NEWS RELEASE

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

August 15, 2001

CONTACT: Gary Morse (863) 648-3206

INCREASED FISHING VIOLATIONS HEIGHTEN ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS

Lake Weohyakapka - Largemouth bass anglers in Polk and Highlands Counties should not be surprised to see officers of Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), a bit more often. The FWC is boosting its inland enforcement efforts because of an increase in freshwater fishing violations officers are finding during routine patrols.

“On Lake Walk-In-Water alone we have issued more than 70 citations for violations of the slot limit since the year began. Many of those cited, including some unlikely suspects, who knew better,” said FWC law enforcement supervisor, Capt. Randy Mullins.

The slot limit regulation prevents the harvest of largemouth bass from 15 to 24 inches in length and reduces the bag limit to three bass per day. Only one bass may be greater than 24 inches. Fish in the slot must be released back into the water immediately upon capture. These special rules apply only to specific bodies of water in Florida. The slot limit regulation on Lake Walk-In-Water in Polk County and on Lake Istokpoga in Highlands County was established to preserve the quality of the fishery in two of the best bass lakes in Florida.

While the quality of fishing on Lake Walk-In-Water has always been excellent, it was only a few years ago that the lake gained national attention as an outstanding bass fishery. Since gaining its reputation, angler surveys show the number of fishing trips has swelled to more than 700 per week. The increase in angling has provided nourishment to the local economy but put a strain on the fishery.

“While the economic impact is a plus, the tremendous increase in fishing pressure means angler compliance with slot limit rules is essential in maintaining the fishery’s high quality,” said Jeff Willitzer, fishery biologist for the FWC.

According to Officer Jim Adams, who patrols Lake Walk-In-Water for the FWC, there have been numerous cases of anglers ignoring slot limit regulations. In an incident this past spring, three fisherman began releasing a number of largemouth bass in a hurried manner as Adams approached. Adams was able to stop the trio before they emptied their live wells of the illegal catch. The group unlawfully harbored a large quantity of slot limit fish weighing between five and eight pounds. The entire group was cited.

“Those fishermen alleged they were going to stage a picture of their total catch and then release all the fish at once, but the rule prohibits that and they knew it,” said Adams.

Anglers may photograph any bass they wish but fish in the slot must be released as soon as practical and may not be kept for staging photos later.
Bass tournament anglers who apply for and receive written permits are the only ones exempt from the portion of the rule which prohibits holding slot fish. Tournament fishermen must release slot fish immediately upon weighing in.

Other public lakes such as Saddle Creek Park in Lakeland and Medard Reservoir in Plant City also have the same slot limit rule.

FWC officers have also made a variety of cases on other central Florida lakes. On Monday, August 6, Officer Randy McDonald checked two anglers from Ridgeville, S.C., who were bream fishing in Lake Hatchineha. Both subjects had approximately 30 panfish each. McDonald checked the men later in the day and found they had only 15 fish in their boat. Upon questioning, the subjects admitted they had taken their fish back to camp and had returned to catch more. When McDonald checked the camp, he discovered the two men were in possession of 376 panfish, which was 176 fish over their combined limit. Both subjects were arrested for possession of commercial quantities of panfish and booked into the Polk County jail. The fish were donated to a charitable institution.

Late last week, officers made a total of 11 arrests on the same piece of property in southern Polk County. On one of those occasions, Officers Jerry Carter and Matt Bell caught three subjects after a short foot chase. Seized as evidence were 30 largemouth bass, several bream and a cast net that was illegally used to catch the fish. FWC officers also charged the subjects with trespassing.

If you would like to help Florida conserve its fish and wildlife resources, you can report violations by calling the toll-free Wildlife Alert hotline at 1-888-404-FWCC (3922), anytime day or night. You may be eligible for a reward and you may remain anonymous.