I found out yesterday that a Wildlife Staff meeting was held in Raleigh On October 7th concerning proposed hunting and fishing regulations for 2010...In this meeting there was a proposal to change the Largemouth Bass creel limits at Jordan and Falls Lakes to the following:..........proposed 14" minimum size limit with a daily creel limit of 5 bass including 2 which may be less than 14"..........A public hearing on this matter along with all hunting and fishing proposals is suppose to be held January 6th in Graham.............I'm not sure this will be a good idea for Falls & Jordan because both lakes, at this time, still hold their own as far as trophy bass go. If all anglers, that are not into the 'catch & release' theory, keep 5 bass a day each, I'm a little concerned about what it would do to the overall fishery at both of these lakes. All the info is on the NCWRC website. I don't know if you can comment to the commission online or you have to go to the hearing. I'm not a biologist, but I do care about these lakes, and from what's been happening a Kerr Lake with this same limit, I don't know what decision I would make as far as this proposal goes....Please post you ideas on this matter....

Bass limit From: Dave Wylie #12049, North carolina
I personally believe in CR for all LMB that I am lucky enough to catch. These fish are just to valuable to kill and should be returned to the lakes where caught.

falls From: erok360 #10642, North carolina
I would love to see the size limit lowered to 14". My bass club wont vote on that place because they are afraid they wont get a limit. If they lower it, I suspect we may go there.

new regs. From: RUSTYHOOK #10671, North carolina
I can go alone with the 14" size limit, But why 2 under the 14" size limit?

14 inch... From: Cooper, North carolina
I have read article that support both. 1) Get some of the smaller fish out to reduce the competition for food so basically the bigger and slower fish can eat better. I don't think there is a 6 lb female anywhere that cab beat a 2 lb male to a baitfish. 2) 16 inch limit means more females to spawn and therefore better #'s.

I say slot limit like @ Harris everywhere. Probably not the only reason for the bigger fish there (20inch +) but it helps.

As far as catch and release for most of us here that is a given (although there was a slight uproar here when I fished with a guy that was a "keeper"... did not know it until... and never again). The folks that keep a few to eat I don't think impact our larger lakes. I don't want to cast to broad a net but most "keeper" fisherman are bank fisherman that keep almost anything and I bet well over half the "keeper" boats are crappy fishing (and as we know they are like rabbits).

On our lakes I bet fish numbers and health are more impacted by boat traffic (I know I have seen darn near oil slicks behind some POS boats I see in the summer... Bass and Ski boats). Summer time water holds the least oxygen, We have fry / fingerlings getting hammer by 1-2 foot rollers all day. There is no "Quiet Cove" in the summer.... anywhere.

If we want to help our fishing and lakes in general we should inspect boats and limit the #'s on the lakes at any one time.

I do vote for first come first serve so the early fisherman would usually have a spot on the lake!!!!!!!

catch and release From: suppero53, North carolina
I have enjoyed these lake for years,the size limits have actually had little effect on them my own oppinion based on well lets see.Jordan extremely high chlorifil levels and low oxygen in alot of the lake in late summer,Falls the loss of much cover ,and several years of lowwww water ,Harris fewer and fewer small fish(still mant slot fish) ohhhh must be against the LAW to have them in the live well.I hope we all get the points the Law helps protect year classes(spawners),the quality of the water,amount of cover are way more important factors to the amount of fiah the lake can support.I feel a 14 inch limit state wide would be fine.

creel limits From: bjmcclen, North carolina
A few years ago a fishery biologist came to a BassPack meeting to talk about the local lakes. One of the main points he made was that the 14-16" fish on Jordan and Falls were underweight and overcompeting with one another for food. With this in mind this change is not only a good idea, but the fish in this size range should be caught and not release for a period of time. Not that all should be taken, but it would help to ensure the health of the total fishery at both lakes if these populations were thinned out. Both lakes produce large bass now, but if the smaller fish are malnurished then the systems will suffer in the future. The changes will make tourament fishing on the lakes more fun and will help improve the health of all the bass in the lakes in the end.