Bank50 maybe I worded it wrong. My petition is to limit the number of large fish per day. Not to out a max size on the one or two large fish that will be legal to keep per day. Everybody at TPWD whom I have talked to understands that there is not a person in the planet which needs to take 20 fish over 30lbs per day out of any body of water. Nobody.

How about catch and release rule?
Can only keep on fish a day over 25 or 30 pounds.
All fish over a certain weight have to be released.

Size wise, what are y'all wanting to call a trophy blue cat - something like over 30" or 36" or larger? You really have to classify by length rather than weight when you are talking regs.

30 inches, one per day 2 possession. Statewide

36" or larger in tawakoni, 5 per person, two limits possessions.

I fish the bank and don't target big blue and prolly never catch 5 big fish on any trip, but do believe in removing some of the old fish from the lake to maintain the current excellent fisheries in tawakoni. A min of five large fish or more for those who can and need to.

I totally agree there's some old timers who know where the deep holes are every year and they will drop a gizzard shad right in the fishes mouth. Otherwise sounds like you're not the high-tech type, so no need to continue with you on this subject.

My personal opinion is to much FINGER POINTING. It's Legal to Rod and Reel Fish, It's Legal to Jug, and Trot Line Fish for Blues. At this point in time it's also "Legal" to catch and keep 25 Blues of any size per person you choose to keep.
But; It does not take rocket science to figure out that over harvesting in any manner be it large (Trophy)Blue catfish or wild game the end results are the same. Limited to zero quantity for the future. I am a CP&R fisherman and preach the same for blues 10lbs or over; for that matter I very seldom keep anything over 4 lbs but that's just my personal preference. I prefer to Rod and Reel fish and do on some occasions Jug Line Fish, but then again that is my personal preference and it's legal.
I Personally would like to see a slot placed on Blues for all Texas with the same regulations as those currently in effect in Texas. I believe lowering the daily bag limits on Blues and especially channel cats may be counter productive for many Texas Lakes. I have seen what over population and limited food supply can result in. I do not think limiting the amount of hooks allowed in the water will make a Tinkers Damn; If you can catch your limit with 50 to 100 hooks in 1 hour verses my limit in 8 hours I just had an additional 7 hours of relaxation.
Be you a Rod& Reel Fisherman, Jug Liner, or trot liner; I would be willing to bet 99.9% if not 100% of the folks on this Forum are guardians of the resources God has provided for us.
THATS MY STORY AND I'M STICKING TO IT.

Wow I have been reading these threads and I amazed at some of what I read. I agree that pressure on big blues has increased . I also know that yes the state doesn't spend as much on the research about blues as LMB I also know that anyone who thinks electronics doesn't benefit your capabilities on shorting knowledge time on finding target fish doesn't know how to read electronics properly. I am knew to blue cat fishing just a yr or so part time. I catch plenty and some trouphy fish. Whoopee . I really don't think we have the economic basis for sal program for blues. High pressure LMB lakes have unbelievable pressure . If ya don't think so just fish a few tournaments for them. If you want to help out start by CPR and regulating yourself . A lot of guys don't keep big fish. And sure there are some that are abusing the limits in place. TPWD doesn't guess they take the whole picture into play by doing surveys of the lake populations. And looking at the primary prey species which support it. They might take a look at it and say blues eat a larger percentage of support forage then any other therefore increase the limit because LMB fishermen spend XXXX on taxed items to fish that lake . Be careful what you ask for. And please be responsible fishermen and don't abuse our great resources.

Thank you for making me laugh so hard, I need that laugh. FYI, Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, been in high tech industry for nearly 20 years, my ride is a brand-new off-road all terrain 4wd suv that can take me to any bank fishing spots in mud and snow now that the hitec that I need! I just happen to enjoy fishing from the bank with my surf rods. I go fishing purposely to Take a break from hitec and do prefer to eat wild fish filet... but one thing that you are right I can't type with my thumb on tha dang phone

For the people asking for facts to back up the claim that the catfishing has declined, I have documented every trip in my journal over the past 14+ years. That's about 150 days on the lake. All I know is that once I figured out how to fish Tawakoni, it was the best lake I had ever fished. The numbers of 4-6lb fish I would catch was unbelievable. I also would see less than 5 boats a day on the lake during the week. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Then about 2008 I started seeing more and more boats. I started to see the decline in my catches in 2010 a couple of years after the pressure started to increase. The number of boats I have seen the last two years equals the number of boats I saw in the first 8 years combined. Every year since 2009 it has gotten harder to catch fish over 10 lbs and harder to catch a limit of 2-4 lb fish. The average size fish caught has consistetly been lower since 2011. I have to drive 4 hours to get there and I used to never give it a second thought because I knew I would catch fish. Since 2012 I worry everytime about whether or not we will catch any fish. I have been looking at other closer lakes and I have found a couple that have had the slot limit in place since 2010 where it is now as easy to catch 20lb fish as Tawakoni. One of the lakes with the slot, I can now catch more fish than at Tawakoni. No matter what lake I fish, I let all fish over 4lbs go and about 60% of the fish under 4lbs go. I have a bachelor's degree in fisheries and I live for catching catfish.

All i can tell you boys is Texoma was the best blue cat lake in texas at one time. Over harvest of breeder fish has set it back big time. I have been guiding for TROPHY BLUES FOR 8 years on twok. I can tell you first hand that the # of trophy fish and box fish have gone down. This not a attempt to keep anyone from catching fish to eat. Salsa and the rest of us have one goal in mind and it is not to starve nobody,but to make sure fishing in Texas LAKES for BLUE CATS will be great for many years to come. This is somthing i feel very strong about.If we do nothing it will become the next used to be !!

Now those are words of wisdom there !!!

X2

Mr NELSON, and Mr Catfish, you have documented the decline of both box fish and 10# or larger blue cats, both of you and salsa perhaps other Tawakoni guides would want to do something about it, cutting bag limit Say to 10_15 fish per license?

What kind of slot have you and salsa discussed so far? I asked these questions because l have suspected all along that he wants to see bag limit cut down to 10 to 15 fish per license in addition to slot on blue cats.

Lastly, l know about the increased pressure on lake, but would you say a guy sitting from the bank with two surf rods catching 50# to 70# box sized blue cats. 3_10# range in about 4 hours a declined fisheries?

Just want to add that I do believe pressure crowd reduces the catch, myself had been skunk enough times when lake was crowded, but because I can still catch on days with less crowded convinced me that the fisheries are still excellent. With the increase number of guides moving to twok plus the internet marketing you will attract the crowd, as expected, so guides are partly to blame for the increase pressure on lake. At this point it is highly inappropriate for guides to band together in attempt to make the average fishermen sacrifice for guides business success. I believe solution is to let the natural law of economic find its own equilibrium in guides business sector to reduce the number of guides on Tawakoni. Joe boaters Will also find it cheaper at KROGER.