MAYFLOWER – Arkansas Game and Fish Commission wildlife officers held a special operation on Lake Conway to remove illegally set yo-yos and investigate continued issues with passive fishing devices. Officers removed 140 yo-yos during the patrol and made dozens of angler contacts during the weekend, resulting in 18 citations.

According to Capt. Matt Flowers, enforcement supervisor for central Arkansas, the increased enforcement effort was the result of comments from many concerned anglers and AGFC staff about the amount of yo-yos being left unattended during the day.

"We held a cleanup almost a year ago, and cut loose more than 300 yo-yos during that effort," Flowers said. "The 140 collected during this operation have been placed since then."

Yo-yos may be left unattended at night, but anglers using them during the day must remain within sight or sound of the device. Yo-yos also must be labeled with the owner's name and address, driver's license number or current vehicle license number. When abandoned, they can be a danger to fish, birds and other animals that can become entangled in their lines or hooks.

"Nearly all citations issued during the operation were for unlabeled or unattended yo-yos," Flowers said. "There's nothing wrong with using them, but the regulations are in place to protect wildlife and prevent our lakes from becoming eyesores. We did find a cormorant that had been wrapped up in a yo-yo and drowned while we were on the water this weekend."

Flowers says he appreciates the reports from the public about the issue of abandoned fishing devices.

"It's safe to say we'll be stepping up our efforts on a regular basis with this issue more in the future," Flowers said. "Anyone who sees abandoned yo-yos or other fishing violations can call the enforcement hotline and leave an anonymous report. The number is 1-800-482-9262."