Changes affect handfishing, bass tournaments, and paddlefish and trout anglers
PRATT -- Hard copies of the 2007 Kansas Fishing Regulations Summary booklet will be available in early January, and anglers should be aware of several new regulations that take effect Jan. 1, 2007. Two new regulations deal with handfishing in certain parts of the state and a Bass Pass for bass tournaments. Other changes affect paddlefish and trout anglers.

The following information details Kansas fishing regulation changes for 2007:

Handfishing

• a handfishing season of June 15-Aug. 31 for flathead catfish has been established on the Arkansas River from the John Mack Bridge on Broadway Street in Wichita downstream to the Kansas-Oklahoma border and on the Kansas River from its origin downstream to its confluence with the Missouri River;
• a Handfishing Permit ($27.15), as well as a fishing license, is required to handfish; and
• the regulation prohibits the use of hooks, snorkeling or scuba gear, or other man-made devices while engaged in handfishing.

Bass Pass

• a Tournament Bass Pass ($12.15) has been established;
• the Bass Pass allows participants in registered bass tournaments held between Sept. 1 and June 15 to keep two fish, to be released after tournament weigh-in, that meet the statewide minimum length limit but are under a special length limit for that fishing location;
• the regulation also allows anglers in registered tournaments to cull their catch, meaning they can replace a fish in their livewell with a larger one;
• to qualify for these tournaments, organizers must provide adequate weigh-in procedures; and
• boats must be equipped with working livewells that contain an electrolyte chemical-water solution.

Paddlefish Permits

• a Paddlefish Permit is required of anyone snagging paddlefish during the snagging season opened at designated waters;
• paddlefish check stations are no longer required; and
• the $12.15 permit will include six paddlefish tags that must be affixed immediately upon catch to each fish that exceeds the length limit.

Trout Permits

• two categories of trout fishing waters have been established;
• waters in one category require all anglers fishing there, for any fish species, to have a $12.15 Trout Permit during the Oct. 15-April 15 trout season; and
• waters in the other category require a trout permit only for anglers fishing for and harvesting trout.

Cleaning and Possession

• all fish taken shall have the head, body, and tail fin attached while in possession on the water. Sportfish taken must be kept until consumed, processed, taken home or given to another person, released, or disposed of at a designated fish cleaning station.

More detailed information may be found in the 2007 Kansas Fishing Regulations Summary booklet, currently available online at www.kdwp.state.ks.us. The 2007 booklet also features a paragraph of length and creel limit text for every body of water in the state. This text clearly states the length and creel limits of sportfish found in each water. Each water is listed in alphabetical order according to the five Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) regions of the state.

In addition, a full-color fish identification guide lists all the state's sportfish, complete with text descriptions and detailed illustrations by renowned fish illustrator Joseph Tomelleri. Look-alike species are grouped together with complementary text to help the angler discern the difference between such closely-related species as white bass and wipers, blue catfish and channel catfish, the state's three black basses, black and white crappie, and others.

The booklet also provides the latest information about invasive species in Kansas waters. Two pages are dedicated to this subject, complete with detailed illustrations and tips on how to prevent the spread of exotic species of plants, mollusks, and fish.

Anglers who want to contact a district fisheries biologist will find a listing of names and phone numbers of the nearest local biologist. A listing of natural resource officer contacts is also included.

For more information, contact the nearest office of the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, pick up a copy of the 2007 Kansas Fishing Regulations Summary wherever licenses are sold (available in early January), or download a copy from the KDWP website.
-30-

Back to 12/21/06 News