Now, if only NYS DEC would adopt the same friendly policies and cooperativeness as Conn's DEP, we would be a much happier group of bass anlgers!
Very impressive DEP feedback!
(BTW, my first post; active on NYBASS.com; multi-freshwater angler; make many of my own lures (soft plastics, jig, etc.), live and fish in counties adjacent to the lower the Hudson V.)
I've fished and written about fishing in CT for more than six decades. This discussion exemplifies the value of this website. Many thanks to Mitch and to the continued excellent work by our DEP. When we contrast the obvious success story of Connecticut's fresh water fishing with the disastrous deterioration of salt water fishing in Connecticut waters and elsewhere, the outstanding work of CT DEP's Fresh Water Fisheries Division deserves our applause.
Thanks Mitch. it is educational - something to know and be mindful when people who do not fish ask questions. How does bass fishing and turnament fishing effects bass? etc.
Sounds good but it needs to be enforced. How are the regulations being enforced? There just doesn't seem to be enough DEP personal to make much impact on checking people who may be breaking the regulations.
Thanks Bob, for all that you and your fellow DEP officers do to keep our waters as full of fish as they can be! Keep up the good work. See you on the water.
I'm finally getting around to reading this report...great information again by the DEP. Thanks to Bob and his entire staff, and thanks to Mitch and his publishing team for getting this information front and center for ctfisherman.com readers.
One question...and forgive me if this has previously been answered by the ctfisherman.com staff and/or the DEP:
What is the largest bass recorded during a bass management lake shock test in Connecticut?
The heaviest largemouth bass sampled by us was just over 10 pounds.
The longest largemouth bass was 59 centimeters or 23.2"
The oldest fish was 15-16 years old. When fish get that old it becomes very difficult to be confident by aging a fish with scales only. More confidence can be obtained by aging a fish from otoliths, an inner ear bone, which is extracted cut in half and polished. Once this is done the bone is examined under a microscope and a very accurate age is obtained. We do this very rarely since it necessitates killing the fish, which we don't do lightly.