09-17-2014, 02:49 PM
[#0000FF]I was there also...along with several BFTers. I did not take notes but will comment on what I think I heard and my opinions.
With the exception of the new rulings on non-trout possession increases and new regulations on perch in Fish Lake there were not many recommendations for other changes.
Spear fishing regulations will likely remain pretty much as they are...except for encouragement for more spearfishing for smallmouth in Sand Hollow, pacu in Blue Lake and pike in Utah Lake. Really? Good luck with that last one.
Otherwise, as Drew Cushing suggested, it is going to require further study and more creel studies and netting surveys to provide real data on conditions and changes in fisheries that may warrant changes in regulations. And he agrees that it is unwise to make blanket changes by species...for all waters. Each needs individual study and consideration. It was good to hear that. In the past they were seemingly trying to make "one size fits all" rules that were good for some waters and bad for others.
Back to the expanded possession rulings for non-trout species. The regulation that says these allowances only apply to legal residents of Utah, with a fixed residence address, reduces the potential for abuse by out-of-state harvesters...or by Utah residents who are staying in a cabin or an RV while harvesting and keeping full limits every day. The accumulation of frozen or canned fish must be at the primary residence. That requires a lot of back and forth travel for those who would try to make that law work for them.
It was also mentioned that there have been only three DWR citations in 30 years for anglers being found in possession of illegal quantities of fish in their home freezers. But it was admitted that the chances of someone being checked are minimal. So it is mostly still on the honor system. People will keep doing what they have been doing but some folks will now keep more fish. My evaluation is that it is like raising the speed limit to 80 so that speeders will now be legal.
There were presentations from the microphone both by the anglers and spear fishing side of that argument. For the most part the arguments were based upon personal opinions and not the results of creditable studies. People are prone to make their own observations and evaluations to suit their own already made up minds.
Like most anglers, I hate to see anybody else harvest a big fish I would prefer to catch myself. But big fish harvest happens just as frequently among anglers as spear fishermen...perhaps even moreso, considering the group of "happy harvesters" that use all means at their disposal to scoop out all the fish they can...for consumption or even for sale.
One interesting observation I got from Drew Cushing in a private conversation is that in all their planned creel surveys they have never encountered any spear fishermen. But, then again, in the ten plus years I have been back in Utah...fishing up to 100 days per year...I have never been checked for a license. Bottom line is that with the reduced budgets of the DWR they just don't have the people to monitor all waters and enforce all laws.
[/#0000FF]
[signature]
With the exception of the new rulings on non-trout possession increases and new regulations on perch in Fish Lake there were not many recommendations for other changes.
Spear fishing regulations will likely remain pretty much as they are...except for encouragement for more spearfishing for smallmouth in Sand Hollow, pacu in Blue Lake and pike in Utah Lake. Really? Good luck with that last one.
Otherwise, as Drew Cushing suggested, it is going to require further study and more creel studies and netting surveys to provide real data on conditions and changes in fisheries that may warrant changes in regulations. And he agrees that it is unwise to make blanket changes by species...for all waters. Each needs individual study and consideration. It was good to hear that. In the past they were seemingly trying to make "one size fits all" rules that were good for some waters and bad for others.
Back to the expanded possession rulings for non-trout species. The regulation that says these allowances only apply to legal residents of Utah, with a fixed residence address, reduces the potential for abuse by out-of-state harvesters...or by Utah residents who are staying in a cabin or an RV while harvesting and keeping full limits every day. The accumulation of frozen or canned fish must be at the primary residence. That requires a lot of back and forth travel for those who would try to make that law work for them.
It was also mentioned that there have been only three DWR citations in 30 years for anglers being found in possession of illegal quantities of fish in their home freezers. But it was admitted that the chances of someone being checked are minimal. So it is mostly still on the honor system. People will keep doing what they have been doing but some folks will now keep more fish. My evaluation is that it is like raising the speed limit to 80 so that speeders will now be legal.
There were presentations from the microphone both by the anglers and spear fishing side of that argument. For the most part the arguments were based upon personal opinions and not the results of creditable studies. People are prone to make their own observations and evaluations to suit their own already made up minds.
Like most anglers, I hate to see anybody else harvest a big fish I would prefer to catch myself. But big fish harvest happens just as frequently among anglers as spear fishermen...perhaps even moreso, considering the group of "happy harvesters" that use all means at their disposal to scoop out all the fish they can...for consumption or even for sale.
One interesting observation I got from Drew Cushing in a private conversation is that in all their planned creel surveys they have never encountered any spear fishermen. But, then again, in the ten plus years I have been back in Utah...fishing up to 100 days per year...I have never been checked for a license. Bottom line is that with the reduced budgets of the DWR they just don't have the people to monitor all waters and enforce all laws.
[/#0000FF]
[signature]