I am new to fishing Tawakoni but do plan on being out there this winter.If i can evey get lucky enough to catch one of those monsters i will certainly release it for someone else to have the same experience.Great topic and i also agree 100%.

I'll say it since no one else will. Its hard to respect someone like you that brags about how many big trophy fish they get in a few days of running lines and how you have had to buy more freezers to to keep all the fish you take. Well how about this, instead of buying more freezers, why dont you take less fish. You obviously dont eat them as fast as you catch them or you wouldnt need more freezers. I dont like you bragging about how many trophies clean from all your trotlines. You say that you do a lot of this in the name of research, BS. You are greedy and have no respect for a fishery. If you want to impress people with all your trophy fish, catch them with a rod and reel. I dont care if people here agree with me or not, but I dont care if you are within the law or not, keeping and slaughtering that many fish, especially tropy fish just because you can, is immoral and senseless.

I used to keep every keeper hybrid, striper, sandbass and catfish I caught because I was still learning and didn't always catch as many as I wanted. After getting a little better and realizing that I had a bunch of fish still in the freezer that were over a yr old I stopped keeping nearly as much. If I am going to have a big fish fry I will go target eaters. Other than that I have gotten lazy and don't want to have to clean fish very often. In the 70's there wasn't a limit on redfish or a size restriction--now TPWD has to stock them there and institute a tagging for a large redfish. I would prefer that people would be smart enough to police themselves.

CatfishN8,

Hmmm, interesting how you've taken a little & ad-libbed to twist things to come out to your way of thinking. If you had asked, I would have shared more in details.

I don't recall ever claiming to have taken a bunch of trophy fish in just a few days of running lines. Of course, different folks describe trophy fish sizes differently. To me, a trophy fish would be something 40 pounds or more. My main target is Blues & Yellows/Ops between 5 pounds & 15 (maybe up to 18) pounds. Those are the best eating, as to my opinion. Everybody may have their own preference. One time (11-05) I had a jugline which crossed into No Man's Land (between the buoys & the dam). I left it there as I did not want to get fined big time. But a few days later, either a Game Warden or the River Authority had their guys go pull it. They said it had a nice 40# Blue on it. Did they release it? No. They asked which one of the guys wanted it. That would have been the biggest Blue so far for me. Anyway, they kept it, and did not release it. I assume that these guys work with hatcheries & biologists.

You speak of the freezers I mentioned awhile back, but I can sure tell you know very little of the full story. Sometimes fisherman leave out all of the background noise in their stories. Especially when space & time We only had an old chest freezer (not a very large one) in 2002. We kept other things in there as well, in case you did not know. After the Thanksgiving Trip, Mom decided to get an upright freezer, as she knew we would not be able to fit all of that catch in the old chest freezer. Mom used it as an excuse to get her a new upright which she had been wanting, but now it was justified. However, it did not mean we filled her new upright full with just fish. In fact, as soon as I could whittle down the fish, she just as soon wished the fish was out of her freezer. The next Thanksgiving (2003), we did even better. [In fact, I was taken out by the marina owner, as our boat got flipped in a storm after we had just started setting out. Luckily it was tied to a pier, but anyway, the electronics got fried & so I had no way to run my lines. He was kind enough to do that once a day.] So Mom said it was my turn to get a freezer. Why? Because she really did not want fish in her upright. So I bought the smallest chest freezer I could get. Now, between the two chest freezers, do you truly think that other stuff is not kept in them?

As to the fish I take, or the amount. Regardless of your opinion, the laws currently are exactly that, the LAW. And I abide by them. You will not find many working any harder to stay in touch with game wardens & current laws than me. Every year, some laws change, some don't. But when a person who steps over the line by trying to enforce their opinion, then you have to wonder if we humans are to be driven as cattle, as if we have no choice within the established laws & guidelines. If the law is passed for fish in certain slots to not be kept, then I would have to abide by that law. I may not like it. I may seek to get it changed, but I have to abide by it unless it gets changed.

Years ago back when I was doing my first phase of catfish calendar research, I shared some of my observations to a few who were going to become involved with a hatchery or becoming a fishing biologist.

My family eats a lot of catfish. I also do fish fry-s for churches, my place of employment, other family get-togethers & so on. I did one for a family reunion 2 years ago, because I knew my Grandmother's youngest sister did not have much time left & she got to eat some good fried catfish before her departure (she died within 2 months). The family told me how much they appreciated it, as they knew how busy I was. Plus I might give a bag here & there to a family member, a friend, a co-worker, and so on. I have one guy at work, who's brother is disabled (burn victim), which I give a bag or so to every now & then. Most of these people can't fish or don't know how. So it brightens their day. I also give a couple of bags here & there to my cousin, as it is her boat, motor, and trailer I use. I take great pride in trying not to waste any fish. As I end my fishing season between the end of May & July 4th, I have to stretch the fish out so it lasts until the next season (around Thanksgiving). Greedy??? Hardly. If I thought I have too much fish in the freezer, I'd stop fishing.

I enjoy eating the fish (natural, not commercial from the store) & also learning more about fish by observing (research) in the process. But I am also a researcher of many other things, as well as a philosopher. So I do know a little concerning ethics, morals, and related matters, including just plain common sense & learning to observe.

You are right Lynn, I don't know the full story, I just read what you post. I know you brag about the hundred of pounds of fish you get on one of your outings. I really don't care what the law is, its not good to keep that many big fish. There is no biologist on the planet that will say you are doing the right thing, no matter how smooth a talker you are. You are greedy and have no respect for a fishery. You telling someone that their lake is safe from you, no matter how tongue in cheek, just proves you know exactly what you and other like you do to a fishery.

Possession laws?
Johnny

You may possess as many as you want as long as they are taken legally and are at your PERMANENT RESIDENCE. Daily bag limits still apply. So, in one week(7 days, 25 fish a day) yoou could harvest 175 blues/channels(combined) as long as you are taking them back to your permanent residence. If you are not at your permanent residence, then you can have twice the daily bag limit in your possession(50). And for yellow cats it is 5 per day.

but instead of asking it didn't stop you from flying off the handle. Take a pill dude.

Your right dude. I should not care about how many big fish are taken and killed. Its like dude, I mean dude, c'mon duuuuuude.

This is a never ending battle! The laws are in place! Obey and abide by them! I consider fishing FUN and a sport! Some make a living by doing it, or teaching others. They have my greatest respect. It's not easy!

Love me some drama!

How about people not worry about what others are doing as long as they are doing it legally?

I'm sure TP&W knows a lot more about this subject than most people on this forum and has spent millions of dollars to set each daily catch limit to where it will not impact our fisheries.

If you want to practice catch-and-release I think that is awesome, but to try to force others through trying to force slots and reduce limits to do it is wrong.

i had to roll my britches legs up to read this thread

just gotta love the mentality of elitists do-gooders

summa y'll would make fine liberal federal judges