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Ain't that the truth Cecil! I will be following this proposal closely, with a keen interest in the impact it might have on the fisheries, should it pass. Like you, I believe a blanket proposal leaves something to be desired, but realize that it's difficult, if not impossible, to evaluate and govern each of the state's many lakes independently.
The blanket rule (if that is what they go for) is a start. Hopefully it will help more lakes than it will hurt. It will also raise alot of funds for the DNR if they just patrol the lakes from mid may to the end of june. The guys will coolers full off the beds don't care about the resource now or they would not be taking that many at that time. They will be the same ones that won't follow the rule and if the DNR hammers them with fines and makes it public, it may deter others from trying the same. I would be for them raising the license fee to 40.00 or more a year if it puts more feet on the ground to enforce the current and new rules.
There are plenty of deer around. I see herds of them about every time I am driving at dusk. Have just about hit 2 in the last couple weeks. You may need to change where you are looking for deer. Just becuase you are allowed to shoot 8 or 10 or whatever it is does not mean as a hunter you have to do it. Blame the 'sportsman' for not having any self control. Humans have ruined alot of habitat and driven the deer into neighborhoods, onto the roads where they are hit and damage cars and people and destroy crops. Last time I checked bluegills did none of the above. The DNR is doing what they can to provide hunting opportunities while keeping the herd at a reasonable level.
OK lets say for sake of argument that the suggested changes are passed AND enforced. What do you see the results on the fisheries being? In a 5 year period what changes? Do we see larger fish? Do we see better fishing? Or do we maybe see some overpopulation? Do we already have a stunted breed of fish in many of our waters that bag limits would not effect fish size? I don't know any of these answers. If it means improved fisheries and a chance to create a larger population of those bull gills - I'm all for it. I've heard this debate and curious of what most people see the effect being.
I'm torn on this one. I have limited time to fish and like to put on a fish fry for my friends. What is the difference between going out five days in a row and taking 25 a day versus one day keeping 100+.
I have to ask... Do you hunt deer?
maybe the dnr has witnessed them "bearded" fellas taking five gallon buckets of 3-4 inch pannies ? some of us have...
I had an interesting conversation a couple weeks ago with a C.O. I asked him if there would ever be a limit of 25 for panfish? He did not have all the info but thought some lakes would benefit from it while others seem to keep producing even with high panfish harvest. He said he checks MANY fisherman during spring and summer with coolers full of panfish....hundreds of fish! And many times the same fishermen multiple times. One guy bragged to him that this was his 5th cooler full this week!He said the spring/summer boat fishermen really slaughter the panfish!....ice fishermen don't even come close.
Does this really surprise anyone that lives or hunts in this terrible state? The DNR has single handily ruined very bit of hunting and fishing in this state. Tele check, urban deer zones, basically unlimited bonus county,antler less only, they have killed off the deer heard, they do not maintain any state properties or publicly funded boat ramps, they removed all of the boats from state properties for duck hunting. When is enough enough? This state has been in a downward spiral for the past 4 years. They have not done anything positive for the sportsmen it has all had negative effects on us, a bluegill limit? C'mon really they are more worried about limiting the number of bluegill as opposed to the number of deer you can harvest. Which state property or public access have you been to recently? How was it? In disrepair, trash all over the place, no one there, no information? We sportsmen pay for this in one way or another either by taxes or license sales we need to stand up to these Indianapolis IDIOTS and pull their heads out of their asses. We demand more not less the time is now not later I fear by the time my son is old enough to fish I they'll probably have ZERO hook restriction by then....
I wonder if there are any case studies to draw from?
I used to, but not recently. What does that have to do with the number of deer I see just driving? My point was there are still a ton of deer around where I live and drive. Maybe different where you live. Because I don't hunt anymore means the deer I see are not real? Guys I know that hunt are not having any issues seeing plenty of deer. Point still stands...blaming the DNR for the 'rules' causing the deer herd decline (his opinion) is laying the blame in the wrong place. No one forces any hunter to shoot more than 1 a season. Example, the DNR says you can keep 5 LM bass a day over 14", but that does not mean you shuold do it just because it is in the rules. If all bass tournament fishermen kept 5 a day there would be very few LM in IN lakes. Tournament anglers and most recreational anglers let the bass go to enjoy another day despite the 'rules' saying we could all keep them. DNR knows bass are 90% C&R so they leave the rule in place. When they put the rules in to allow 4, 6, 8 deer in some counties, they probably underestimated the overzealous hunters that would actually shoot that many. Hunters need to show some restraint if they care about the resource. Get your buck and one doe and call it a season. Should be basic math to anyone including the DNR that deer have 1 fawn (sometimes twins) a year. Everytime they kill a doe they are removing 2 or 3 from next years population. Multiply that by 5 or 6 doe tags (because the DNR rules say they can), add in the affects of the virus and yotes killing fawns, and it is not hard to see why some are complaining there are no deer. One or two guys that go by 'if its brown its down' hunting mentality can put a dent in the herd in a hurry especially if they hunt the same area.
this topic will make your brain hurt if you let it. lol way too many variables for a definite assumption. we see lakes give up really nice gills with unbelievable pressure year after year. obviously very fertile and easily able to support a huge population of gills. what would happen if that harvest was limited? would it turn into a over populated and useless fishing water? sylvan is a great lake to look at rite now. everyone tells of sorting through hundreds of runts for a nice meal of eaters. wasnt like that a few years ago or had it been like that in the past. why is it like this now? is it from the zebra mussels clearing the water, and allowing weeds to grow out of control, therefore limiting predation? last year it looked like pea soup from an unreal algae bloom. was that because of the clearer water in a shallow fertile reservoir? was it from a growing lawn fertilizing trend? is it from global warming? i just dont see how one law would benefit every lake, when they are always changing.
Does this really surprise anyone that lives or hunts in this terrible state? The DNR has single handily ruined very bit of hunting and fishing in this state. Tele check, urban deer zones, basically unlimited bonus county,antler less only,they have killed off the deer heard , they do not maintain any state properties or publicly funded boat ramps, they removed all of the boats from state properties for duck hunting. When is enough enough? This state has been in a downward spiral for the past 4 years. They have not done anything positive for the sportsmen it has all had negative effects on us, a bluegill limit? C'mon really they are more worried about limiting the number of bluegill as opposed to the number of deer you can harvest. Which state property or public access have you been to recently? How was it? In disrepair, trash all over the place, no one there, no information? We sportsmen pay for this in one way or another either by taxes or license sales we need to stand up to these Indianapolis IDIOTS and pull their heads out of their asses. We demand more not less the time is now not later I fear by the time my son is old enough to fish I they'll probably have ZERO hook restriction by then....
It's illegal to transport fish to a different body of water or to sell them without a license to do so in Indiana. Many of the reservoirs and state owned ponds I fish here in Central Indiana don't offer spawning habitat for catfish anyways and the populations are maintained by annual or bi-annual stocking by the DNR. I think limiting the taking of large catfish could cause an over abundance of them in lakes where they do spawn and really hurt the panfish population. It's a double edged sword really...
