Better fishing is the aim of Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks’ effort to encourage anglers to comment early on a list of issues that could result in changes to the 2008-2011 fishing regulations. "All anglers are invited to offer their thoughts on improving Montana’s fishing regulations," said Don Skaar, the new chief of FWP’s fisheries management bureau. The early-stage comments will help FWP develop tentative regulations for the FWP Commission to consider in September and finally adopt in October. "Anglers will have additional opportunities to participate later this summer and in the fall," Skaar said. "This opportunity helps to kick things off and, we hope, gets folks thinking about how to improve the fishing regs." Some general statewide issues anglers can consider include: * requiring unattended fishing devices--like setlines and fish traps--to have owner identification attached. * eliminating the requirement to leave a one-inch square patch of skin on fillets of all fish except trout and salmon. * reducing the daily mountain whitefish limit, which is currently 100 per day. * managing baitfish use to prevent the introduction of disease and invasive species. Additional issues listed by FWP region, and opportunities to comment, are available online at fwp.mt.gov. Click Help Improve Regs! A brochure that outlines Montana’s fishing regulation issues is available online under Help Improve Regs! , at all FWP offices and many license providers, or by calling 406-444-2449. Submit comments by June 1. E-mail to fwpfsh@mt.gov; mail to: FWP Fisheries Division, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, P.O. Box 200701, Helena, MT 59620-0701.
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