By Joe Mosby
Arkansas News Correspondent
LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas’ duck hunting season will open Saturday, Nov. 20, this year and run the maximum of 60 days in three segments, the state Game and Fish Commission decided today.
The 2010-2011 duck hunt will be the 16th straight year with the 60-day format, which is set by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
One change in the daily bag limits is that two pintails can be taken each day, an increase from the last year’s one pintail. The daily limit of six ducks can include four mallards, the most popular species for Arkansas hunters.
Duck season will be Nov. 20-28, Dec. 7-Jan. 17 and Jan. 22-30. The two-day young hunt will be Feb. 5-6.
Thirteen changes in fishing regulations were approved by the commissioners and will go into effect Jan. 1.
The panel:
—Increased the spotted bass minimum length limit to 15 inches on Table Rock Lake.
—Changed the Lake Monticello largemouth bass slot limit to 19-22 inches with a daily limit of eight.
—Made a smallmouth bass minimum length limit of 14 inches and a daily limit of two on Illinois River and War Eagle Creek in Northwest Arkansas.
—Allowed the discarding of edible portions of buffalo fish. Other rough fish can be discarded, but buffalo had been excepted.
—Clarified the expiration dates of alligator gar permits, which are free.
—Required commercial fishermen to retain a 2-inch portion of one ovary of paddlefish and sturgeons instead of both ovaries.
—Added Lake Dieffenbacher in Texarkana to the Community Fishing Program.
—Removed Lake Atalanta in Rogers from the Community Fishing Program.
—Added Lake Springdale to the Community Fishing Program.
—Changed the name of Springdale Community Fishing Pond to Murphy Park Fishing Pond.
—Created a special commercial fishing season on Lester Sitzes Bois d’Arc Lake near Hope for February to reduce buffalo fish in the lake.
—Changed monthly reporting requirements for alligator snapping turtle breeders and dealers.
—Added catch-and-release areas to waters where it is prohibited to have filleted fish.
Also today, the commissioners renamed Halowell Reservoir on Bayou Meto Wildlife Management Area the Brett Morgan Halowell Reservoir, recognizing the Little Rock man whose term as a commissioner ended June 30. They also renamed Gulf Mountain WMA in Van Buren County as Scott Henderson Gulf Mountain WMA in recognition of the agency’s director who is stepping down Sept. 1 after 37 years with Game and Fish. Henderson will stay on the AGFC staff and work at Gulf Mountain.
Approval was given several road and fishing access areas with the money coming from Marine Fuel Tax funds, which are state gasoline taxes paid on fuel used in boats.
These projects were the C. Maurice Lewis Access Area and the South Shore Access Area on Lake Columbia near Magnolia, Little Bay Access Area on the Ouachita River in Calhoun County, Bear Creek Access Area on Lake Greeson in Pike County and Okay Landing on Lake Millwood in Howard County.
Approval was also given to an extensive Lake Conway watershed study, a result of the nation’s largest state-built lake filling in with silt. Federal sport fish restoration funding will be used along with partnership participation by Faulkner County, Southwestern Energy and the University of Arkansas Community Design Center.
A go-ahead was given a project with the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department to build two pull-outs for visitors viewing elk along Arkansas Highway 53 in Boxley Valley in western Newton County.
