Hey DNR! - What the People Have Said About Banning Live Bait in the Hooch

[Dustin Pate]

I had read(Now I can't find it) that the stripers were reproducing in the hooch...quite well. And they had went back to stocking hybrids instead.

They are reproducing to an extent but that is not the root cause for hybrids being stocked again. That was brought on by concerned anglers who wanted hybrids back in the lake. My understanding is about 25% of the stocking last year was hybrids and this year they may raise it higher.

 

[lcarl54]

I realize that this thread has not had a post on it since last March but I have what I consider bad news for those of us that would enjoy striper fishing below Morgan Falls. I called DNR last week about people I had seen keeping more than the limit of trout (well north of Morgan Falls) and while I had the lady on the phone I asked her if any progress had been made on setteling the issue of using live bait below Morgan falls. She said they had met a few weeks ago and the decision was no live bait, no dead bait only artificial lures were allowed now because they deemed it trout waters. I am just passing along information that I got from someone that should know. I hope I am wrong and if I am I'm sorry that am giving out bad facts, but I am just repeating what I was told.
I purchased a boat with jet motor last March in order to fish for trout on the upper section and striper on the lower section of the hooch. I have had a blast catching trout this summer but would love to fish for stripers on the river. I have yet to catch a striper on the river so I will be researching where I can do so leagally using live or dead bait.

 

[bluemarlin]

bunch of cry babies

 

[tv_34]

If all these people are really people that have written their own concerns, I find it interesting that the only time this comes up is when you post it. With so many concerns and post, why have none of these people started a thread on here. I'm more frustrated that I can not throw a 8 inch swimbait for shoal bass during the delayed harvest. I resort to just fishing other waters and respecting the dnr's regualtion.

 

[basser]

There is no way DNR is going to make that stretch of river artificials only. At best ithe Chattahoochee below Morgan Falls is a marginal trout water with few fish surviving the summer water temperatures. The woman you talked to evidently was not correctly informed. When I last talked to the DNR on this issue, they said that there would be a public meeting to discuss the regulation change brought by the passage of HB-869. This bill changed the ruling on trout waters and the use of live bait fish in those waters. Thus allowing DNR to make live bait fish legal in selected trout streams.

 

[shakey gizzard]

The problem is catching bait/trout above the Morgan Falls dam and transporting them down stream ! JMO

 

[Dustin Pate]

The problem is catching bait/trout above the Morgan Falls dam and transporting them down stream ! JMO

But why should that matter if folks are within the legal creel limits of the trout?

 

[Savage7mm]

I bought live gizzards because I was told it was legal to use during certain times by the bait store. This was 3 weeks ago. But after fishing for an hour with no luck I cut up $60+ worth of live gizzards and started catching stripers. Cut bait works great.

 

[shakey gizzard]

But why should that matter if folks are within the legal creel limits of the trout?

Then they should be transported on a stringer!

 

[JLClark]

That's just part of the lies some of the people within the DNR have been promoting for years and it needs to stop. She was probably told to say that when people call to ask about the subject.

On a other note, we just hit 302 people who have signed the petition to use live bait on the hooch. These are local fisherman and woman who want to use live bait and are waiting for this public hearing to voice their opinion on the matter.

Below are the additional comments people have left as they signed the petition since the last time I posted:

conflicting information about live bait in that area. I feel dnr can sometimes be eco-nazis.

Everything below Morgan Falls Dam is a warm water fishery. To call it trout designated waters is a joke and even the fly fisherman know it. No species of trout even belongs here, except brook trout.Trout below MFD is like visiting Disney World. It just isn't real. Before the man made dams were build in the past century, bass, pan fish, striped bass, etc, naturally made their way all the way to the falls.

What is the point of this change? I think in the past three years I have caught one large trout on a shiner when I was striper fishing at Morgan Falls. This spot is one of the few fun spots you can actually fish for striper near the metro atlanta area. I am big believer in the DNR working hard to keep our resources preserved, but this does look like over reaching to please some ones personal agenda. The law was clear live bait was allowed below morgan falls. I was also approached by misinformed know it alls in waders and floats last year about my live bait bucket.
as long as its catch and release!!!

Do not ban live bait on some sections of the chattahoochee river. The ones who use it are also the ones that for the majority fish correctly and legally. They do not poach or take over their limit.

Wouldn't it be more productive to spend your time taking drunk boat operators off the lakes?

I consider myself a responsible fisherman and an amateur angler. please respect my judgement as i support live-bait fishing. As a georgia native, fishing is one of my first original permanent memories. while i normally practice ""catch and release,"" if i were to catch a badly hooked fish, i would happily and easily find another individual to make good use of the my catch. thank you for your consideration and i look forward to your response.

I moved here from missouri last year and have always used both live and lures for bass. My 3 kids love it as I'm sure all kids do. Its much easier to keep kids interested in fishing while using live bait. A plastic lure with a hook on it was just not that interesting to me as a kid. But worms, minnows, small bluegill, leeches, crickets and of coarse live shad(if they will keep) had me hooked. I know my kids don't want to come if I am just going to cast and I want them interested in fishing and conservation. I think it is a great option to use live bait. My vote is to make live bait ok to use even if we cannt use trout for bait. Thankyou

Help the fishermen!

Banning the use of live bait on the Chattahoochee river makes NO since at all, and needs to be overturn!!!!!!! I FULLY support this petition!

"Thirty years ago DNR thought the hybrid was the solution to controling bait fish populations. They now realized through their so called sound science that it has interupted the reproduction of stripers in certain areas of the state.
I guess now they'll implement another so called solution and find out in 20 yrs that all they did was waist money and disrupt an industry that is generating revenue on a river that already has a bad rap. Don't hurt it any more than it already is."

Please do not place unconstitutional restrictions on our Georgia fisheries. It is part of my God given rights to fish with live bait for game fish. That's the way humans have fished for thousands of years. I want to ensure that my children and their children can enjoy this method for taking game fish.

too many gov't restrictions on us little people. live bait is cool.

Please do not make it illegal to fish the river with live bait.

Live Bait has been allowed for ages below Morgan Falls Dam. The striper population has seen a significant increase below the dam since 2010 and will continue to do so. Please do not change the regulation, fisherman who fish this area are responisble and will continue to be.

"I enjoy Striper fishing wiht live bait/minnows. Please allow the use of live bait below Morgan Falls Dam on the Chattahoochee!

Please let us keep using live bait.

keep live bait fishing alive!!

"Yes to live bait on the hooch"

dear sir please dont band live bait

Live bait should be allowed to catch fish in any river in Georgia.

I realize that this thread has not had a post on it since last March but I have what I consider bad news for those of us that would enjoy striper fishing below Morgan Falls. I called DNR last week about people I had seen keeping more than the limit of trout (well north of Morgan Falls) and while I had the lady on the phone I asked her if any progress had been made on setteling the issue of using live bait below Morgan falls. She said they had met a few weeks ago and the decision was no live bait, no dead bait only artificial lures were allowed now because they deemed it trout waters. I am just passing along information that I got from someone that should know. I hope I am wrong and if I am I'm sorry that am giving out bad facts, but I am just repeating what I was told.
I purchased a boat with jet motor last March in order to fish for trout on the upper section and striper on the lower section of the hooch. I have had a blast catching trout this summer but would love to fish for stripers on the river. I have yet to catch a striper on the river so I will be researching where I can do so leagally using live or dead bait.

 

[blw]

There are a few licensed guides and other GON posters that continue to use live bait now---even though it is illegal in this stretch of river.

 

[Troutman3000]

There are a few licensed guides and other GON posters that continue to use live bait now---even though it is illegal in this stretch of river.

I have noticed this as well.

 

[Tarpfisher]

Lets please not start this again....

No live bait in that section and that is that.

Its been so nice without seeing one certain person posting on this subject.

 

[Todd71673]

I had a guy at a bait shop tell me that the law can be read to say that after the delayed harvest it is legal, and that the DNR doesn't inforce the rule during the other times of the year. I just like to be well within the law myself so I signed the petition. I still haven't heard why it has been made illegal, except for some fisherman wanting access while excluding others, anyone know the reason?

 

[BradMyers]

I still haven't heard why it has been made illegal, except for some fisherman wanting access while excluding others, anyone know the reason?

This seems to be the case. Ya see Todd we can agree on somethings.

 

[Randy]

Like most of us sportsmen we want things our way. But we have biologists to determine what is best for the resource. I trust them.

 

[Todd71673]

Like most of us sportsmen we want things our way. But we have biologists to determine what is best for the resource. I trust them.

Randy, I trust biologist too, if they are speaking from facts and not hunches. Being new to the forum I haven't heard the biological reasons to outlaw live bait for species other than trout below MF. What have you heard?

 

[fishmonger]

The no live baitfish law on that stretch is really just an accidental alignment of regs and changeable water conditions. It is based on where the Hooch is designated as "trout waters", which is all the way to Peachtree Creek, and the fact that the water below MF essentially becomes a warm-water fishery between May and November. The regs state that live baitfish are illegal in all designated trout waters, and so, on the stretch below MF too.

The conspiracy theory is humorous at best, and I can prove it. If fly fishermen had the influence that someone thinks they do, then they would have long ago got the DNR to institute a slot limit for trout somewhere on the Buford tailwater. A LOT more fly fishers desire a trout slot limit than to restrict live bait fishing on water they probably never fish.

Transporting live, caught trout is illegal because, well, it is illegal. Why ask why? Why is the limit 8 trout? Why not 10 or 20? I suspect it is illegal to discourage exactly what someone here loves to do, which is to catch trout and use them elsewhere as live bait. The DNR does not raise trout to be bait. If you don't believe me, I am sure that DNR Biologist Patrick O'Rourke can tell you the truth, his contact info is above.

I really don't understand why this unique fishery, singular in Georgia (maybe anywhere) with it's accidental but unique regs, can't just be left alone. There are plenty of other places to use live baitfish for stripers, and they are certainly catchable by other methods if you are willing to put in some time and effort, so I just don't agree that this is a tragedy for anyone.

FM

 

[Dustin Pate]

Transporting live, caught trout is illegal because, well, it is illegal. Why ask why? Why is the limit 8 trout? Why not 10 or 20? I suspect it is illegal to discourage exactly what someone here loves to do, which is to catch trout and use them elsewhere as live bait. The DNR does not raise trout to be bait. If you don't believe me, I am sure that DNR Biologist Patrick O'Rourke can tell you the truth, his contact info is above.


FM

Where do you see this in the regulations? Regardless of the legality of fishing with them in that section of the river I don't see anything that prohibits fishing with trout overall.

Here are the only two things I see on interest.

Game fish may be used as live bait (where live bait is legal) if they are taken legally and you do not exceed daily creel and possession limits.

Stock or release fish or bait into any public waters except the water from which it was taken.

As far as DNR not stocking them as bait, once they come out of their stocking truck there is nothing about what they are put there for. Fact is someone could go catch their 8 fish a day and carry them home and feed them to their cat and they would be perfectly legal (although highly stupid).

Just playing devils advocate as I don't fish that area to begin with.

 

[Todd71673]

Thanks for responding FM, so it sounds like the regs just need to be updated for a changing fishery. And personally as a fly fisherman who has spent a bunch of time on the Madison, I think if there were a "conspiracy theory" the water would be made C&R only because thats been proven to produce the best fisheries. I didn't really ask about transporting trout, but usually transportation laws are put in place to prevent species from being accidently "invasively" introduced, if there are already trout below MF it might be time to update those regs too. As far as why ask why, I would simply refer you to our first ammendment right to petition the government and answer because we can. I agree with you that there are other striper fisheries in the state, but I think as the population explosion we have seen in the south continues we need to utilize every fishery to its optimum. I also think its not a tragedy by any means but a workable situation with a few simple updates to regulations already in place. Some people's passion can easily be seen as other emotions I guess.