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If you skipped most of my wordy post, then just read this part. Keep more small fish. Monitor large fish harvesting, but not enough data to support total shut off at this time. Improve habitat in lakes as they age if you want to preserve the fishery for future generations. [/quote]

Very well spoken, could not agree more with what you said in the above post. Thanks for sharing. I dont fish lakes as much as rivers so the improvement of habitat happens naturally and would not be my main concern where I fish. I would like to see more people keeping smaller catfish (under 32 inches) to eat and letting the bigger ones swim free to be caught again. Our laws are one fish over 32 inches per person per day. No limit on those under 32 inches. I have seen research that shows this type of limit helps the trophy catfish populations. I posted this link in a different thread but feel it applies here as well.
http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/fishing/forecasts-and-reports/tidal-river-blue-catfish-report.pdf

I'm not into lowering limits as the population is now and always has been strong. The number of large blues has increased, however, it is not where it was many years ago. I like to use redfish as an example because that is where I have personally seen the most good done with slot limits. During the 70s and 80s redfish became very popular table fair and it wiped out the numbers of large reds on the North Carolina coast. Since slot limits were imposed the number of 60lb+ fish has Increased dramatically. Just before I moved to Texas a red was caught that was estimated to be 105lbs (it was measured photographed and immediately released). this was unheard of just twenty years earlier. Mark twain spoke of seeing a 250lb blue in a Mississippi fish market. Imagine if we could see those today.

Now go read how a slot works cause you dont have a clue,unless you really want to protect the blues between 12 and 30inches and flats between 18 and 36

Forgive my ignorance opus. All blues under 12" or current law and all fish over 30" should be released in my opinion. That is a nice blue in your avatar. I hope it was promptly c.p.red as this one was.

One of the things that I sort of referred to without saying directly is that 60-70 years ago these lakes we fish in today were brand new lakes with the only large fish in them being those that were in the river system when they were impounded. The information you are talking about does not apply equally across the board for rivers and lakes and each body of water requires attention in itself. What works at one lake may not work at all on a river. The reason such large fish were seen in the Mississippi has more to do with that being a large river system which can support much more biomass than a lake, and further the "decline" there has more to do with commercial fishing than meat for the table fishermen. That doesn't factor in what has been dumped into the Mississippi over the years that has likely plaid a role in reducing the maximum lifespan of fish in the system, another important factor worth considering.

Nice Fish!

The man that caught that fish happens to be my father. I've spent a many of days on the water with him catching nice catfish. Its not up to me or you to decide what is good or bad for the catfish population. The South Carolina Department of natural Resources determine what is best for the species. State Law regulates that we can only keep one blue cat over 36 inches in length. We turn loose anywhere from 5 to 15 catfish a day over that size limit. In my opinion its just like deer hunting. If I'm setting in a tree and I see a monster Buck walk under my stand I'm damn sure not gonna let him keep walking. The catfish population is thriving in lake moultrie. It seems to me that the guides never like the trot liners because they catch nice fish and I've personally heard one guide say "My clients could have caught them fish" That is a perfect statement! There are plenty of catfish out there for everyone. What I don't understand is how is it fine for you as a guide to keep a big blue but someone who uses trot lines should be banded from the lakes.

As an update, the fish was eaten and DNR was contacted to get the remains and analyses them. The Biologist told me that this particular fish is probably between 19 and 40 years old. It surprised me but he said that most monster cats have a unique gene in them that makes them grow at a unusual rate. It intrigued me because I would have thought that this fish was extremely old. 40 pounds of fillets where cut from this fish and they were great. The SC rules and regulations have the trot liners using a very small hook in all efforts to not catch the monsters and if caught they will escape. We commonly have 10 to 15 hooks or more straightened on a daily basis. In my unprofessional opinion if you regulate the size of the hook, then you shouldn't regulate the size of the fish. What I mean is since we can only keep one over 36 inches then when have an allowable hook size. I should be legal to use a "shark" hook if I want since I have to turn loose everything but one over the 36inches. Then we will see what is actually in the lake. Personally this [censored] about throwing back the big catfish is crazy. Yeah, they have good genes but they also eat all your small game fish .... (IE..Bream, shell cracker, crappie, bass and perch.) I've caught big yellow that had as many as 2 ducks in them.

If they have limit on the number of large fish you can keep than rather than limit the size they ought to limit the type... to circle hooks only. I wonder how many gut hooked big fish get turned loose to be floaters because the trotliner already had his big fish in the box.

I can't speak for all fisherman, but we hardly every have a fish hooked anywhere but the mouth. Over the years we have adjusted to the size limit and usually don't even land the fish if he looks at or over 36 inches. We simply dehook the fish in the water and watch him swim off, but this argument isn't just for the trot liners, No law states that once you catch your first big fish you have to stop fishing for the day. Any fisherman has the potential to catch another big fish. The ethical fishing thing to do is to turn the fish loose unharmed, but that doesn't mean they do. Again the Trot liners aren't the enemy. Everyone has a right to utilize the lakes and benefit from our natural resources, but with any social group you have bad apples. I'm sure not all trot liners abide by the rules and regualtions of the states they are fishing in, but I'm also sure not all sports fisherman and guides do either. It just boils dowm to a level of integrity, you either have it or you don't.

Oh, update to the big fish, the biologist called today, the fish was 23 years old, not very young for a blue catfish... There life span is between 20 and 25 years.

Any reputable guide would have released that fish, and any others over ten pounds. I have spoken with tpwd, and have decided this is a pointless battle to pick. I have no problem with trotliners filling a freezer or harvesting for a fish fry, but it is no more sport fishing than fur trapping is recreational hunting. If you wish to keep a large fish I certainly cannot stop you, so good luck. Hope you catch a monster.

I don't understand why you would release this particular fish. I know I'm suppose to be simple minded and all but it baffles me to release this fish. We all have spend thousands of dollars chasing a trophy "once in a life time" type of fish. I can certainly understand your argument about over harvesting of fish, but we are talking about 1 fish. No one wants to see any resource depleted to any level, but harvesting a nice fish isn't gonna hurt the species. Maybe I'm speaking from a South Carolina stand point where on any given day with light tackle and a rod n reel I can catch multiple fish weighing over 40 or 50 pounds. Maybe I just don't know what its like to consider a 10 pound fish something that should be safe guarded. Please educate me, am I speaking from a bias stand point?

You are certainly not simple minded, and having grown up in Charlotte I have fished the diversion canal and lake Marion many times. The number of eating size blues in those lakes is outstanding. Much as the population is on lake tawakoni here in Texas.

At the turn of the century massive blues over 100lbs were common in places like the Mississippi and its tributaries. Due to commercial fishing practices (I.e. trotlines) the population of large blues has decreased massively while the population of small blues has increased. This is not just in blue catfish. The population of large mako sharks off the new England coast has decreased, giant white sturgeon were hit hard in the North West, and redfish were hit hard on the east coast.

In the case of redfish, and white sturgeon massive conservation efforts have started to really bring the large fish back. I would like to see the population of giant blues make a comeback. While one fish may not make that large of a difference, it seems pointless to keep him when the population of box fish is as healthy as it is, and they certainly don't taste any worse if not better.

I prefer eating the 20#'rs

Trooper I've been biting my tongue, but I see your crusade to save the "dwindling population" of big fish as someone talking out their arse about something they aren't really educated in. Yea yea we can all google everything and find info.,but here is my point. The so called 315lb cat caught out of the Missouri could be a good fish story, that was in 1866 you think they had certified scales? Then the 242 lb in 1868 you think all this is gospel? Yea I'm sure they were big fish but fisherman have stretched the truth about big fish forever. Mark twain reported seeing one at a market over 6 ft long, he was a good writer, writers have amazing imaginations. The one that was really documented by believable sources was in nov. 1897 by the U.S. National Museum and it was 150lbs. That's not far from fish we still have around. You trying to get laws pasted to "help" fish will hurt us all. Like commented earlier lets knock it down to 1 rod, and you cant use shad or perch anymore because that gives you an unfair advantage. Only worms or chicken liver may be used, and the livers have to come from free range chickens,none of them penned up abused ones. I'm for protecting our resources, but the government telling me how to fish doesn't sit well with me. Keeping that fish was up to the person that caught it not you or me or the government. If a man is within the law and wants to get his biggest fish ever, he gets a pat on the back from me. I've released my PB,38lb blue 11.4 lb LMB and 56lb yella ,but that's my fish to do with how I see fit. I've also eaten my share of 20's, so you can jump on me now if you want for killing trophies. over

Thanks for sharing blues. I'm glad you released your pb's. As I said I spoke to tpwd, got shot down, and am now ending my crusade.

The people keeping large fish will probably never catch enough to hurt the population again anyway since most of the guides CPR now.