Trout Fishing Report-White River-Arkansas
From Cotter Trout Dock
December 22, 2008 Edition
"White River Monster" aka Michael Flippin says:
"Merry Christmas to our family and fishing friends! We are still experiencing some very cold weather.
Friday afternoon we hooked several nice fish but no keeper browns with our eyes on the upcoming regulation changes. (Remember: On January 1, 2009, the creel limit for brown trout changes from two to one brown per person per day at 24" or greater.)
Didn't fish long, but I make it a habit to spend at least a little time on the river before writing this report for whatever that's worth. And it sure is fun.
My fishing friend caught yet another 3 lb, 13 oz. brown on Saturday; seems to be a bunch of them around that size. Then on Sunday, I got a call at 9:30 a.m. from the river--I looked out the window and there he was fishing in 10° weather with 20 to 25 mph winds.
He told me, "I caught a rainbow that was purple and flash frozen when it came out of the water!" The purple color could have been due to the -10 to -15° wind chill. Next he caught a 3 lb., 11 oz. brown that was shooting eggs into the boat. You know, that's usually messy and sticky but as the fish shot them out they hit the bottom of the boat like marbles. Frozen.
Well, I want to say Merry Christmas to my family, relatives, and friends in the area and in the great white north. Stay warm."
News
Brown Trout Keep Limit Changes For 2009
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission
Fishing Regulation Changes for 2009
Approved by Commission August 21, 2008
Effective Jan 1, 2009: Places a 24-inch minimum length limit 1fish/day creel limit for brown trout on the Bull Shoals and Norfork Tailwaters.
Current regulation: two brown trout, 16 inches or longer may be taken.
This regulation would involve an increase from the 16-inch minimum length limit regulation currently in place on these waters and a reduction in the daily creel limit from 2 fish/day to 1 fish/day.
This change would focus management strategies on brown trout as a trophy component of these fisheries. Growth and survival of brown trout appear to be good in these waters and larger (>20 inch) brown trout are not uncommon.
Creel survey and population sample data, however, suggests that this change could provide additional protection to larger brown trout thereby improving the size structure of the population.
