By Louie Stout

Do you think a bag limit on Indiana bluegill would produce better fishing in the future?

Would a 16-inch size limit on St. Joe walleyes or a 44-inch size limit on some muskie lakes provide bigger fish in the coming years?

Those are just a few of the trial balloons that the Indiana DNR sent up this week within a package of proposals it has put before the public as it begins assessing future changes to sportsmen laws.

Or, if you have your own ideas of what would improve fishing, hunting and trapping in Indiana, the DNR would like to hear those as well.

You can contribute your ideas and provide input on some three dozen proposals the DNR has identified for consideration between now until Feb. 28. You’ll find the complete listing as well as a place to offer your thoughts online at www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild. Click on the “Got Input” box in the middle of the page.

(For a listing of all the proposals, click here.

After Feb. 28, DNR staffers will evaluate all comments and determine which proposals to forward to the Natural Resources Commission for consideration.

Some of the DNR fishing proposals pertinent to this area include: increasing the walleye size limit to 16 inches on most northern waters; placing a 25-fish bag limit on sunfish (includes bluegill, redear, warmouth, pumpkinseed and others); and increasing the muskie size limit from 36 inches to 44 inches on Lake Webster, Backwater Lake and Kiser Lake in Kosciusko County.

DNR hunting recommendations include making the northern Indiana fall turkey season the same length as southern counties; allow 28-gauge shotguns to be used for deer during the firearms season; change the quail bag limit on northern DNR properties to two; and restrict pheasant hunting to cocks-only on put-and-take areas at Pigeon River, Willow Slough and Winamac fish and wildlife areas, and suspend grouse hunting statewide.

In addition, there’s an offer to establish a river otter trapping season in designated counties and a plan that would allow resident landowners to designate other people to take nuisance fur bearers outside of the season without a permit.

Again, these are only recommendations from DNR staffers to determine how receptive the public would be to those and other changes being proposed.

"This is an opportunity for people to let us know what changes they would like us to consider," said Gregg McCollam, assistant director of the Division of Fish & Wildlife, in a press release. "This process also allows us to get much-needed feedback on issues that the division is interested in moving forward."

Next Sunday, we will analyze those some of those proposals that impact Michiana the most and explain the biologists’ thoughts as to why they are recommended.

For the biologists’ rationale for bluegill size limit click here, for their thoughts on the walleye size limit click here, and for the muskie proposal click here.