Almost 1 Million Fish Stocked in Arkansas Waters
December 3, 2008
LITTLE ROCK – Arkansas Game and Fish Commission crews stocked over 856,500 fish in Arkansas lakes and rivers during October, according to Mike Armstrong, chief of fisheries. The total stocking of fish weighed in excess of 144,000 pounds.
October stockings:
Amon’s Lake, Baxter County, 150 catchable rainbow trout
Lake Ann, Benton County, 8,775 yearling black crappie
Lake Atalanta, Benton County, 1,700 catchable rainbow trout
Lake Austell, Cross County, 300 catchable channel catfish
Lake Avalon, Benton County, 4,690 fingerling black crappie
Bear Creek Lake, Lee County, 1,880 catchable channel catfish
Beaver Lake, Washington and Benton Counties, 60,000 yearling black crappie
Beaver Tailwater, Carroll County, 10,501 catchable rainbow trout
Benton City Lake, Saline County, 1,300 catchable channel catfish
Bicentennial Lake, Sebastian County, 300 catchable channel catfish
Big Piney Creek, Pope County, 256 catchable channel catfish
Bois d Arc Lake, Hempstead County, 314 catchable channel catfish
Boyle Park Pond, Pulaski County, 600 catchable channel catfish
Bradley County Lake, Bradley County, 180 catchable channel catfish
Bragg Lake, Ouachita County, 260 catchable rainbow trout
Lake Brittany, Benton County, 3,150 yearling black crappie
Bull Shoals Lake, Marion, Boone and Baxter Counties, 45,600 yearling blue catfish
Bull Shoals Lake, Marion County, 2,200 catchable channel catfish
Cabot Community Pond, Lonoke County, 1,006 catchable channel catfish
Calion Lake, Union County, 774 catchable rainbow trout
Camp Preston Hunt, Miller County, 300 catchable channel catfish
Camp Preston Hunt, Miller County, 24 yearling grass carp
Cavester Cove, Sharp County, 250 catchable channel catfish
Cedar-Piney Lake, Yell County, 336 catchable channel catfish
Champagnolle Creek, Calhoun County, 352 catchable channel catfish
Champagnolle Creek, Calhoun County, 3,000 yearling grass carp
Charleston City Lake, Franklin County, 342 catchable channel catfish
Cherrywood Lake, Pulaski County, 1,310 catchable channel catfish
Lake Chicot, Chicot County, 80,000 yearling black crappie
Lake Chicot, Chicot County, 20,000 yearling white crappie
Clubhouse Lake, Yell County, 160 catchable channel catfish
Cotter Big Spring, Baxter County, 300 catchable rainbow trout
Cox Creek Lake, Grant County, 260 yearling grass carp
Cox Cypress Lake, Arkansas County, 257 catchable channel catfish
Craighead Forest Park Lake, Craighead County, 400 yearling grass carp
Crossett City Park Lake, Ashley County, 400 catchable channel catfish
Cypress Bayou Pond, Lonoke County, 150 catchable channel catfish
Lake DeGray, Hot Spring and Clark Counties, 25,560 yearling black crappie
Lake Des Arc, Prairie County, 1,050 catchable channel catfish
De Witt City Lake, Arkansas County, 450 catchable channel catfish
Lake Dunn, Cross County, 300 catchable channel catfish
Dupree Park Lake, Pulaski County, 300 catchable channel catfish
Energy Park Lake, Garland County, 300 catchable channel catfish
Engineer Lake #2, Pulaski County, 500 catchable channel catfish
Lake Enterprise, Ashley County, 900 catchable channel catfish
Fair Park Pond, Hempstead County, 400 catchable channel catfish
Family Park Lake, Garland County, 1,000 catchable channel catfish
Foreman Lake, Pulaski County, 240 catchable grass carp
Forrest City Sports Complex Pond, St. Francis County, 200 catchable channel catfish
Fort Roots Lake, Pulaski County, 600 catchable channel catfish
Fourche LaFave River, Scott County, 526 catchable channel catfish
Lake Georgia-Pacific, Ashley County, 1,700 catchable channel catfish
Grandview #1 Lake, Hempstead County, 326 catchable channel catfish
Greers Ferry Lake, Cleburne and Van Buren Counties, 30,817 yearling black crappie
Lake Greeson, Pike County, 7,350 yearling black crappie
Lake Hamilton, Garland County, 2,639 catchable channel catfish
Harris Brake Lake, Perry County, 982 catchable channel catfish
Harrison City Lake, Boone County, 300 catchable channel catfish
Hickson Lake, Monroe County, 157 catchable channel catfish
Lake Hindsville, Madison County, 8,556 fingerling bluegill bream
Huckleberry Lake, Pope County, 589 catchable channel catfish
Hunter Lake, Pulaski County, 300 catchable channel catfish
Illinois Bayou, Pope County, 400 catchable channel catfish
Interstate Pond #2, Monroe County, 257 catchable channel catfish
Interstate Pond #4, Monroe County, 171 catchable channel catfish
Irons Fork Lake, Polk County, 460 catchable channel catfish
Lake June, Lafayette County, 296 catchable channel catfish
Keeland Lake, Yell County, 316 catchable channel catfish
Kingfisher Lake, Yell County, 316 catchable channel catfish
Kiwanis Park, Pulaski County, 800 catchable channel catfish
Lee Creek, Crawford County, 384 catchable channel catfish
Lee Creek Lake, Crawford County, 902 catchable channel catfish
Lilly Pad Pond, Yell County, 316 catchable channel catfish
Little Missouri River, Pike County, 879 catchable channel catfish
Little Red River, Cleburne County, 19,135 catchable rainbow trout
Lake Loch Lomond, Benton County, 33,390 yearling black crappie
Lake Lou Emma, Crawford County, 290 catchable channel catfish
Lyon College Pond, Independence County, 300 catchable channel catfish
MacArthur Park Lake, Pulaski County, 500 catchable channel catfish
Martin Luther King Park, Jefferson County, 800 catchable channel catfish
McKinley Park Lake, Saline County, 510 catchable channel catfish
Mike & Janet Huckabee Kids Pond, Hempstead County, 200 catchable channel catfish
Mike & Janet Huckabee Lake, Hempstead County, 310 catchable channel catfish
Miller Pond, Woodruff County, 150 catchable channel catfish
Mirror Lake, Stone County, 1,000 catchable rainbow trout
Lake Monticello, Drew County, 755 catchable channel catfish
Mulberry River, Franklin County, 590 catchable channel catfish
Murphy Park Lake, Washington County, 300 catchable rainbow trout
Nashville City Park Lake, Howard County, 250 catchable channel catfish
Lake Norrell, Saline County, 240 yearling grass carp
Norfork Lake, Baxter County, 22,000 yearling blue catfish
Norfork Lake, Baxter County, 2,200 catchable channel catfish
Norfork River, Baxter County, 2,071 fingerling brown trout
Norfork River, Baxter County, 8,288 catchable rainbow trout
Norwood Lake, Benton County, 2,450 yearling black crappie
Old Davidsonville State Park Lake, Randolph County, 304 catchable channel catfish
Otter Creek Park Pond, Pulaski County, 650 catchable channel catfish
Lake Ouachita, Montgomery and Garland Counties, 10,026 catchable channel catfish
Lake Ouachita, Montgomery and Garland Counties, 50,624 yearling black crappie
Ouachita River, Hot Spring County, 1,251 catchable channel catfish
Parkway Village Ponds, Pulaski County, 608 catchable channel catfish
Petit Jean River, Yell County, 632 catchable channel catfish
Lake Pickthorne, Lonoke County, 528 catchable channel catfish
Plum Bayou, Lonoke County, 3,040 yearling black crappie
Pullen Pond, Yell County, 316 catchable channel catfish
Lake Rayburn, Benton County, 3,150 yearling black crappie
Regional Park Pond, Jefferson County, 400 catchable channel catfish
Robe Bayou, Monroe County, 306 catchable channel catfish
Lake Saracin/Pine Bluff Lake, Jefferson County, 1,502 catchable channel catfish
Searcy City Lake, White County, 250 catchable channel catfish
Shores Lake, Franklin County, 298 catchable channel catfish
Siloam Springs City Park, Benton County, 300 catchable catfish
Spring River, Fulton County, 9,645 catchable rainbow trout
Spring River, Fulton County, 10,000 fingerling brown trout
Lake Springdale, Washington County, 300 catchable rainbow trout
Storm Creek Lake, Phillips County, 2,592 yearling blue catfish
Swepco Lake, Benton County, 112,490 fingerling bluegill bream
Swepco Lake, Benton County, 50 yearling grass carp
Tri County Lake, Calhoun County, 448 catchable channel catfish
War Memorial Park, Pulaski County, 200 catchable channel catfish
Ward City Lake, Lonoke County, 150 catchable channel catfish
Wells Lake, Sebastian County, 1,000 catchable channel catfish
Lake Winona, Saline County, 1,722 catchable channel catfish
Lake Wedington, Washington County, 28,520 fingerling bluegill bream
White River, Baxter, Izard, Marion and Stone Counties, 68,320 catchable rainbow trout
White River, Baxter, Izard and Stone Counties, 78,349 fingerling brown trout
White River, Jackson and Independence Counties, 8,460 catchable paddlefish
White River, Independence and Stone Counties, 10,560 fingerling paddlefish
White River, Independence County, 3,000 yearling paddlefish
Whitstine Lake, Independence County, 300 catchable channel catfish
Lake Wilson, Ashley County, 457 catchable channel catfish
Lake Windsor, Benton County, 15,400 yearling black crappie
Wrape Plantation Lake, Arkansas County, 166 catchable channel catfish
Yell County Wildlife Federation Pond, Yell County, 288 catchable channel catfish
Related posts
24 Nov 2008 - S.C. Freshwater Fishing Trends
November 24, 2008
Fishing trends courtesy www.SCFishingReport.com
. Check the site for recent updates and detailed reports.
Mountains Area
Lake Jocassee:
- Trout: Fair. Best results continue to come trolling minnows and spoons in 80 to 90 feet in the big water around the dam and up the rivers.
- Black Bass: Tough. Look for topwater action early in the morning using Zara Spooks or Rebel Pop-Rs and try to find fish busting bait the rest of the day.
- Largemouth and Spotted Bass: Good. Use topwaters like Spooks, Sammies, or Pop-Rs to try and bring fish to the surface, and once surface schools are located throw lures like Rattle Traps that get very good distance.
- Crappie: Fair. The crappie bite is beginning to improve slightly, and fish are being found around brush in 8 to 12 feet of water.
- Most ramps are closed. Much of the lake is currently too dangerous to encourage fishermen to run.
- Largemouth and Spotted Bass: Slow. The best biting coming on deep running crankbaits.
- White perch: Good to very good. White perch are grouped in large schools and can be caught on minnows and jigging spoons.
- Striped and Hybrid Bass: Good. Good action is being reported pulling planer boards and free lining herring in shallow areas.
- Largemouth Bass: Fair. Few anglers are pursuing largemouth right now, but in a recent tournament a variety of crankbaits were effective.
- White perch: Very good. Look for large schools in 18 to 20 feet, and fish live minnows vertically or small spoons.
- Catfish: Very good. The best action is coming on the north side of the Buster Boyd Bridge, and small pieces of bream, white perch, and shad are the most effective baits. Some nice blues are also being caught drifting.
- Crappie: Good. Crappie fishing continues to improve, and fish can be located in 15 feet of water around brush or deep boat docks. Vertical fishing with small chartreuse jigs or live minnows is effective.
- Largemouth Bass: Fair. Bass fishing in the lower part of the lake is tough right now, and soft plastics fished around boat docks is the best pattern. Fish are finicky and don’t seem to be feeding aggressively, especially on clear, sunny days.
Midlands Area
Lake Greenwood:
- Catfish: Very good. Drifting cut baits and fresh jumbo shrimp at the mouths of feeder creeks is producing coolers full of 1 to 8 pound channel catfish.
- Largemouth Bass: Fair. Best fishing is coming in 12 to 15 feet with soft plastics, spinnerbaits, and buzzbaits early in the morning.
- Crappie: Fair. Crappie fishing is improving and best action is coming in 12 feet of water using small to medium minnows fished around brush.
- Striped Bass: Fair. Striper catches are starting to improve and schooling action is being reported.
- Catfish: Very good. Fishing for small, eating sized blue catfish in the one to five pound range is very good. Look for the big shad schools and fish under them.
- Striped Bass: Good. Look for birds and schools of baitfish. Trolling herring, shad or shiners is also effective.
- Largemouth Bass: Slow to fair. The best bite is coming using ÂĽ ounce shakey head jigs tipped with a 7 inch watermelon seed worm around the banks in creeks.
- Catfish: Excellent. Catfish are feeding extremely well shallow in 3 to 10 feet, and very nice catches of blue cats are being reported. Fish cut herring or nightcrawlers for best results.
- Crappie: Good. Fish brush in 8 to 20 feet using small to medium minnows - the jig bite has not been as good.
- Striped Bass: Good. Free lining and planer boards fished against the bank are both productive, and very good schooling action is being reported in some areas - look for the birds.
- Bream: Good. Fish in 5 to 12 feet using worms on the bottom.
- Largemouth Bass: Slow. Try fishing topwater early in the morning, and later in the day fish shallow running crankbaits and rattle traps.
- Catfish: Very good. Drifting or anchoring with large cut bait in very deep water is producing occasional but large blue catfish.
Santee Cooper System           Â
Lake Marion:
- Catfish: Very good. During the day use salties and cut bait fished around stumps and other submerged structure, or drift in 18 to 55 feet.
- Bream: Good. Bluegill are feeding well over brush piles and other cover like stake beds that have been put down for crappie in 12 to 35 feet. The shellcracker bite is slower.
- Crappie: Fair. Crappie fishing is improving, and fish can be caught over the same structure as the bream using small jigs and minnows.
- Largemouth Bass: Good. Best results are coming fishing worms and crankbaits, and some very good days for large numbers of bass are being reported. This pattern should continue until water temperatures hit the low 50s, when fishermen will need to slow their approach and retrieves.
- Catfish: Erratic. Fish on the bottom in 30 feet of water using chicken livers; fish will mainly be eating size but catfish up to 30 pounds have been caught recently on this bait.
- Bream: Very good. Bluegill are feeding very well in Lake Moultrie over brush piles and other cover like stake beds that have been put down for crappie in 12 to 35 feet. The shellcracker bite is good, but not as hot as the bluegill bite.
- Catfish: Good. During the day use salties and cut bait fished around stumps and other submerged structure, or drifting in 18 to 55 feet. Early, late, and at night the catfish are moving much shallower and can be caught in only 3 to 4 feet of water using the same baits or stinkbaits.
- Largemouth Bass: Good. Best results are coming fishing worms and crankbaits, and some very good days for large numbers of bass are being reported. This pattern should continue until water temperatures hit the low 50s, when fishermen will need to slow their approach and retrieves.
- Crappie: Fair. Crappie fishing is improving, and fish can be caught over the same structure as the bream using small jigs and minnows.
Related posts
TPWD to Consider Sweeping Deer Hunting Regulation Changes
November 11, 2008
AUSTIN, Texas -The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has transitioned away from political boundaries for the purpose of monitoring white-tailed deer populations and toward biologically-based communities or Resource Management Units (RMUs).
The department has identified 33 unique RMUs across the state having similar soils, vegetation types and land use practices they believe will more accurately capture deer population dynamics. The intent is to develop deer season bag limit frameworks based on these units, although implementation will still track county boundaries to avoid confusion among hunters.
In a briefing of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission’s Regulations Committee, TPWD unveiled an extensive suite of potential regulation changes in deer harvest throughout much of the state. The department will be gathering public input on the possible proposals during the next couple of months and present to the commission in January a comprehensive set of proposals.
Those proposals will then go back out for official comment during a series of public hearings around the state next spring. A final decision will be made by the commission at its March 25-26, 2009 public meeting.
Expansion of Antler Restriction Regulations
One key potential change involves further expansion of the department’s successful antler restriction regulations into 52 additional counties where biologists have identified a need to provide greater protection of younger buck deer. In these counties, data indicates more than 55 percent of the harvested bucks are two-and-a-half years of age or younger, which creates an imbalance in the deer herd age structure.
According to Clayton Wolf, TPWD big game program director, based on data to date in the 61 counties where the rule is currently in effect, the antler restrictions have improved age structure while maintaining ample hunting opportunity.
Potentially affected counties include: Anderson, Angelina, Archer, Atascosa, Brazos, Brown, Chambers, Clay, Cooke, Denton, Ellis, Falls, Freestone, Grayson, Grimes, Hardin, Harris, Henderson, Hill, Hood, Hunt, Jack, Jasper, Jefferson, Johnson, Kaufman, Liberty, Limestone, Madison, McLennan, Milam, Mills, Montague, Montgomery, Navarro, Newton, Orange, Palo Pinto, Parker, Polk, Robertson, San Jacinto, Smith, Stephens, Tarrant, Trinity, Tyler, Van Zandt, Walker, Wichita, Wise, and Young.
Bag Limit Changes
The department is also looking at increasing the bag limit from one buck to two bucks in Baylor, Callahan, Haskell, Jones, Knox, Shackelford, Taylor, Throckmorton, and Wilbarger counties. Wolf noted this area of the state is characterized by relatively large tract sizes and light hunter density and the deer population has grown over the years as habitat has become more favorable to white-tailed deer.
In addition, the department is considering increasing the bag limit from four deer to five deer in Pecos, Terrell, and Upton counties. White-tailed deer densities throughout the eastern Trans-Pecos are very similar to densities on the Edwards Plateau, where current rules allow the harvest of up to five antlerless deer. This change would increase hunting opportunity while addressing a resource concern.
The department is also looking at increasing the bag limit in most Cross Timbers and Prairies and eastern Rolling Plains counties from three deer (no more than one buck, no more than two antlerless) or four deer (no more than two bucks and no more than two antlerless) to five deer (no more than 2 bucks). Counties affected include: Archer, Baylor, Bell (West of IH35), Bosque, Callahan, Clay, Coryell, Hamilton, Haskell, Hill, Jack, Jones, Knox, Lampasas, McLennan, Palo Pinto, Shackelford, Somervell, Stephens, Taylor, Throckmorton, Wichita, Wilbarger, Williamson (west of IH35), and Young.
Another possible change would increase the bag limit from three deer to five deer (no more than one buck) in selected counties in the western Rolling Plains. Although white-tailed deer densities are highly variable in this part of the state, areas containing suitable habitat have become saturated with deer and whitetails are expanding into marginal to poor habitat.
Browsing pressure is severe in these areas, where little woody vegetation exists within five feet of the ground. The proposal would provide additional hunting opportunity while addressing a resource concern. Counties affected include: Armstrong, Briscoe, Carson, Childress, Collingsworth, Cottle, Crosby, Dickens, Donley, Fisher, Floyd, Foard, Garza, Gray, Hall, Hardeman, Hemphill, Hutchinson, Kent, King, Lipscomb, Motley, Ochiltree, Roberts, Scurry, Stonewall, and Wheeler.
The department is also considering for the first time implementing a general open season in Dawson, Deaf Smith, and Martin counties (three deer, no more than one buck, no more than two antlerless).
Another issue where deer surveys indicate a need for change involves additional antlerless deer harvest opportunities. Therefore, the department is looking to increase antlerless deer hunting or “doe days” in the following areas:
- from 16 days to full-season either-sex in Dallam, Denton, Hartley, Moore, Oldham, Potter, Sherman and Tarrant counties;
- from 30 days to full-season either-sex in Cook, Hardeman, Hill, Johnson, Wichita, and Wilbarger counties;
- from four days to16 days in Bowie and Rusk counties;
- from four days to 30 days in Cherokee and Houston counties;
- from no doe days to four doe days in Anderson, Henderson, Hunt, Leon, Rains, Smith, and Van Zandt counties.
This proposal offers more hunting opportunity as well as making “doe days’ more consistent within each resource management unit (a suite of counties with similar population and habitat characteristics). Data indicate that the deer populations can withstand the additional harvest pressure proposed.
The department is also looking at expansion of the late antlerless and spike season into additional counties.
Counties affected include: Archer, Armstrong, Baylor, Bell (West of IH35), Bosque, Briscoe, Callahan, Carson, Childress, Clay, Collingsworth, Comanche, Cooke, Coryell, Cottle, Crosby, Denton, Dickens, Donley, Eastland, Erath, Fisher, Floyd, Foard, Garza, Gray, Hall, Hamilton, Hardeman, Haskell, Hemphill, Hill, Hood, Hutchinson, Jack, Johnson, Jones, Kent, King, Knox, Lampasas, Lipscomb, McLennan, Montague, Motley, Ochiltree, Palo Pinto, Parker, Pecos, Roberts, Scurry, Shackelford, Somervell, Stephens, Stonewall, Tarrant, Taylor, Terrell, Throckmorton, Upton, Wheeler, Wichita, Wilbarger, Williamson (West of IH35), Wise, and Young. In Pecos, Terrell, and Upton counties, the proposed season would replace the current muzzleloader-only open season.
Biologists are also looking to implement a special muzzleloader season in additional counties, lengthen the existing muzzleloader season by five days to be equivalent in length with the special antlerless and spike buck seasons in other counties, and alter the current muzzleloader bag composition to allow the harvest of any buck (not just spike bucks) and antlerless deer without permits if the county has “doe days” during the general season.
Counties affected include: Austin, Bastrop, Bowie, Brazoria, Caldwell, Camp, Cass, Cherokee, Colorado, De Witt, Fayette, Fort Bend, Goliad (North of HWY 59), Goliad (South of HWY 59), Gonzales, Gregg, Guadalupe, Harrison, Houston, Jackson (North of HWY 59), Jackson (South of HWY 59), Karnes, Lavaca, Lee, Marion, Matagorda, Morris, Nacogdoches, Panola, Rusk, Sabine, San Augustine, Shelby, Upshur, Victoria (North of HWY 59), Victoria (South of HWY 59), Waller, Washington, Wharton (North of HWY 59), Wharton (South of HWY 59), and Wilson.
In response to a commission directive to seek additional opportunities for youth participation, the department is looking at extending the early youth only season to include the entire month of October and the late youth-only season by 12 days during January in selected counties to run concurrently with late antlerless and spike seasons. The intent of the proposal is to allow adults and children to hunt together during different special seasons.
The department is also considering a petition to implement a general open season (with antlerless harvest by permit only) in Grayson County. TPWD staff has determined that there is no biological necessity for retaining the current rule, which restricts lawful methods to archery equipment and crossbows, but will be seeking input from county residents prior to making any official proposal to the commission in January. The date and locations of scoping meetings in Grayson County have not been finalized.
Other Wildlife-Related Issues
Other wildlife-related issues that could be advanced by the department include potentially implementing an open general season in Parmer County for mule deer, contingent upon the results of winter surveys and the temporary suspension of the two-day October lesser prairie chicken season until population recovery supports a season.
Changes Possible in Freshwater Fishing Regs
In addition, several possible changes to freshwater fishing regulations were offered to the commission for consideration including: modifying blue catfish regulations on three reservoirs, modifying largemouth bass regulations on another and providing increased protection for alligator gar statewide.
Harvest regulations for blue catfish on Lake Lewisville, Lake Richland Chambers and Lake Waco currently reflect the statewide limits (12-inch minimum length limit and 25 fish daily bag limit). Possible proposed changes would consist of a 25 fish daily bag limit with a 30 to 45-inch slot length limit and harvest of only one blue catfish over 45 inches would be allowed. No harvest of blue catfish between 30 and 45 inches would be allowed.
Harvest regulations for largemouth bass on Lake Ray Roberts are currently a 14- to 24-inch slot length limit and a five fish daily bag (only one bass 24 inches or greater may be retained each day). Potential changes would consist of the statewide limits for largemouth bass (14-inch minimum length limit and five fish daily bag limit).
The department discussed possible regulation strategies that emphasize protection of adult fish, while allowing some limited harvest of trophy fish to ensure population stability while allowing utilization of the resource. Two possible regulation scenarios were highlighted. The first would consist of issuing tags that would limit the size and/or number of alligator gar an angler could harvest in one year. The other would involve setting a minimum length limit of 7 feet and a daily bag limit of one. Under either scenario, harvest through commercial activities would also be restricted.
Coastal Fisheries to Look at Flounder, All-Water Guide Licenses and Consistency
Despite a relatively good year for flounder coastwide this year, TPWD Coastal Fisheries biologists remain concerned about a long-term downward trend in the abundance of southern flounder in Texas bays. Gill net catch rates have fallen from a rate of .14 fish per hour in 1982 to about .03 fish per hour lat year.
State fisheries biologists have already met with commercial and recreational fishermen to discuss possible changes to flounder regulations, and have planned a series of public scoping meetings to outline management options and receive input from anyone with an interest in the issue.
Management tools at the department’s disposal include decreasing the bag limit, increasing minimum size limit, area or time closures and quotas.
Also subject to scoping in the coming months is a proposal to change the requirements for a TPWD All-Water Guide license, which currently calls for the applicant to hold a USCG Operator of an Uninspected Passenger Vessel, or “Six-Pack” license. The changes would apply to applicants who wish to guide paddle craft trips only.
The draft proposal presented to TPW Commissioners includes requirements that licensees — in lieu of holding a USCG license — successfully complete TPWD Boater Safety training, hold current CPR and First Aid certifications and successfully complete ACA Level II Essentials of Kayak Touring and Coastal Kayak Trip Leading, or BCU Three-Star Sea Kayak and Four-Star Leader Sea Kayak certifications.
Finally, Coastal Fisheries biologists presented several issues pertaining to achieving consistency between state and federal regulations for sharks and reef fish such as gray triggerfish, greater amberjack and gag grouper.
Dates have not yet been set for public scoping meetings on the proposal