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Re: GAME CHANGER FROM BERKLEY [Re: RCarter] #14337831 04/07/22 11:50 PM
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TxCatfishGuide Offline
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The law was changed with Daddy's money for the sons. Best of luck!

Wet Rooster Jigs Fishing Super Store
Re: GAME CHANGER FROM BERKLEY [Re: RCarter] #14337957 04/08/22 03:11 AM
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zebcoomega1 Offline
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I think you do a good job El Gato Azul..i have learned more about fishing
reading your posts as a few others on here. I appreciate what you do.
It's changing the mind set on big fish so more people can catch big
fish. As long as people follow the Law we have no problem. That's the
problem. Implementing stricter laws on trotlines I'm not in favor. Is there
waste yes. Any fishing you will lose some to death. From being on trotline to
long the wrong way or swallowing a hook and breaking a line from rod and
real. Not everyone can afford to have a big nice boat,down scan, side scan,
livescope and be on the water 3 times a week. I'm lucky i can take off
for 2 weeks and set lines a few weeks before and take them out 2 weeks after
as I can fish a couple times before and after vacation and if i can't get
back within a couple days I cradle my hooks in the swivel. Even though
I know im hated by rod and reel fisherman I feel like I have as much right
to fish as anyone as long as I follow the Law. The 1 law I do not like is
the flotation on the line. Only if it's in the middle of lake do I agree with that
one. I don't trust other Trotliners or rod and reel fisherman to see where my
line is. Don't care if they get the fish. Just don't cut it or steal it.

Re: GAME CHANGER FROM BERKLEY [Re: TxCatfishGuide] #14337999 04/08/22 06:12 AM
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🍀El Gato Azul🍀 Offline
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Originally Posted by TxCatfishGuide
The law was changed with Daddy's money for the sons. Best of luck!

Sounds like the stuff of legends. So what is the oil man’s name?


There is a fine line between fishing and floating around like an idiot!!
texas Check out out my YouTube channel El Gato Azul TV texas
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCg0aV-uOxzxKxeqFFfREzKg
⚓️⚓️⚓️⚓️ Home of little boys holding big catfish! ⚓️⚓️⚓️⚓️
Re: GAME CHANGER FROM BERKLEY [Re: RCarter] #14338001 04/08/22 06:59 AM
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🍀El Gato Azul🍀 Offline
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Thanks Zebcoomega. I don’t have any problem with guys that catch fish by trotline or Jug as long as it is done responsibly. I’m for big fish conservation and responsible harvest regardless of which way they are caught. I don’t think it matters how often you go or or how good you are at catching big fish, they should be protected and respected even if you only catch one per year. Only being able to catch 1 or 2 is all the more reason to protect them. I’m happy to say that all the kids at my Jr Angler event we’re on board with turning the big fish loose. I will continue to educate the youth that come on my boat and every kid that attends my events. I love seeing the joy in their eyes from catching big fish and how excited they get when we turn them loose. That is pure gold.


There is a fine line between fishing and floating around like an idiot!!
texas Check out out my YouTube channel El Gato Azul TV texas
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCg0aV-uOxzxKxeqFFfREzKg
⚓️⚓️⚓️⚓️ Home of little boys holding big catfish! ⚓️⚓️⚓️⚓️
Re: GAME CHANGER FROM BERKLEY [Re: RCarter] #14338088 04/08/22 12:39 PM
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skeetmaster Offline
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Zebcoomega1, I wouldn't say you are hated. Most rod and reelers just see more of the effects of irresponsible jugliners and trotliners simply because we spend more time on the water and we cover a lot of water. It sucks when a small percentage of bad anglers gives the rest a bad name. I can go out on any lake today and load my boat with old trotlines and abandoned or lost jugs. It's just a matter of a few lazy, uncaring individuals who go out and overharvest and generally just don't care about the future of our sport/hobby. I know a bunch of rod and reelers that harvest plenty of fish. I don't understand the mentality of keeping really big cats. I've eaten meat from a 50 lb plus yellow cat when I was young and it wasn't good.

I totally agree with you on some of the new regs especially on trotlines. When I used to run them, I would tie them well below the water line just so they couldn't be easily found by other fisherman. Now you have to advertise them. And you're right, others will cut the lines just out of spite.

At the end of the day, we should all be on the same page because we pretty much all want the same thing-more and better fishing both in quality and quantity. It seems so simple yet we're so far away sometimes in opinion and mindset.

Re: GAME CHANGER FROM BERKLEY [Re: 🍀El Gato Azul🍀] #14338091 04/08/22 12:44 PM
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skeetmaster Offline
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Originally Posted by 🍀El Gato Azul🍀
This is my point exactly. Educate the youth and change happens. As far as the 2 politicians I’m speaking of, when I wrote to Michelle Beckley I got a generic letter back that didn’t have any real concern for one of the people she was supposedly representing. It was typed and her signature was a stamp. When I wrote Senator Jane Nelson I got a hand written letter signed by her and she said she was considerate of my concerns. Far better response in my personal experience and it felt like she actually cared while I’m fairly certain Michelle Beckley never even read my letter. .

The last big fish I kept was May 1, 1989 Jacky so I have been on Big Fish conservation just about as long as anyone.



Chris, you won't have to worry about Michelle much longer. She's not re-running for her seat. Unfortunely she's hoping to make a run for Lieutenant Governor. She'll first have to win a primary run-off against Mike Collier but I doubt that either one of them will unseat Dan Patrick.

Re: GAME CHANGER FROM BERKLEY [Re: RCarter] #14338111 04/08/22 01:00 PM
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I normally stay far away from such conversations; I rocked the boat enough in a former life. But will weigh in here for what it's worth. I think El Gato is on to something and it is something that is worth much time and effort. That being said I'm not a fan of government getting involved in anything, it tends to revolve around dollars, votes, power, and who can romance the masses at the moment with little to no regard for facts or merit.

The best thing going is educating the youth. Raise em right and you'll see them doing the right thing at the right time even when no one is looking. There, I think, lies the key to big fish conservation. The joy of the experience El Gato described will live far longer in a young person's mind than any law ever written. It hasbeen the change of minds and practices that has made many "simple" laws, that are now taken without second thought effective, such as DUI and seatbelts. The "old timers" resisted, at least in my experience, but the younger generations grafted on to the new ways after being taught; not so much through legislation or government psa but by the actions of the adults and more familiar authority figures around them.

One other thing I will mention is that I had drilled into me was to never kill anything I was not going to eat with the rare exception of protecting something of greater value. (ie killing coyotes to protect calfs). How much goes to waste on one of those big old toad catfish. I might be more inclined to think better of it if the whole of the resource is going to feed many people and not be a freezer burnt pile of **** in the end.

Re: GAME CHANGER FROM BERKLEY [Re: Mckinneycrappiecatcher] #14338348 04/08/22 04:11 PM
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Originally Posted by Mckinneycrappiecatcher
Originally Posted by 🍀El Gato Azul🍀
Lol. I knew that would ruffle some feathers. The evidence in big Flathead decline is easy to see on my home lake of Lewisville. It went from the world record holding lake chuck full of world class fish and 70 and 80 lbrs coming out of it frequently to what it is now which is terrible. Back then snag lines we’re legal means and guys ran strings of snag lines all over the lake. Eventually they were outlawed but the damage was already done. The monster genetics were removed out of the lake and Lewisville never recovered. Add on top of that nest thrashing noodles these days and it’s easy for me to see why they should be protected more. Just like snag lines, someday noodling will be outlawed. I see that very few people care much about protecting flatheads and i hear guys say the bigger the better to eat and I think it’s sad but it is what it is. I think all big fish should be respected and protected and we teach that to every angler and kid that comes on our boat.

I’m with you on noodling. I don’t like the thought of ripping a big catfish out of their spawning hole. I’ll admit, flatheads are fantastic eating, but for a rod and reel angler, I might catch 3-4 in a year that I keep. It’s a whole lot different than the massive hauls people bring in from noodling and set lines. If I had my way I’d have both outlawed, I’m sick of having to cut illegal trot lines because I snag them in my trolling motor while crappie fishing.


How do you know the trotlines are illegal? I am sick of jerks cutting my trotlines because they are not watching what they are doing and Bass fisherman that make it a habit. A good trotline costs money to make. There is a set limit on the number of Flatheads you can take, if you don't like it take it up with TPWD.

Re: GAME CHANGER FROM BERKLEY [Re: sapalmer] #14338354 04/08/22 04:17 PM
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Originally Posted by sapalmer
Easy to catch them during the spawn you just hit spots like low water dams on the brazos where they cant get any further up river. In places most boats cant reach.
Plenty of study's out there say noodling has little or no effect. Trotlines and juglines are the real problem.
Evaluation of the Flathead Catfish ...with Emphasis on the Effects of Noodling


The real problem which is? I have never seen higher populations of catfish on RC or Cedar Creek and have been fishing those lakes for decades. And both juglines and trotlines have been used a lot on those lakes.

Re: GAME CHANGER FROM BERKLEY [Re: 🍀El Gato Azul🍀] #14338371 04/08/22 04:30 PM
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rickt300 Offline
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Originally Posted by 🍀El Gato Azul🍀
This is my point exactly. Educate the youth and change happens. As far as the 2 politicians I’m speaking of, when I wrote to Michelle Beckley I got a generic letter back that didn’t have any real concern for one of the people she was supposedly representing. It was typed and her signature was a stamp. When I wrote Senator Jane Nelson I got a hand written letter signed by her and she said she was considerate of my concerns. Far better response in my personal experience and it felt like she actually cared while I’m fairly certain Michelle Beckley never even read my letter. .

The last big fish I kept was May 1, 1989 Jacky so I have been on Big Fish conservation just about as long as anyone.


The heck with Michelle and I am happy the last big fish you kept was in 1989. I don't keep large fish anymore unless they are deeply hooked because I have already taken more than a few. I want the young to have the satisfaction of taking a big one home. I see nothing wrong with this. On the other hand allowing say the Blue cat population to have a overly large population of huge fish is not going to be good for the lake. Great for the guides who have one thing in mind, money in their pockets and happy clients done easy. Letting a large predator fish increase it's population past the ability of the forage base to support it is irresponsible. As for noodling during the spawn I agree it can affect Flathead catfish populations, same for any fishing method. That is why there are limits.

Re: GAME CHANGER FROM BERKLEY [Re: rickt300] #14338387 04/08/22 04:50 PM
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Thanks Rick. I agree there has to be a balance but looking at our current top fisheries for big Blues like Twok and Lavon, both loaded with huge fish for many years and both have great populations of other species. My home fishery of Lewisville can handle double, possibly triple the biomass of big fish and at one point it did. It is loaded with baitfish and huge numbers of rough fish like Carp and Buffalo which are overpopulated in many of our fisheries due to lower numbers of large apex predators which is the only thing that can feed on them. I have not heard of a lake in Texas or anywhere in the country that has been over populated with big fish. There are areas that they are considered invasive like the James River but that is a different discussion.


There is a fine line between fishing and floating around like an idiot!!
texas Check out out my YouTube channel El Gato Azul TV texas
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCg0aV-uOxzxKxeqFFfREzKg
⚓️⚓️⚓️⚓️ Home of little boys holding big catfish! ⚓️⚓️⚓️⚓️
Re: GAME CHANGER FROM BERKLEY [Re: 🍀El Gato Azul🍀] #14342574 04/13/22 03:21 PM
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rickt300 Offline
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Originally Posted by 🍀El Gato Azul🍀
Thanks Rick. I agree there has to be a balance but looking at our current top fisheries for big Blues like Twok and Lavon, both loaded with huge fish for many years and both have great populations of other species. My home fishery of Lewisville can handle double, possibly triple the biomass of big fish and at one point it did. It is loaded with baitfish and huge numbers of rough fish like Carp and Buffalo which are overpopulated in many of our fisheries due to lower numbers of large apex predators which is the only thing that can feed on them. I have not heard of a lake in Texas or anywhere in the country that has been over populated with big fish. There are areas that they are considered invasive like the James River but that is a different discussion.


Then there is no reason to limit the catch of big fish. I prefer to keep fish under 10 pounds and the big ones are both fun to catch and more work to get in and throw back. I have noticed a lot more big fish on my lines and they use up the bait I catch for eater fish and time on the water fooling with them. Might end up keeping more of the big ones to give the smaller fish a chance.

Re: GAME CHANGER FROM BERKLEY [Re: RCarter] #14342621 04/13/22 04:06 PM
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That is the exact reason to limit the catch of big fish. They are the ones producing the biomass of eaters for harvest. Remove the big reproducers and your going to have a dramatic decrease in the numbers of eaters for harvest. Twok has lots of big fish and it produces enough eaters for all those guide boats to harvest boatloads of eater sized fish day after day year after year. Remove those monsters and the eaters don’t get produced. Put the monsters back and there are plenty of eaters for the meat haulers and plenty of big fish for sports anglers. There isn’t a single lake in the entire country that is overpopulated with big fish.


There is a fine line between fishing and floating around like an idiot!!
texas Check out out my YouTube channel El Gato Azul TV texas
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCg0aV-uOxzxKxeqFFfREzKg
⚓️⚓️⚓️⚓️ Home of little boys holding big catfish! ⚓️⚓️⚓️⚓️
Re: GAME CHANGER FROM BERKLEY [Re: RCarter] #14342636 04/13/22 04:14 PM
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Big fish conservation is here to stay. The youth are on board and that’s all that really matters. Arguing about it amongst us old guys is pointless. You either want to protect the resource or you don’t. I’m just glad there are more and more guys getting on board and educating the next generation of anglers and the old way of keeping big fish is rapidly going away.


There is a fine line between fishing and floating around like an idiot!!
texas Check out out my YouTube channel El Gato Azul TV texas
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCg0aV-uOxzxKxeqFFfREzKg
⚓️⚓️⚓️⚓️ Home of little boys holding big catfish! ⚓️⚓️⚓️⚓️
Re: GAME CHANGER FROM BERKLEY [Re: RCarter] #14342999 04/13/22 10:34 PM
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A couple quotes from TPW, last two from a paper published by TAMU.edu titled Guidelines for Culture of Blue and Channel Catfish.

Life History
The spawning behavior of blue catfish appears to be similar to that of channel catfish. However, most blue catfish are not sexually mature until they reach about 24 inches in length. Like channel catfish, the blue catfish pursues a varied diet, but it tends to eat fish earlier in life. Although invertebrates still comprise the major portion of the diet, blue catfish as small as four inches in length have been known to consume fish. Individuals larger than eight inches eat fish and large invertebrates. Blue catfish commonly attain weights of 20 to 40 pounds, and may reach weights well in excess of 100 pounds. It is reported that fish exceeding 350 pounds were landed from the Mississippi River during the late 1800's.

The Jasper State Fish Hatchery (JSFH) located near Jasper, Texas uses blue catfish brood
fish that are 4-5 years old and weigh 7-18 kg each for fry production. The JSFH produces all
the blue catfish for TPWD and began a monitoring program involving PIT-tagging of brood
fish in April 2005. This program will enable the staff to collect spawning data on individual
brood fish and cull or replace those that do not spawn consistently or get too old. This tagging
program also allows documentation and management of the genetics of these fish

Size.–Broodfish pairs may be of similar size, but it is preferable for the male to be slightly
larger than the female. The weights of males and females should be recorded for each pen
along with the pen identification number. The JSFH uses 7-18-kg (15.4-40-lb) blue catfish for
pen spawning in a pond. The ISCCF are spawned primarily in pens in raceways at the AEW.
A female catfish will typically deposit 6,000-8,000 eggs/kg (2,700-3,600 eggs/lb) of body
weight.

7-18 Kg is 15-40 lbs as noted. Note that blues need to reach approx 24 inches to be sexually mature, 4-5 yrs old.

Let's just hope that enough of those eaters survive to sexual maturity. And that all the big fish released survive.

Sources of info if you'd like to read:
https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/species/blc/

http://fisheries.tamu.edu/files/2013/09/Guidelines-for-the-Culture-of-Blue-and-Channel-Catfish.pdf


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