The difference between a 12-inch speckled trout and a 13 ½-inch speckled trout is 1 ½ inches, but it might as well be a mile based on varied reaction to the Oct. 6 action by the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries.

One local charter boat captain said he was saddened and disappointed by the Notice of Intent for a smaller creel limit and a longer minimum length limit on speckled trout adopted Oct. 6 by the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission. The LWFC vote 5-0 in favor of reducing the creel limit to 15, down from 25, and increasing the minimum size limit from 12 inches to 13 ½.

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries biologists recommended the changes because, they said after 2-plus years of studies, the speckled trout population along the state’s coast is overfished.

Shane Johnson of New Iberia, who owns Acadian Outdoor Charters, has been outspoken against the NOI, particularly the minimum size limit.

“I’m sad. I’m disappointed,” Johnson said Oct. 7 while driving back from his second guide trip of the day out of Cypremort Point.

“I disagree it’s an overfished stock,” he said, citing his extended time on the water pursuing those fish.

The NOI is the first step before the regulations become law. It could take 90 days and one year, according to an LDWF news release. The NOI was published in the state register to start a public comment period through Dec. 29. Email comments to jadriance@wlf.la.gov or write to Jason Adriance, Fisheries Division, Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, P.O. Box 98000, Baton Rouge, La. 70898-9000.

The LWFC will consider all public comments and make any changes they deem necessary or appropriate. If there are no amendments to the NOI by the LWFC, the proposed rule will be sent to the Legislative Oversight Committee. After the 30-day oversight period, or a favorable review by the Legislative Oversight Committee, the rule will be published as final in the State Register.

Johnson, a highly regarded guide here and at Toledo Bend, where he consistently catches trophy bass, was critical of the 13 ½-inch minimum size limit. He is concerned about the undersized fish’s mortality after it is caught and released.

“The fisheries will suffer the consequences for the 13.5” change. Now when all those 12” or 13” class fish that we now harvest take the hook a bit too deep or take a hook directly in the tongue or take a hook in the gills it will still die like before this change but not in the cooler,” he wrote in a Facebook post.

“And now every guide will look for the 15 biggest he can catch resulting in more culling … increasing the probability of more fish dying and simply going to waste. The same situation took place when snapper was lowered to two per man. Every guy went out for the two biggest snapper he could find.

“This decision will cause more overfishing of the stock.”

Other area saltwater anglers who fish for speckled trout chimed in on the decision.

“I think, this is my opinion, I think it’s a good move. I think what’s going on is they (speckled trout) are getting so much pressure now,” New Iberia outdoorsman Mike O’Brien, an accomplished bass angler who also fishes speckled trout, said.

“I think it’s a better thing, in my opinion. Maybe I’m showing my age (64). Fifteen (fish) might be a little much (perhaps could be a little higher) but what I do like is 13 ½. A lot of juvenile specks get caught.”

Still, he was surprised.

“Why go 13 ½? Like, really, they could go 14. Evidently, the biologists have a reason for that,” he said.

Drew Romero of Lydia said, unhappily, no matter how much sport fishermen gripe and/or argue about this issue, the state agency will prevail. The 15-fish creel limit puzzles him more than the 13.5-inch minimum length limit.

“That really doesn’t bother me at all. I think it’s good and bad,” he said, noting charter boat captains and their clients have the opportunity to catch limits faster and easier.

Will the proposed creel limit help reverse overpopulation?

“No. I’m not a biologist. (But) I don’t think it’s going to work. We have enough small fish as it is,” he said.

The 15-year veteran guide with Smokin’ Reel Charters wondered aloud why biologists didn’t keep the 12-inch limit or just push it to 14 inches.

Josh St. Germain of Sorrel, IR&GC official and past chairman of the annual IR&GC Saltwater Fishing Rodeo, said, “I definitely think the size limit is a good thing. In my opinion, 12-inch fish, you don’t get much filet off them. I think it will allow some of those fish to get bigger, maybe reach that reproducing stage.”

As for the proposed 15-fish creel limit, the Sorrel fisherman and hunter said, “Well, I don’t fish specks a whole lot but I do talk to people that do. I talk to them and it sounds like a good choice, too, because it doesn’t sound like they’re catching a lot of limits. That being said, this year is different than past years. They’re catching a whole lot more. Even during the summer they were doing good. To me, I could almost see the handwriting on the wall. I knew it was going to happen eventually.”

Another Teche Area charter boat captain, Gerrit “T-Blu” Landry of Patoutville, former president of the Southcentral Fishing Association, said, “I like the 15. I don’t agree with the 13 ½. Fifteen fish is plenty. I’m fine with 15. I think it will help us.”

“The 13 ½ I really don’t care for. A 12-inch trout, which is most of the trout right now, if you hook them wrong, handle them wrong, they’re going to die. Fishermen in our area try to take care of fish, you know, as a bass fisherman.”

He believed a slot limit, such as 12 to 23 inches, with one over 23, or one over 27, would be an improvement.

Landry, who runs Gotta Have Faith Charters LLC, agreed with St. Germain that with favorable water conditions in and around Vermilion Bay there are more speckled trout on hand, as well as bull reds.

“I do the charter business for fun. I like seeing people have fun,” he said.