Quote:
Originally Posted by Duck Butter
A letter to a website ain't gonna cut it brah. Need to see where CCA officially supported this in a press release or magazine article or anything like that. Seems to me if they DID in fact support the issue, they had overwhelming support if over 70% were in favor of it 
"This issue was brought forward by me, NOT Fred Miller, NOT CCA"  |
http://www.chron.com/sports/outdoors...it-1477065.php
Beginning June 20, anglers fishing the Louisiana waters of Sabine Lake and the Calcasieu Lake bay system south of Lake Charles will be limited to taking no more than 15 speckled trout per day, down 10 fish from Louisiana's current statewide 25-trout daily limit.
The trout limit cut was adopted by a 4-3 vote of the
Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission at that group's June 1 meeting.
The close commission vote underscored the contentiousness of the move affecting coastal waters, which over the past decade have become increasingly popular destinations of Texas anglers.
That increasing fishing pressure on Calcasieu and, to a lesser extent, Sabine Lake triggered concerns by some Louisiana anglers that the speckled trout population faced overharvest and needed additional protection.
Earlier this decade, concern over anglers, particularly Texas anglers, catching and retaining many large speckled trout from the Calcasieu Lake system generated a move to restrict harvest of those large trout.
The
LWF Commission imposed a rule limiting anglers fishing Louisiana waters in the Calcasieu and Sabine systems and the corresponding offshore waters under Louisiana jurisdiction to retaining no more than two speckled trout measuring 25 inches or more.
The move to cut the daily bag limit from 25 specks to 15 was pushed by a coalition including the Louisiana chapter of the Coastal Conservation Association and some of the fishing guides and outfitters operating on Calcasieu Lake.
In January, when the proposal to reduce the trout bag limit in the Calcasieu and Sabine systems was officially proposed, the Louisiana CCA issued a "position paper" on the issue.
The organization said a survey of its 30,000 members indicated 85 percent who regularly fished Calcasieu Lake and 76 percent of all members supported the bag limit reduction in the southwest corner of the state.
During the LWF Commis-
sion meeting,
Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries coastal fisheries staff told the group the agency's biological data indicates speckled trout fisheries in the bay systems were healthy and said reducing the bag limit would not guarantee increased trout populations in the affected areas.
Those opposed to the bag limit reduction said the fisheries staff's assessment showed the move was not scientifically justified and should not be imposed.
Price is right
Texans looking to sample Louisiana's fishing, saltwater or freshwater, but not wanting to invest in a non-resident fishing license get a chance to do it for free this weekend.
Saturday and Sunday are "free fishing" days in Louisiana. On those days, no fishing license is required, and the exemption applies to non-residents as well as residents.
A one-day Louisiana non-resident saltwater fishing license costs $15. A four-day saltwater license runs $45.
Time to apply
Waterfowl hunting seasons are months down the road, but waterfowlers have just three weeks to apply for the drawing for duck blind permits on the Wallisville Lake Project along the lower Trinity River.
The
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which oversees the Wallisville Project, will accept applications for a drawing to allocate 150 blind permits through June 30.
To apply for the blind permit drawing, applicants must be at least 18 years old. Applications must be submitted on a 3-inch-by-5-inch card and include the applicant's full name as it appears on the applicant's driver's license; driver's license number; complete mailing address; and daytime and evening phone numbers.
The applications can be dropped off at the
Wallisville Lake Project Visitor Center or can be mailed to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Wallisville Project Office, Attention: duck blind; P.O. Box 293, Wallisville, Texas 77597.
Applications must be delivered to the Wallisville office no later than June 30 or be postmarked by June 30.
For more information, contact the
Wallisville Lake Project Office at 409-389-2285.