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DES MOINES – Anglers who snag fish take note, a new rule goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2001 prohibiting snagging as a means of taking fish year round at six areas in Iowa.
"These areas are home to significant game fish populations that are illegally exploited by large segment of people who currently snag," said Marion Conover, chief of the DNR’s fisheries bureau. "This causes intense feelings from the angling majority and creates a significant enforcement problem."
As an example, more than 100 citations were issued for taking game fish by snagging below Saylorville Dam to Southeast 14th Street alone during 1999.
The biological impacts of illegal snagging activity in these areas are unknown but Conover expects it to be minor.
"It’s the human dimensions of illegal snagging in these same areas, however, that is great," he said. "We felt prohibiting snagging of all fish is the best approach to address the problem."
The closed areas include the spillway area from directly below the Spirit Lake outlet to the confluence at East Okoboji Lake, primarily for safety reasons. At times of high water, the small channel supports large numbers of anglers pursuing high numbers of fish, and has been closed to snagging for many years.
The five other areas are below dams where historic snagging activity is regarded as a problem. These areas are: the Des Moines River from directly below Saylorville Dam to the Southeast 14th Street bridge; the Cedar River in Cedar Rapids from directly below the 5 in 1 dam to the 1st Avenue bridge; the Cedar River in Cedar Rapids from directly below the "C" Street roller dam to 300 yards downstream; the Iowa River from directly below the Coralville Dam to 300 years downstream; and the Chariton River from directly below Lake Rathbun Dam to 300 yards downstream.
Snagging is defined as the practice of jerking any type of hook or line, baited or unbaited, through the water with the intention of foul hooking fish. A fish is considered foul hooked when caught by a hook in an area other than the mouth. Any foul hooked game fish must be immediately returned to the water. Anglers may keep foul hooked rough fish, such as carp, in any of the prohibited snagging areas.
Uploaded: 12/19/2000
Uploaded: 12/19/2000