I was at tawakoni yesterday and got to see some noodlers catching a few fish. I know they had a few flatheads that weighed over 50 pounds. Sure would like to have those fish In The lake spawning. I am not against fun but think 1 50 pound flathead would be enough fish to do several fish fries.

I hope they stick their foot and a big snapping turtle gets ahold of it. He wont turn loose till it thunders.

I guess in the great State of Texas if you pay to play it's all good.

Here we go!? I know one 50pd flat was not enough for my family fish fry wish I had a couple.. had to bust out the sandies

Heard an interesting blurb on the radio headed to Texoma this morning. A biologist was on saying that many folks are concerned about hand fishing and the impact it has on a breeding population, but he was saying that he was more concerned with conserving younger fish with more breeding years left in them. There was a Lake Palestine connection of some sort. Wish I could find an article so I could read up on it, but my Google search hasn't turned anything up.

Edit: I found an article that mentions it finally: Passport to Texas

Yanking brood fish off their beds this time of year and waiting for a true line stretcher to mature
Hmmm,
Pretty much an easy no brainer
Trophy fish are the ones with fewer breeding years left in them,they are locked on instinct to guard a nest till late August on some waters.
Noodling needs regulation rather then the look the other way concept that has crippled more then a few former trophy lakes.
Wouldnt waste the time to educate the average noodler on why they have to snatch a fish off and out of its nest
Many species have their spawn runs protected,why not flatheads?
Two sided coin,but only one side to truth.

Simply put If you have a license and take what the law allows get over it. TPW put the regs out.

This is why I linked the article. It's a study being conducted by TPWD . It's the State fisheries management agency doing their job, investigating the impact of a legally recognized harvest method. You say it's an "easy no brainer," but that's why we have management agencies that conduct scientific studies, because policy shouldn't be made off assumption. The folks conducting these studies have degrees in a subject relating to fisheries management, and Kris himself has a masters and 8 years with the department (don't know him personally, just have access to the internet).

If you'll notice, I didn't state whether I was pro or anti hand fishing, I just stated that a study was being done. On these hot-button issues I think it's important that we investigate the issues and all their impacts, positive and negative. And if an individual tasked with protecting a resource, in a culture that is hyper-sensitive to resource exploitation, conducts such a study and says that the legally recognized method of fishing is of no detriment to the system, then far be it from me to assume that I know better than him.

TPWD study is just so they can say they are doing something!
You can have all the degrees and masters there are, but how do they know what kind of impact it is having without being able to closely monitor, and by that, get people to report all the fish they catch and keep?
Doesn't really take a degree to figure that one out!
It's impossible to know the numbers, and be accurate unless they can get an accurate count of the number of fish taken.
They'll eventually pull numbers out of thin air and post their study as complete!
All that said, I don't have a problem with noodlers. It's their fingers not mine!

And how can you know this if TPWD can't?

I do know that is one snake filled lake more power to them I wouldn't be doing it.

One of the few times TPW changed a rule / law without conducting a survey / study.

This one was out of their hands...it was a political matter that got pushed through.

Now, they are working backwards to conduct the survey / study to fix it. Gonna take time though.

I was interviewed randomly at the boat ramp about one month ago regarding this matter from a biologist.

We bash Noodlers yet we run to the creeks when Crappie and Sandies are laying eggs. Hmmmmm. Anyway Texas regulates and does a fine job. Go fish and have fun and let others do what they want. As long as it is legal...

Noodling will never account for a large percentage of trophy fish taken. Most are afraid to do it anyway.
Many many more will be taken by trot line, jug line and rod n reel. Oklahoma and East Texas will be electricity, dynamite and gill nets.
Bag and slot limits will do more to help numbers than anything else. My noodling days are probably over but it sure was a hoot back then when I was young enough to do it. At 71 my old hide is too fragile and rotten to get skinned up digging around under stumps, rocks and boat ramps. Plus I can't hold my breath that long anymore:) I got out of breath just typing this.