FISHING TOURNAMENTS ON PUBLIC WATERS

312 IAC 2-4 Fishing Tournament Rule for Public Water

The text of the current preliminarily adopted rule for this hearing is Title 312 Natural Resources Commission -- #02-236 (PDF) on the Indiana Register website.

The original rule was published in the Indiana Register on September 1, 2001 and is the first item when you click here. The rule becomes effective January 1, 2002.

Tournament Organizational Meeting Protocols

BACKGROUND
Participation in fishing contests, mostly largemouth bass tournaments, represents a popular way for anglers to pursue their recreational enjoyment of Indiana's public lakes. The DNR estimates that more than 300 organized fishing tournaments occur on the largest two dozen lakes in northern Indiana, in addition to events on other public waters throughout the state. Problems with fishing contests arise primarily when participants contribute to overcrowding and display poor outdoor etiquette. Tournament anglers may also be inadvertently contributing to increasing levels of fish mortality when fish are stressed through poor handling procedures.

Most tournaments are held on reservoirs or on the small number of natural lakes that are open to high speed boating. In addition, fishing contests are often held on weekends when the number of other types of lake users can be higher. As a result, some lake users want greater controls placed on tournaments. Conflicts over use of access points could be reduced if tournament scheduling were more coordinated and widely advertised. A number of other states (Ohio, Kentucky, Wisconsin, and Minnesota) either regulate or post schedules of tournaments. Efforts to regulate fishing contests and other recreational boating activities must be based on fairness to all lake users.

Since the 1970s, the DNR Division of State Parks and Reservoirs has regulated tournaments on reservoirs owned or operated by the DNR. The state prohibited tournaments during summer months on all reservoirs except Lake Monroe. This prohibition was perceived as pushing tournaments to natural lakes or other reservoirs during the closed season. In the fall of 2000, the DNR implemented a rule that opened the other eight large reservoirs to summer tournaments, but continued to restrict the number of boats in order to avoid overcrowding at access points.

The effort to systematically address lake issues was initiated in 1996 through two public meetings at Tri-State University in Angola. At these meetings, about 600 citizens developed an extensive list of lake challenges and offered examples of how different organizations and agencies were providing solutions to some of the problems.

In 1997, the Indiana General Assembly established the Indiana Lakes Management Work Group, a 26-member task force appointed by Governor O'Bannon and including four legislators, state and federal agencies, lake residents, university researchers, and others involved in lake, reservoir, and watershed management. The volunteer group met over a period of two years to discuss the many issues facing Indiana lakes. One of their 48 recommendations included changing the way tournaments are managed on reservoirs and public lakes. The full set of recommendations, along with other lake-related information, is also available online.

In early 1997, an 11-member Natural Lakes Tournament Fishing Advisory Committee was formed to assist the DNR Division of Fish and Wildlife by discussing the views of lake property owners, tournament anglers, and other recreational enthusiasts. The committee provided information on this effort to the Lakes Management Work Group, other lake users, and the general public through news releases and a final report. The report identified perceived problems and potential solutions related to tournament fishing.

In 2000 the legislature passed HEA 1075, which expanded the DNR authority to regulate additional watercraft activities involving more than 15 boats on public waters, including fishing tournaments. The DNR previously had permitting authority for watercraft activities on public waters only in regard to water skiing events and boat races.

During 2001 and 2002 DNR personnel met with the Wawasee Property Owners Association, Syracuse Lake Association, Wawasee Area Conservancy Foundation, Syracuse Parks & Recreation, Indiana B.A.S.S. Chapter Federation representatives. Through a series of several meetings to gather concerns different perspectives some common ground was established and rules were formulated.

PROPOSED RULES AMENDMENTS

A proposal to the established Indiana Administrative Rule that govern organized activities and tournaments on public waters is being amended. A definition for "major organized boating activity" is added, and the regulation of a major organized activity is placed under 312 IAC 5-3. The amendments identify the division of law enforcement as the administering division for 312 IAC 2-4.
Additional factors are included for the division to consider in evaluating a license for fishing tournaments, and additional duties are defined for license holders.

The department's fall consideration of tournament applications is limited to the next season rather than the next two seasons. Lake Wawasee and Syracuse Lake in Kosciusko County are added to the public waters for which the sponsor of a fishing tournament must obtain a license, and specific numerical limitations are established for tournament activities on these lakes.

The public hearings have been scheduled to consider the package of amendments relating to fishing tournaments on Lake Wawasee and Syracuse Lake, as well as those addressing more generally major organized boating activities. These rule amendments have a dual personality; some having a local impact only on Lake Wawasee and Syracuse Lake, but others having statewide application. Therefore two public hearings have been set as follows:

(1) January 27, 2003 at 6:00 p.m. in the Oakwood Inn Conference Room, 702 East Lake View Road, Syracuse.
(2) January 29, 2003 at 9:00 a.m. in Training Room C2, Department of Administration Conference Center, First Floor.

PUBLIC COMMENT
Public comments can also be sent to

DNR
Division of Hearings,
Indiana Government Center South
402 West Washington Street, Room 272
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204.

The deadline for public comment is Feb. 14, 2003.

This rule amendment can be viewed in the Indiana Register, Volume 26, Number 4, January 1, 2003 (page 1126) or at www.in.gov/legislative/register/January-1-2003.html

EFFECTIVE DATE
Public comments will be reviewed by the division of hearings and department personnel. Any modifications would then go back to the Natural Resources Commission in March for final adoption. After the process of rule approval, it would be effective by late October 1, 2003 at the earliest.