The Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division (WRD) has released the new 2015 Georgia Sport Fishing Guide and they are available at most local bait and tackle stores.

“Whether you want to find great places to fish or just seeking guidance on laws and regulations, the 2015 guide can provide you with information,” said John Biagi, Fisheries Management chief. “We suggest that all anglers, new and experienced, take a look at the publication each year before casting a line.”

The 2015 fishing guide provides information, including color fish identification charts for both freshwater and saltwater. Those identification charts are excellent for identification of several species of catfish that populate Lake Oconee. Also hard to properly identify are the very similar species of striped bass, hybrid bass and white bass that inhabit the lake and the photos are a great help in doing so.

One very specific change impacting Lake Oconee in the new fishing guide is the length limit for largemouth bass. Effective back on Sept. 17, 2014 was a new regulation, which ended the slot limit on Lake Oconee.

The slot limit which, required all largemouth bass from 11 to 14 inches to be released had been in effect on Lake Oconee since the lake was impounded in 1979. The slot limit never worked since anglers did not remove many if any of the small bass under 11 inches. The WRD had hoped the removal of fish under 11 inches would improve the lake fishery. However the actual result was an unofficial 14-inch limit from the very beginning.

WRD finally last year undertook a study to determine whether to continue the slot limit or replace it with something else. Three public hearings were held and public comments were gathered. The result was a decision by WRD that the original protective slot limit did not produce the desired population level impact due to a number of factors.

The slot limit has been replaced by a minimum length limit (MLL) of 14 inches. All largemouth bass 14 inches or larger can now be harvested. Even though this new regulation allows those largemouth bass to be harvested, my belief is that very few largemouth bass are actually harvested by anglers.

Years ago, the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (B.A.S.S.) began a program called Catch and Release, which encouraged anglers to release their catch of largemouth bass. The program has been very successful and maybe at times too successful through the years and has at times run up against the desires of fisheries biologist at various lakes who would like to see some harvest of largemouth bass.

I would venture to guess that well over 90 percent of anglers who target largemouth bass release their catch. I know of no tournament trail that allows largemouth bass to be harvested. So the change to a 14-inch MLL at Lake Oconee will have little if any impact on the fishery or on the harvesting habits of anglers. It might eliminate a little confusion but other than that I see no impact since all tournaments and most anglers already abide by the 14-inch limit.

So stop by and get yourself a copy of the new Georgia Sport Fishing Guide. The guide can also be downloaded from the WRD website at www.georgiawildlife.com. Good fishing and see you next week.