Don: You fish that River a lot and know more about the Bass Population that most guys on here. I'd like to hear your reasons why this rule should not be implimented.

How healthy is the Large Mouth Bass Population in the Ohio River in the Evansville area?

Note: this is not just about LM bass. It's sounds like it's more about protecting the small mouth bass and the spotted bass than LM bass. That's how I read it the first time around.

Perhaps IDNR should regulate the sm bass population by each individual stretch of river instead of generalizing about Rivers as a whole? I think that would make more sense if they are trying to protect SM bass populations in some rivers.

Does the Ohio River have a lot of Small Mouth Bass in it in this area? I would not think so but I really don't know. I thought that small mouth bass preferred cooler waters that were clear vs the Muddy and Thilthy Ohio River which is pretty warm during the summer months.

I don't fish tournaments so I have no comments about that aspect of this issue.


Quote Originally Posted by HoosierDon View Post
This appeared in the Evansville Courier on Thursday:

The Indiana Dept. of Natural Resorses has proposed changes that will replace the minimum size limit of 12 inches for black bass taken from rivers and streams with a requirement that black bass taken from rivers and streams must be less than 12 inches long or more than 15 inches long, with not more than two being greater than 15 inches long. The bag limit of five in aggregate per day will remain the same.

There will be two hearings on this matter, the first hearing will be at 6 pm EDT Oct. 11 at McCormicks Creek State Park in Spencer, In. The second will be at 6 pm EDT Oct. 17 at Miami County Fair-grouinds in Peru, In.

Online comments regarding these proposed changes can be submitted to the NRC at www.in.gov/nrc/2377/htm. Click on "Comment on Proposed Rule" next to the "Smallmouth Bass (Black Bass) Amendments." The deadline for comments is Oct. 18.

This is the nuttiest change I can imagine. This will kill out tournament series. Please, please send these people an email objecting to the proposed rule changes.