I propose to make it illegal to use nets ( cast net or gill nets ) to catch baits: shads or minnows. I saw people netting so much shads or minnows, more than they can ever use in their lifetime. They are depleting the very food source of our beloved game fishes: crappies, sandies, hybrids, striper, bass, etc.
If We want to keep the game fish population healthy, we need to stop to "take" their food away. Proposal to reduce the daily bag limit means nothing if our beloved game fishes do not have food to eat, to survive, to prosper.

If you want live baits, go to store to buy them, or use small trap to trap them. This way, we would have very limited waste of live baits.

Any one agrees with me?

Thumbs down. Do you have any scientific evidence of people depleting the bait sources? This thread should go over nicely...

No

Nope

Well intended, but hopefully isolated cases of missuse of resource. Catfisherman gotta eat too! There are Zillions of shad.
TP&WD would be all over that.

I propose we KILL ALL THE FREAKIN CORMORANTS!!! LOL

Hell, the cormorants can�t even eat all the shad this year! Those birds sure do put out the shad fertilizer.

Tawakoni had bait 10' thick on bottom all over the lake last week, fisherman don't put a dent in it. Do not agree.

Do NOT agree.

Dang OkieBob look what you done started.Darrell

Shad reproduce many times a year, so long as they have water, warmth, food and O2. Those boogers are every where.

I think the dealers go out and throw nets to catch em.

Must be from California....

I would say focus energy on those netting game fish with nets during spawn and leave the bait gatherers alone. SHAD ARE EVERYWHERE.. search through the forums and you will see videos of shad so thick you cant walk in a creek with out kicking them.....

I dont have scientific evidence, but i do know for a fact that lots fishmen catching and wasting way too many baits.
Last year on spring time, a very popular bank fishing spot on Lewisville, Little Elm area, shads were not as thick and abundant as before. And there were thousands white bass and Hybrids dead along the shore line before summer.

Okay, was it from lack of food? Hard to tell, but I seriously doubt it.

I think you should talk to the biologist of each lake. And they will probably tell you that there is no way to kill off the population of baitfish with nets. Shad spawn by the millions. And if you did not know most fish are cannibalistic and will eat the small fry, so minnows and shad isn't there only food source. Reducing the daily bag limit and raising the minimum length limit will surely produce bigger fish in the long run.

I strongly suspect somebody of pulling the leg of forum members with this post.