House Bill 869 - A Win for Ga's Blue Catfish?

[jerseycat9]

Well if I had been lobbying for this bill for a year I could prob see your point. But since today was the first that I have heard of it I guess things arent what they seem.

But as a catfisherman do we not have the right to ask for regulations that will help us enjoy great fishing in the future. This place would go slap crazy if it was legal to catch LM and Stripes on jugs and trotlines.

here ye here ye the man speaks the truth lol

 

[j_seph]

Still seems to me that some folks are just trying to protect their business of guiding others and chances for large fish while fishing in tournaments.

I have no business but friends and I spend a whole lot more money out of state for big cats than we do fishing GA period.

 

[Stickemdeep]

So can u bowfish for them now ???

 

[j_seph]

So can u bowfish for them now ???

Savannah river basin

 

[Cricket Chunker]

Cut and pasted from the 2012 regulations book (link previously posted).

Blues are "non-game fish" and flatheads and channel cats are specifically addressed in the regulations

Bow Fishing

Nongame fish (does not include channel or flathead catfish, see note below) may be taken by bow and arrow from freshwater under the following conditions:

• Possession of a sport fishing license is required to bow fish in Georgia.

• Arrows must be equipped with barbs or similar devices for recovering fish and must be attached to the person or bow by a line sufficient for recovering the arrow and fish.

• Poisonous or exploding arrowheads are illegal.

• Arrows cannot be discharged into the water closer than 150 feet to anyone engaged in any other means of recreation.

• Legal hours for fishing with bow and arrow are from sunrise to sunset, except that fish (nongame) may be taken at night while using a light in reservoirs over 500 acres in size.

• Any game fish with an open wound possessed by a person bow fishing will be considered evidence of taking fish illegally.

• Note: Channel and flathead catfish are game fish, and may not be taken by bow and arrow, except in the Savannah River and its tributaries
and impoundments in the Savannah River basin by bow and arrow any time during the day or at night by the use of a light.

 

[j_seph]

Hopefully one day they will make it legal to shoot bass, crappie, and bluegill to.

 

[Old Dead River]

the bluecats are non native, why give them protection? seems to me like it's harder to catch a big channel cat than anything these days

 

[Old Dead River]

tail race below sinclair has produced some big blues

 

[Nicodemus]

the bluecats are non native, why give them protection? seems to me like it's harder to catch a big channel cat than anything these days

The flatheads are not native here. And they are puttin` a hurtin` on the native redbreast populations in the river systems down here, it seems.

 

[diamondback]

from what I saw.this would also make it illegal to catch speckle cat (bullheads) and white catfish because or the way its worded.there is also the question of what are considered gamefish.I didnt realize catfish were considered gamefish in Ga but maybe they are.

 

[Stickemdeep]

So u can shoot blue cats because they are now a non game species?

 

[Stickemdeep]

Because that's what it comes across as

 

[LureheadEd]

Size limits

Has anybody read page 4 ???? Says we can't keep a largemouth or a trout under 24 in. ????? The other size limits are ridiculous also....Maybe I'm not reading it right...

 

[Nuttin Better]

just getting better as people realize the big ones taste like slimey rubbery goo... QUOTE]

Somebody don't know what they are talking bout here !

 

[AStrick]

Trot lines, bush hooks, and juggin!
Are a part of our heritage!
What's next???
They going to outlaw moonshining???

 

[basser]

LureheadEd, you are reading it wrong. Only the underlined or striked through lines are changes in the regulation. The size limit listed are the minimums and maximums that the DNR can set for each body of water or state wide. That is why there are different size limits for different bodies of water. Oconee has a slot limit on LMB, while West Point has a 16" minimum. Lake Lanier its 14", Blue Ridge has no size limit on LMB.

 

[LureheadEd]

Thanks Basser, now I get it...

Nuttin', it's just my opinion after I ate a Blue about 15lbs a few years ago... Maybe it was just that fish, but it was just as described... Ya'll don't have to worry about me eating a trophy Blue...