Louisiana Restores 18-Inch Black Bass Limit on Bussey Brake

The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission has put the 18-inch maximum length limit for black bass back in place on Bussey Brake Reservoir, along with the other bass rules that went with it. The rules took effect again right away under an emergency declaration.

Anglers on Bussey Brake are back under the same bass regulations that were first approved in August 2025, after a mistake in a later rule package wiped them out.

What happened to the original rules?

The commission passed the Bussey Brake black bass regulations in August 2025. In June 2026, the commission adopted its hunting regulations for Wildlife Management Areas, and that package reversed the Bussey Brake bass rules by accident, according to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF). The commission has now voted to restore them.

What are the bass rules on Bussey Brake now?

The LDWF summary lists these regulations:

• Black bass have a maximum length limit of 18 inches.
• Anglers may keep bass under 18 inches, with a daily creel limit of five fish. The creel limit is the number of fish one person may keep in a day.
• One bass longer than 22 inches may be held for a short time in an aerated livewell so it can be weighed right away on a personal scale or on a certified scale provided by LDWF.
• That bass must go back into Bussey Brake Reservoir immediately after it is weighed.
• If the fish was caught from a boat, everyone in that boat has to stop fishing until the bass over 22 inches has been released.

What does a maximum length limit mean for anglers?

A maximum length limit sets a ceiling on the size of bass an angler can keep. On Bussey Brake, the five bass allowed per day must all be under 18 inches. Larger fish go back in the water.

The rule for bass over 22 inches is a narrow exception. It lets an angler weigh a big fish on a scale before letting it go, with the livewell used only as a holding tank for that short time. The fish cannot be kept, and the requirement that everyone in the boat stop fishing means a held trophy bass cannot sit in the livewell while the crew keeps casting.

Why does it matter that the rules took effect immediately?

Restoring a rule permanently in Louisiana takes a formal process. LDWF said the commission used two steps at once. A Notice of Intent starts the process of permanently reinstating the rule. A Declaration of Emergency puts the regulations into force right now and keeps them there until the proposed rule receives final approval.

For anglers, this means there is no gap: the 18-inch limit, the five-fish creel and the weigh-and-release rule for big bass apply on the water today, not only after the permanent rule is finished.

Can the public comment on the proposed rule?

Yes. LDWF is taking written comments on the proposed rule until Dec. 28, 2026. Comments go to Ryan Daniel of the Inland Fisheries Section at the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries office in Monroe, La., either by mail or by email. The department’s notice lists both the postal address and the email address for Daniel.

What happens next?

The emergency rules stay in effect while the Notice of Intent moves through the rulemaking process. After the comment period closes on Dec. 28, 2026, the proposed rule can be finally passed, which would make the Bussey Brake black bass regulations permanent again. LDWF has not announced a date for that final step.

Source: The Fishing Wire