Panfish limit reduced on Wauconda's Bangs Lake
Concerned about the ecology of Bangs Lake, Wauconda officials have lowered the daily catch limit for three species of panfish.
As of this week, anglers now are allowed to keep up to 10 bluegills, sunfish or perch each day on the lake or on any other waterway in town. The limit had been 25 fish.
As before, panfish less than 6 inches long are supposed to be released back into the water.
The term "panfish" often is used by fishing enthusiasts to describe any small fish that will fit in a skillet. Bluegills, sunfish and perch are commonly found in Bangs Lake.
They're also an important part of the lake's ecology because they eat zebra mussels, an invasive species that can crowd out native mussels, deplete food supplies for small fish and cause other problems.
The zebra mussel population in the 306-acre lake spiked a few years ago but has stabilized recently, said Wauconda Trustee Tim Howe, a member of the village's natural resources committee. Panfish also are food for larger fish living in the lake, said Trustee Linda Starkey, who leads the natural resources committee.
That committee, and a volunteer group called the Bangs Lake Advisory Committee, recommended lowering the limit after reviewing a recent study of the lake's fish population that showed panfish numbers are decreasing. The village board approved the change Tuesday. The new limit may remain for a year or two, Starkey said, until the panfish population rebounds.
Fishing limits might not seem like an important issue now because of the winter weather, but Bangs Lake is a popular spot for ice fishing. Several fishing shelters are set up on the frozen lake, and Howe is concerned about people carelessly killing panfish as they search for larger prizes.
"We (have) heard anecdotes about a small number of ice fishers simply discarding large numbers of panfish on the ice rather than releasing them back into the lake," Howe said. "The new limits give us an additional enforcement tool to prevent that when we see it."
Wauconda resident and fishing aficionado Ryan Jacobsen supports the lowered limit - and not just because it will help the panfish population grow.
"I think we're going to end up getting some bigger panfish, which is good," said Jacobsen, who serves on the Wauconda Police Department's marine patrol unit.
Enforcement falls to Wauconda police. Starkey said officials have asked Chief David Wermes to make sure officers visit the lake and ensure anglers are following rules, have the proper licenses and have safely set up their shelters.
"We certainly love people enjoying Bangs Lake in all seasons," Starkey said. "But we want to make sure it's safe and the fish limits are enforced."