KDWP Commission to Meet Virtually on January 13

Kansas crappie management and the use of forward-facing sonar while fishing are discussion topics during the evening session of this Thursday's KDWP Commission meeting. Anglers are encouraged to participate in the commission meetings. The news release with all the details is below.

Tight lines,

Craig

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KDWP Commission to Meet Virtually on January 13

PRATT – The Kansas Wildlife and Parks Commission will hold its first public meeting of 2022 on January 13. The public is welcomed and encouraged to join Commissioners and select Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) staff to conduct business virtually via Zoom. For participation instructions, visit Instructions to Participate in Virtual Meeting / Commission / KDWP Info / KDWP - KDWP. To watch live video/audio stream of the meeting, visit Watch Meetings Here / Commission / KDWP Info / KDWP - KDWP.

The public meeting will begin at 1 p.m. with an introduction of Commissioners and guests, a review of agenda items, approval of past minutes, and general public comment on items not listed on the agenda.
KDWP Secretary Brad Loveless will provide an agency and state fiscal status update, followed by a 2022 legislative update from Terry Bruce, legal counsel for KDWP, who will share the agency’s plans for the 2022 legislative session. Lastly, Nadia Reimer, KDWP chief of Public Affairs and engagement officer, will present previously-submitted constituent inquiries which may require discussion by staff and Commissioners during the public meeting.

Additional items to be discussed by Commissioners include:

General Discussion (items not being voted on)

• An update on, and drawing for, 2022 Commissioner big game permits
• Proposed dates and bag limits for 2022-2023 webless migratory game bird seasons
• Proposed access restrictions at Cheyenne Bottoms, the addition of refuge space on Cherokee Lowlands Wildlife Area, and adding properties to the list of lands that require use of the Department’s electronic check-in system
• Proposed dates and bag limits for 2022-2023 deer seasons on military installations
• Proposed dates and bag limits for 2022-2023 waterfowl seasons

Workshop Session (items that may be voted on at a future date)

• A review of current big game regulations, which may include the tagging, transport, legal equipment, management units, application procedures, and permits; No changes are currently being proposed.
• Season dates, bag limits and permit regulations for pronghorn, including a proposal for unlimited archery permits for both residents and nonresidents.
• Season dates, bag limits, and permits for elk; No changes are currently being proposed.
• The use of forward-facing sonar while fishing
• Current crappie management practices
• Umbrella rigs for fishing
• And, an update on Chronic Wasting Disease in Kansas

No items will be voted on during the Commission’s January 13 public meeting.

To view the January 13, 2022 meeting agenda and briefing book, visit January 13, 2022 / Meeting Schedule / Commission / KDWP Info / KDWP - KDWP

An interpreter for the hearing impaired can be requested by calling the Kansas Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing at 1-800-432-0698. Any individual with a disability may request other accommodations by contacting the Commission secretary at (620) 672-5911.

The next KDWP Commission meeting is scheduled for Thursday, March 31, 2022, at the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library in Topeka.

So Craig is their talk of banning forward facing sonar? Want to know before I drop the coin on it.

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Originally Posted by zummy

So Craig is their talk of banning forward facing sonar? Want to know before I drop the coin on it.

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Zummy,

I have not heard of any discussions regarding the banning of any sonar technologies.

For the most recent info you should tune in tomorrow to hear the talks/discussion. If you can't watch it "live" you can watch the recorded meeting on YouTube later.

Tight lines,

Craig

The summary for the Crappie Management segment of tomorrow's Commission meeting can be found below. This is taken from the January 13, 2022 KDWP Commission Briefing Book . Both the crappie management and the forward facing sonar segments will be discussed during the evening session which begins at 6:30PM tomorrow.

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Crappie Management

Crappies (Black Crappie and White Crappies combined) are the second-most targeted and preferred fish to catch by Kansas anglers and are sought after in small and large impoundments throughout the state. Crappies have historically been managed in Kansas with a statewide daily bag limit of 50 fish per day and no minimum length limit. In some instances, reduced creel limits (e.g., 20 fish per day) have been implemented, mainly on large reservoirs. Additionally,10-inch minimum length limits have been used in attempts to improve angling. In recent years, concern has been raised regarding emerging issues relating to perceived increases in crappie harvest. Such issues include technological advances in sonar and trolling motors used for crappie fishing. In response to such concerns, KDWP has recently collaborated on a project to quantify growth, recruitment, and mortality of crappie populations in Kansas and how regulations will affect these fisheries. Additionally, creel survey data were analyzed to determine how reductions in creel limits would influence harvest. In general, crappie populations in large reservoirs (i.e., greater than 1,000 acres) are characterized by fast growth, relatively consistent recruitment, and high mortality. Conversely, crappies in smaller impoundments have slower growth, variable recruitment, and lower mortality. As such, management strategies of crappies in large and small impoundments should differ and populations should be closely monitored to ensure regulations are appropriate for management goals. Decreases in bag limits would need to be reduced dramatically to have a biological impact on populations. Angler survey work indicates that anglers are most supportive of a daily bag limit of 20 fish per day compared to 10 per day or 50 per day options. In conclusion, crappie management has both biological and social components that must be considered to meet goals of providing quality crappie fishing in Kansas.

If you missed the presentations on forward-facing sonar and Kansas crappie management at last night's KDWP Commission meeting, you can watch them on YouTube at KDWP Commission Meeting - January 13, 2021 - Evening Session - YouTube .

Good info. Thanks Craig.