The Wildlife and Fisheries Commission passed a Notice of Intent (NOI) to include commercial passive fishing gear marking requirements for using freshwater yo-yos, trigger devices, trotlines, limb lines, jugs, and all other passive fishing devices containing a hook or hooks. Additionally, the NOI removes the requirement for a phone number and name on recreational passive gear tags. The proposed commercial rules are similar to marking and tending rules already in place for recreational passive fishing gears.
The action will provide uniformity between recreational and commercial gear marking rules, reduce the potential for litter/abandoned gear by increasing accountability to gear via proof of ownership, show a good faith effort to reduce “ghost fishing” in light of the proposed Alligator Snapping Turtle listing, and increase conformity with tagging requirements on border waters.
Below is a summary of the proposed commercial freshwater passive hooked gear requirements:
- There is no limit for commercial use of yo-yos or trigger devices, limb lines, or floating devices containing a hook or hooks, except that no more than 50 commercial yo-yos, trigger devices, limb lines, or floating devices containing a hook or hooks shall be allowed per person in Black Lake, Clear Lake and Prairie Lake (Natchitoches Parish), Caddo Lake (Caddo Parish), Chicot Lake (Evangeline Parish), D’Arbonne Lake (Union Parish), Lake St. Joseph (Tensas Parish), and Lake Bruin, including the portion known as Brushy Lake (Tensas Parish), Louisiana.
- There is no limit for commercial use trotlines, except that no more than 150 hooks on commercial trotlines, combined, shall be allowed per person in Black Lake, Clear Lake and Prairie Lake (Natchitoches Parish), Caddo Lake (Caddo Parish), Chicot Lake (Evangeline Parish), D’Arbonne Lake (Union Parish), Lake St. Joseph (Tensas Parish), and Lake Bruin, including the portion known as Brushy Lake (Tensas Parish), Louisiana.
- Each commercial yo-yo, trigger device, trotline, limb line, jug, or other passive fishing device containing a hook or hooks shall be clearly tagged with the fishing license number of the owner or user.
- The requirement for a name and telephone number on recreational gear tags is removed.
- Each commercial yo-yo, trigger device, trotline, limb line, jug, or other passive fishing device containing a hook or hooks shall be rebaited at least once every 24 hours, and all fish and any other animal caught, entangled, ensnared, or hooked, shall be immediately removed from the device.
- Each commercial yo-yo, trigger device, trotline, limb line, jug, or other passive fishing device containing a hook or hooks shall be removed from the waterbody immediately by the owner or user once the device is not being used, except for those devices that are attached to a privately owned pier, boathouse, seawall, or dock.
- Where allowed, objects sourced from another location used to anchor commercial yo-yos, trigger devices, trotlines, limb lines, jugs, or other passive fishing devices containing a hook or hooks, which are driven into or attached to the lake bottom, a stump, tree, or the shoreline must be removed from the waterbody along with the passive devices by the user when not in use.
- No driven or attached objects used to attach commercial yo-yos, trigger devices, trotlines, limb lines, jugs, or other passive fishing devices containing a hook or hooks shall be larger than two inches by two inches or two inches in diameter.
- In Black Lake, Clear Lake and Prairie Lake (Natchitoches Parish), Caddo Lake (Caddo Parish), Chicot Lake (Evangeline Parish), D’Arbonne Lake (Union Parish), Lake St. Joseph (Tensas Parish), and Lake Bruin, including the portion known as Brushy Lake (Tensas Parish), Louisiana, except for an object used strictly in the construction of a pier, boathouse, seawall, or dock, no object sourced from another location which is driven into the lake bottom, a stump, tree, or the shoreline shall be used to anchor a commercial yo-yo or trigger device.
- No metal object that is driven into or attached to the lake bottom, a stump, tree, or the shoreline shall be used to anchor a commercial yo-yo, trigger device, trotline, limb line, jug, or other passive fishing device containing a hook or hooks. A metal object may be used to anchor commercial yo-yos, trigger devices, trotlines, limb lines, jugs, or other passive fishing devices containing a hook or hooks if it is attached to a pier, boathouse, seawall, dock, or a retrievable anchor (that is not attached to the water bottom) as part of the typical construction of that structure or object.
- All commercial trotlines shall have a cotton leader on each end of the trotline.
- Commercial trotline hooks must be spaced 24 inches apart (pre-existing law).
Interested persons may submit written comments relative to the proposed rule to Robby Maxwell, Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, 1025 Tom Watson Rd., Lake Charles, LA 70615, or via email to rmaxwell@wlf.la.gov prior to July 30, 2024.
To view the NOI visit: https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/assets/Resources/Publications/Commission_Action_Items/Freshwater-Passive-Hooked-Fishing-Gear-NOI-Clean-052024.pdf
