Fish attractor rules

A nesting box can be made from scraps that are found around the house or in dumpsters at construction sites. This box is made from treated wood and is 30 inches long, 22 inches wide and 11¼ inches tall inside. The hole is 8 inches wide and 6 inches high.

The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks’ regulations regarding fishing attractors or structures, including boxes for noodling:

1. It shall be unlawful to place structures such as plastic or metal barrels, plastic or metal pipes and tubing larger than 4 inches in diameter, hot-water tanks, concrete pipe and tires and any other non-biodegradable material into the public waters of the state for use as fish attractors.

2. However, wooden materials and plastic tubing and pipe materials may be used as fish attractors provided that the plastic materials are no larger than 4 inches in diameter. Concrete, rope, wire and nails may be used to construct fish attractors. It is legal to place such fish attractor materials into the public waters of the state provided written permission to do so is obtained from the federal or state agency that owns the specific water body.

3. The person placing fish attractor materials into the public waters of the state must have in their possession a copy of the written permission at all times when transporting and placing such material.

In addition, Barnett Reservoir adds these regulations:

1. No metal frames can be used in the construction of fish attractor structures to be placed in Barnett Reservoir.

2. A photograph of the structure(s) must be submitted with the permit application before it will be approved.

3. The permit application must include the approximate GPS coordinates for the location(s) where structure(s) will be placed. Exact GPS coordinates must be submitted after placement (for safety purposes only, to be used only by the Barnett Reservoir Police during emergencies and will not be available to the public).

4. No structures shall be placed inside any marked navigational channel, within 500 yards of any boat ramp or harbor, or within 100 yards of a residence or subdivision.

5. No structures shall be placed in the main lake below a line from the point at Rose’s Bluff in Madison County to the point at Windward Bluff in Rankin County.

6. No structures shall be placed within 3.5 feet of the surface at lake level 297.5. It is the responsibility of the permit holder to ascertain the level at the time of placement to insure compliance to this regulation.

7. Each permit is valid for up to five structures placed within a 100-yard radius; however, GPS Coordinates must be supplied for each structure.