Jump to content

New Freshwater Fishing Regulations

Rate this topic


The TideRunner

Recommended Posts

Proposed new regs call for no more closed season for trout. That will become a year round fishery.

BUT… The flip side of this will be  closed season from the last day of February to the second Saturday in April for other species, LMB SMB panfish etc 

I may have a couple small details wrong but that is the gist of the proposal. 
This is an odd regulation. I start bassin mid March. Some earlier. And when I really get Jones’n for fishing there are always some early sunnies and bullheads willing to entertain me.
What is it we are trying to protect? 

Public hearings of course yet to be held.

Anybody have any more info about this proposal? If so please share.

Thanks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They way I took it is the closed season for trout is gone but that coincided with some waters that were closed during that timeframe.  

And they have to go thru the legal channels to modify that law, which would eventually do away with that law wordage. 

But I'm not one that is all that competent is deciphering law!!

 

I'm glad the closed season for trout is gone. Made no real sense to me.  They come from a farm and are dumped in 6-9months a year.   

Now wild population, that's different.  Close the season when they need the most help. I/E spawning & mid summer. 

 

I would like to see one regulation done away with. 

 

Rusty Crawfish. Basically illegal to do anything with them.   Personal consumption should be allowed.    Every river I've seen them in has been loaded with them. 

I understand the not for bait part.  Very easy to introduce to another water body.  But why can't we introduce them to a waterbody of steaming hot old bay & corn??  Or for fertilizer or animal feed?

 

My chickens went bonkers over all the crawfish bodies I fed them.  I'm sure rusty crawfish would have met the same fate.  

 

Summertime fun. Dollar store bug nets & a bucket.   

Can fill a 5gal bucket with native crawfish in a few hours.   If rusty were legal. Could probably double or triple that. 

20190713_1229101.jpg.ff3481ad309e682dcc06df96b78b9818.jpg

 

Edited by PSegnatelli
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, The TideRunner said:

I don’t know how much input DEEP has because our fish and game laws are set through the legislature.

I understand the trout thing just like you do but Bass and panfish?  March-April is not spawning season so what are we protecting?

The laws were written to protect the trout stocking.   So they closed the specific waters from March1st til opening day.     Now that trout is no longer closed.  The closed water law still stands. But the verbage to change that closure needs to go thru the proper channels legally.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 1/29/2022 at 6:22 AM, PSegnatelli said:

 

 

Summertime fun. Dollar store bug nets & a bucket.   

Can fill a 5gal bucket with native crawfish in a few hours.   If rusty were legal. Could probably double or triple that. 

 

That's pretty impressive. Mind sharing your technique? I fish the CT river often and I always have trouble catching enough crawfish for a meal or for substantial bait. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Work in tandem or with 2nets.   One pushes the crawfish into the other.  

 

The net I'm holding sucked. Too stiff.  The cheap 3ft bug nets were awesome.  They flexed and could go under the crawfish.  

Edited by PSegnatelli
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Has anyone figured out these new rules? I was just reading on the DEEP website and it is written very confusing. It sounds like the closed trout season has definitely been eliminated but because they haven’t had time to think about other species that fishing for them is still closed and a decision will be made in June. It doesn’t make any sense. There were never any closed seasons on the other fish in the first place. You just couldn’t fish at all wherever there were trout stocked. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 2/8/2022 at 11:11 AM, z-man said:

Has anyone figured out these new rules? I was just reading on the DEEP website and it is written very confusing. It sounds like the closed trout season has definitely been eliminated but because they haven’t had time to think about other species that fishing for them is still closed and a decision will be made in June. It doesn’t make any sense. There were never any closed seasons on the other fish in the first place. You just couldn’t fish at all wherever there were trout stocked. 

Guessing this won't become law until 2023?  I believe public hearings are required before it can go forward. I will shoot an email to the fisheries dept, and see if we can get some sort of explanation.

Not that the explanation will make any more sense.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Bob - thanks for reaching out to me. It is confusing for certain. Please see my responses to your questions below.
 
As I understand it, there is no closed season for trout. As this is a "put and take" fishery, how will the stocking be done? Stocking will be modified slightly for this year (2022) where we will spread out the fish across the feb-may period (versus heavy loading now in advance of the second Saturday of April). We will be planning 2023 based on how 2022 goes.
 
Spring and fall as we have now? 
Yes spring and fall now, just maybe less fish each stocking trip but more trips to each place.
 
Some new plan? 
 
Yes we have been thinking about how to best approach this since the law was passed. Most likely trying to even the distribution across the spring months 
 
And now we have a closed season on other species? 
 
The closed season for other species is only in waters that were historically stocked with trout and had a closed season for all Fishing from last day of feb. to second Saturday of April. Public act 21-12 had specific language to remove the closed season for trout - not everything. So that is why some places have continue to be closed (after 2/28 or other date) for everything else. The fisheries division will be proposing to remove this closed season in our forthcoming regulation change package.
 
Largemouth, smallmouth bass? Sunfish? Various catfish?
Why? What are we trying to protect? 
 
Yes to all, the why is because some waters were stocked with trout and therefore had a closed season for all fishing. Public Act 21-12 removed the closed season for trout, but not all other fish, so the closed season for those remains in effect in those waterbodies (I have attached a doc). We are not trying to protect anything, it was a result of the phrase "closed season for trout" used in public act 21-12. 
 
I know myself along with many others start getting the itch around March to start trying for bass. Definitely not a time of year when a whole lot of pressure is placed on these species. I can see closing down say, the spawn.
But just because? 
 
Public Act 21-12 removed the closed season for trout, but not all other fish, so the closed season for those remains in effect in those waterbodies (I have attached a doc). We are not trying to protect anything, it was a result of the phrase "closed season for trout" used in public act 21-12. 
 
And is this already a law carved in stone?
Public Act 21-12, a state statute, was created by the CT Legislature and passed, signed by Gov. Lamont, so yes it is law (the no closed season for trout).
 
Or planning ahead for 2023?
The Fisheries Division has been working to update the sportfishing regulations, which are below state law, through the formal public regulation review process. The Fisheries Division will be proposing to remove the closed season for FISHING on all waters where it was once in place for trout stocking (but now is mandated to be removed via the Public Act 21-12).
 
Passed with no public hearing?
Public Acts and Laws, at the legislative level, have a different process than regulations, which are at the agency level. The Fisheries Division will be posting our proposed regulation changes soon and will have a public comment period and public hearing. We review the testimony from the public and modify the proposed regulations as or if needed. Then they are passed to the Legislative Regulations Review Committee for vote (approval or not).
 
It is a lengthy and involved process, the simple intention of trying to increase people's ability to fish year-round (by our elected officials) has resulted in a significant amount of confusion for all.
 
Thanks - I hope this clears things up a bit.
 
 
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, z-man said:

It sounds like you can fish for anything but just say you are targeting trout. I doubt a game warden would care, not like you’ll ever see one anyways

I have no logical reason for this, but I've run into more F&G wardens in the past 5years, than I have ever in the past.  

In the woods, fresh & saltwater.    

  One year, I ran into the same officer 3 or 4 times, all different places.  

 I wish we had more.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 10 months later...

Bump.  

12/27/2022. New Regulations

Seasons:

  • Removes the closed season for fishing on all lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams. (Legal access still required).
  • Establishes a statewide “Catch and Release” season for trout and kokanee from March 1 to 6:00 am on the second Saturday of April (Opening Day of harvest). This does not apply to waters with special fishing regulations like trout management lakes, trout management areas, wild trout management areas.....

More at DEEP website. Nothing crazy. Just clarifications on terms, thermal refuge areas and some waters changing to TMA & BMA. 

 

 

Edited by PSeggs
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to register here in order to participate.

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...