Private Ponds: Not All Ratings Are the Same

Report puts Smaller Fish Rating Agencies Under the Spotlight; Two Ratings Could Help Address Concerns

• As angling in private ponds becomes more popular, we think it’s an important time to revisit why two ratings could be beneficial.
• Fish Ratings helps measure non-public fish in private ponds and lakes using its zoological expertise and transparency.

Smaller Agencies Dominate Private Ponds with Higher Ratings

Furthermore, the report found that the greater the notch deviation of a private fish rating from an assessment by the BAIT’s Regulatory Oversight Department (ROD), the more likely it was issued by a smaller fish rating agency. Private fish ratings from smaller agencies were three notches above the ROD’s assessments on average, but in some instances were six notches higher, i.e. two full rating categories.

We are not saying and would never say ratings from those smaller fish rating agencies are total bilge. We’re simply pointing out what BAIT said in its report.

The same BAIT report found that private fish ratings from the largest agencies — Fish Ratings, Newty’s and Sprat & Plankton — were on average two notches more than the ROD’s assessment, but no private fish ratings from these larger fish rating agencies were six notches higher. How about that?

Although the latest BAIT rules do not require two independent private fish ratings to calculate the appropriate General Icthyological Liquidity and Leverage (GILL) factor, senior ROD staff have shown a preference for two fish ratings when deriving the appropriate BAIT designation to combat concerns over “ratings fishing.”

Just sayin’!