Oklahoma’s newest bass regulation goes into effect Sunday, September 11, bringing a welcomed treat to your lunch and dinner table. If you love bass fishing and home cooked meals, check out our largemouth bass angler guide geared toward catching fish under 16-inches, cleaning and cooking tips, top public destinations and much more!
ODWC will be offering an Ask an Angler: Virtual Fishing Course on Friday, September 9 from 1-3 p.m. discussing the new bass rule. The FREE YouTube Live course will cover the ins and outs of targeting largemouth bass under 16-inches as well as cleaning and cooking tips, top public destinations and much more!
This year, the Wildlife Department’s Fisheries Division has made a rule change allowing anglers to keep smaller, more abundant largemouth and smallmouth bass while limiting the harvest of larger bass. The rule removes the 14-inch minimum length limit from lakes and ponds and allows anglers to keep only one bass greater than 16-inches daily. Biologists anticipate a positive impact on the overall quality of Oklahoma’s black bass populations.
Join ODWC and local community partners on Saturday, September 10 at Edwards Park in OKC for a free fishing event! Free family fun, food trucks, moon bounce and more! Giveaways for Dads including Flat Screen TV, Grill and more! Kids will go home with their very own fishing pole. Medals and ribbons will be awarded for different fishing objectives.
Event starts at 8 a.m., Saturday, September 10
Edwards Park Pond – 1515 N Bryant, Oklahoma City 73117
MUST REGISTER BY 12 p.m. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9. CALL (405) 427-3200 to REGISTER.
BASS FISHING TOURNAMENT EXEMPTION
I FISH BASS TOURNAMENTS, HOW WILL THIS AFFECT ME?
The tournament director will apply for a free Bass Tournament Directors Exemption Permit and will distribute this permit (paper or electronic copy) to all participating anglers. This permit must contain a 6-digit code to be a legal exemption.
I AM A TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR, HOW DO I GET THE TOURNAMENT EXEMPTION?
It’s free! Only tournament directors need to apply for the exemption permit.
Bass Tournament Director’s Exemption Permit
This permit application is intended for tournament directors only and not participating anglers. Only 1 exemption permit is needed per tournament.
Directors will distribute approved permit information to anglers participating in their tournament(s).
What This Permit Allows:
An exemption to bass size limits when the requirements and conditions of the permit are met.
What This Permit Does NOT Allow:
Fishing without a valid fishing license unless otherwise exempt by law from needing one.
Exceeding the daily bag limit.
Culling dead fish. All dead fish are a part of the angler’s bag and must be part of the weigh-in.
Keeping any of the fish after the weigh-in. Anglers must immediately release or turn over their catch to the Bass Tournament for release following the tournament.
Additional requirements and conditions include:
Permit application must be made at least 3 days (but not more than 365 days) in advance of the scheduled tournament date(s).
The number of registered anglers fishing during the tournament shall not be less than 6.
The following documents are legally required at all times during a permitted bass tournament: (1) the permittee or a tournament official must be present and possess a valid Bass Tournament Exemption Permit, (2) a valid Participant Permit (or a copy of the original permit) must be possessed by all participants, and (3) a valid fishing license (unless the angler is exempted by law) and personal identification must be possessed by all anglers fishing in the tournament.
All fish caught in the tournament are to be live released back into the permitted tournament waters or disposed of in a legal manner. Dead fish are not to be culled by a participant and must be part of the weigh-in.
Each boat will have one or more functioning aerated livewell(s). A functioning livewell is defined as one that has a working aeration or oxygenation system or a flow-through system to pump fresh water into the livewell. Anglers not meeting this requirement may not participate in the tournament. Tournament participants may not possess or weigh-in more than the total daily bag limit for black bass, regardless of the number of weigh-ins.
The daily bag limit allowed per angler, under the Bass Tournament Exemption Permit, is five black bass in aggregate per day, unless otherwise restricted by the conditions of this permit.
The permittee or a tournament official shall be present at the start of the tournament and weigh-in.
All efforts shall be made to release fish unharmed or in a manner that does not cause injury or death to the fish. All bass taken over land or dock must be transported in water-filled containers. Efforts will be made to minimize the time bass are kept in water-filled containers prior to, during, and after weigh-in without supplemental aeration and water exchange.
Within 30 days following the tournament, the permittee shall submit a completed tournament activity report. Failure to submit the report will result in denial of future Bass Tournament Exemptions.
Tournament directors must read and agree to the terms and conditions of this Exemption Permit before completing an application.
ODWC is proud to showcase your Oklahoma fish catches to the world. The Dock is a photo sharing platform on our website wildlifedepartment.com where anglers can upload fish photos right from their phone. So catch that fish, snap that pic and show it off at The Dock!
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