Montana’s fishing season officially opens the third Saturday in May, and that is May 17 this year.

Following is a quick preview of the 2008 fishing regulation changes of note.

Complete copies of the new 2008 fishing regulations are available at Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks offices, from license providers and online at fwp.mt.gov.

Handling and Transporting Fish

Under new regulations, while a person is fishing, or on the water or the ice, all fish in possession are required to be whole with head, skin, fins and tail attached. Gills and entrails may be removed.

In another change, the requirement has been dropped that called for leaving a 1-inch patch of skin on a fillet to help identify fish other than trout and salmon. For trout, salmon, grayling, char and whitefish, however, the regulation has not changed and the entire skin must be attached to the fillet for identification.

Whitefish

The whitefish standard daily and possession limits have been reduced to 20 daily and 40 in possession in all fishing districts. Two locations with significant lake whitefish populations — Flathead Lake and the lower Flathead River — remain at a limit of 100 daily and in possession.

Big Hole River

Regulation changes allow for year-round fishing of brook trout from the headwaters to the North Fork Big Hole River.

In another change, the size restriction on trout (only one over 18 inches) was lifted between the headwaters of the Big Hole and Dickie Bridge. Now the combined trout regulation in this reach of river is five daily and in possession, with no size restriction.

A third regulation change removed the slot or size limit from Divide Bridge to Melrose Bridges. Now, the standard Central District combined trout limit applies: five daily and in possession, only one over 18 inches.

Bighorn River

The regulations reverted to the Central District standard limit for rainbow and brown trout on the Bighorn River (combined trout five daily and in possession, only one over 18 inches) downstream from Afterbay Dam. This allows more harvest of rainbow trout than before.

Yellowstone River

Regulation changes resulted in a reduced harvest limit on the Yellowstone River within the Central Fishing District. Now, the combined trout limit is four brown and/or rainbow trout daily and in possession, with only one over 18 inches between the Yellowstone National Park boundary and the I-90 bridge in Billings.

Another regulation change eliminated cutthroat trout harvest between the Highway 78 bridge at Columbus and the I-90 bridge at Billings.

Western District

In the Western District, the regulations now allow anglers to use two lines and two hooks per line on most lakes and reservoirs as directed by a law passed in the 2007 Montana State Legislature.

For a complete look at the 2008 fishing regulations in effect, pick up a new 2008 fishing regulation book at any FWP regional office, or from an FWP license provider, or go to the FWP web site at fwp.mt.gov on the Fishing page and click on regulations.

The next full overhaul of the fishing regulations will begin in the spring of 2011 and end October 2011 when the final regulations are adopted by the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission for 2012 to 2015.

ANGLERS: DID YOU KNOW?

- Last year 390,000 anglers purchased fishing licenses.

- Residents comprise about 59 percent of the state’s fishing-license buyers.

- About 33 percent of all adult Montana residents purchase fishing licenses annually.

- Nearly 82 percent of angler days are spent seeking trout and salmon.

- Some of the rivers that generally receive the most fishing pressure include the Madison, Missouri, Bitterroot, Clark Fork, Bighorn, Yellowstone and Gallatin rivers.

- Wild trout are the key to Montana’s cold-water fisheries. Wild trout naturally reproduce in Montana’s rivers and streams and spawn the young that restock Montana’s waters.

- FWP plants about 50 million fish each year into more than 800 lakes and reservoirs. Fish plant database statistics show FWP will likely exceed the two billion mark in fish planted from 1923 to 2008.

- Montana’s 10 fish hatcheries produce sport fish including salmon, trout, grayling, walleye, bass and northern pike.

- FWP hatcheries host tours for hundreds of school groups each year and other visitors who stop by to learn about modern fish culture, fish biology, nutrition, genetics, disease control, and the role fish stocking plays in fish management.

- The Washoe Park Hatchery in Anaconda and Giant Springs Hatchery in Great Falls have living streams that give visitors a fish-eye view of the underwater world of fish.

SHORT STORIES

NEW RECORD WALLEYE

Montana’s angling community received a big surprise when Missoula angler Bob Hart caught the new state record walleye from Tiber Reservoir last Nov. 18.

Although Tiber produces good numbers of smaller walleye, it is not particularly known for producing trophy-sized fish. Hart’s record walleye — measuring 35 inches in length and weighing 17.75 pounds — unseated Dan Spence’s previous record by more than a pound. Spence’s walleye was caught in Fort Peck in 2000.

Hart caught his record walleye while shore fishing from a lawn chair.

SURPRISE SHOVELNOSE

Last fall, FWP biologists sampling fish on the Tiber Reservoir found a very uncommon fish for that water in the gill net — a shovelnose sturgeon.

Because there has never been any evidence of the shovelnose reproducing in the Marias River above Tiber, and only about a dozen adult sturgeon have been found in Tiber since netting began in 1973, this fish is likely a relic of the Marias River before it was impounded 51 years ago.

Sturgeon are very long-lived fish and mature slowly. Lake sturgeon can live up to 150 years, reach eight feet in length and weigh up to 300 pounds. Pallid sturgeon can live more than 40 years, reach 5 to 6 feet in length and weigh up to 65 pounds. Shovelnose sturgeon, the smallest of the three species, can live 20 or more years — sometimes a lot more — but they rarely exceed 30 inches in length and five pounds