For many years the hard-to-access "Big Bend" section of the Hiwassee River has been regulated as a "Trophy Section." TWRA is now suggesting dramatic changes in the way the Hiwassee River is managed.
photo by Richard Simms
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) is proposing dramatic changes in the trout fishing regulations on the Hiwassee River in Polk County.
TWRA biologists are suggesting the elimination of the "Trophy Section" for the Hiwassee. They want to remove the 14-inch length limit on brown trout and eliminate the Quality Trout Fishing Area from the entire trout zone (from the Apalachia Powerhouse downstream to the L&N railroad bridge at Reliance).
Instead they want to implement a "delayed harvest regulation" which would mean from Oct. 1 through Feb. 28 of each year, anglers could use artificial lures only (no bait fishing) and anglers could not keep any trout. Fishing would strictly be catch-and-release.
March 1 through Sept. 30, bait or artificials would be allowed and the trout creel limit would be seven (7) trout (all species combined)... no more than two (2) could be brown trout.
If passed, the new regulation would go into effect March 1, 2011.
Travis Scott, a TWRA fisheries biologist for the Hiwassee said that feedback from anglers, and TWRA data, indicated that the river was fishing very poorly in recent years, largely due to high water temperatures in the summertime.
Scott said, "The elevated temperatures prevent many, if any trout from surviving from one year to the next. TWRA’s proposal is to eliminate the quality trout regulation because the trout simply cannot live long enough to grow to trophy size."
He says the delayed harvest regulation would protect all trout in this section of the river from harvest for five months.
"This is the only time of the year trout have shown potential for growth on the Hiwassee River," said Scott. "The delayed harvest regulation has been very successful on Tellico River and Paint Creek."
TWRA Fisheries Chief Bobby Wilson said stream surveys have been conducted on the Hiwassee as recently as two weeks ago. Biologists found no trout larger than 13 inches either above, or inside, the "Trophy Section."
Some area trout anglers are not at all enthusiastic about the proposal however.
Les Kirk said, "TWRA has historically been trout hatchery oriented and 'return to creel' has been the primary measure of the success of the trout program. Gimmick fisheries such as delayed harvest are popular with them and delayed harvest is trendy in the Southeast these days. I prefer the opportunity to enjoy a quality, wild ... or at least naturalized ... fishery over a 'put and take', highly artificial one. If the stream can't grow something, don't pretend it can."
Brad Weeks, another avid trout fisherman and former officer with the national Trout Unlimited organization enjoys the Hiwassee trophy section and said, "We're providing a fishing experience. We're not supplying meat for consumption! Having the trophy regulation in place necessarily limits the number of people that are accessing the river. Most of the fishermen are there for the experience, not necessarily to catch all the fish in the river."
The TWRA is soliciting comments for all of its 2011 sport fishing proposals (others listed below).
Comments may be submitted by mail to: Sport Fish Comments, TWRA, Fisheries Management Division, P.O. 40747, Nashville, TN 37204 or emailed to TWRA.Comment@tn.gov. Please include “Sport Fish Comments” on the subject line of emailed submissions.
The comment period for the 2011 sport fish regulations will be open until Friday, Oct. 15, 2010.
The Tennessee Wildlife resources Commission will vote on the new regulations at it's meeting at Pickwick landing State Park Oct. 27 - 28.
Click HERE for significantly more detail on TWRA's proposals.
OTHER PROPOSED FISHING REGULATION CHANGES
Statewide
Sportfish slat basket: Must be checked at least every 72 hours.
Region 1
Gibson County Lake and Brown’s Creek Lake: Change slot limit on largemouth bass to an 18-24 inch protected length range (slot limit). Only one bass in creel of 5 fish may be over 24 inches.
Region 2
No changes.
Region 3
Dale Hollow Reservoir: Remove special regulations on trout. New limits will be the same as statewide rules.
Great Falls Reservoir: 15 inch minimum length limit on largemouth bass
Piney River: Delayed trout harvest regulation, no harvest, artificials only from Oct.1 through Feb. 28. From March 1 through September 30, trout creel limit is 7.
Hiwassee Tailwater: Remove the 14 inch length limit on brown trout and eliminate the Quality Trout Fishing Area from the entire trout zone (from the Apalachia Powerhouse downstream to the L&N railroad bridge at Reliance).
Implement a delayed harvest regulation for Hiwassee (from Apalachia Powerhouse downstream to the L&N railroad bridge at Reliance-entire trout zone). No harvest, artificials only from Oct. 1 through Feb. 28. March 1 through Sept. 30, trout creel limit is 7 trout (all species combined) only 2 may be brown trout.
Big Creek - Remove existing special trout regulations.
Region 4
South Holston Reservoir: To match Virginia regulations for the reciprocal agreement.
-No harvest of white bass
-Change catfish creel limit to 20 per day; only one of which may be over 34 inches
-Reduce bluegill creel limit to 50 per day
-Reduce the number of limb lines from 25 to 15
Melton Hill Reservoir: Muskellunge that are not intended to be harvested from Melton Hill Reservoir must be released immediately in a manner that promotes survival of the fish. Culling of muskellunge, whereby an angler removes a fish from his creel limit and replaces it with another more desirable fish, is not allowed.