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Originally Posted by huntin'fool
As a side note...as much as I disagree with the national park's fishing regs and management....they have some really good quality trout fishing....so maybe there is something to say for a 2 fish any size limit.
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A lot of that has to do with distance from major cities and therefore a lack of angler effort. In the last 30 years...the National Parks have done a great job of discouraging fishing.
Any proposal to make a lake 5 fish under 16 inches would never work...if there is any significant fishing pressure...plus to keep the masses happy and catching their 5 fish you need heavy stocking rates. That alone would keep the size well below 16 inches...and fishing pressure would certainly remove the majority. The rare one over 16 inches would not make in itself a side fishery option as to catch one would be like winning the lottery. Chain Lakes is an example of an over stocked fishery designed for the masses to catch their 5 fish a day. Very few get large enough for anglers to catch with any regularity. Making it 1 under 16 inches may work or even 2 a day...but that would be dictated by fishing pressure and study.
Lakes like Maclean Pond, Allen Bill and Mount Lorette Ponds are all simple examples of a 5 fish limit where ALL fish get removed within weeks of stocking. Not sure how a 5 fish limit could improve fishing or allow for any larger fish to survive. What would work would be to stock in the Spring...then again in the Summer. Make the limit 1 a day under 16 inches...then in Sept or Oct change the limit to 5 a day. Fish get removed...but at least more remain during the peak fishing time.
Still...nothing stops HunterDave from proposing an outside the box regulation and giving it a try. It is just that 5 a day has already proven not to work...so a new and fresh idea is required for consideration.