Fishing regulations designed to promote quality bluegill fishing at Willow Slough Fish and Wildlife Area’s J.C. Murphy Lake were temporarily relaxed, beginning Dec. 15. The change in regulation addresses the 1,000-acre Newton County lake’s unusually low winter water levels. It allows anglers to take additional fish home rather than have the fish succumb to low oxygen levels under the ice and go to waste.

The 25-fish aggregate bag limit on panfish in regards to bluegill, redear and crappie will be lifted, as will the 18-inch minimum size limit and two-fish daily bag limit on largemouth bass. In their place, statewide bag and size limits will apply for all species.

The change is necessary because of the combination of the lake’s low water levels, ice and snow cover and fertile waters. Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Division of Fish and Wildlife biologists fear many of the lake’s quality game fish will suffer an extensive fish kill this winter.

The lake, which was originally designed as a waterfowl hunting marsh, has long been renowned for its quality fishing opportunities; however, the same shallow, fertile waters that make for quality fishing make it especially prone to winter fish kills.

“Murphy is a high-risk/high-reward system when it comes to fish management,” said DNR fisheries biologist Jeremy Price. “Unlike most northern Indiana lakes, there, fish kills are a very real possibility nearly every winter. However, the phenomenal panfish populations that can develop between major fish kill events make it well worth the effort to manage.”

The temporary relaxation of regulations is scheduled to expire Feb. 28, 2011, at which time the 25-fish aggregate bag limit on panfish and the 18-inch bass size limit (and two-bass bag limit) will go back in effect. If conditions improve and the lake level rises significantly before then, the more restrictive original regulations may be reinstated sooner.

“Our ultimate goal is to emerge next spring with as many adult game fish in the lake as possible,” said Price, “so if conditions improve and appear adequate to ensure survival until ice-off, we’ll act accordingly and reimpose the special bass and panfish regulations.”

While all statewide bag limits and minimum size limits will be in effect, some Willow Slough property rules and restrictions will still be in place. As an added measure to conserve spawning stock, no fishing will be allowed in the immediate vicinity of the aerated, open-water area near the main office.

Anglers should remember no ice can ever be considered completely safe, and are encouraged to use sound judgment while taking appropriate safety measures.

Surrounding states on conceal and carry permits

My good friend Ken Spence of Greencastle, Ind., forwarded me a handy link to use before traveling out of state with a handgun. Like others who possess an Indiana Personal Protection Permit for carrying a concealed handgun, I am concerned about other states’ laws.

I know there are other states honoring Indiana’s conceal/carry  (CCW) permits, but not all states are the same. There are states where if you are caught carrying a handgun, even with an Indiana Personal Protection Permit, you are going to jail.

This website is a good location to check if you are traveling out of state. It will tell you whether to keep on packing on your person or store your gun and ammo separately in your car. You can select your home state and the states you plan to visit, and the site will give you each individual state’s position on honoring your home state’s permit: http://apps.carryconcealed.net/packngo
I did a little survey of five surrounding states to see how Indiana CCW-friendly they are:

•Illinois – No. Illinois does not honor Indiana CCW permits. Illinois is an Open Carry State. Rural Open Carry. Open Carry Generally Allowed in Non-Incorporated Areas. See www.opencarry.org and for more information visit Illinois’s State CCW Legal webpage (or each state’s Legal page for any of the following).

•Kentucky – Yes. Kentucky does honor Indiana CCW permits.

•Ohio – No. Ohio does not honor Indiana CCW permits. Ohio is an Open Carry State and it is permitted generally by state law, but lacks preemption or entails significant restrictions.

•Tennessee – Yes. Tennessee does honor Indiana CCW permits.

•Missouri – Yes. Missouri does honor Indiana CCW permits.

The federal firearms transportation statute basically states citizens are allowed to transport a legally owned firearm through any state as long as they meet the following requirements:

•Your weapon is kept unloaded and stored in a separate compartment not readily accessible by either the driver or passengers.

•Any ammunition is kept separate from location of firearms and is also not readily accessible by either the driver or passengers.

If there is not a separate compartment available in the vehicle, then the firearm must be kept in a locked container and stored somewhere other than in the glove box or console.

The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of Farm World. Readers with questions or comments for Jack Spaulding may contact him by e-mail at jackspaulding@hughes.net or by writing to him in care of this publication.