The Fisheries Division of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) is seeking public input on proposed restrictions for sport fish until February 15th. These recommendations were shared during the January session of the Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission. Interested individuals can submit their feedback through the Public Notice and Comment Opportunities section available on the TWRA website.
A vote on these proposed changes is scheduled for the upcoming meeting on February 20th and 21st, which will take place in Nashville at the TWRA Region II Ray Bell Building. Among the various regulations suggested, there are specific measures aimed at addressing the challenges of bass identification, particularly due to the introduction of Alabama bass and their hybridization with the native bass species found in Tennessee.
While the regulations concerning largemouth bass remain largely unchanged, the new proposals aim to reduce confusion regarding the identification of hybrid species. Under the proposed regulations, smallmouth bass, Alabama bass, and spotted bass would all fall under the same guidelines based on the reservoir in which they are found. Additionally, a local proposal for Davy Crockett Lake suggests implementing a daily creel limit of no black bass, with the stipulation that only one black bass exceeding 18 inches may be kept each day.