On a calm lake during a spring evening, fisherman Sean Self sits in his small metal boat. Throwing his pole out and slowly reeling in the line, he feels a fish biting the lure. Quickly he reels in a small bass. Once the fish is in the boat, he takes it off the hook and gently releases it back into the water.

This is just another fishing trip for Self. He likes to fish with a rod and reel, but others prefer a more unconventional way of fishing, such as jug fishing. No one in the state of Kansas should be doing this, though. It is illegal in the state of Kansas.

Jug fishing employs a free floating flotation device, such as an empty milk jug, with fishing line and hooks suspended below. Jug fishing is legal in three of the four states neighboring Kansas, including Oklahoma, Colorado and Missouri, with differing rules in each state.

Officials at the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks have considered changing this law. In December 2007, KDWP asked anglers on its blog site: “Should Kansas allow jug fishing?”

“Not having very big lakes and if you get a lot of people jugging they would be floating all over the lake and creating trash and making it hard for people to ski and things,” Self said.

The KDWP meets periodically to discuss the regulations on fishing. Public input is important to the KDWP and often asks Kansans their opinions. The KDWP blog states views on jug fishing, but as of now, no formal proposal has been made.

Two types of similar fishing, both legal in Kansas, are trotlines and limb lines. A trotline is a length of cord with several hooks attached to a tree, stump, or another object in the water. A limb line is a piece of cord with a weight attached to the bottom, and an inter tube at the top with hooks in-between. In Kansas, these types are legal if tagged with the person’s name and checked frequently.

“Jug fishing sounds like it would be free floating, and that does not sound like it would be easy to monitor or even find at times,” said Kipp J. Walters, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Park Ranger at Clinton Lake in Lawrence.

The KDWP decides what policy and regulation changes should occur. An internal committee of KDWP meets periodically to discuss some fishing-related topics and suggestions. In certain cases, Kansas citizens suggest changes that they would like to see. In recent years, Kansas anglers have voiced their opinion about making jug fishing legal.

“We routinely ask for public input before we make a significant change in policies or regulations. The opinions and preferences of our customers are important considerations in any department initiative,” Bob Mathews, KDWP Chief of Information and Education, said.

Jug fishing is illegal in Kansas because the KDWP has never approved this method of fishing. Kansas has more acres of publicly accessible fishing waters than ever before and more lakes exist now than a generation ago, Mathews said. Over the years, fish cultures and fisheries management expertise has improved. This expertise enhanced the KDWP’s ability to stock and manage fish populations and improved the variety and quality of Kansas fishing.

“As our fish and fish habitat resources increase, anglers and department staff consider new fishing methods to enhance the variety of fishing opportunities available, provided those new fishing methods do not threaten the stability of our fisheries resources,” Mathews said.

The KDWP proposed the jug fishing topic on its blog to get the public’s support or opposition. Mathews said the blog is not a good measure of public support or opposition, but instead allows a variety of opinions to be expressed.

“Anyone who reads the blog can read a variety of opinions, for and against the idea, to help form their own opinion on the matter,” Mathews said.

The next step, if the KDWP decides that jug fishing is good for Kansas, is to propose the change to the KDWP commissioners. The commission is a seven-member group of citizens, appointed by the governor, and conducts public hearings before making decisions on department proposals. Jug fishing has not been formally proposed to the commission.

“I do not know whether or when the jug fishing idea will be proposed to the Kansas Wildlife and Parks Commission. I have not heard of any specific plans to introduce the jug fishing proposal to the commission,” Mathews said.

Until the KDWP agrees on a jug fishing solution, anglers will have to continue fishing like they do now. Self said he had no problem with this.

“I like fishing with a rod because it takes more skill and is more exciting that jugging,” Self said.

— Edited by Matt Hirschfeld