Jenny Gilbert

This administrative regulation establishes size limits, daily creel limits, and possession limits for sport fish that may be taken from Kentucky waters.

This administrative regulation is necessary to properly manage the sport fish populations of Kentucky.

KRS 150.025(1) authorizes the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources to promulgate administrative regulations regarding the buying, selling, and transporting of fish and wildlife, the restriction of places where taking is permitted, and the application of administrative regulations to a limited area or to the entire state. KRS 150.470(1) authorizes the department to promulgate administrative regulations regarding daily limits and size limits for fish.

This administrative regulation will assist in the effective administration of the statutes by limiting the number and size of fish that may be taken from Kentucky’s waters. This will ensure that Kentucky’s valuable sport fish populations are maintained at high levels.

This amendment changes the size limit for Largemouth and Smallmouth bass at Grayson Lake from a 15-inch minimum size limit to a 12- to 15-inch slot size limit. This amendment also removes the 12-inch catfish size limit from a list of 93 lakes and pond incorporated by reference. In addition, Lake Mingo was removed from the special regulation section (Section 2) because it was a redundant regulation that is already covered in Section 6 (Lake Mingo is on the list incorporated by reference for this section). Finally, Three Springs Lake’s name was changed to Jesse W. Thornton Lake in the "Special Lakes and Ponds" list which is incorporated by reference. This was required due to Warren County making the name change. One other non-substantive cleanup was made to the "Special Lakes and Ponds" list.

The Largemouth Bass population at Grayson Lake has shown consistent high reproduction and recruitment, resulting in high densities of small fish and lower growth rates. As a result, the bass population is stunted, and anglers primarily only catch small fish which are below the size limit. The slot limit will allow anglers to harvest those small fish, thereby decreasing their density and associated competition for food, and allow growth to improve. Combining the Largemouth Bass and Smallmouth Bass in the same regulation reduces any confusion for anglers. The 12-inch catfish minimum size limit regulation was determined to be overly burdensome and not necessary. Also, Lake Mingo was already incorporated by reference in Section 6, so it was removed from Section 2 due to redundance. Finally, the name change for Three Springs Lake is necessary to match the new name of the lake due to the change made by Warren County government.

See (1)(c) above.

See (1)(d) above.

All anglers fishing for bass at Grayson Lake will be affected. The name change for Three Springs Lake will not have any affect on anglers fishing the lake.

Anglers fishing for bass at Grayson Lake will now be required to release bass between 12 and 15 inches but can harvest bass under 12 inches which is primarily what they currently catch. Anglers fishing any of the 93 lakes which had the 12-inch catfish minimum size limit will now be able to keep catfish of any size.

There will be no cost incurred by the anglers identified.

By harvesting the over-abundant small bass, anglers can help reduce the density of these small bass, reduce food competition, and ultimately increase growth rates of the bass. This should result in a much larger average size of the bass they catch from the lake. On the 12-inch catfish minimum size limit lakes, anglers will now be able to harvest all sizes of catfish if they wish.

There will be no initial cost to implement this administrative regulation.

There will be no additional cost on a continuing basis.

The source of funding is the State Game and Fish Fund.

It will not be necessary to increase fees or funding to implement this administrative regulation.

This administrative regulation does not establish any fees, nor does it indirectly increase any fees.

Tiering was not applied because all individuals fishing at Grayson Lake must abide by the same requirements.

The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources' Divisions of Fisheries and Law Enforcement will be impacted by this amendment.

KRS 150.025(1) authorizes the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources to promulgate administrative regulations regarding the buying, selling, and transporting of fish and wildlife, the restriction of places where taking is permitted, and the application of administrative regulations to a limited area or to the entire state. KRS 150.470(1) authorizes the department to promulgate administrative regulations regarding daily limits and size limits for fish.

It is unknown if this administrative regulation could indirectly increase any fishing license sales during the first year.

There will be no direct revenue generated in subsequent years, and it is unknown if fishing license sales will be indirectly increased because of this amendment.

There will be no initial cost to implement this administrative regulation for the first year.

There will be no cost in subsequent years.

There will be no anticipated cost savings for the regulated entities in the first year.

There will be no anticipated cost savings for the regulated entities in subsequent years.

There will be no additional costs for the regulated entities in the first year.

There will be no additional costs for the regulated entities in subsequent years.

"Major economic impact" means an overall negative or adverse economic impact from an administrative regulation of five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) or more on state or local government or regulated entities, in aggregate, as determined by the promulgating administrative bodies. [KRS 13A.010(13)] It is expected that there will be little to no economic impact to the regulated entities. As a result, this regulation will not have a "Major economic impact" on state or local government or Kentucky anglers.