MISSOURI ANGLERS SHOULD TAKE NOTE OF RECENT CODE CHANGES

JEFFERSON CITY -- Many anglers spend hours, days, even weeks preparing for big fishing trips. They put careful thought into picking the right spot and packing everything they'll need to increase chances of catching a stringer full or a trophy fish.

The preparation for any fishing trip should include learning fishing regulations.

Each year the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) reviews regulations to determine whether they provide for the best protection and use of our natural resources. When they no longer do, the Conservation Commission authorizes changes.

Regulations, including some that have been in effect in recent years and others that represent changes, are:

* Minnow traps, hooks, trotlines, throwlines, limb lines, bank lines or jug lines may not be left in the water unattended for more than 24 hours; --One angler may attach his or her trotline to another's, but the number of hooks is limited to 33 in the aggregate.

* Fish not hooked in the mouth or jaw, (except those legally snagged, snared, taken by bow or falconry) must immediately be returned to the water unharmed;

* Pole and line, trotline, throwline, limb line, bank line, jug line and falconry are the legal methods for catching channel catfish, blue catfish, flathead catfish, crappie, muskellunge, northern pike, grass and chain pickerel, paddlefish, rock bass, warmouth, walleye, sauger and white, yellow and striped bass. (See the fishing regulation summary for restrictions on particular waters and species.)

* Paddlefish may not be possessed on the James River from below Lake Springfield Dam to the Highway 160 bridge. Furthermore, snagging, snaring or grabbing of fish from that section of the James is prohibited;

* Legal methods for taking frogs include hand, handnet, gig, longbow, trotline, throwline, limb line or grabbing. Artificial lights may be used. Methods for catching turtles have been similarly extended. The use of gigs or firearms to take turtles is prohibited.

* Only anglers fishing by pole and line may use underwater lights to attract fish.

* Nongame fish may be taken by gig, longbow, crossbow, snaring, snagging, grabbing and falconry in the appropriate season.

* From Sept. 15 to Jan. 31, gigging in streams and impoundments is allowed for non-game fish only from sunrise to midnight. The rest of the year, gigging in impoundments is allowed from sunrise to sunset.

* Anglers who catch brown trout at Bennett Spring State Park -- or anywhere on the Niangua River and its tributaries -- should remember the new, 18-inch minimum length limit in effect there. Also, only one trout in the daily limit of five may be a brown trout.

Several regulations governing the use of live bait have been added to the books. Fish listed as endangered species, their parts and eggs may not be used as bait. Bluegill, green sunfish and bullheads may be collected for live bait by live bait methods, only if they are less than five inches long. This same rule applies to other non-game fish if they are less than 12 inches in length. No more than five mussels and clams may be collected daily to use as bait.

This year's regulations change the length limit for northern pike and muskellunge. Until this year, regulations required anglers to release muskellunge or northern pike less than 30 inches long, except at Hazel Creek Lake. This year's regulations allow anglers to keep northern pike of any size, but require that muskies under 36 inches long be returned to the water unharmed. Hazel Creek Lake in Adair County is an exception. There, the legal minimum for muskies remains 42 inches.

Details of fishing regulations are available by writing to: Fishing Regulation Summary, Missouri Department of Conservation, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180.