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<br /> <br />-result!!. It-maybe noted that Moffett, tJ.~'%.;)}, J:O:;~V,~~--- -~ - - - .. -'-.- <br />ance of a year-round open season on Lake Mead until 'SUch tIme as CU'- <br />. . H b l' "... th t ~ b.' <br />cumst8nces warrant Its ehortenmg. e e Ieves" a uS mg <br />is not heavy enough to remove the annual yield of theLak: and restnr:- <br />tion of it would encourage the incr~e of ~he bass ~opulatlOn to a p~)int <br />disproportionate to its food supply- It ~ not ~laJ?led that co~(ht1oll! <br />in the lower Colorado and its lakes are entlrely sImIlar to those In Lake <br />Mead. Instead, the preliminary study indicate~ that the food supply <br />of the lower river may be much superior to that m L~e Mead, But an <br />abundance of food encourages spawning in .centrarchlds und~r c:rtain <br />conditions so it is entirely possible to mai~tam a large pop~latI.on m th~ <br />face of heavy fishing, Several authors, m fact, have mamtamc,l tbat <br />fairly heavy fishing is necessary for the .best manage~ent of warm.wat~r <br />fisheries. And while there is a conSIderable sent1IJlent amOl1~ both <br />-sportSmen andfisheriesbiologists.~ain!lLfishing_~~ing the Spawnill1!' <br />season, it may also be noted that both groupS have membet;s wh? can set <br />no harm in it. (See, for example, the remarks of LanglOIS, WIebe, and <br />Swingle in Tarzwell, 1941, p, 221.) .' ' . <br />No general rule can be laid down on thIs.pomt. . In oth~r localities. <br />closure during the spawning season of bass, eIther WIth or WIt~O?t o~~ <br />protective measures, may be the best method, But the author IS ll~clmea <br />towards an all_year-round open season on the 10werCol.orado U1~nl sueh <br />time as a chanae can be shown to be necessa!y. And IfdepletlOl1 e,e!' <br />becomes evide~t, he recommends considera.tlOn of other chan:;l'5. such <br />as an increase in the size limit, before orderlllg a closed season, <br /> <br />Bag Limits <br /> <br />The establishment of bag limits is a very o~d .form of managem~t. <br />and is one of the most direct methods of restrlctmg the catch: In It<. <br />ideal form the baa limit or catch limit is a seasonal one and IS a totlll <br />one, i.e., m'cluding "'tbe catch of all fishermen. If it could be, shown, l~~~ <br />example, that a certain body of water would produce a defimte qu~n,.... <br />of fish (a certain poundage) which could be cr.opyed each yea,~" ~1t~OU. <br />harm to the brood stock, then a total annual ~lImt could be a"I.jor.ize;1~ <br />When that limit had been attained, th~n fishmg f.or that se~""n "ou~ <br />stop Such a System has been used WIth success m the PaCIfic hallb:n <br />fish~rv, This i~, apparently, one of the best of an methods, f?r \': <br />prote~tion--or better, management--of a fishery. Howe,er~ It 1S.~: <br />the most difficult one, It requires such a thorough knowle,..ge ot :-:< <br />species to be fished that .its exploitable limits ~ with best ~etur_n: tOJ~"': <br />fisherman) can be predIcted- And, equally Important, It d,:n,an - <br />full control of the expendable fishing effort. 't, 1llt"!. <br />In a sport fishery such a system can ra:-el! be used. , In I:l>, P'u~. <br />recourse is had to the establishment of a bag l1IJllt of an ar~Itrar: .1al ll'-t <br />It is arbitrary in that bag limits bave to be daily ones, FIShfn:1el1 ~..' · <br />and go. They do not enter cheeking stations, nor do they .carrY ~~.;~:' <br />showina just wbat their seasonal catch bas been to date. N.or,do .~ <br />or expe~t to have, wardens or checkers to collect these .statIstl"SJ:;;~:-baf <br />of ccrtain small or experimental areas. Except, then, m tha: a fi~I!' ;\ <br />limit (wben adhered to) aets as a general deterrent to 0\ er- t~ <br />has but little value in determining the amount of the total annua1cA <br /> <br />'-'7'!~fi.sh,every_(1~y_Of_the year anataKetUUl uum """,,11- "Llll"'." .' '.-- <br />":~;ral, then, we must si~plY- ~eS8'-at wnat-il bag'lim.itShouId:,:::_:--,o:2"~~~L <br />'~n;:lS no very .clear co~ceptlO~ of Its upper limits ex~pt that: (I)"'; <br />,~~~()t be so high that It furnishes a chance (collectively) for the ,'~-'~ <br />'.~al.taketo exceed safe numbe:s- The author refuses to gueSs::::,;~;; <br />.would be. (2) It should be hIgh enough 80 that the fishermari--"--c'.::":";':::::::::' <br />e-. th!lmaxim~ enjoyment from his outing. The formu1ati~':7" .} <br />1}m1t can be m no way exact, nor can it satisfy all :fishermen." "L - , <br />. of~h;e fishing" the precedent of past regulations,the-.char~, ,:":'.~,: ',-~= <br />e ?-DdiVldu~l, the sta~ of his pocketbook, the time he hasavail~ .':_:.:. ---.,= <br />g--all mfluence hIS choice. <br />"full rec~gnition that these are arbitrary choices, the author <br />as a contmuance of the present bag limits for largemouth bass <br />,~~cati.ish. In ea~h case, the limit is 10 :fish per day, providing <br />~li.not.lllo:re.thanl5.~o~~.a_n~~~~ ~per day or in pos- ,,- .,~ <br />,.1.& ~eheved that these liDllts have the fOllowing-adVantages;:: -----' <br />:il.l"o'VJde an ~ngler. with enough fish for both good sport and <br />J,..,-,~nnectJon WIth the other regulations advised and with <br />.,,'of the fishery~s produ~tion and its exploitation they pro- <br />&1;le check on over-fishmg. (3) They have the virtue of <br />wand a~cepted br the residents already. (4) These limits <br />o~no:w m eff~t m other parts of Arizona; and, except for <br />~ WIth those for bass in California. It is true that there <br />,J:lcatfish'}n most districts of California. However, chan- <br />ra~e outsIde of the Colorado River area. <br />,E.t.~, howe~er, that the limit on sunfishes, crappies, bull- . <br />, ,rJishes wh.lCh pos~es.s 9ual~cations as game, pan, or nne_, , <br />\l~s.othat thell' bag llDllt IS 40 m the aggregate, not to exceed'---- <br />~I psh per ~ar or i? possession. This may encourage fish~ . <br />{nes, and It IS beheved that a reduction in their numbers <br />tageous to the fishery as a whole. <br />~."".,':is recommended for carp or mullet taken by angling, or <br />rye fi.sh;es such.as goldfish or buffalofishes; which may be <br />lished m the l'lver. In this way any residents who need <br />,uld not b~ unduly harmed by the\restrictions on the take <br />~< Acertam measure of control of harmful or obnoxious <br />;be exercised by increased angling. <br /> <br />. ;,the imposition of minimum size limits on fish are con. <br />ethree functions. (1) To allow a fish to spaWIl at least <br />erpetuate itself before it is captured. (2) To allow a fish <br />_', e portion of its period of efficient or rapid growth before <br />;,:,;It has been stated, with specific reference to the striped <br />-]-lD.~sure ". · · means that fish should be allowed <br />'ri.tbemgcaught] as long as the gain from growth is add- <br />~,.bf fish to each brood than are being lost by (natural] <br />;~on:., 1939.) The determination of the ideal minimum <br />., aprirpose can not be realized without a most detailed <br />at least partial fulfillment of the complete purpose is <br /> <br />r-t <br />L_l <br />\ <br />l I <br /> <br /> <br />. <br />