New York’s bass management plan is designed to produce more and bigger fish for anglers statewide. Photo by Jeff Knapp.

With 2007 having been the “year of change” for New York’s bass fishing regulations, things seem to be settling into place for the 2008 season.

With no major new changes looming, ‘08 should be a carbon copy of what we saw in 2007.

Nothing about the opening day of the season has changed. It’s been consistent throughout the years. The third Saturday in June through Nov. 30 is the standard season, with a 12-inch minimum-size limit and a five-fish daily creel limit.

During the remainder of the year, the new regulations offer anglers on the majority of the state’s waters a chance to take bass on a catch-and-release, artificial-lures-only basis.

Shaun Keeler is a biologist with the New York Department of Environmental Conservation’s Bureau of Fisheries in Albany. He said that a couple of proposed regulation changes pertain to bass in regions 1 and 3, but their impact is not expected to be substantial.

There is a trophy season for certain bodies of water that runs from the first Saturday in May, through the Friday before the third Saturday in June. On these waters, there’s a 20-inch minimum-size limit and a daily creel limit of only one fish.

A SERIOUS THREAT
Many anglers are concerned about the spread of the VHS (viral hemorrhagic septicemia) disease through the lakes. Although VHS poses no threat to humans, it can be devastating to fish populations.

With VHS popping up annually in lakes across New York, the DEC is taking major strides to help control the spread of the disease, especially in lakes that are dominated by bass. VHS has shown up in some of the finest bass lakes in the U.S., with lakes Erie and Ontario topping the list.

Anglers are being asked to help control the spread of the disease, and also to aid the DEC in detecting fish that may have been infected. If you see a large number of dead or dying fish -- typically 100 or more -- the DEC asks you to contact its nearest regional office and ask for the Bureau of Fisheries.

To learn more about VHS and potential DEC actions to prevent its spread, call (518) 402-8896 or e-mail fwfish@gw.dec.state.ny.us.

Although VHS is a serious issue, don’t let it deter you from hitting some of the finest bass lakes in the East. Lake Erie is one of the premier bass-fishing hotspots in the world, and some inland lakes can produce some monster largemouths.

Here’s a look at some areas you can count on for hot bass-fishing action this season:

WESTERN REGION
Lake Erie
The third Saturday in June kicks off Lake Erie’s open season for smallmouth bass. This year, an early trophy season again includes keeping one fish, of a minimum of 20 inches.

That 20-inch rule became law last year and is expected to improve the size of fish being caught.

Lake Erie is arguably one of the finest smallmouth fisheries in the world. A cause of concern was the presence of round gobies that biologists said were feeding on the eggs of other species. But according to the DEC, it looks as though the bass are returning the favor by eating the gobies and thereby maintaining a healthy population.

Jigs tipped with leeches, night crawlers or plastics are the ticket, and changing lures as conditions warrant is an important part of any angler’s strategy. Knowing the lake’s contour and having a good, solid understanding of it will put more fish in the livewell.