When next year’s fishing regulations go into effect, Colorado anglers can’t claim they had no chance to add their two cents to the rule-making process. In its latest outreach, the Colorado Division of Wildlife has launched a website specifically to encourage fishermen’s input as it formulates the regulations that will be in place for the next five years.
“We’re bending over backward to give fishermen an opportunity to let us know what they think,” said Ken Kehmeier, Fort Collins-based senior aquatic biologist for the DOW’s northeast region. “We especially want to reach people who might not have been able to attend one of our recent angler roundtables.”
To that end, the website — — gives a short summary of statewide issues, then provides a space for comments, which will be posted on the site. Respondents are required to provide their names and are asked to remain within the bounds of common courtesy and respect.
Five issues have been posted on the site to date; others will appear as the process unfolds. Issues currently on the site range from seeming no-brainers to points sure to stir some controversy.
Among the more controversial, anglers are asked whether the bag and possession limits for trout need to be changed on waters that are stocked with catchable-sized rainbows, and if potential changes should be extended to waters that are not so stocked. The issue is hardly new. It cannot be resolved easily, if at all, given the state’s diversity of waters and the different expectations of fishermen.
One segment advocates reduced-kill provisions, including size and fishing-method restrictions, to ensure quality fishing. Another believes that catching and keeping a reasonable number of trout is part of a quality experience, especially when considerable travel is involved. Still others are content to fish for recently stocked trout in close-to-home waters, keeping the legal limit.
Some want higher limits; others believe tightening, especially on nonstocked waters, may be in order. While the DOW strives to provide something for everyone, in reality the hatchery fish are expensive. A recent budget cut of $500,000 to buy trout from the private sector led to a 15 percent reduction in fish to be stocked this year.
Unless extra fees are charged for waters that are managed on a put-and-take basis — an idea that was proposed and rejected 25 years ago — increasing the trout limit seems ill-advised. The existing standard limit of four trout daily, with eight in possession, appears to be working quite well. Why change it?
Another issue asks whether walleye-saugeye limits should be tweaked on lakes that currently have special restrictions. The objective is custom tailoring regulations to individual waters as much as possible to maintain quality fishing opportunities through changing forage bases, water levels, fishing pressure and other factors. Possibilities include loosening limits on Carter, Horsetooth and Trinidad reservoirs but giving added protection to populations at Cherry Creek.
Concerns about the spread of nuisance species and disease have raised the issue of collecting bait fish and moving them from one body of water to another. At present, that is permitted within certain guidelines. A change under consideration would prohibit it, in effect forcing fishermen to buy minnows from commercial sources. Most already do . . . so why take the chance?
The issue of filleting and cleaning fish from waters with length limits falls into the no-brainer category. Some boat fishermen have done that so that undersized or illegal fish are difficult to identify when they are brought to shore. Possession of filleted or cleaned fish in a boat at present is illegal at Carter and Pueblo reservoirs. Why not make it statewide and maybe even extend it to shore fishermen while they still are fishing?
Finally, tournament carp fishermen have requested regulations changes to permit using four rods and chumming. At present, fishermen with a second-rod stamp may use two poles and chumming is prohibited. Issuing special permits for designated tournaments, rather than changing statewide provisions, seems like the way to go.
The DOW will review public input and make a preliminary presentation to the Colorado Wildlife Commission in July. A draft of regulations will be presented in September, and the commission will take final action in November.
Comments from the public will be taken through the entire process.
