Time to weigh in on fishing rule changes

 

Maine anglers should be aware the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife is proposing to change fishing rules on a number of Maine waters. Proposals range from changing the lower protected slot on lake trout in Sebago Lake from 23 inches to 26″, to allowing anglers to harvest unlimited landlocked salmon under 14 inches on a number of the Fish River chain lakes and thoroughfares.

The Departments 2018 proposals also include adding 6 waters to the Heritage list and delisting 4. Two of the delisted waters are being removed to allow the Department to  stock those particular waters. This is certain to be controversial.

All proposals are posted on the Inland Fisheries and Wildlife website. Here are direct links.

 https://www.maine.gov/ifw/docs/StatewideSpecialsRuleMaking_2019%20FINAL.PDF

https://www.maine.gov/ifw/docs/HeritageAlteredDeletedProposals_2019%20FINAL.PDF

 One Public Hearing is scheduled:

 Date, time and location of Public Hearing: Tues, August 14, 2018 @ 6:00 p.m. – Hilton Garden Inn, Ballroom C, 250 Haskell Road, Bangor

 Anyone unable to attend the public hearing may submit written comments on any of the proposals to Becky Orff, Inland Fisheries & Wildlife, 284 State Street, #41 State House Station, Augusta, ME  04333; becky.orff@maine.gov. The deadline to submit comments is August 24, 2018

 

 

George Smith

About George Smith

George stepped down at the end of 2010 after 18 years as the executive director of the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine to write full time. He writes a weekly editorial page column in the Kennebec Journal and Waterville Morning Sentinel, a weekly travel column in those same newspapers (with his wife Linda), monthly columns in The Maine Sportsman magazine, two outdoor news blogs (one on his website, georgesmithmaine.com, and one on the website of the Bangor Daily News), and special columns for many publications and newsletters. Islandport Press published a book of George's favorite columns, "A Life Lived Outdoors" in 2014. In 2014, George also won a Maine Press Association award for writing the state's bet sports blog. In 2016, Down East Books published George's book, Maine Sporting Camps, and Islandport Press published George and his wife Linda's travel book, Take It From ME, about their favorite Maine inns and restaurants.