Cleaning the monsters sucks anyways congrats

And this is why we need slot limits... There's plenty of smaller fish to eat. Let the trophy's swim.

He caught them and they are his to eat! What a bunch of snobs! i usually throw anything back over ten pounds but have kept plenty bigger. And I like fishing jug lines and trotlines, they are not litter and they take time to build and work to bait them. This forum is getting full of snobbish better than thou jerks. Get a grip! Or is it just jealousy, you just can't catch the big ones so you gripe when someone does?

Something to think about; 1. Big ones make lots of little ones. 2. Little ones are called "eaters" for a reason, they are superior on the plate. 3. That old fish has been exposed to all kinds of chemicals from runoff, would not want to eat poison. But some will and do which is within the law. Congrats on a fish of a lifetime

A fifteen inch fish can make plenty of little ones and it is true that larger fish have been around longer to absorb chemicals. It would seem though that if this were a problem there would be an advisory on eating fish from the lake.

Yep, starting to sound like some bass fisherman

Same thing in the crappie fishing world. It's hard to get people to throw back the bigger trophy crappie because they are such good table fare in any size. I personally don't have a problem with people eating the bigger ones.. to each their own as long as it is within the law. I would be willing to bet these bigger fish don't spawn as prolifically (if at all) as the smaller "eaters" anyways. JMO

That was a giant, congrats. Makes the one my grandson caught look like a guppy

Big trophy blue catfish are prolific spawners. They produce hundreds of thousands of eggs. Eaters blue catfish don't even spawn. They don't reach sexual maturity until about 24inches.

Actually TPWD sets length limits generally so that the minimum legal length fish have spawned at least once before they can be legally retained.

12" blues have already spawned?

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Big trophy blue catfish are prolific spawners. They produce hundreds of thousands of eggs. Eaters blue catfish don't even spawn. They don't reach sexual maturity until about 24inches. [/quote]

Mike nailed it! Hopefully one of the fish hatchery guys will jump on here help explain bluecat breeding...educating us anglers is the only way we are going to be able to keep catching monsters year after year...release the toads!!! A little conservation can go a long way!

on tawakoni you can keep a 1" blue now

Not just twok, there's other lakes with no length limit. So tpwd isn't at all worried if they've spawned or not.