Letters: Change size limits on bass in southeast area

There are many Louisiana sportsmen who are tired of the management policies concerning size limits of largemouth bass in the southeast region of Louisiana in areas such as Lake Verret, Lake Palourde, Henderson Lake, the Atchafalaya Spillway and other tributaries in southeast Louisiana, where 14-inch size limits should be lifted. There is a large demographic of sportsmen that like to take their kids, wives and others fishing and come home with some fish to eat.

Too often we have made trips to these areas under the 14-inch minimum length rule and catch 10 or 15 fish that measure from 12 inches to 13 7⁄ 8 inches, with maybe one or two that will measure 14 inches. One or two fish will not feed many, so they are released and no one has a fish fry. We all pay the extreme prices for fuel and maintaining a boat like everyone else, but all too often a lot of money is spent on trips with little to no fish brought home because of the size limit.

You can name storm after storm that continues to kill the fish in these areas, and yet we keep starting over with the 14-inch size limit.

Hurricane Andrew in 1992 started the management madness of people thinking they can outsmart Mother Nature, but you would think that after Katrina, Rita, Gustav, and now Isaac we would accept the fact that we should go back to the way it was before Andrew, having only a creel limit (like most other state waters) and not a size limit in these areas.

We are not growing trophy bass with this program; you can count on one hand the number of reported double-digit-size bass taken in these areas every year.

In fact, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries conducted a survey of 2,000 local recreational fishermen in July 2011 and found a strong response of 37 percent in favor of decreasing or removing the size limits in the above mentioned areas.

Let’s start eating and enjoying some of these fish instead of waiting approximately every three to five years for a storm to come in and take them. I for one am tired of watching the fish float up and be wasted again and again.

Leacil Kirkes

American Petroleum Institute welding inspector

Walker

Comments

1) Comment by Oklahoma - 20/09/2012

12" is not small for a bass. I introduced 4" bass in Oct. and by March they were still only 6" to 8" in length at a Max. and they did spawn. You can not compare the basin or these large lakes with rivers and bayous coming into them to a pond. It seems that all the other state waters that do not have a 14" size limit, just a creel limit do not get "fished out", but they all have the common thread of fish kills after these storms. The survey states that 36 percent agreed to the 14" size limit, 37 percent wanted some change to lower the size limit or do away with it, and the other 27 percent had no opinion or did not comment.

2) Comment by Whatchange - 19/09/2012

DMJ that is a good answer, but as an avid fisherman, I do believe Mr. Kirkes knows better, in some fish 12" is pretty small, bass being one of em. You start telling people they can keep every 12" bass they catch or put a limit of 10 on the catch and there will be a big impact on the bass population in whatever area you are fishing, this has been proven time and time again which goes to you response "That's why they have the size limit, to maintain population levels". Mr. Kirkes says 37% of 2,000 people want a change, that leaves 63% of the 2,000 that says leave it as it is and that is local fisherman. I do believe LW&F has a very good handle on this and it needs to stay as is. After all, Its called Fishing not Catching. Down the road from my house is a large pond that BREC stocks from time to time, there is no limit as to size or creel, I have seen people keep every thing caught and in no time the pond is fished out, yes I know the basin is not a pond but the same holds true for both. Maybe Mr. Kirkes needs to try fishing for more than just bass to feed his family, like perch, catfish, sac-a-lait, goggle eye, etc.

3) Comment by DMJ - 19/09/2012

I think Leacil answered his own question: If storms kill fish, then why can't he too? Because storms do, Leacil. That's why they have the size limit, to maintain population levels. Still, I think the size limit could maybe be negotiated. 12" seems like a pretty big fish to me.