New Regs

[Phil Lilley]

Read this on http://flyflinger.com's site -

New regulations effective January 1 are:

Greers Ferry Tailwater Slot limit: From 100 yards below Greers Ferry Dam to the Hwy 305 Bridge. Daily limit of five trout. Trout from 16 to 24 inches must be released immediately and may not be in possession in this area. Only one trout exceeding 24 inches may be kept. Greers Ferry Tailwater Special Regulation Areas: In the following areas, only artificial lures with barbless hooks may be used (natural or scented baits are not allowed). Chumming is not allowed. The same slot limit harvest restrictions for Greers Ferry Tailwater apply in these areas unless otherwise noted. JFK Special Regulation Area: 100 yards below Greers Ferry Dam downstream to the last hatchery outlet pipe in Kennedy Park. Mossy Shoals Special Regulation Area: Upstream end of Dunham Shoals to downstream end of Mossy Shoals. Cow Shoals Seasonal Catch-and-Release Area: October 1 through December 31. Head of Cow Shoals to mouth of Canoe Creek. All trout must be released immediately. Closed to night fishing (one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset.

[Thom]

Sounds like a step in the right direction. Hope it is enforced. Most of the times I fished those upper stretches I was very disappointed in the lack of abuse on the even loose regulations there. Down farther in the remote wald in areas the meat fishermen strip the river with little enforcement.

[RiverRunner]

As someone who fishes the LR as much as I can, I have mixed feelings about the new regs. I'm all in favor of the slot limit. But I don't like the fact that the AGFC is going to allow people to harvest fish in the former C&R areas that are now "no bait" areas. These areas offer the best fishing on the LR, maybe even some of the best in the Ozarks, for trophy size fish. IMO, the fish in the C&R areas were doing just fine before these new rules were enacted. I just don't see why the AGFC wants to let people take fish home from these areas. I know that the AGFC is under a lot of pressure from resorts and the catch and kill anglers to liberalize regulations (the original plan called for bait anglers to use barbless hooks), but I think that they should have thought about it more before they changed regs. The LR, esp the lower end (due to lack of commercial operations), is a fine fishery that needs more friends to look out for it.

[John Berry]

I participated in the process. The main concern that I addressed was not even considered. There is a nice population of brookies that are reproducing in the catch and release area near the dam that should be protected. I am disappointed by their inaction.

[ecce38]

As someone who fishes the LR as much as I can, I have mixed feelings about the new regs. I'm all in favor of the slot limit. But I don't like the fact that the AGFC is going to allow people to harvest fish in the former C&R areas that are now "no bait" areas... I just don't see why the AGFC wants to let people take fish home from these areas.

These new regs. for the LR are almost a carbon copy to those that the AGFC structured for us up here on the Beaver tailwater. Our regs. have been in place now for only a year, so the jury is still out on whether or not they will help create bigger fish. RR I think the rationale you are searching for comes from the AGFC research/study/observations that show that specific C&R areas are no better than slot limits when it comes to producing trophy fish. Maybe someone else on here can double check me on that, but I believe it to be the case. So, that very nice area just below the Dam there will be over run (like it was years ago) with all sorts of people. It will take time for the non-C&R anglers to learn the new regs., but it will take some getting used to watching people pluck fish out of a once protected area. At least it did for me up here. And yes, those poor brookies that are repopulating there are going to get slammed I'm afraid.

[RiverRunner]

I was told that the AGFC biologist saw little difference between C&R areas on the LR and regular open areas on the river when it came to their electroshocking data. I mainly fish one C&R area, Mossy Shoal, and I firmly believe that area has more quality fish than any other area on the river. I've caught numerous 20-22" Browns and one 23" rainbow out of that area this year, I really don't think that is a fluke. Although these areas are mainly used by fly fisherman, I still think that you will see a good number of 24" and larger fish that are caught taken out of the river to be mounted. The LR needs these larger fish for reproduction and the preferred genes that they give to their offspring which will help fishing for years to come. Unless I am convinced otherwise, I still believe that the AGFC is caving in to pressure from resorts and catch and keep interests. Also, the new regs will only work if their is enforcement, and I am skeptical of that since I have never been checked or even seen an officer on the LR.

[taxidermist]

Is it just me or does the AGFC go either all out or not at all.

The elctro studies are not always conclusive. Trout do migrate some.

Why can the AGFC not temper the regs a bit? it's either all or nothing.

They never take into consideration what fisherman report, or it seems that way to me.

I think its about right on White River below Bull SHoals dam.

On Beaver it is my understanding that the AGFC is trying to develope it to a Brown Trout only stream. They someday what all rainbows out of there and will not stock any Brookies.

[ecce38]

On Beaver it is my understanding that the AGFC is trying to develope it to a Brown Trout only stream. They someday what all rainbows out of there and will not stock any Brookies.

Actually it's the other way around: fewer browns, more bows is what they're doing.

[Terry Beeson]

...AGFC research/study/observations that show that specific C&R areas are no better than slot limits when it comes to producing trophy fish...

I will verify that from the presentation by an AGFC biologist I attended, this is exactly the case presented.

However, as an old statistics guy for more than 25 years, I can also affirm the old statistician's saying, "Tortured statistics will confess anything..."

I agree, John... The big loser here will be the Brookies...

[Brian Sloss]

Had a couple of guys from the a Heber Springs fly shop here this weekend and they seemed pretty happy about extending the slot limit for such a long stretch of the river. We didn't discuss the brookie or catch and release only sections of the river, so I don't know their thoughts on that, but the slot limit rule sounds promising to me provided that it is enforced well. If they get out and really spread the word and make sure it is enforced really well the first couple of years (of course that should continue after the 1st year or 2), I think the overall quality could improve. That being said, I am no expert on the ins and outs of the Little Red watershed. It's just that the slot limit idea has worked on a lot of other areas.