Maine Outdoor Journal

At a time the state is bleeding fiscally, the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife is about to break with tradition to save money – and, at the same time, do something ingenious – give fishermen more chances to fish.

Starting April 1, freshwater fishing as we know it in Maine will change when the department releases a new fishing-regulation book covering two years, instead of one – and most waters in southern and eastern Maine become legal for year-round fishing.

Avid anglers will want to attend one of three statewide public hearings next month to give input on these changes. The sites of these meetings have yet to be announced, said Maine's director of fisheries operations John Boland.

Already, Boland said, there is good support for the new law book and a generous year-round season.

"The public acceptance is very high. Last year, we did some rule-making to help us pave the way for seasons with (both) open-water fishing and ice fishing," Boland said. "The bottom line is this provides a lot more fishing opportunity, and a lot more consistency in the way we regulate fishing around the state. Now, any place open to ice fishing (in southern and eastern Maine) will also be open to open-water fishing for the first time."

What this means in southern and eastern Maine, in most cases, is fish a body of water any way you can.

"The goal is to go fishing, rather than ice fishing from Jan. 1 to March 31. What we're saying is if there is safe ice in December, go fish. If it's a warm January with no ice, why not be able to go fishing?" said regional biologist Robert Van-Riper in central Maine.

Ironically, Boland said, allowing greater opportunity, more fishing time and no season dates was not the tough part. It was the logistics of combining the two law books – simplifying the language was the challenge, he said.

But letting anglers cast on Sebago Lake on Jan. 15 if there is no ice?

No problem.

Or allowing die-hard fishermen to fire up the auger in December if a cold snap has Trickey Pond buttoned up?

No worries.

It's about all of this – and saving money, at least $40,000 a year, Boland said.

The head biologist expects that adjusting regulations every two years will save time and money. For example, there will be immediate savings on the production of only one rule book every two years.

"We are not holding any hearings on new fishing regulations the year (we don't print a law book). Holding a hearing can cost as much as $3,000 to $4,000. That savings will multiply as well," Boland said.

Year-round fishing originated in Maine in the southern counties in the late 1980s. Opportunities for year-round fishing on these warmer waters – most of which are stocked – have increased since then.

But the number of waters that will offer year-round fishing now will more than double in southern and eastern Maine, Boland said.

In western and northern Maine, where there are more wild trout and salmon waters, year-round fishing opportunities will be fewer, but still greater than now.

"Much of it is driven by folks wanting additional opportunities. We don't see any need to deprive them of that," Boland said. "The other factor is, with mild falls and winters, people in January are looking for places to go (because there is no ice)."

So starting next spring, there will be no more April 1 opening to freshwater fishing season.

But who cares?

There will be no more celebration of the return of ice-fishing season the following winter.

But who wants it?

Instead, fishermen everywhere will go where Mother Nature lets them, with state biologists' blessings.

And that's going to save the state money?

Sounds like a sweet deal for fishermen.

Staff Writer Deirdre Fleming can be contacted at 791-6452 or at:

dfleming@pressherald.com