— approved many fishing regulation changes for 2009, which will become effective Jan. 1, 2009. See the free 2009 Nebraska Fishing Guide available at Commission offices and from permit vendors across the state in mid- to late-December for more detailed information about the changes. By approving the staff’s recommendations, the Commissioners:
– reduced the daily bag limit of trout (rainbow, brown and brook in combination) in inland waters and waters from the Missouri River from seven to four with a possession limit of eight; and increased the bag limit from seven to eight and the possession limit from 14 to 16 trout at designated lakes and ponds that do not support trout year-round and are stocked in the fall, winter and/or spring;
– deleted the 12-inch minimum length limits on smallmouth, spotted bass and largemouth bass in privately-owned waters and established a 15-inch minimum length limits on all black bass in all inland waters, both public and private;
— added Swan Creek 67 to the list of waters with 21-inch minimum length limits (one-fish daily bag limit) and deleted Willow Lake from the list;
— added the entire Two Rivers State Recreation Area and Bowling Lake to the list of waters where no harvest of black bass is allowed;
– added Wagon Train Reservoir to the list of waters with a daily bag limit of three and possession limit of six striped bass, white bass and striped bass hybrids; deleted the list of state recreation areas with minimum length limits of 18 inches and daily bag limits of one and possession limits of two;
– reduced the daily bag limit of channel catfish to five and the possession limit of 10 at Calamus, Harlan County and Merritt reservoirs; added Bowling Lake to, and deleted Ponca State Park Pond and Three R’s Pond from, the list of waters with three-fish daily bag limits;
– deleted the 18-inch minimum length limits on walleye, sauger and saugeye at Harlan County, Calamus and Sherman reservoirs; and established regulations at Harlan and Calamus reservoirs that allow the harvest of no more than one fish 15-18 inches, three or four over 18 inches, and no more than one greater than 22 inches;
– changed regulations at Sherman Reservoir to allow a daily bag limit of two walleye at least 15 inches but less than 20 inches and one walleye over 28 inches (fish 20-28 inches must be released);
— added Cottonmill Lake to the list of waters with 30-inch minimum length limits;
– added Bowling Lake to, and deleted Three R’s Pond from, the list of waters with 10-fish daily bag limits of black crappie, white crappie, bluegill, yellow perch, rock bass, green sunfish, pumpkinseed sunfish, orange-spotted sunfish and redear sunfish and their hybrids;
— renamed the “Marina” Lake at Eugene T. Mahoney State Park to “Baright” Lake and deleted the two-fish daily bag limit;
– restricted the use of baitfish taken by anglers from the Missouri River below Gavins Point Dam to that area, making it illegal to move any baitfish from that area of the river.
– made it illegal for individuals to import live baitfish (from out of state) for use in inland waters. This does not include the Missouri River; — made it illegal for bait dealers to take baitfish from the Missouri River below Gavins Point Dam downstream
These were cut and pasted from another website. As I was reading these regulation changes, it got me thinking how this is going to affect the Walleye tournaments, especially at Sherman? With the new regulation of 2 fish between 15-20″ and only one over 28″ are the tournament directors going to lower the amount of fish to be weighed? Usually it is 5. My guess is they will still go with 5 but being able to keep 25% less fish might change their mindsets.
Mike
I sure hope they have the C.O’s out in full force to keep the regs inforced though