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Dec 30th, 2023
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 Slots/other new regs? Beating a dead horse here....but why not
#10953014
07/02/15 02:05 PM
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Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 2,157
Blues
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Extreme Angler
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There has been more and more talk of new regulations coming. Tpwd implemented slot limits on a few lakes already Lewisville, Waco, and Palestine??. These slots have been in place a few years, correct? Somebody help me out on time frame, should have done more research before starting thread....
Is anyone seeing an improvement from the slots? If slots are going to work, more time will be needed to tell for sure I would think. Do you think slots will ever help? What other regs do you think could improve the fisheries that need help? Do lakes that are already great even need more regs to maintain what is there?
I know none of us have the for sure answer, but it's going to be a learning curve for tpwd to figure everything out and they already ask for input from fisherman. I know a lot of y'all don't want regs at all, if that's what you think then post it. That's what this place is for, discussions.....
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Re: Slots/other new regs? Beating a dead horse here....but why not
[Re: Blues]
#10953037
07/02/15 02:17 PM
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Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 3,606
ChuChu1
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I'm not a fan of slot limits after the fiasco in bass fishing. I do think a size limit on large catfish of one fish per day over 30" would be acceptable. That would put Texas in line with other states. A minimum length of 14" statewide and possession base on lake surveys.
Snowflakes and entitled brats will be the doom of America!
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Re: Slots/other new regs? Beating a dead horse here....but why not
[Re: Blues]
#10953069
07/02/15 02:28 PM
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Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 2,157
Blues
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Possession based on surveys would be a great. Texas is too big to have state wide regulations on anything. Hunting regs should tell tpwd that.
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Re: Slots/other new regs? Beating a dead horse here....but why not
[Re: Blues]
#10953178
07/02/15 03:20 PM
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 7,487
redchevy
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Im not hard core on either side of the debate. I am againt complete CPR as well as the "if its brown its down" version of fishing.
I have caught kept cleaned and eaten a large number of catfish over 20 lbs. I probably wont again. I wish we could just all act responsible and be good stewards. To me a good steward is not someone who throws back all fish over 10 lbs, it not taking more than you will use or the ecosystem will support. I think it is pretty clear that our lakes are keeping up with what we are demanding currently. I will not support regulation to create "trophy" catfish fisheries. I do not want to see catfishing turn into what bass fishing is.
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Re: Slots/other new regs? Beating a dead horse here....but why not
[Re: Blues]
#10953179
07/02/15 03:21 PM
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 7,487
redchevy
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I wonder if a tag system would work for catfish, similar to the red drum tag. 1 a year over a certain size.
Last edited by redchevy; 07/02/15 03:21 PM.
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Re: Slots/other new regs? Beating a dead horse here....but why not
[Re: redchevy]
#10953209
07/02/15 03:35 PM
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Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 3,606
ChuChu1
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I wonder if a tag system would work for catfish, similar to the red drum tag. 1 a year over a certain size. I would be in favor of that for a limited number of years. But I still favor 1 per day over 30". And my reasoning is the other states have been successful in maintaining the resource.
Snowflakes and entitled brats will be the doom of America!
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Re: Slots/other new regs? Beating a dead horse here....but why not
[Re: Blues]
#10953246
07/02/15 03:57 PM
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Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 1,665
Muzzlebrake
Extreme Angler
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TWPD can do what they want but I have my own self imposed slot. Minimum 14" and 9 lb max. Anything larger or smaller is just too much work to clean. Small ones don't make a good filet and big ones are just a PIA to cut through the rib bones with my electric knife. My only exception is a flathead. I will keep a 15-20 pounder because it is the best eating fish there is.
From Genesis: "And God promised men that good and obedient wives would be found in all corners of the earth."
Then He made the earth round...and He laughed and laughed and laughed!
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Re: Slots/other new regs? Beating a dead horse here....but why not
[Re: Blues]
#10953283
07/02/15 04:23 PM
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Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 5,923
BrianTx01
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Bass slot limits don't work because bass anglers do not harvest fish under the slot. Catfish slots can work, but you need enough fishing activity to clear out the unders. This is why Tawakoni should have been a trial lake. With all that said, I can't see them adding the slot limit to any lake other than Tawakoni in the near future.
With all that said I think you have to understand what their concern is...which is declining number of fishing licence being sold in urban areas. Kids from the urban/suburban areas do not fish, and more of the state is becoming urban. Their plan is to rapidly expand their put and take community fishing program...mostly through the stocking of blue/channel hybrids.
One of the things I think they are missing is not only the community ponds but also the urban lakes. Lake Arlington needs to be stocked with blue catfish...as does Joe Pool.
Fighting Texas Aggie Class of 2001
Proud UNT Alumni
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Re: Slots/other new regs? Beating a dead horse here....but why not
[Re: Blues]
#10953312
07/02/15 04:37 PM
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Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 2,157
Blues
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I agree cat fisherman shouldn't act like bass guys and chastise each other for keeping fish to eat. I see how crazy the bass world is and that's not what I wish for catfish. But if catfish would get half the respect, time, and research as bass would that be bad?
I am a trophy chaser, I know that doesn't make me the most popular, but it's what I like to do. At the same time I want everyone that wants a limit for the freezer, to be able to go get that limit.
No lake can be strictly trophy without supplementing food which changes it to a fish farm in my eyes. There has to be a healthy population to have trophy fish, with that comes good numbers of "eaters" for everybody. I do like the tag idea and the 1 over 30" a day for the guy that doesn't get to catch trophy fish. If you catch the biggest cat you've ever seen, no law should force you release it.
Some lakes need to drop the minimum length limit and up possession limit to 50, then encourage people get their limits.
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Re: Slots/other new regs? Beating a dead horse here....but why not
[Re: Blues]
#10953432
07/02/15 05:37 PM
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Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 46
DaleR
Outdoorsman
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Seems like most of us agree we do not want cat fishing to become like bass fishing. I like the idea of managing a given lake for the carrying capacity of the lake as far as numbers of fish go. I also like the idea of a simple 1 fish over X length per day. Not sure off the top of my head what that length should be but the suggested 30" sounds about right. I do not like slot limits, the purpose of them is to get more fish to reach a certain size for Trophy purposes. I do not think we should artificially manipulate the size or numbers of fish by introducing non-native fish/genetics or breeding/feeding programs. I believe it should be native fish in as close to the native environment as we can maintain.
I other words I don't think we should manage for either maximum numbers of trophies or eaters. I think the fishery should be managed to maintain a healthy natural cat fish population. And size and bag limits should be set accordingly and adjusted up or down as needed to keep up with it.
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Re: Slots/other new regs? Beating a dead horse here....but why not
[Re: Blues]
#10953779
07/02/15 07:53 PM
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Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 1,801
Tx Tree Grower
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It's Richland Chambers with the slot. Not Palestine.
I fish RC pretty regular. I will tell you my observations and what I THINK. Want to make it clear that I have no scientific data to back up my hunch on what the slot limit has accomplished thus far. Since the slot was imposed I personally have not seen a higher number of "Trophy Fish" being caught. However, it does seem that we land a few more slot fish every year so that may indicate more trophy fish are on the way in a few years. To me the biggest difference since the slot was put into place is the total population of blue catfish in the lake. I have not seen the creel survey but I believe the population of blues has increased dramatically. You can go to any point or hump in the lake right now and catch eater blues until you get sick of catching them. They are everywhere. Little doubt in my mind that leaving the big highly reproductive females in the lake has caused a dramatic increase in total blue catfish numbers. I still think it will be years before any firm conclusions can be made on exactly what impact the slot limit will ultimately have. My guess is that at some point TP&W will have to increase the bag limit on blues on RC.
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Re: Slots/other new regs? Beating a dead horse here....but why not
[Re: Blues]
#10953832
07/02/15 08:15 PM
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Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 2,157
Blues
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Thanks for clearing that up.....I wasn't sure.
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Re: Slots/other new regs? Beating a dead horse here....but why not
[Re: Blues]
#10954412
07/03/15 01:19 AM
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Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 374
Knot Normal
Angler
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Angler
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Personally I think more research should be done before the gooberment imposes more nanny state rules. If the fish numbers are not dwindling, leave it alone.
Randy I'm in good shape for the shape I'm in! 
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Re: Slots/other new regs? Beating a dead horse here....but why not
[Re: Tx Tree Grower]
#10955203
07/03/15 02:29 PM
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Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 3,606
ChuChu1
TFF Team Angler
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It's Richland Chambers with the slot. Not Palestine.
I fish RC pretty regular. I will tell you my observations and what I THINK. Want to make it clear that I have no scientific data to back up my hunch on what the slot limit has accomplished thus far. Since the slot was imposed I personally have not seen a higher number of "Trophy Fish" being caught. However, it does seem that we land a few more slot fish every year so that may indicate more trophy fish are on the way in a few years. To me the biggest difference since the slot was put into place is the total population of blue catfish in the lake. I have not seen the creel survey but I believe the population of blues has increased dramatically. You can go to any point or hump in the lake right now and catch eater blues until you get sick of catching them. They are everywhere. Little doubt in my mind that leaving the big highly reproductive females in the lake has caused a dramatic increase in total blue catfish numbers. I still think it will be years before any firm conclusions can be made on exactly what impact the slot limit will ultimately have. My guess is that at some point TP&W will have to increase the bag limit on blues on RC. Looking at the lake survey, it looks like the mid sized catfish are actually getting a little bigger and more of them.
Snowflakes and entitled brats will be the doom of America!
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Re: Slots/other new regs? Beating a dead horse here....but why not
[Re: ChuChu1]
#10955380
07/03/15 03:54 PM
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Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 2,157
Blues
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[quote=kubroe]It's Richland Chambers with the slot. Not Palestine.
I fish RC pretty regular. I will tell you my observations and what I THINK. Want to make it clear that I have no scientific data to back up my hunch on what the slot limit has accomplished thus far. Since the slot was imposed I personally have not seen a higher number of "Trophy Fish" being caught. However, it does seem that we land a few more slot fish every year so that may indicate more trophy fish are on the way in a few years. To me the biggest difference since the slot was put into place is the total population of blue catfish in the lake. I have not seen the creel survey but I believe the population of blues has increased dramatically. You can go to any point or hump in the lake right now and catch eater blues until you get sick of catching them. They are everywhere. Little doubt in my mind that leaving the big highly reproductive females in the lake has caused a dramatic increase in total blue catfish numbers. I still think it will be years before any firm conclusions can be made on exactly what impact the slot limit will ultimately have. My guess is that at some point TP&W will have to increase the bag limit on blues on RC. Looking at the lake survey, it looks like the mid sized catfish are actually getting a little bigger and more of them. [/quiet] Could be good news. Smaller fish being taken below the slot might be what's helping.
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