New BOF regulations for Lake Louise (and others) begin April 15, 2012

[PikeSticker]

The Board of Fish concluded its meeting in Valdez (Dec. 2 - 7) and several proposals were adopted which will be new regulations for the Copper River/Upper Susitna region beginning with the spring printing of the regs booklet.  Although the regs specific to Lake Louise and surrounding lakes are more of an open water change, there will be impacts (hopefully for the GOOD) for those who fish LL during the winter season.


The Board amended and adopted one proposal specific to the freshwater finfish subsistence fishery in Lake Louise, Sustina and Tyone lakes.  The channels between Lake Louise and Susitna Lake and between Susitna Lake and Tyone Lake were closed to subsistence fishing.  Coordinates for these closed areas will be included in the new regulation.

I've seen a number of comments on IS threads regarding the subsistence netting on this group of lakes. Hopefully with the channels now off limits it will be tougher for the netters to get as many fish out in the open water. REPORT any netter in the channels from here on out after 4/15/12.

A department proposal was adopted by the Board that prohibits the use of bait in Lake Louise, Susitna, Tyone, and Crosswind lakes from April 16 – October 31.  The bag and possession limit for lake trout was changed from one fish, 24 inches or greater to one fish, no size limit.  These actions were taken to reduce hooking mortality and maintain harvests within sustainable levels.

As you can see, NO BAIT during the open water summer season should have a dramatic effect on the survival on the lake trout in these lakes. Fishing ARTIFICIALS ONLY will result in fewer fatal deep throat hookups and the no size limit will significantly reduced the catch and release mortality by allowing the meat hunters to keep the first decent size fish no matter the length.

I would expect that these changes will be for the benefit of the species and a protective measure to assure these lakes remain as the incredible fisheries they have been known for.

[akdube]

Here Here....Its a good change for sure. John at lake louise lodge has been a BIG part in these changes happening. This should ensure a healthy pop. of fish for a long while. I fish Louise almost exclusively and have seen first hand the number of lakers the set netters take outta the channels. I'm not against the set netters just where they can set and this is most definitely a step in the right direction...

[aklakertaker]

Man, I have to call BS on the summer time bait restrictions. For starters the summer time fishing pressure is not near as great as the winter. I spend a ton of time on these lakes and I see first hand the fishing pressure from season to season. To say "fishing artificials will result in fewer fatal deep throat hook ups" is so far from the truth it's not even funny. I have seen way more deep throat hook ups on Lake Trout in the winter using cut bait on Burbot sets than I have seen trolling or jigging  in the summer. I have Laker fever just as bad as the other guys that frequent these lakes but if the ADF&G adopted this proposal to "reduce hooking mortality and maintain harvests within sustainable levels" they got their dates for prohibiting bait mixed up....

[akdube]

Man, I have to call BS on the summer time bait restrictions. For starters the summer time fishing pressure is not near as great as the winter. I spend a ton of time on these lakes and I see first hand the fishing pressure from season to season. To say "fishing artificials will result in fewer fatal deep throat hook ups" is so far from the truth it's not even funny. I have seen way more deep throat hook ups on Lake Trout in the winter using cut bait on Burbot sets than I have seen trolling or jigging  in the summer. I have Laker fever just as bad as the other guys that frequent these lakes but if the ADF&G adopted this proposal to "reduce hooking mortality and maintain harvests within sustainable levels" they got their dates for prohibiting bait mixed up....

WAY more people fish louise and susitna in the summer than winter.  Crosswinds I would agree with you on..

[aklakertaker]

Not buying it....There are a lot of cabin owners that fish every weekend in the winter and might fish once or twice over the course of the summer. And then you have the guys in the hard sided shacks that hit it hard every single weekend...

[iced]

Not buying it....There are a lot of cabin owners that fish every weekend in the winter and might fish once or twice over the course of the summer. And then you have the guys in the hard sided shacks that hit it hard every single weekend...

Correct, way too much fishing presser. For those who are thinking of heading that way don’t even bother. With a combined lake area of 25546 acres between Louise and Susitna it is hard to find a place to stand with all the people. 

I think that the new regs are a step in the right direction but I would think that artificial only in the winter would have made more since. Last year I cut the line and released one fish a trip or more that was deep hooked on BB sets. I think that half where lake trout. I ended up keeping one nice laker about 15 LBS that had the hook in the inside gills and was bleeding like raw stake when I landed it. I let several go in that size range and would have let that one go if I thought that it would have survived.  I think that more people fish in the summer but most fish hooked trolling bait don’t get hooked deep like ones hooked on set lines.   

[Drifter_016]

Sounds like the best thing they could have done is do away with netting and set lines.
Burbot sets are not good for lakers. 

[Dirtofak]

Since I watch the lake pretty closely..... I actually believe that the pressure is about the same summer to winter in terms of actual hours fished.

[akdube]

I am one of those in a hardside and I probably fish it 5 days outta the month. Another guy I know has a hardside and he is about the same maybe a little more. That being said we have hooked fish deep not going to say other wise. But far more are hooked in the mouth above the gills. I wouldnt be against the set lines for burbot going away as I agree that is a major player in alot of the mortality rate of lakers. But In all honesty 98% of the lakers we catch in the winter swim off with no ill effects.

[iced]

I would agree, of the lakers that I have hooked wile holding the fishing rod the deep hook ups are rare even with bait. But it is different with the BB sets or set lines in general.

With that said we should have a party now that the set netters are gone!! > I would call that a win for Lake Louise 

I think we owe John at Lake Louise lodge a big thanks for that.

Unfortunately I feel bad for the lake that will be attacked next. I hope they don’t start attacking Long Lake with the nets now. If some one wants to subsist off a lake it should be a lake stocked with land locks not a lake with a sustained population of reproducing fish of any sorts. 

[Dirtofak]

The netters aren't gone. They just have to stay out of the channels.

[aklakertaker]

I am one of those in a hardside and I probably fish it 5 days outta the month. Another guy I know has a hardside and he is about the same maybe a little more. That being said we have hooked fish deep not going to say other wise. But far more are hooked in the mouth above the gills. I wouldnt be against the set lines for burbot going away as I agree that is a major player in alot of the mortality rate of lakers. But In all honesty 98% of the lakers we catch in the winter swim off with no ill effects.

I know that you guys are the ones in the hardsides, my comment was a poor attempt at a joke.
When I am off of work I am at the lakes more than I am at home (summer and winter) when I read the LL regulation changes I was shocked. If ADF&G thinks that resticting bait in the soft water months is going to help the laker population they are wrong. I have seen way more damage to fish that were troll caught using a double treble plug than to lakers caught on bait.

[PikeSticker]

Just dug up the ADFG angler effort and harvest stats for LL for 2010. No breakdown though for hardwater vs softwater anglers. This data does NOT reflect the subsistence harvest.

[jiggenfrogs]

Just dug up the ADFG angler effort and harvest stats for LL for 2010. No breakdown though for hardwater vs softwater anglers. This data does NOT reflect the subsistence harvest.

Where did those numbers come from?  I have been checked by one trooper in five years up there and have never seen a catch effort study done.  The majority of ADF&G'S information on LL comes from other lakes "model" lakes.  Not sure where the no bait in the summer came from, but shutting down netting in the channels is a good thing for sure.

[Dirtofak]

Next thing will be no alcohol, Swisher Sweets or coffee.......

[PikeSticker]

The data is from the annual mail out Sportfishing Harvest and Survey sent to selected resident and non-resident license holders and from that information they put together a total summary that covers every region of Alaska and most of the major waters that contain the most popular fisheries, both fresh and salt.  There are even sections for shellfish harvest and the salmon dipnet fisheries. Only a limited number of surveys are sent out each year and then the department extrapolates the additional data based on the total number of licenses sold that year. I got one this year (but not every year). Waiting on finishing my ice fishing for December before sending it in.

http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/sf/sportfishingsurvey/

[akdube]

Next thing will be no alcohol, Swisher Sweets or coffee.......

Geez that eliminates me...I'm OUT

[wild4ak]

No Coffee? I'd be done