http://www.LouisianaSportsman.com April 2015 | Louisiana Sportsman 37
FACING PAGE: A plan formulated by the five Gulf
states could end the hated federal management
of red snapper, an LDWF official said last month.T
he Bassmaster Classic will return to Grand
Lake O’ the Cherokees in Oklahoma next
March, the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society
announced last month.
The Classic was held at the Grove, Okla., venue in
2013 when Mississippi’s Cliff Pace nabbed the title
with 54 pounds, 12 ounces.
The B.A.S.S. championship will be held in March
4-6 — the first time the Classic has ever been held
in that month.
Fifty-five anglers will qualify for the tournament
through the Bassmaster Elite Series and other
Bassmaster circuits in the coming months.
The Bassmaster Classic champion earns
$300,000, with the 54 other competitors divide
the remainder of the $1 million payout.
Previous Elite Series events there have been won
by Mike McClelland and Kevin VanDam in 2006
and 2007, respectively.2016 Bassmaster
Classic to be held
at Grand Lake
Special from Bassmaster.comsomebody’s going to drop a bill, this is the framework we would like for
it to follow.
“We’re just trying to point them in the right direction: If you do this,
you’ve got the five states on board.”
Pausina said it was his understanding that Sen. David Vitter had filed a
placeholder bill that would be replaced by the actual five-state plan once
the delegations receive the information.
In an Aprill 11 press release, Vitter said he was happy the Gulf states
worked together to formulate a management plan with which they could
all live.
“I’ve always said that states are much more capable of managing the
red snapper fishery in the Gulf of Mexico than the federal government, so
it is encouraging to see all five Gulf states unanimously agree on a frame-
work to do exactly that,” Vitter said. “I will continue working toward
allowing states more control over this important fishery while also
promoting increased transparency and accountability within the federal
Regional Fishery Management Councils.”
As for the 2015 state snapper season, Pausina said details were being
finalized, but he confirmed it would start on March 28.
He hinted that the state’s daily snapper limit might even increase at the
conclusion of the yet-to-be-announced federal season.
“I’m pretty confident (Louisiana’s state season) will be seven days a
week from the get-go,” he said. “I’m pretty sure we’re going to keep it at
two fish at 16 inches, and maybe after the federal season go up.” ■