Black Lake, NY Forum

Just a thought....How about a sign at the launch ramp stating the bass size limit. The Black Lake Owners Assoc. might also place a sign stating the 15" minimum length on Small and Large Mouth Bass in their cleaning stations, along with all limits and sizes on game fish. A stick on decal ruler in all rental boats might get the message out. I'm still seeing short fish coming to the dock, and cleaning stations. I have tried to nicely inform people with short fish of the 15" rule. I've been met with "I thought it was 12", up to people wanting to get in your face over it. I am on vacation, not on the job anymore, don't really want to get into a situation with some numbnut over a fish. I would like to see Fish&Game walk into a few camps randomly in the early evening when the cleaning is done. I'm into my second decade being a regular at BL. I would like to see the owners take a more active role in enforcing the size limit...it is their livelihood at stake.

Many camp owners don't care what the guests do, as long as they stay happy and pay their bill.

I like the idea of signs at the launch though.

I've been fishing the lake for 15 years and have never seen an officer on the water or at a camp. Not once. It would be good to have them checking folks more frequently.

However, I still think the current regs are too lenient .... lower creel limits and a slot would do more good than anything else.

Good. Let them harvest the dinks. Just keep blaming the fishing before the season opens.

I've seen some old timer cleaning up a 5 gallon pail of bass all under 10 inches 25 years ago. Guys only response was man the perch were biting tonight. I didn't have a comeback to that, my only thought with eyes that bad, he probably will cut himself filleting them.

Many ideas were and have been given concerning the continuing renewal of fish in our lake. It is my conception that no matter how good things are and have been all these years there is a point where over fishing and taking of illegal sized fish will reach a level where it will not continue. There is always a certain limit to which Mother Nature can endure. We must constantly be in a mode of assisting and helping Nature . Look around us and one can plainly see where man's interference has made things go bad. Catch & Release!!!!!

I've been stopped and checked by F&G three times in 12 years. Just lucky I Guess. The guys were real nasty the first time, back in 08. The two times since they were polite and professional. Each time we were 100 % legal. However I think they should check the fish cleaning stations at the many camps, if they want to catch poachers. I can agree with the slot limit. However if you cant tell a guy a 12" fish is not legal on BL how do you get him or her to abide by a slot limit?

This has been discussed so many times on this site.....I agree a specially imposed limit on a lake also requires advertising it at ramps, cottage rentals, etc......I am not excusing those who are breaking the law, but a person would have to know to look for it in the regulations guide to find it.....And nowadays, many are buying a license online or by phone, and not receiving the paper copy of it.

I quiz my customers both here and in Florida what the regulation is. And most don't know it. In Florida, bass have to be under 16 inches to be taken (1 can be over) and it is well advertised at the ramps and marinas. I rarely get anyone wanting to keep bass on my trips. But I finally did get a guy wanting to keep 5 in FL, and it was nice to see him have to release the bigger ones. But he didn't know the regulation and I had to explain it.

I'm thinking the 15" limit has been in place for over 10 years now, and I haven't heard of any study to see if it has benefited the lake. To me, they figured since Black Lake is a popular bass fishing lake that draws from all over, we better put a bigger size limit on it, and left it at that. In my opinion, they should have just left it at 12'' if they never intended to study it.

Bass size regulation violations on BL would probably have to be witnessed in the act by the C.O. I think the only way to make it stick is by checking live wells on the water. Of course, the fish could have been caught in either of the rivers.... A fish at a cleaning shed will have been caught "in the river" every time. The CO is at a disadvantage in this case and no law enforcement officer likes that.
I see folks bottom fishing from shore evenings and they catch almost as many sturgeon as catfish. Fishing for sturgeon is not legal but fishing for cats is big these days. How does a CO prove intent in this case?
Best plan is to post the signs to educate people and let the cops do their job the best they can.