Document text
Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Advertisement Email Story to a Friend May 4, 2006 Big limits make Diamond a jewel By MARK FREEMAN Mail Tribune ROSEBURG — The mother of all trout limits will be available beginning May 13 at Diamond Lake, where state fish managers hope a liberal limit will help clear the lake of as many trout as possible before next fall’s chemical treatment. The daily limit will rise from five to 20 trout with no size restrictions beginning Mother’s Day weekend, when the lake also will be stocked with 20,000 legal-sized trout. The possession limit will be 40 trout, and all other angling rules and licensing requirements remain. The change will go into effect May 13 because Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife biologists expect the lake to be ice-free by then and safely fishable from boats and the bank. Jim Muck, the ODFW’s Umpqua district fish biologist, says he opted for the 20-fish limit over simply eliminating the limit because he wanted to ensure that the caught fish will all be treated properly and eaten. Advertisement "We don’t want people to waste fish, but we want people to go after them," Muck says. "So, get your 40 fish, eat them, and come back." Besides, anglers are expected to struggle in their quest for double-digit trout days at the lake, where the tui chub explosion has harmed water quality as well as the lake’s once storied population of stocked trout. Along with carry-over fish from last year, the lake likely will sport an estimated 40,000 catchable trout this year, according to the ODFW. "It’ll be difficult to get 20 fish," Muck says. "Only the best of the best will get there." But the liberal limit is expected to be quite the lure for anglers, says Rick Rockholt at the Diamond Lake Resort. The Umpqua National Forest is in the process of drawing the lake down for rotenone treatment next fall to kill off all the chubs and remaining trout. The lake will be restocked with trout as early as next year. The ODFW has contracted with commercial fishermen who will use seines, gillnets and other tools beginning in July to remove as many fish from the lake as possible. The commercial fishing will be done on weekdays and open water will be available for trout anglers those days. Trout fishing will be open at Diamond Lake until Sept. 5. On normal years, fishing closes Oct. 31. Another 4,000 legal-sized trout are scheduled for release there for Free Fishing Weekend, June 10-11. Last year, the stocked trout provided a strong spring and early-summer fishery that tailed off dramatically in July, Muck says. This year’s stocked trout should create a repeat of last year’s catches, he says. The lake remains cloaked in about a foot of ice. Already, the draw-down has exposed the canal and weir at the north end of the lake, and anglers are reminded that fishing is prohibited within 200 feet of the weir. Reach reporter Mark Freeman at 776-4470, or e-mail Big limits make Diamond a jewel ">[email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker Custom Build Computers Discount Hotel Reservations online casinos news Ashley Furniture HomeStore Send Flowers Southern Oregon Loans California Casinos GMAT Prep Windermere Van Vleet Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Online Casino Fundraisers Sudoku Online Casinos Canada Online Pharmacy Advertisement s