One of the major reasons why today's state fish and wildlife agencies exist is because unregulated fishing and hunting contributed to the decline of quality experiences for the outdoorsmen of yesteryear. Six or seven decades ago, laws aimed at conserving our fish and wildlife resources were rare. Fortunately, a few prominent sportsmen and conservationists, such as Aldo Leopold and Teddy Roosevelt -- and others -- were able to call attention to the decline of many game species, and states took action to create agencies to oversee and manage fish and game populations against overharvest.

Now, 70 years after the dawn of modern-day wildlife management, many fish and game populations that were once in trouble now flourish. In Kentucky, the restoration of many game species, such as deer, turkeys, elk and otters, has occurred and the subsequent management of those populations has been a proven success. And on the other side of the coin in fisheries, species such as walleyes, muskies and most recently lake sturgeon have been re-established in many waters where they historically occurred, but were lost for various reasons.

For bass, crappie and catfish, for example, though those species have not been in danger of being lost, employing regulations to achieve management goals on different bodies of water has benefited the angler in both long-term availability, as well as improved or maintained quality of the resource. In other words, size and creel limits have helped anglers have more enjoyable fishing experiences than they otherwise might have had if no laws were in place. This is especially true with Kentucky's most sought-after fish like largemouths, smallmouths and crappie.

Since the time when hands-on management of game fish has been going on, biologists have gained a large amount of knowledge about how species like black bass will respond to different harvest restrictions. But more than that, fisheries experts learned long ago that not all waterways could be managed with the same regulations and produce the same results in the quality of the fishing. Each waterway does better if a tailored management plan is used.

Above all, the most defining factor in how well a lake produces and grows largemouths or smallmouths is what kind of weather occurs most often during the growing season. Also, the natural fertility of the particular body of water is also part of the equation.

Some of the things that influence successful management are out of the manager's control, and can make the approach to healthier fisheries turn out superbly -- or be a complete bomb. Biologists play the odds and make decisions based on long-term "normal" conditions. Then they hope that most years are normal so their recommendations can work as designed.

Anglers know that Kentucky's fishery biologists employ a wide array of regulations to help mold a particular fish population into one that meets the majority of what anglers expect or want. Sometimes higher size limits and lower creel limits are used, like a 15- or 18-inch minimums and maybe a two-fish daily creel. Sometimes the standard 12-inch minimum and six-fish-daily limit is what the water requires for optimum fishing enjoyment. And sometimes having no size limit may be the best method to employ.

Let's take a look at a few lakes where different regulations are used, and explain why not every waterway can be managed the same. We'll also explore the effect of these restrictions in terms of improving the fishery -- or at least maintaining it at an acceptable level for a reasonably good fishing experience.