I think you are slinging around a lot of statements that are not supported nor verified.

This issue prompted me to call one of the biologists involved in the blue catfish slot limit experimental program started in 2009. Here's the short version of the conversation. No data has been released concerning the slot study on Lewisville, Richland Chambers and Waco. We are basically at the dawn of catfish research in the state of Texas. A catfish study will be different from bass because they live so much longer, so we may have to wait a few more years for accurate information. If you are claiming the slots aren't working, you are quite a few years premature.

I have invited a few of the biologists to join this thread. I'm sure they can help shed light on the facts.

I have worked w/ the biologist(s) appointed for Tawakoni on a monthly basis reporting information as I find it. As of today, there is no information from TPW that tells us if numbers of big fish are growing or declining.

The research is so new as JP mentioned, that we can't even know for sure how long the fish live in Texas waters. Also, $$ is not there currently for involved studies to be done on blue catfish. Hopefully that will change someday soon.

The best information is coming from people reporting information as it's found...year after year.

Both biologist that watch over Tawakoni read this forum weekly...and consider everyone's comments and opinions.

First, excellent on biologists invite, looking forward to hear what they can share, may it is really as bad as claimed by the proponents, or maybe I can breathe easy...

Second, I never said I have access to the actual research data, all I said was "I can crunch numbers and know that 1 +2+3 is not a negative number " there were three surveys done on tawakoni each times it shows positive results on the health and catching of blue catfish, yet the other side the guides were saying fisheries is in decline (negative ), not so from the number that were reported in the survey results.

On Lake Lewisville, I considered it a failure because the fish caught there doesn't look as full body as those that come out of tawakoni, and much smaller in size than Tawakoni. All the pictures of all fish that come out LL are small even compared to ray Hubbard and RH produced a new blue cat record in 2013 where as LL record was caught back in 2000. My old farm boy instinct say if the fish are skinny that lake is not doing well and after six years of slot and fish look skinny then slot is not working in my book. The biologists might be looking at something else and say otherwise I am looking forward to hear what they have to say.

Mr Tiny mentioned Alabama regulations for blue catfish, I did a little research into Alabama bluecatfish fisheries and regulations, they didn't have any. In 2008, their wildlife people set a limit of one fish over 34 inch and no limit on fish 34 in or less. This is an upper limit on size NOT a slot. 3 years later they had a new state record of 111 lb in 2011, then a year later that record was broken again at 120 lb. The funny thing is their one 34 in was set in response to people stealing their 50 lb fish for cross state pay to fish pond stocking. I consider Alabama regulations a successful one. Again the other side might disagree, those are the information and number that I can dig up and those are the kind evidence I like to see.


Keep in mind that the burden is on the proponents of new regulations to provide data to back up your claim of a Declined fisheries at tawakoni when you demand people to cut their to harvest large fish to just one fish. I AM AND OTHERS HAVE BEEN SAYING ALL ALONG THAT THE PROPONENTS HAVE NO GOOD RELIABLE DATA TO BACK UP your claim.

Now all I am hearing is the slot study is at the dawn of research and yet the other side want to force that half baked cookies on our throat at tawakoni?

Looking forward to from the experts in the field. Thank for reading. I got to go make some beef steaks for the family now, mama been screaming at me. Later yall.

Bankfisher50 do you see a slot in my post? First reply got removed.Now that YOU LIKE ALABAMA 34" law want to try again?

Bankfisher, I will try to help you understand what a lot of us are trying to explain here by saying that the numbers of big fish are down.

You say "I can crunch numbers and 1+2+3 is a not a negative number". I agree, you must be a smart guy.

3-2 is also not a negative number. Take away 1 more and now your left with 0 and were getting pretty close to negatives. Can you see the analogy I'm trying to make?

It's a lot bigger than 3-2-1. That's taking it a bit far like the dodo bird. I'll get on here and argue later I have to run jugs in the morning.

Im no math mathematician or biologist by any means but 3+2+1 equals about the number of 20 plus pound yellas i turn loose every year. The way i see it thats 6 more 20 plus pound yellas that have a chance of producing good numbers of fish to keep the population up! I run lines on the river pretty much every weekend starting in march through june and i believe the best study on the fish populatin comes from the people that are on the water often. If everyone that fished a water body got together and discussed what they caught during the year i bet it would be some pretty compareable info to what tpwd has come up with so far.

Since no one really knows how the trophy fishery on Tawakoni is really doing, how about the guides keeping records of the number of trophy (over 20 pounds) they catch and how many are released, how many are kept. Not asking the guides to post those results, but make them available to TP&W biologists. At least then there will be a starting point.
I'm NOT blaming guides for any problems, but guides are the folks that are on the water the most. And when creel surveys are taken, it's usually for a limited time and limited scope. Even the net and electroshock surveys while serving a purpose, they are only a sampling.

Good luck.

What lake are you on? We look forward to hearing a report.

I may be wrong but I believe salsa has been doing this for a while now. Probably several others as well.

Sure would like to see the actual three surveys from Twok that keep getting brought up. Do they exist, or are they a figment of someone's imagination?

One is posted above.

We can all agree that something needs to be done, but is a 10 page thread really going to fix anything?

Maybe it'll be settled by the time it gets to 30 pages.

Well, so long as everyone remains civil to one another, some good ideas can come from a thread like this. I've noted several ideas that could be helpful for TWPD - not just bag restrictions.

Just remember that we're all in this proverbial boat together.