Page 4 - Jan/Feb 2022 Outdoor Oklahoma Magazine
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Off the Beaten Path
Off the Beaten Path
to
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NEW BLACK BASS RULES PROPOSED FOR 2022
By Kelly Adams,
Communication Supervisor
This year, as part of the Wildlife Depart-
ment’s annual review and revision of fishing
and hunting regulations, the Fisheries Divi-
sion has proposed a change to allow anglers
to keep smaller, more abundant largemouth
and smallmouth bass, while limiting the har-
vest of larger bass.
The proposal aims to remove the 14-inch
minimum length limit from lakes and res-
ervoirs, and would allow anglers to keep
only one bass greater than 16 inches daily.
If approved, biologists anticipate a positive
impact on the overall quality of Oklahoma’s
black bass populations.
The bass length limit changes will be con-
sidered for approval by the Oklahoma Wild-
life Conservation Commission during its
scheduled meeting Feb. 7, 2022.
Cliff Sager, Senior Fisheries Biologist with
the Wildlife Department, said the proposal
is designed to give anglers a better chance to The intent of the proposed regulation change is to increase harvest of the smaller, more
catch larger bass. abundant fish.
“Catch and release has become very
ingrained with bass anglers. In the most recent survey of Okla- ment exemption, which will allow bag and size limits to deviate
homa anglers, 69 percent of bass anglers returned all, or nearly from those in the Oklahoma Fishing and Hunting Regulations.
all, the bass they caught back to the water. The popularity of Tournament anglers who possess a free exemption from ODWC
the sport combined with the cultivated practice of catch-and- may then keep bass longer than 16 inches until the tournament
release of smaller bass has impacted ODWC’s ability to increase weigh-in, after which the fish must be returned to the water.
the abundance of larger bass.” To maintain focused oversight of these species, the Wildlife
Using data from more than 100 Oklahoma lakes, fisheries Department a created Centrarchid Committee of 10 fisheries
biologists have found that about 80 percent of largemouth bass biologists with specialties ranging from reservoirs to hatch-
in Oklahoma lakes are shorter than 16 inches. While reduced eries. Together, they have more than 160 years of experience
harvest of large bass is beneficial, harvesting bass under 16 in fisheries management. The Centrarchidae (sunfishes) are a
inches can improve fisheries by reducing competition among family of North American native freshwater fish and include
bass, so individuals grow faster and larger. smallmouth and largemouth bass, bluegill, and crappie. Biol-
Josh Johnston, Northeast Region Fisheries Supervisor, said ogists will continue to survey and monitor population trends,
many anglers have asked him why slot limits are not being pro- and develop management practices that better meet the needs
posed. “Most studies on slot limits show the angler still sees it and expectations of Oklahoma anglers.
as a minimum length limit, meaning they only keep fish above
the slot. The current proposal addresses the problem with slot To see the size structure of largemouth bass in
limits and encourages harvesting smaller fish.” 13 popular bass-fishing lakes in Oklahoma, check
The proposed rule change comes with a black bass tourna- out electrofishing data by scanning the code:
2 Off the Beaten Path
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