# Bass Regulations - what are yours ?



## Johnny

I have talked with a couple of the Fish and Wildlife officers
in my area about the dramatic change in our largemouth bass regs
this year...... they said the smaller sizes are overpopulated and the
larger ones are showing less numbers.
so this year, there is no minimum length and you can only harvest one that is over 16".
ever since I can remember, minimum length has been 15 inches with 5 total in posession. 
This year, there is no minimum length limit for largemouth bass.
daily possession limit is still five each.

so if you live in Florida or plan to visit and go fishing, it is most advisable
to pick up a fishing regulations book prior to wetting a line.






*have you noticed any changes in your area this year ?*



.


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## RedHatRedNeck

With the spawn about to hit and lake of the ozarks and Truman Lake being higher than they have for a decade or better it'll be interesting to see what happens. Predicting all the eggs will not be under water anymore not too long after they get placed. 

On another note: always been confused by a bass "season". How can you completely control what bites your hook? Can anyone with an actual season chime in on if they're just for keeping the fish or what they can/can't do "out of season"?


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## FormerParatrooper

In Illinois-

LARGEMOUTH BASS, SMALLMOUTH BASS, SPOTTED BASS:
Daily harvest limit is 6 bass, either singly or in the aggregate, except as specified under Site
Specific Regulations. In streams and rivers (excluding the main-stem of the Mississippi, Ohio,
including the Golconda Marina and Wabash Rivers) the daily harvest can contain no more than
3 smallmouth bass. In rivers and streams and their tributaries statewide, except for the
Mississippi, Ohio (including the Golconda Marina), Wabash and Illinois Rivers, Calumet River,
Lake Calumet Connecting Channel, Calumet Sag Channel and navigable portions of the Grand
Calumet River and Little Calumet River, all smallmouth bass must be immediately released
between April 1 and June 15.

Now where I fish in Illinois is a little place called Banner Marsh, there is a limit of 3 fish with a protected slot length of 12-18 inches with a daily harvest of 3. That is an aggregate of all Bass species, Large, Small and Spotted. 


As far as other fish, for Flathead Catfish on the Fox River from the Wisconsin border through the Chain O’ Lakes to the mouth at the Illinois River, including the Fox River tributaries. The regulation for this area allows harvest of 1 fish per day 28” or larger and 2 fish between 13” and less than 28”.

On the Wabash and Ohio Rivers, in cooperation with the states of Indiana and Kentucky, the new flathead catfish regulation is 1 fish per day 35” or larger and unlimited harvest between 13” and less than 35”. (Blue catfish in the Wabash and Ohio Rivers have the same regulation as the flatheads.)

In all three of the rivers listed, there is no harvest allowed under 13”.

Channel Catfish are now harvestable by Bow this year. 

And the Illinois DNR is trying to restock Alligator Gar. They have been gone in Illinois rivers since 1966. Rumor is, and it is just an interesting rumor, and that is the reason why the Alligator Gar are being restocked is to help combat the Asian Carp. I know Illinois is the land of scatter brain ideas, but I am sure that was not the intent of the restocking. 

If you are unaware of the Asian Carp issue, do a search. And I will say they are more than a nuisance, they eat the cover for other fish species driving up the mortality rate of every other fish. Pretty much any river connected to the Mississippi River is full of these nasty things. YouTube has some great video on them.


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## Captain Ahab

I have harvested ONE LMB in my state in my life - and that was because my nephew gut hooked a 4 lb bass so bad it was dead when he brought it in. 

I never even bother to look but for the sake of this thread I looked it up 


Lakes: 
1-1-17 to April 14 and Nov 1 to Dec. 31 - 4 bass over 15" (combined LM Sm and spotted) 

April 15 to June 16 CLOSED & No Tournaments allowed

June 17 to Sept 30 6 at 12" 

I fish a few special regulation lakes that have Big Bass programs as well - same seasons but only 4 at 15" allowed


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## overboard

And then there's the Delaware River with it's own set of regs., and enhanced panfish lakes, and the special reg, bass lakes like mentioned. #-o 
I carry a copy of the Pa fishing regs. on each boat and have one in the house, I need to anymore!
Also, illegal to target bass while spawning!


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## LDUBS

For black bass in California, on lakes/reservoirs it is 12" minimum and limit of 5. On rivers/streams no minimum size limit and bag limit of 5. Then there is a long list of places with special limits (larger or smaller size and/or bag limits). Don't think there are any maximum size limits anywhere for black bass in California.


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## onthewater102

CT last I looked was similar to CA (imagine that?) with a 12" minimum and 6 fish limit on lakes & no size limit on streams & rivers but still the same 6 fish limit.

CT does have certain bodies of water designated as "Bass Management" lakes which have protected slots (usually 12" - 16" or 18") that you cannot keep fish in that size from, as well as a limit of 1 bass over the slot size. The idea is to keep the consumption to the immature fish (under 12") - but I honestly don't think there are that many people keeping bass, and the ones who do (we call them the bucket brigade in polite circles) aren't exactly the type that buy fishing licenses, read english, or obey any conservation postings/laws anyway.

The slot limit makes sense, does anyone else know of a lake where they've done such a thing but that people actually take the juveniles & thereby reduce the competition of the mature bass for prey? If done correctly I would think the growth rates of the larger bass would be higher than surrounding areas.


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## Fire1386

Here in Ohio, it depends on where you are fishing. Need to have the latest yearly regulations booklet to really stay up on length regulations if you fish all over the state in different lakes... Statewide it is 12 inch limit and 5 fish per day, but depending on the lake you are on several have different slot lengths or combinations of fish per day that you can have. Hopefully it all works out to make the bass fishing here better than ever..... New regulations in just this year, so if you think you know them, better check....


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## JL8Jeff

I fish on the Delaware River in central NJ and I always release whatever I catch so I've never really looked at the regulations. I just looked at the NJ Wildlife page and it lists out the locations, times of the year and limits pretty good. But I never knew what the limits were so I have no idea if they changed. I have been getting some decent smallmouth the past week and a half and that is more activity than I'm used to. I was even getting some good action on some topwater lures which is really rare for this early in the season. Most of the bass are really dark so they've been laying low for a while. I wonder if the heat wave last week changed their pattern.


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## gnappi

Like you I'm in Florida, and these signs have popped up in some boat ramps here in Broward county. I don't understand the need to thin smaller fish though, it makes no sense to thin the ones you want to grow. I'd imagine limiting it to 16 inches would be more conducive to allowing large fish to thrive. 

Oh, Peacocks are limit of 2 only one may be over 17" long.


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## The10Man

gnappi said:


> Oh, Peacocks are limit of 2 only one may be over 17" long.




Aren't peacocks non-native to Florida? We don't have them up here in Central Florida, so I do t know much about them. However I always thought they are native from South America or something like that.


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## gnappi

Yeah, they're not native, but their habitat is limited by cold weather die off. With "global warming" you may see peavocks up into Georgia someday soon


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## The10Man

gnappi said:


> Yeah, they're not native, but their habitat is limited by cold weather die off. With "global warming" you may see peavocks up into Georgia someday soon



If they aren't native to Florida, how come there is an imposed limit on them?

You're probably right. As an angler that sounds fun, having another specials to to fish for in freshwater, but it might bring some negative ecological impacts.


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## onthewater102

gnappi said:


> ...I don't understand the need to thin smaller fish though, it makes no sense to thin the ones you want to grow.



The logic comes from the fact that the population distribution results in consumption needs which are pyramid shaped - there are fewest of the biggest fish, and though their size requires more food they collectively consume less resources making up the top of the pyramid. Juvenile fish make up the bottom and as a group consume more than other age classes.

Furthermore, as there are exponentially more juveniles than mature fish human consumption of fish in this class is not going to impact recruitment into more mature classes, as there would be natural mortality to fish of these sizes anyway. At the same time decreasing the juvenile population reduces competition for food which should result in faster growth rates for more mature fish as there should be more prey available to them. 

Over time this is supposed to result in a larger population of faster growing mature fish. The concept is supposed to stabilize and becomes self-sustaining when this larger population of larger fish results in increased breeding efficiency.


Unfortunately, I cannot find data take from fisheries where they've tried to implement this and people have actually consumed the smaller fish. Everywhere around here it seems everyone is practicing catch & release when it comes to bass.


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## gnappi

onthewater102 said:


> gnappi said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...I don't understand the need to thin smaller fish though, it makes no sense to thin the ones you want to grow.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Unfortunately, I cannot find data take from fisheries where they've tried to implement this and people have actually consumed the smaller fish. Everywhere around here it seems everyone is practicing catch & release when it comes to bass.
Click to expand...


Yeah everyone I know is a catch and release unless the fish bleeds out on the boat / dock / grass. With that in mind, it makes sense to me that thinning the smaller fish would make less food competition for all? Oh well, the joys of a degree and sitting at a desk with formulas to slave through .

Anyway, I may go to catch and eat everything I catch 2 lbs or so and up because not one single place I fish at is hurting for Peacock fish numbers. They're all over the place even in VERY shallow water.


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## Butthead

I read an article about this a few years back. Onthewater102 has it exactly right. 
It was either in a Bassmasters article where they were talking about creating the trophy lakes down in Texas, or an In-Fisherman article where they highlight different studies.


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## onthewater102

It's a common practice in private pond management where they can electroshock virtually the entire water body and cull portions of the population. 

It works in these lab-like settings because they have total control over the removal, whereas in public waters the state is hoping fisherman will do their part as the state has no control or gauge of the culling efforts and very little monitoring ability (once or twice per year per water body at best.)


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