COLUMBUS — Rules to unify several fishing regulations along the entire Ohio River were passed at the April 6 meeting of Ohio Wildlife Council, according to the Ohio Division of Wildlife.
The Ohio River Fisheries Management Team, which consists of the fishery resource managers from Pa., Ohio, W.Va., Ky., Ind. and Ill., is working toward greater uniformity in regulations between the eastern and western units of the Ohio River, and throughout the river among all border states.
This will mean that Ohio River anglers will encounter the same fishing regulations at any place on the river.
Regulations passed in the Eastern Unit include implementing a 12-inch minimum length limit for black bass (largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass); changing striped, hybrid striped and white bass from “no daily limit” (with no more than four over 15 inches) to a daily limit of 30 (with no more than four over 15 inches); and removing yellow bass from this regulation.
It was also approved to implement a black and white crappie daily limit of 30 fish, and remove the Northern pike daily limit and minimum length limit. In the Western Unit, regulations approved were to change the 12-inch minimum length limit for largemouth and smallmouth bass to include all black bass (largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass).
This regulation removes yellow bass from the striped, hybrid striped, and white bass combination for regulations.
A 9-inch minimum size limit on crappie with a 30-fish daily bag limit was approved for Metzger Reservoir in Allen County and the Mahoning River between Berlin Lake and Lake Milton in Mahoning and Portage counties and the Mahoning River from the dam at Lake Milton to West Mahoning/Trumbull County Line Road.
This approved regulation will add these two areas to the 44 already existing waterways with the same regulations.
The final approved proposal is for a 10-horse power limit on Wayne R. Carr Lake in Paulding County.
