New proposed Tenneesee SM size limit...HELP

[Dave Stewart]

The TWRA has a new proposal which will be voted on next month to increase the size limit on Smallmouth Bass statewide to 18" on all reservoirs. They are inviting comments on this proposal. Having read the proposal there are no apparrent plans for an exception to this size limit in the reciprical area of Ky Lake...ie...the waters between the U.S. 79 bridge at Paris, Tn. and the U.S. 68 bridge at Aurora, Ky. I know many of you fish tournaments here on Kentucky Lake. If this proposal passes without an exception to this size limit in the reciprical area of Ky Lake all I can forsee is mass confusion during tournaments, a lot of folks getting tickets and a loss of some big monies in tourist dollars generated by tournament here.

If you see the same things as I do, I would ask that you contact the TWRA and urge them to consider leaving the current 15" size limit on Smallmouth Bass in this reciprical area.

Here is the link where you can find the email link to make your comments:

http://www.state.tn.us/twra/news/fishcomment.html

[buzzking]

Done

[CatFan]

This would be a mess. In effect, if you launch in Kentucky and have 15" fish in the livewell, you wouldn't be able to cross into Tennessee anymore, and if you launch in Tennessee, you wouldn't be able to weigh in a legal 15" smallmouth from Kentucky waters.

I think the real answer is for both states to work together and make a decision together on a common size limit.

[billius]

You make some great points Dave. Hard to imagine that in those reciprocal waters, they would want to make each state different. Could be one heck of a mess.

[slenko]

Dave,

Thanks for the heads up. I know most of yall don't fish it, but I think the same thing will happen on Pickwick as well except you're dealing with Mississippi AND Alabama. I don't know how it would be handled on this end of the state either. Any reason for them wanting the 18" limit statewide???? carl

[ep72]

good point carl, i too fish pickwick. it will be a cluster f@$& for sure.

well see.

[tnjavelin]

This makes as much sense as two of the most recent changes TWRA made with the fish:

1. Stocked MASSIVE numbers of very very small trout in the Clinch river, which ate up most of the food for the larger/slower trout (that weren't quite large enough to eat the smaller trout), resulting in TERRIBLE quality fish numbers for about 2 years.

2. Lowering the statewide mercury tolerance to a level that created a "OMG all the fish are poison!" scare, and pulled many species off the "keeper" list on several bodies of water. Keep in mind, the old tolerance level was fine for the last 20+ years, and was already substantially LOWER than ANY amounts known to cause even the smallest issue, according to various independent studies.

Poop.

[StratosNCO]

done

[kybaitcaster211]

Done

[woody912]

Kind of bothers me that MS will not change their 10 fish limit, seems like their entire focus is on eating fish.

[EdDavisKY]

Done!

[Mike Daleo]

done

[ranger1055]

Don ... Thanks for the heads up

[ukbassman_11]

How would this work on Dale Hollow. We all know about the slot there. Sounds like a mess to me.