TPWD Comm. Hearing~Draw Weight, Catfish and Hunters Ed

[LostHawg]

I think a lot of the "surveyors" are like the old cowboys. They don't like doing work they can't do from the saddle.

[bowhunterhelm]

I've been bowfisihing for about 3 years now. I shot my first and only catfish Sunday evening.

I bet I've only seen 4-5 catfish in the 3 years of bowfishing.

[donpablo]

Methods?

Maybe I'm wrong, but I tend to think that the means and methods are not as important as the bag and size limits. As long as you stay within the limits I don't see how it could detriment the population. If there is a certain time that fishing/bowfishing for a particular species is detrimental, couldn't there be a season set up? I simply can't understand why there should be rules saying, "You can't catch that fish with a bow and arrow!" or "Hey you can't use a spear gun!" or especially, "What! You caught that with your hands! Not fair!" But who knows, maybe I'm simple minded.

[LostHawg]

Maybe I'm wrong, but I tend to think that the means and methods are not as important as the bag and size limits. As long as you stay within the limits I don't see how it could detriment the population. If there is a certain time that fishing/bowfishing for a particular species is detrimental, couldn't there be a season set up? I simply can't understand why there should be rules saying, "You can't catch that fish with a bow and arrow!" or "Hey you can't use a spear gun!" or especially, "What! You caught that with your hands! Not fair!" But who knows, maybe I'm simple minded.

Don, I'm with ya bro.

[Fishndude]

Regardless of what anyone says, you cannot convince me that there is any good reason to shoot a gamefish. There are plenty of rough fish to satisfy any man/woman's trigger happiness!

[LostHawg]

Why would it be wrong to shoot a catfish you plan to eat? We do the same for deer, squirrels, rabbits, hogs, on, and on, and on. What makes a fish different? I'd seriously like to know.

[Fishndude]

Why would it be wrong to shoot a catfish you plan to eat? We do the same for deer, squirrels, rabbits, hogs, on, and on, and on. What makes a fish different? I'd seriously like to know.

"Shoot a catfish". "Shoot a catfish". Do those words even sound right in a sentence? I just don't think game fish should be shot/hunted like game animals!

Charlie doesn't want carp to be classified as a game fish and I don't want catfish to be classified a rough fish. Makes sense to me!!

[donpablo]

Don't mean you any disrespect, Fishindude, but your argument is starting to sound more emotion than reason. As I said before, if there were a time that bowfishing them would be detrimental, such could be regulated with a "season."

[LostHawg]

"Shoot a catfish". "Shoot a catfish". Do those words even sound right in a sentence? I just don't think game fish should be shot/hunted like game animals!

Charlie doesn't want carp to be classified as a game fish and I don't want catfish to be classified a rough fish. Makes sense to me!!

I do believe the practice of gigging, spears, etc were in use long before the ZebCo.

[texag93]

You guys ever seen video of the slaughter that can occur when a good bowfishing crew makes their way through a cove full of spawning catfish? Let me repeat, "it's a slaughter". And, it's a slaughter of game fish in their natural habitat trying to reproduce naturally. When they don't reproduce, my tax dollars are spent having TPWD re-stock the lake.

So we should ban deer hunting during the rut as well? I don't see bowfishing wiping out catfish. I see alot more carp and gar than cats when out on the lakes.

I for one an against no minimum draw weght. 30# seems reasonable to me.

[Fishndude]

Don't mean you any disrespect, Fishindude, but your argument is starting to sound more emotion than reason. As I said before, if there were a time that bowfishing them would be detrimental, such could be regulated with a "season."

Emotion and reason, I would agree. You would have to understand what I do for a living.

I do believe the practice of gigging, spears, etc were in use long before the ZebCo.

I guess that would be long before management of our resources as well!

[Justhunting]

I guess the bottom line would be that if to many catfish were taken with a bow, then TPWD might have to start stocking catfish again, and then it might short change them and not have enough money to restock all of the bass that they been putting into the lakes. JMO

[SaltwaterSlick]

Jeff,

As long as you clarify that it is your opinion and "what you think" I'm fine with that. But when you talk about "educating" children in your ways, then that is where you step over the line. I take real issue with you criminalizing letitimate hunters and fishermen just because they do things differently from you.

It doesn't matter one bit what you do for a living. Trying to pass off an ideology and your agenda as right and everything else as wrong is wrong in itself. If you do it under the guise of your profession, that makes it even more irresponsible and worse.

[Philip-TX]

It was "conditionally" passed for 1 year. (Under the "objection" of the dir. of Freshwater fisheries.) If he could have "objected" to THE COMMISSION. I think his words were: "I'll do whatever you (commissioners) tell me to do"....after he presented his case against it, they pushed him aside and they wanted it pass "conditionally".

He stated his case of not having any data to support it. (i.e. numbers of bow fishers, which fisheries they use, numbers they take, etc.)

Most of the Commission was against it. Commissioner Montgomery pushed and pushed to get it temp (1-year)with data collection as a "condition."

On the first split-vote ever, the Commission agreed to allow 1-year, and data was to be collected.......one year is up....re-vote.....(new Commisioners on staff now) that apparently will actually follow the RECOMMENDATIONS of the Fisheries staff.......voted down!!!

?Political?

Sucks to be on the "other side" of political wildlife management.......

Sucks to even HAVE Political wildlife management...

[LostHawg]

I don't really consider catch and release management so much as sport. Sport and management are not the same in my opinion. There is NOTHING wrong with a person catching or even arrowing a fish for the sake of eating that fish. Which is better? Sport or sustenance? If you're fishing for the meat it will provide, I don't see how or where that can be irresponsible in a management setting as management should be for that very reason. Now, if you're just going out to load up your creel with no regard to "enough is enough", that is not management either, it is also sport.

When I go fishing, I'm hoping to catch at least one meal worth of fish, hopefully more. I wouldn't spend my money on a fishing license otherwise. I am not out there trying to destroy the fish population. AND for one to think that is the direction of fish eaters, it is a very misguided idea.

I've got an idea. How about ALL people who fish for the food it provides just quits fishing and PAYING for the fishing license? Look how much revenue the P&W will lose. Look at how many potential "clients" B.A.S.S. will lose.

If management is merely for the sake of sport, count me out. I'll stop buying the license.

I repeat: This is all MY OPINION.