Comment Period Open for Sport Fish Regulation Changes

NASHVILLE --- The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency Fisheries Division is soliciting comments on the proposed sport fish regulations through Feb. 15. The proposals were presented at the January meeting of the Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission. The link to submit comments is available here.

The Commission will vote on the proposed changes at the Feb. 20-21 meeting in Nashville at the TWRA Region II Ray Bell Building.

Several regulations were proposed to address bass identification issues related to the introduction of Alabama Bass and their hybridization with native Tennessee bass. There were little to no proposed changes to largemouth bass regulations, but smallmouth bass, Alabama bass, and spotted bass would all fall under the same regulations for each reservoir to reduce confusion over identification of hybrids of these species.

The Fisheries Division also moved to update the scientific names of Largemouth Bass and Florida Bass in Tennessee rules due to recent changes by the American Fisheries Society. In the special definitions section, Florida bass is now recognized as a distinct species and not a sub-species of largemouth bass. Moving forward, TWRA will recognize largemouth bass, Florida bass, and their hybrids as a group for state records consideration.

Parksville Reservoir:

Proposed:

•      Largemouth Bass – 5 fish creel; 15 inches MLL

•      Smallmouth, Spotted, and Alabama bass, and their hybrids – no creel; no MLL

•      No live transport of any black bass away from Parksville Reservoir

Guntersville, Chickamauga, and Nickajack Reservoirs:

Proposed:

•      Black bass – 5 fish creel, in combination; Largemouth Bass – 15 inches MLL

•      Smallmouth, Spotted, and Alabama bass, or their hybrids – no MLL, only 1 may be over 16 inches per day

Ft. Loudon, Pickwick, Tellico, Watts Bar, and Chilhowee Reservoirs:

Proposed:

•      Black bass – 5 fish creel, in combination; 15” MLL

Tellico River:

•      Black bass – 5 fish creel, in combination; no MLL

In addition, there were proposed changes to several TWRA agency lakes to better manage sportfish species in the respective lakes.

Marrowbone Lake:

Proposed:

•      Black Bass: 10 fish daily creel, no MLL

Davy Crockett Lake:

Proposed:

Black Bass: No daily creel limit, only one Black Bass over 18 inches per day

Lake Halford:

Proposed:

•      Crappie: 20 fish daily creel limit, only 5 Crappie over 12 inches per day

At the request of the City of Gatlinburg, the Fisheries Division proposed a new regulation to accommodate a kid’s fishing event.

Proposed regulation:

•      On Bobby Wilson Free Fishing Day, the West Prong Little Pigeon River along River Road from Maples Lane upstream to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park boundary (.6 mile) shall be closed to anglers age 16 and over until 11 a.m. local time.

---TWRA---

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