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New invasives bill now sidesteps bass tourneys Friday Jun 2, 2017 at 12:01 AM An Oregon legislative bill that takes aim at curbing aquatic insects in boats' bilges and live-wells has been altered so it doesn't trip up bass anglers in state-approved fishing tournaments. House Bill 2321, which is currently winding its way through the Oregon Senate, would require that operators of any boat with a drain plug to pull the plug and remove all standing water, any of which could contain aquatic hitchhikers such as quagga mussels or water fleas. The legislation comes at the request of the Oregon State Marine Board and others who see a need for more protections against invasives than boat-inspection stations like the one along Interstate 5 at the Ashland weigh station. The bill's language exempts boats without drain plugs, such as inflatable and hardshell kayaks. It also exempts law enforcement and other emergency-responder watercrafts. However, earlier editions of the bill did not provide any exemption for anglers in bass-fishing tournaments who typically transport their fish for weigh-ins while still inside their boats' live-wells. The Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee recently amended that bill to add such an amendment. As the bill is now written, anglers in fishing tournaments authorized by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife can keep their live-wells full of water until their fish are weighed, then they must return to the boat ramp and purge their boats of any water. Violators would face fines of up to $50 for motorized boats and $30 for nonmotorized boats, the bill states. The bill passed out of committee Tuesday with a do-pass recommendation to the full House, but no vote has yet been scheduled, legislative records show. Free Fishing Weekend rolls around Saturday and Sunday marks the latest iteration of Free Fishing Weekend, when anglers can fish, crab or dig clams without the normally requisite license or tags. That includes spring chinook salmon or winter steelhead fishing on the Rogue River. Free fishing weekends were added on Thanksgiving, New Year's Day and Earth Day this past year. The upcoming one is the traditional weekend that has been in place for more than two decades. While licenses are waived during free fishing days, all other regulations, including bag limits, gear restrictions and regular closures, still apply. Alcohol ban returns to Illinois River The Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest has reinstated last year's temporary ban on alcohol possession and consumption along the Recreation Section of the Illinois River, citing public support. The ban began this week and will remain in place though September. It covers from the Forest Service boundary on the Illinois River Road to the area near McCaleb Ranch, and it also includes the surrounding Cedar Camp area. Forest spokesperson Chamise Kramer says the ban arose from the concern for public safety, and was met last year with overwhelming support from both the local communities and those who ventured to the river from outside areas. A separate order bans parking or leaving a vehicle unattended within the white lines along the Illinois River Road. Water monitoring back at Harris Beach Harris Beach and two other Curry County beaches are back under the watchful eye of the Oregon Beach Monitoring Program, which is again regularly testing ocean water for bacteria levels through Labor Day weekend. Also part of the program on the South Coast are Hubbard Creek Beach and Crissey Field State Park, according to the Oregon Health Authority. In all, 18 Oregon beaches will have their water sampled for bacteria this year. Beaches will be monitored for what are called Beach Action Values, or BAVs, which is the marine recreational water quality standard used to determine whether bacteria levels are unsafe for water contact. When bacteria levels exceed the BAV, a voluntary health advisory against water contact will be issued. — Reach Mail Tribune reporter Mark Freeman at 541-776-4470 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MTwriterFreeman.