It’s inevitable changes will be made in the near future to Louisiana’s redfish recreational creel limits and size limits by the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission.

The LWFC bases its decision(s) on recommendations from the state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Whether you agree or disagree with any management plans, you do have an opportunity to express your views in an online web-based survey to get public input.

LDWF has started the survey as an extra attempt to collect public input. Earlier, the state agency distributed an email survey to more than 10,000 randomly selected resident saltwater fishing license holders before putting the survey online.

The online survey will take only a few minutes of your time. I know. I filled it out and hit the submit button the first week of March.

What’s up with the popular gamefish along Louisiana’s coast? LDWF biologists conducted a recent assessment of redfish that shows the spawning stock is above limits but far too few are surviving to join the offshore spawning population. That requires management changes, according to the LDWF.

State biologists reported the juvenile portion of the redfish stock is measured through an “escapement” rate – the percentage of redfish passing through the recreational fishery from inshore waters as juveniles and making it into the spawning stock offshore. The established escapement rate limit for management is 30% but the state’s current escapement rate it 20%, they said, which indicates too few redfish are making it offshore to spawn.

LDWF said it must take action to rebuild the population at or above the minimum escapement rate to allow the redfish stock to recover, the state agency said in a prepared statement Feb. 27.

The LDWF said your opinion is “a critical step in the fishery management process.”

“Because we have determined several management options that will allow the red drum stock to potentially recover, we will compile the information we receive from all public input forums and present a summary of angler preferences to the LWFC for consideration,” the news release said.

Last spring, summer and fall there was plenty of concern expressed privately and publicly by the Teche Area’s experienced redfish fishermen about the number of redfish in and around Vermilion Bay. The veteran saltwater anglers said it seemed to them there were fewer redfish in places that normally give up beaucoup reds.

Others said much the same thing along different areas of the coast.

If you want your voice heard by the marine biologists calling the shots, take the survey: Red Drum Management Options Survey. If you don’t, don’t say you didn’t have a chance to voice your opinion.

If you have questions or concerns about the survey, contact Jack Isaacs at (225) 765-2605.

DON SHOOPMAN is outdoors editor of The Daily Iberian.