The fishing season is now open here in southern Manitoba and there are a few new regulations for this year.

That according to Derek Kroeker the Regional Fisheries Manager. He says all regulation changes are listed in the opening pages of the fishing guide.

"There will be a combined limit for brown and black bullheads this year, that will be new and that limit is 25. There will be a limit for freshwater drum this year and that limit will be 15, and there is one more limit regarding the collection of bait fish. People can now use cast nets, but they may not be larger than three square metres."

Kroeker says cast nets were not in the regulations anywhere last season but people have started using them so they wanted to let people know what the expectations would be. He notes though there have been some reports of a decline in anglers in North America, fishing license sales in Manitoba remain steady.

Kroekers says they monitor fishing populations in a number of lakes and rivers and all signs are pointing to a good fishing season.

"Our recent surveys indicate that our fish populations are relatively stable. We don't really have any fisheries that are vastly different than they have been in the last several years. Everything is fairly normal compared to previous years and people should expect good fishing pretty much wherever they would choose to fish in the eastern region."

Kroeker says it is also important to remember that fishing is not allowed within 23 metres downstream from the lower entrance of any Manitoba Hydro generating station. He notes this has always been a regulation but has often been forgotten.