Goin' fishin'

COEUR d'ALENE - Anglers, the Department of Idaho Fish and Game wants your input.

The department is tinkering with the idea of changing some fishing rules around the area, but wants to hear feedback from those who would be most affected by any tweaks - the fishermen casting their lines.

"We're in the scoping phase of the rule change process," said Jim Fredericks, IDFG regional fisheries manager. "Which is when we want to hear ideas on potential changes to fishing seasons and rules, as well as share our ideas about what changes we think may be appropriate."

Any rule changes would be for the 2011-12 season.

But before that, the department will host four public scoping meetings around the region in April.

It's part of a statewide effort to simplify fishing rules and make the brochure easier to understand by eliminating old, outdated

and unnecessary rules, so anyone with ideas on how to improve fishing opportunities is encouraged to attend.

The department wants to know is whether anglers support changing the general stream season in Idaho to an open year-round season, and what the appropriate limit for kokanee should be on Mirror, Twin, Brush, Smith lakes as well as Lake Coeur d'Alene.

IDFG said over-harvesting concerns might not be needed any more.

So should it eliminate fishing closures in Thorofare?

What about eliminating Gillon Creek Diversion closures, or the Deep Creek closure between the dam and U.S. 95?

The department also wants comments and other suggestions.

Fisherman should be offering plenty of rule change ideas.

Hondo Moore, fishing at Fernan Lake on Saturday, said he'd like to see bigger fines for people caught polluting waters.

Moore, 46, of Coeur d'Alene, said he'd like to see fisherman be able to keep cutthroat trout on the Coeur d'Alene River, where currently it's catch and release on those trout. Fishermen should be limited to barbless hooks on more bodies of water in the state, such as the Coeur d'Alene River, he said.

Moore also said he'd like to see a standard size limit for rainbow trout in Idaho. He recommended having fishermen release any rainbows under 8 inches, or any more than 12 inches in length.

Biologists will also present information at the meetings on the efforts to simplify the seasons and rules, discuss potential changes, and be available to provide information on local fisheries.

The meetings, which all begin at 7 p.m., will be April 7 in St. Maries at the Elks Lodge in the Fireside Room, 628 Main St.; April 8 in Sandpoint at the Panhandle Health District Office, 1020 Michigan St.; and April 14 in Coeur d'Alene at the IDFG Regional Office, 2885 W. Kathleen Ave.

Anglers not able to attend the meetings, or anyone needing special accommodations are encouraged to contact Jim Fredericks at 769-1414 or jim.fredericks@idfg.idaho.gov.

Staff writer David Cole contributed to this story.