Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission Modify Black Bass Regulations

Louisiana Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries 06.07.13

Black Bass Regulations Modified in the Atchafalaya Basin, Henderson Lake and Lake Verrett Complex

Today, the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission approved the removal of the 14” minimum length limit on black bass in the Atchafalaya Basin, Henderson Lake and Lake Verret Complex. The new rule will go into effect on Thursday, June 20, 2013.

As a temporary transition measure, LDWF staff recommends a reduction in daily creel limit from 10 to 7 bass for a two-year period. After the two years, black bass regulations on these waterbodies would be consistent with statewide regulations – no length limit with a 10 fish daily creel.

An extensive, three-year study examined the effectiveness of the regulation as a management tool. Findings show the Atchafalaya Basin largemouth bass population does not exhibit necessary criteria for which a 14” minimum length limit would produce larger bass. The study indicates that the basin bass population is more heavily influenced by environmental factors, including water fluctuation and the effects of tropical storms, rather than angler harvest.

Louisiana Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries – Enforcement Division(LDWF) is the fish & game regulatory agency of Louisiana. It has jurisdictionanywhere in the state, and in state territorial waters. The agency enforces both state and federal laws dealing with hunting, fishing, and boating safety. The agency also enforces criminal laws in rural areas including DWI enforcement both on highways and waterways. Most of the Department’s Wildlife Agents also carry Federal law enforcement commissions issued from the United States Department of the Interior - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and United States Department of Commerce - U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). These federal commissions allow these state officers to enforce federal migratory waterfowl laws and federal marine fisheries laws in state and federal waters off the coast of Louisiana. Besides their traditional role as a “game warden”, Louisiana Wildlife Enforcement Agents also have a number of other responsibilities, including conducting board of health inspections on some portions of the state’s commercial fishing industry. Agents are trained in and conduct numerous search and rescue operations, both in remote land areas and on the state’s waterways. Agents ensure that hunters, anglers, boaters, dealers, breeders, farmers, and transporters are in compliance with regulations governing equipment, quotas, licenses, and registrations. Agents also assist other State departments and law enforcement agencies in the coordination of educational and professional endeavors, as well as national and state emergency alerts by the Federal Office of Emergency Preparedness. In addition, agents perform search and rescue missions alone or in conjunction with other local, state, and federal agencies.