1. Remove the Special Regulation slot limit for largemouth bass at Alamo Lake. The regulation for bass at Alamo Lake will revert to the statewide limit of 6 bass.
Rationale: Establishment of the slot limit for bass at Alamo Lake in the 1980’s appears to have been effective in reversing the declining quality of the fishery. Furthermore, the culture of bass angling has changed in the past two decades from one with relatively high harvest rates to one with more people practicing “catch-and-release”. Fish surveys over the past 6 years reveal that largemouth bass numbers are piling up in the slot and that condition/health of these 13 to 16 inch fish is reduced. Fish managers believe the current slot regulation is no longer needed, and is unnecessarily restrictive. A recent creel survey conducted at Alamo Lake (September 2010-August 2011) revealed that 12.1 percent of bass caught by anglers were harvested. Population survey data indicate the bass population would not be significantly reduced at the current harvest rate. Fish managers expect the population structure to benefit from the removal of the slot limit, because it would allow for additional harvest of slot-sized fish, and reduce competition between fish within the slot. Alamo Lake is the only body of water in Arizona that still has a slot limit for largemouth bass. We no longer believe there is a biological need for this regulation. We recommend removing the slot limit at Alamo Lake, thereby simplifying Arizona’s fishing regulations. We will continue to monitor the bass population at Alamo Lake to document any changes.
2. Extension of no harvest of largemouth bass at Pena Blanca Lake set to expire on December 31st, 2012 to instead expire on December 31st, 2016. All largemouth bass must be immediately released.
Rationale: The Department initially had closed Pena Blanca Lake to the harvest of largemouth bass until December 31, 2012. This closure was instituted to protect fish stocked in an effort to rebuild the population following the U.S. Forest Service Project to dredge the lake and remove mercury contaminated sediments. Because of circumstances beyond the control of the Department, the lake was first restocked with largemouth bass in April of this year; therefore, there is still a need to protect the largemouth bass population as the department works to re-establish it at the lake. A harvest restriction will conserve fish in the population and reduce the time necessary to re-establish a thriving population of largemouth bass. Currently there is a consumption advisory at Pena Blanca and therefore angling practices have primarily been catch and release for largemouth bass. This proposed extension of the harvest restriction on largemouth bass does not prohibit catch and release of largemouth bass or the harvest of trout for which there is no consumption advisory.
3. Reduce bag limits for bass, catfish and trout and add a minimum size for bass at Cataract Lake and Kaibab Lakes. Add a minimum size regulation for bass 13 inches and reduce the bag limit to 2 bass. Reduce the catfish and trout bag limit to 4.
Rationale: Cataract Lake and Kaibab Lake, two reservoirs located near Williams Arizona, are managed as put and take rainbow trout fisheries along with self-sustaining warm water fisheries. In the 1990’s both reservoirs were stocked with largemouth bass to try and control the crappie population along with providing additional angling opportunity. Largemouth bass are harvested from the lakes before they can grow large enough in size or numbers to control the crappie population which has become too large and are stunted. The change in bass regulations at both reservoirs is being proposed to protect breeding age bass larger than 13 inches in length, and also in order to allow bass to reach a larger size and number in the system. It is anticipated that these larger fish will provide an increased consumptive pressure on the inflated crappie populations. A limit reduction of the trout (6 to 4), catfish (25 to 4) and bass (6 to 2, minimum size 13 inches) will also make the regulations consistent with other waters in the area managed under the intensive use fishing concept. These regulations provide a equitable distribution of fish at highly popular waters.
4. Allow gizzard shad as a legal live baitfish from on Colorado River connected waters from Separation Canyon and downstream to the Mexico Border, including the Gila and Salt rivers and their impounded reservoirs. Collected on site only, may not be transported to or from waters.
Rationale: Allowing gizzard shad as a legal baitfish will allow anglers a plentiful source of bait that can be collected onsite only. Gizzard shad were first sampled from Lake Powell in 2000 and migrated downstream to Lake Mead in 2007 and Havasu in 2011. Gizzard shad were first observed in Roosevelt Lake in 2007 and were recently detected in Apache Lake (March 2012). Gizzard shad are expected to disperse downstream throughout the Colorado and Salt rivers over the next 10 years. Nevada Department of Wildlife currently allows gizzard shad as a legal baitfish in Lake Mead where they share jurisdiction with Arizona Game and Fish Department. California does not currently allow gizzard shad as a legal baitfish in the Colorado River District. Regional fish managers are currently coordinating with California Game and fish managers as well as the National Park Service to determine support for the proposed regulation change as well as to discuss whether California will consider a similar regulation change for shared waters. This change will make our regulations consistent Nevada’s and less confusing for the public. It will also provide anglers with an additional baitfish species to be collected and used, onsite only.
5. Reduction of bag and possession limits on channel catfish at Parker Canyon Lake from 25 to 4.
Rationale: Currently Parker Canyon lake is listed under the statewide regulations for catfish with a bag and possession limit of 25. Anglers approached the Department 2-3 years ago about the lack of channel catfish in Parker Canyon Lake. Although the lake currently holds the state record, anglers were concerned because they were not catching channel catfish even though they were spending quite a bit of time attempting to do so. Regional fish managers conducted channel catfish surveys at the lake during the summer of 2010 and were surprised by the lack of channel catfish in the survey because they had been detected in previous surveys in the 1990’s. Biologists began to analyze the causes and it is believed that the lack of spawning habitat in the lake is likely contributing to the lack of catfish in the lake. When the lake was built all of the debris and vegetation that would have provided spawning habitat was removed from the lake leaving a sterile bowl shaped structure for the lake bed. In order to take advantage of the recently installed artificial habitat, managers would like to reduce the bag limit from 25 channel catfish to 4 channel catfish in an effort to allow some of the stocked fish to stay in the lake and spawn. The bag limit of 4 catfish will still allow anglers the opportunity to catch and harvest channel catfish but will limit the numbers so that more fish will have the opportunity to spawn and maintain a self-sustaining population.
