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Bass Summit to detail impact of new smallmouth regulations.Indiana DNR fisheries biologists, bass anglers, and fishing guides will convene in early March to discuss current research on smallmouth, largemouth, and spotted bass in Indiana’s streams at the inaugural River Black Bass Summit.
The River Black Bass Summit will be at the Hendricks County 4-H Fairgrounds in Danville, Ind. March 8 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and is open to the public. This free event is hosted by the Indiana Smallmouth Alliance at the Conference Center. Lunch will be provided, with donations accepted.
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Youth hunters can apply for a reservation to hunt one of 21 DNR properties during the special youth wild turkey hunting season, April 19 and 20.
The hunters must be younger than 18 on the day of the hunt.
The reserved hunts are at the following fish & wildlife areas (FWAs): Atterbury, Crosley, Deer Creek, Glendale, Hovey Lake, Jasper-Pulaski, Sugar Ridge, Kankakee, Kingsbury, LaSalle, Pigeon River, Roush, Tri-County, Minnehaha, Fairbanks Landing, Hillenbrand, Chinook, Winamac and Willow Slough.
Hunts will also take place at Salamonie and Mississinewa lakes.
The number of hunters allowed on each property will be limited. Interested hunters or an adult representing them must register in person or by phone with the property they wish to hunt. Hunters should register between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. local time between March 17-21 or March 24-28. Hunters can register for only one property.
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Registration is open for a DNR workshop series at two locations in March that will teach how to hunt wild turkey.
“Hunt, Fish, Eat: Wild Turkey” is part of the ongoing “Hunt, Fish, Eat” program that is run by the DNR Division of Fish & Wildlife and teaches self-reliance. The program is free.
Installments of the workshop series are March 15, 20 and 27 at Kankakee Fish & Wildlife Area in North Judson and March 18, 25 and 29 at Morgan-Monroe State Forest in Martinsville.
All weeknight sessions will run from 6 to 9 p.m., and Saturday sessions will run from noon to 3 p.m., local time. Location specifics will be provided to registered participants.
Completing the program requires attending each of the three sessions.
Participants must be new hunters.
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Private landowners looking to improve wildlife habitat on their property may qualify for financial assistance through the DNR Division of Fish & Wildlife, particularly if they want to benefit bobwhite quail and ring-neck pheasants.
Bobwhite quail and ring-neck pheasant are prized game birds. However, populations of both have suffered from permanent habitat loss or lack of maintenance on existing habitat.
“It used to be that farming practices created and maintained a lot of quail and pheasant habitat,” said Gary Langell, private lands program manager for DNR Fish & Wildlife. “More ground was typically disturbed each year than what was planted and harvested. Many of those disturbed areas would remain idle for two or three years and provided ideal nesting and winter cover. It is this type of habitat that we are lacking, but it requires landowners to create and maintain it.”
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Anglers at West Boggs Creek Reservoir in Daviess County can now harvest more fish.
The reservoir will undergo a renovation during fall that will consist of draining the water and eradicating the fish population. As the reservoir refills, it will be stocked with the appropriate numbers of game fish. The goal is to restore a balanced, self-sustaining fish population.
A temporary change to size and bag limits will allow anglers to harvest more fish before the lake is drained. The rule change is in effect until Oct.10.
The bag limit for largemouth bass on West Boggs will increase to 10, and there will be no size limit. Bag limits for all other species will be double the normal daily bag limit.
Two fish salvage operations will also take place in spring and fall for adult bass and catfish.
The lake is scheduled to reopen to the public in February 2015.