Arizona - Two Public Meetings Remain On Proposed Fishing Regulation Changes

The Arizona Game And Fish Department is considering changes to the fishing regulations and is continuing its series of public meetings to provide information. The remaining meetings are —

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• July 19, 6 p.m., Arizona Game and Fish Kingman regional office, 5325 N. Stockton Hill Road.

• July 19, 6 p.m., Arizona Game and Fish Pinetop regional office, 2878 E. White Mountain Blvd.

Meetings were previously held in Flagstaff, Mesa, Yuma and Tucson.

In addition, the public can also submit written comments via email to fishregscomments@azgfd.gov or by mail to: Arizona Game And Fish Department, Fisheries Branch, c/o Chris Cantrell, 5000 W. Carefree Highway, Phoenix, AZ 85086.

The Proposed Changes

• Change the statewide possession limit to twice the daily bag limit. This possession limit will apply to all statewide and special regulation seasons.

• Reduce the crappie daily bag limit from unlimited to 15 per day at Bartlett Lake and Roosevelt Lake.

• Establish special regulations for daily bag limits at all newly designated Community Fishing Waters.

• Make all catch-and-release trout waters artificial fly and lure only, single barbless hooks.

• Simplify artificial fly and lure regulations at waters with reduced trout harvest to "artificial fly and lure only, two trout daily bag limit."

• Create special regulations for bass at Goldwater Lake of one bass, minimum size of 13 inches in total length.

• Allow bow and arrow fishing for catfish at Roosevelt, Apache, Canyon and Saguaro lakes.

• Allow spear and spear gun fishing for striped bass in the Colorado River and associated backwaters from Headgate Rock Dam (upstream of Parker) to the Southern International Boundary with Mexico.

• Reduce the general statewide daily bag limit for white amur (grass carp) from unlimited to one white amur, minimum size of 30 inches in total length.

• Reduce the statewide roundtail chub daily bag limit from one fish to catch-and-release only.

• Consolidate regulations on the Colorado River from the I-40 Bridge to the Southern International Boundary including Lake Havasu, Martinez Lake, Mittry Lake and associated backwaters.

The changes are scheduled to be presented to the Arizona Game and Fish Commission at its meeting scheduled for Sept. 6-7.

View the full details of the rationale behind each regulation at http://www.azgfd.gov/h_f/regChanges/130614_Fish_Regs_Full.pdf.