NY Regulations changes, Need a legal scholar to interpret.

[Gamalot]

With the NY trout opener right around the corner the DEC has published the reg. changes and you have to be a lawyer to understand the changes. I now understand in "Most" waters the new daily limits for trout are a total of 5 fish, any size, only 2 trout over 12" may be taken. I also see we are now allowed, "In some waters", to fish year around but catch and release during off seasons. There are also lots of other new regs for other fish species limits, seasons and sizes plus those new regs might only affect some lakes and streams.

I highly recommend that we all go and check the changes and be sure you understand how they affect your own lakes and areas. If checked by the EnCon officers the term, "I didn't know", usually results in a problem. Be sure to check the Special Regs in certain waters if you do fish different places so you won't be caught unaware of the rules.

[filetandrelease]

 The book must be easier to read than last years especially the trout regs they had , 
 I found the changes pretty clear , I always go through the new book and mark what may concern me by pg on the cover ,

[Gamalot]

My license agent does not yet have the new books so all I have to go on is what I read at the DEC site. That is a good plan, marking the regs that affect your area and writing the page on the cover. I am usually pretty easy and within the laws because I mostly release all the fish I do catch. In early spring if I do catch a couple trout around 16" each I am good for a nice dinner for the wife and myself. I never keep the smaller ones and I never take fish to fill my freezer but I know others do. Where I am there are so many small differences in certain waters like "catch and release only above this bridge" and general regs below it.
Southern NY has the Beaverkill, Willowemoc and the Delaware and Neversink rivers and they all have many changes depending upon where you fish them. Many have different sections designated as Fly Fishing only but just up or down the road you can spin fish or use live bait.

[hardwater diehard]

https://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/fish_marine_pdf/fishregchangeflyer.pdf

https://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/fish_marine_pdf/fishguide2022.pdf

So are we able to ice fishing on the Rio Reservoir

[ECobb91]

To me the rules seem pretty clear. County/special regulations supersede the statewide regulations like they’ve always done.

Trout have creek limits based on stream classifications. Catch and release is allowed during the off season. That was implemented last year, April 2021.

Trout fishing in lakes/ponds is permitted all year long unless the county/special regulations say otherwise.

Basically any trout fishing in the Adirondack ponds (or herkimer, Hamilton, Essex counties etc).  is off limits when the ponds are iced over.

The updated online regulation book has been available for a week or two.. Best bet is to download it to your phone so it’s always available or to wait until the books are in store

[greensider]

Hopefully they say weather or not new trout regs affect NYC reservoirs I heard that they do but some have Lakers and landlocks  so don't know if now include

[hot tuna]

I agree that they keep making regulations changes faster than one could possibly understand.  As an example,  last year certain streams became stocked,  extended stocked,  wild ,catch and release.  The only way to figure out which part of that stream was what ( with different limits and keeping sizes) was to go online and use the interactive maps.
It certainly was not user friendly.
Now less than a year later there are another slew of regulations and their handbooks haven't even been published with the updates.

It seems like every season,  special interests groups try and pressure the dec into making changes to their interests,  not others.
I was part of getting the 2 year old trout stocking established so anglers had a better opportunity for catching decent sized trout. 
At least 80% of our trout streams are put and take due to environmental conditions.
With the new changes of only 2 over 12" I forsee either the state will discontinue the 2 year old program or these trout which take extra time and money to raise will just perish in the streams.

Good luck.

[greensider]

I am glad I don't fish streams anymore and if I did these confusing regs would make me stop

[sodussut]

I pick up a hard copy of the new regulations at Walmart; I don't buy anything, just pick up 3 copies for me and my buddies; no charge. Bait and tackle stores have them as well as town halls. They seem to be clear to me. Good luck this year!

[Gamalot]

I pick up a hard copy of the new regulations at Walmart; I don't buy anything, just pick up 3 copies for me and my buddies; no charge. Bait and tackle stores have them as well as town halls. They seem to be clear to me. Good luck this year!

Just be sure the hard copy you are getting is the revised addition with all the updates. My Town Clerk was out of the old ones and still waiting for the new updated ones 2 weeks ago.

[62&done]

I think this year's new regs are much simpler to digest than the mess we had last season. Take a few minutes to reread the new book which should be available soon if not already where ever you are. I'm not a real cold water nut when it comes to wading the streams but I will be out there as soon as I catch a few bullheads from the boat.

[trapper2000]

i just know  i have  to  stop  fish  a lot earlier this  year   i said this was  going to happen  3 years ago when they started  now  watch the perch limit  go  to 25 .......writing is on the wall.......and there is  no reason  for any of this   there is  no shortage of   blue gills  ....remember  every time i posted  about it   and the trout limit my post  came up missing ........it's only going to get worse

[FENNDANGO]

Broken Window Fallacy. They have to create problems then fix them. Job security. Either that or they're pretty proud of the non-native predator fish they jack-off and toss off bridges. Real biologists right there. Jerk-offs. Literally.

[filetandrelease]

 Yes sir I remember last year the reg book was late coming out , so where the hell is our money going , oh that’s right fail parks and horse trails 😜

[lowaccord66]

i just know  i have  to  stop  fish  a lot earlier this  year   i said this was  going to happen  3 years ago when they started  now  watch the perch limit  go  to 25 .......writing is on the wall.......and there is  no reason  for any of this   there is  no shortage of   blue gills  ....remember  every time i posted  about it   and the trout limit my post  came up missing ........it's only going to get worse

Yup.  Stripers are great examples ASMFC allows reduced rec harvest...commercial striper fishing going strong...and extra 100 and change for the comm license.  All a racket. 

[Gamalot]

I bought my license yesterday at my local town clerk's office and they have not seen the latest reg books yet.