The Arizona Game and Fish Commission will consider the proposed 2007-08 fishing regulation changes during its meeting from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Oct. 21 at the La Quinta Inn, 2510 W. Greenway Road, Phoenix.
The commission is considering various changes, such as removing the bag limits on northern pike statewide, liberalizing the striped bass limit on Lake Mead, and expanding the blue-ribbon regulations at Becker Lake to become year-round.
The Arizona Game and Fish Department proposes removing bag limits for northern pike at Upper Lake Mary and Stoneman Lake, which are the only two lakes in the state with limits on pike. This change would result in there being no limits on northern pike in Arizona and will make pike regulations consistent across the state.
"Over the last several years, northern pike have been illegally introduced into four important trout lakes," says Larry Riley, the department's fisheries chief. "This species can have significant impacts on existing sport fisheries, especially trout lakes, and will ultimately decrease angler use of these lakes."
The department is also seeking to change the bag limits for stripers at Lake Mead from the current 20-fish limit to unlimited harvest of stripers under 20 inches and 20 fish over 20 inches. That would bring the regulations in Mead in line with those already in place at Lake Mohave. Both reservoirs are part of the Lake Mead National Recreation Area.
Fishing pressure has continued to decline throughout the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, according to creel surveys. "Since 1998, striped bass numbers have increased, and mean size has decreased from 16.5 inches to just slightly less than 13 inches. Our objectives are to increase mean size and relative weight of the striped bass population at Lake Mead and to standardize and simplify bag limits within the Lake Mead National Recreation Area," Riley says.
Another proposal is to create a year-round artificial lure and fly only with barbless hooks regulation and two-trout limit to further develop a blue-ribbon fishery at Becker Lake near Springerville.
"Trout condition and food studies indicate that Becker Lake should be able to consistently grow larger rainbow trout, but only if harvest is reduced. Anglers are generally satisfied and are currently catching trout in the 16-inch range," Riley says.
Other changes being considered include:
* Extending the closure of Fish Creek (including tributaries Double Cienega and Corduroy creeks), upper East Fork Little Colorado River, and Hayground Creek to fishing for two years (Jan. 1, 2007 through Dec. 31, 2008) for Apache trout re-establishment and recovery.
* Extending the closure of Fossil Creek to fishing through Dec. 31, 2008 to help conserve and recover this unique fishery resource.
* Closing Conklin Creek for two years for Apache trout re-establishment and recovery, allowing replicate populations of these native trout to become established.
* Reducing the daily bag and possession limits at City Reservoir in Williams and Francis Short Pond to four trout (two for youth), two bass 13-inch minimum size, four catfish and five sunfish. That would bring these two waters in line with other intensively used small lakes, such as those in the department's urban fishing program.
* Reducing the daily bag and possession limits for catfish and bass at Stone Dam near Ash Fork to four catfish and two bass, bringing it in line with regulations on other small intensively used waters.
The department had initially proposed to modify regulations along Canyon Creek, but has decided to further study the issue.
