Maine NFC Chimes in on Haymock Lake Ice Fishing Proposal...
“As a note, since the proposal does not request any changes to bag limit, length limit, or tackle, they would remain the same. As a North Zone water, this means that live fish as bait would be prohibited. The Proposal also does not state whether the proposed ice fishing season would be Special Season Code A (open all year) or B (open January 1 to April 30)...”
As regulation change proposals go, this one is about as poorly written as we have seen. It is also unnecessary as there are plenty of opportunities to ice fish in the area, and ill-advised as it would set a precedent where the wants of a private business trump what’s good for the resource…
The proposal also conflicts with Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife’s management plan for the lake which allowed them to stock lake trout after a period of 20 years with no stocking. The lake trout were stocked to control smelts and now they will be targeted by ice fishers.
“Haymock Lake would have qualified as a State Heritage Fish Water in 2029 except for an ill-advised 2024 lake trout stocking proposal (the last previous lake trout stocking was in 2004). Lake trout will also be removed if the lake is opened to ice fishing, which conflicts with IFW’s intention that stocked lake trout would increase predation on overly abundant nonnative rainbow smelt...”
