FRANKFORT, Ky. – The Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Commission recommended prohibiting the culling of trout statewide and proposed other fishing regulations at its quarterly meeting March 7.
The commission recommends all hunting, fishing and boating regulations for approval by the General Assembly and approves all expenditures by the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. All recommendations must be approved by legislators before they become law.
In fisheries-related business, the commission recommended several new fishing regulations to take effect March 1, 2015.
- No culling of trout statewide. Culling is holding a trout in a livewell, basket or on a stringer and later releasing it. Trout usually do not survive such treatment and banning this practice will reduce wasting of the stocked trout.
- Prohibiting the harvest of alligator gar by sport fishing methods or by bow fishing. Kentucky Fish and Wildlife is in the beginning stages of an alligator gar restoration project designed to produce self-sustaining populations in western Kentucky, the former range of this species.
- Seasonal catch and release regulations on rainbow trout caught in Floyd’s Fork Creek in Jefferson County. All trout caught from Oct. 1 through March 31 would have to be immediately released.
- A registration requirement for catfish tournaments on the Ohio River with more than 25 boats participating. Tournaments would provide data such as lengths and weights of catfish caught, winning weights, total weights and other pertinent information. The information gleaned will help better understand the current structure of the trophy catfish population in the Ohio River.
- A catch-and-release trout regulation for a new section of Hatchery Creek to be built below Wolf Creek Dam. The regulation would only allow the use of artificial baits. The new regulations are in anticipation of commencement of construction of this stream in 2014. The existing handicapped accessible portion of the creek would not be affected by this regulation.
- The Maysville-Mason County Recreation Park Lake to be enrolled in the Fishing in Neighborhoods (FINs) program. This lake will be stocked in 2015.
In boating-related business, the commission proposed changing the name of the Letcher County Boat Ramp on the North Fork of Kentucky River to Watts Boat Ramp.
In wildlife-related business, commission members recommended changing the time frame in which bear chase permits may be purchased to July 1 through the closing day of the bear quota hunt with dogs season. Previously, the time to purchase these permits was July 1 through Aug. 31.
The next Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Commission meeting will be held at 8:30 a.m. (Eastern time), Friday, June 6. Meetings are held at Kentucky Fish and Wildlife headquarters, located at 1 Sportsman’s Lane off U.S. 60 in Frankfort.
Persons interested in addressing the commission should contact the department at 1-800-858-1549 for more information.
