at its August meeting," Gibson said.
Most of the rule changes suggested by the AGFC staff pertain to specific waters. The proposed changes include:
Eleven Point River, 14-inch minimum length and two fish a day limit for smallmouth bass.
Greers Ferry Lake, increase walleye daily limit to six.
Beaver Lake and Table Rock Lake, extend walleye limits of 18-inch minimum length and four fish per day to tributaries of the lakes.
Gurdon Lake, reduce daily crappie limit to 15.
Lake Atkins, put a 16- to 21-inch protected slot limit and a daily limit of four, of which only one can be over 21 inches, on largemouth bass.
Make three-day resident and non-resident fishing licenses valid for 72 hours from time of purchase instead of from midnight to midnight.
Dardanelle city park ponds, Wells Lake at Fort Chaffee and Yell County Wildlife Association Pond, put and take fishing from the bank only.
Prohibit the sale of frogs for fishing bait.
Bull Shoals, Norfork and Greers Ferry Lake tailwaters, add “no other fishing devices shall be used to catch fish” to the rule limiting anglers to one rod or pole each.
Beaver Tailwater, improve put-and-take fishing and quality trout management using river-wide slot for rainbow and brown trout with a no bait zone.
Several other proposals apply to commercial fishing and to the raising and selling of turtles.
All the public meetings start at 7 p.m. Dates, locations and phone numbers are:
May 3 -- Brinkley AGFC Regional Office, 1201 U.S. Highway 49 North, Brinkley, 1-877-734-4581.
May 3 -- Hot Springs Convention Center, Room 205, 134 Convention Boulevard, Hot Springs, 1-877-525-8606.
May 3 - University of Arkansas-Fort Smith, Math and Science Building, Room 101, Kincade and 50th streets, 1-877-967-7577.
May 5 -- Russellville AGFC Regional Office, 1266 Lock and Dam Road, Russellville, 1-877-967-7577.
May 5 -- Greers Ferry Visitor Center, 700 Heber Springs Road North, Heber Springs, 1-877-470-3309.
May 10 -- McMullan Lecture Hall, Arkansas State-Mountain Home, 1600 S. College, 1-877-425-7577.
May 10 -- Monticello AGFC Regional Office, 771 Jordan, Monticello, 1-877-367-3559.
May 12 -- Rogers City Administration Building, 300 W. Poplar, Rogers, 1-866-631-6005.
May 12 - REA Building, 110 Crosstrails Road, DeQueen, 1-877-777-5580.
May 19 -- Camden AGFC Regional Office, 500 Ben Lane, Camden, 1-877-836-4612.
May 19 -- AGFC Jonesboro Regional Office, 2920 McClellan Dr., Jonesboro, 1-877-972-5438.
May 24 - AGFC Main Office, 2 Natural Resources Dr., Little Rock, 1-800-364-4263.
Anglers may bring their ideas to the meetings or they can send written comments to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, c/o 2005 Fishing Regulations, 2 Natural Resources Drive, Little Rock, AR 72205 or email [url "mailto
RBeckham@agfc.state.ar.us"]DRBeckham@agfc.state.ar.us[/url]. Deadline for comments is May 27.[signature]