NEWS RELEASE

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

October 25, 1999

CONTACT: Tim Coughlin (863) 648-3202

NEW BASS LIMITS PROPOSED FOR LOCAL LAKES

New harvest limits on largemouth bass are being proposed for Lake Walk-in-Water in Polk County and Lake Istokpoga in Highlands County by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). The proposed regulation (details) reduces the bag limits on both lakes to three largemouth bass per day and prohibits harvest of fish from 15 to 24 inches. Public meetings on the proposed rule changes will be held in Bartow and Sebring during the first week of November.

FWC studies indicate that in both lakes, the harvest of bass greater than 18 inches is occurring at a rate much faster than the system can replace them. In fact, on Lake Walk-in-Water, fish greater than 18 inches make up only three percent of the population yet account for about 25 percent of the harvest.

"The objective of the regulation is to help insure that the quality of the fishery remains high, while allowing limited harvest of smaller, more abundant largemouths and larger trophy fish," said FWC Fisheries Biologist Tim Coughlin.

The FWC officials will answer questions and invite public comment at open house forums in Bartow and Sebring. The meeting in Bartow is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 3, at the Department of Transportation Building at 801 North Broadway. The Sebring open house is planned for Thursday, Nov. 4, at the Agri-Civic Center located at 4509 George Blvd. Times for both meetings are 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

For more information about this proposed regulation or other questions regarding freshwater fishing, call the FWC at (863) 648-3202 or see our Web site at http://www.state.fl.us/fwc/fishing. To comment directly on the Lake Istokpoga regulation fill out our on-line survey.