Hey folks, I've been fishing Fairfield for over 25 years. This past Saturday I was there and I couldn't believe the number of people wadeing the banks with nothing but a Ice Chest and a cast net. I know that it's legal to use one for tilapia and other non-game fish. But in talking to the parks GW. He said that they have written 14 citations for either illegal fish or under size fish in the last couple of weeks. Mostly under size reds and LMB. And that just the Folks they caught. Seems many times people slip in afterdark when the office is closed. Which makes it hard on them to catch these folks. In My conversatio the GW inditacted that they (GW)realy needed some type of Night Vision to help stop this problem.

QUESTION: Any Interst on this forum of setting up some kind of fund to purchase some type of Night Vision equipt. for these guys?

That seems like a pointess venture. However, I do understand where you are coming from. I'm one of those guys that have no problem going up to those people that keep game fish they caught while casting and confronting them FTF. I hate seeing people breaking the law and then claiming ignorance.

I was acctually out there on Sunday trying to bankfish for some reds. It was my first time out at that lake, but I caught one undersized red, 16" cpr'd, and that was it. Might you have any tips for a Fairfield newb? I could use all the help I can get. I don't have a boat so I'd be bank fishing.

Thanks.

I agree that there's a need to stop the illegal cast netting of fish. But, I also agree with IgotSNAGGED that it would be pointless to buy them night vision. Even if they had them they are still to undermanned to make effective use of them to stop the illegal netting. I doubt they even catch the majority that do this in the daylight (no knock ont he GWs, they do what they can) I don't thing that buying night vision equipment would make a significant difference.

I don't have the specifics any more, but there is a program that gives away surplus military equipment, including night vision stuff, to local law enforcement agencies. They (the park rangers) need to have their purchasing agent/department look into that.

Several of my good friends are game wardens. They actually have access to some really good equipment. The crooks aren't working in the dark. Game wardens don't need probable cause, to see the person fishing, they can inspect the vehicle and gear and cooler at any time and cite for violations. They just need more people. Especially this time of year with hunting seasons gearing up, the are just outnumbered. Would love to see a couple of stings and take the gear and vehicles that these guys are using.

Thanks guy's for your input. It just ruffles my feathers knowing that these folk are doing this and getting away with. They're raping this great fishery. And most don't even have a fishing license (I know they don't need one as long as they are in State park. Which I think is a great idea to get folks involved it the sport.) But we still need to take and active part reporting violations not only on this lake but anywhere we fish. Just walk the banks of Rowlette Creek or White Rock creek during the spring crappie and sandbass run and see how many undersize game fish wind up in someones Ice Chest. OK I'll get off my Soap Box Now.

I thought you could catch the Tilapia with a cast net?

They are on Fairfield...or at least every time I have been there after dark. You can see their lanterns as they work the shorelines around a cove. No telling how many fish, including redfish, they are taking out of the lake. Won't hurt the Tilapia that much....but reds are another story.

Not sure that night vision equipment is required but more GW's certainly would help. You don't need night vision to see the lanterns and where they are working.

You can but they are tossing everything in the bucket.

In talking to the GW Sunday Night, He told us that last week he and a fellow GW caught a couple of guys with over 40 Fingerling LMB and several undersize reds. These guys were even using the LMB Fingerlings for bait. Assuming that many of these castnetters are taking these type numbers of game fish. How long can this great fishery last?

Fairfield will be fine...that thing is a sonic growth factory....castnetters need to be made into chum.

Careful there, RodFather. I throw a castnet every time I go to Fairfield. My family loves Tilapia, and we perform a service by removing them from the lake. I only take Tilapia with the net. In fact, that's the only thing I keep from the lake. We return all bass and redfish that we catch.

The lake IS a fish factory. We were coming back from down south about 8 years ago, and we hit an ice storm about 15 miles south of Fairfield on I45. We spent the night in town, and the next morning it was still too icy to tow the boat into Dallas. So we went to the lake. It was in the low 20's, so we just motored over to the outlet and caught bass and redfish for about 3 hours. I couldn't help but laugh out loud all that morning.

Should have said "illegal" cast netters...I throw a net as well.

i see that happening on lakes everywhere, not a good situation.

There is a difference between taking some home for the family fish fry, and taking tens times the net throwers head count for the intent of either selling the meat or feeding the whole village.

There is way too much meat harvested by some recently, there is no doubt some meat selling is going on. Many are so new at it that they try to take ungutted fish away with them. There is no law against selling Tilapia meat, and this is unfortunate. This is a park not a commercial fishing site they own we all own it. Their shoreline netting is ravaging the hydrilla collar along the shorelines they are accessing. A meat harvesting intent is believed to be the real reason why Blue Tilapia were placed in Fairfield originally.

We even found a stacked out gill net with dead and dying Tilapia in it four Saturdays ago.