Because it is a 4 man team. Each man has the opportunity to weigh a fish plus one position in the bag for a big fish. The legal limit in TX is 5 flatheads per person. I could have made it 20,,,just sayin. As far as killing them there were several issues to consider, especially this year. TPWD has mandated their zebra mussel laws and they were concerned with the dumping of water, transfer of fish from one body to the other, etc. Also we have been working at length with some of the TPWD biologists and game wardens about understanding our sport as well as trophy fish studies. The fish killed will be sampled by TPWD fisheries biologists for the studies they have ongoing on trophy catfish. TPWD has always had a welcome presence at our tournament. We have and will continue to help them with any needs that they have asked of us. Guys that catch there fish in Lake Palestine where the weigh in is being held may be allowed to release their fish. I'm currently trying to see if that will be ok with TPWD.

Joey, just so we are clear on this, I have openly expressed my support of reducing the limit of fish noodlers are allowed to keep in TX. The TPWD probably will do this in the future, I'm only assuming here. I would think they will want to finish their studies before making rash decisions.

Brian as always I love debating with you. You always have some actual evidence not just nonsense to back up your arguments. The fact is though Texas is still not Missouri or Oklahoma or Canada. So their studies hold no water in Texas. I understand your concerns and if I didn't care as well, I wouldn't be helping TPWD where we can. Maybe instead of posting you might come down and give us a hand during the tourney, and get your hands dirty with a Texas study. Get with me and we would be glad to have you.

Lake Palestine resort

No sir TPWD does not make any decisions about our tournament. We just support them with anything we can.

Oklahoma has a very healthy flathead population. I come to Texas for the same reason a hunter hunts different places, mountain climbers seek out new peaks, etc. Stomp new ground and the challenges of having to hunt for them again. Most of the spots I fish in OK were handed down from those passing the torch. Its exciting to experience new water and meet new people.

Well then it might as well be said that trophy fish aren't the only flatheads that spawn. As far as the argument of genetics, if you keep 10lbers for box fish you'll never know if you just killed the next world record. And there are more 10lbers that spawn than 40s just for lack of structure in the lake. so it would make since that if we banned 2 to 15lbers from being kept that a lot more spawning would occur. wait that would step on the toes of those who fish by other means.

Tom Oklahoma legalized it this year. However Oklahoma has the limits where they need to be.

Call my wife at the numbers listed in the first post and we will be glad to get you all the info

I won't say I told ya so. Guys maybe this will clear up a few things for the negative other means crowd. Oh wait a minute, it has gotten very quiet lately. Now maybe this post can be about a tournament as it should have been and not high jacked for the good of the I'm better than the's. Now if anyone needs real information about the tournament, please feel free to contact.

Noodling flatheads, shooting alligator gars... Some folks just have a different idea of fishing. It's up to TPWD to study, allow/disallow, and regulate these activities. I'll just finish by saying hats off to those folks that not only cooperate with providing information but actively approach TPWD to provide scientific data.

thanks for taking the time to edumacate some of these folks Jason...sadly, most of it will in one ear and out the other...

...welcome to texas

who's fishin? Man I'm ready

im a noob with noodling so I have a couple questions ..there was a show about noodling and those people would search out a hole and dive to get into the hole where the fish was at ....sometimes they ran into problems with not being able to retrieve fish quickly ..so they were holding their breath for a long time .....and that seemed to be a problem ... have to come up for air ..

Question #1 ...why not use air tanks and such .....scuba gear ...tpw rules for hand fishing doesn't mention anything about NOT using ... im just sayin ...

#2 ... hands only ..... are u the sole organizer of this event ?

ok...that is clever...lol...but on the flip side...noodlers don't wait for the fish to come to them, you break down the door and kidnap'em right smack out of their bed! lol..