Changes proposed for Lake Gaston blue catfish

nccatfisher

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Dang, and I thought they were already under Va rules, wait who was it that said that? :rolleyes:
 
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Mr.Gadget

Old Mossy Horns
You see the reason.....

People are loading up on fish and selling them in VA and other states...

I did not know we could sell catfish.

Maybe they should go after the people selling and not the people fishing for.meat.
 

PTman

Four Pointer
they arent selling the big ones though. so this law, if it is what is posted on here, wont effect that. this is b/c of the big money in tournaments and guiding now for these big catfish. i have seen the guys set up on roanoke rapids lake w/ their trot lines that go about a mile. they catch thousands of pounds a week, then go back home and sell them
 

nccatfisher

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
You see the reason.....

People are loading up on fish and selling them in VA and other states...

I did not know we could sell catfish.

Maybe they should go after the people selling and not the people fishing for.meat.
They have ruined the big fis fishery on the Yadkin/PeeDee chain taking them out for pay lakes.
 

nccatfisher

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
they arent selling the big ones though. so this law, if it is what is posted on here, wont effect that. this is b/c of the big money in tournaments and guiding now for these big catfish. i have seen the guys set up on roanoke rapids lake w/ their trot lines that go about a mile. they catch thousands of pounds a week, then go back home and sell them
They most certainly are, I can show you a setup where they bring a RV with a 24' trailer and tanks with generators and air pumps that they park at an access area every weekend and they stay and target ONLY big fish. This isn't a one man operation either, they do it at multiple places here and other states. They sell ship them to pay lakes.
 

Mr.Gadget

Old Mossy Horns
Never new there was a market like that with all the farming going one.

Little reading it sounds like people sell them to fish markets and also for stock ponds that run money fish.

So is there a permit or anything needed?

Why not put a day limit on them.
Why not stop the market sales.
What they plan to do is limit due to size.
I dont keep big ones most the time it is just 5 or so up to 20 to 25" fish. But you would think they would fix the problem.and not some dumb rule to limit the fish based on size.
 
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nccatfisher

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Never new there was a market like that with all the farming going one.

Little reading it sounds like people sell them to fish markets and also for stock ponds that run money fish.

So is there a permit or anything needed?

Why not put a day limit on them.
Why not stop the market sales.
What they plan to do is limit due to size.
I dont keep big ones most the time it is just 5 or so up to 20 to 25" fish. But you would think they would fix the problem.and not some dumb rule to limit the fish based on size.
No permit needed. And the thing is they are fishing illegal most of the time caching these big ones to start with. They are limblining and set hooks with live bait, but with no ID required on these type of fishing devices unless they catch them in the act it is labor intensive.
 
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PTman

Four Pointer
i've only seen the guys that fish on the local lakes here. they come all the way from alabama. they told me and another buddy, they only want the filet size. they sell to restaurants. hadnt heard about sending them to pay lakes
 

nccatfisher

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
i've only seen the guys that fish on the local lakes here. they come all the way from alabama. they told me and another buddy, they only want the filet size. they sell to restaurants. hadnt heard about sending them to pay lakes
It is bad in NC and VA.
 

catfishrus

Twelve Pointer
What few people realize is that at santee cooper you can buy a 50 lber plus alive all day long. They sell them to pay lakes. Some of those marina's have baskets in the water holding them fish. I had a guide tell me once he knew too much to tourney fish at santee. I thought he was arrogant but now I know. I seen one of them fish make it to the weigh in once but it was too late once I put the puzzle together. That fish brought good money in that tourney...more than it would in a pay lake. Now I know enough to not tourney fish down there.
 

nccatfisher

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
What few people realize is that at santee cooper you can buy a 50 lber plus alive all day long. They sell them to pay lakes. Some of those marina's have baskets in the water holding them fish. I had a guide tell me once he knew too much to tourney fish at santee. I thought he was arrogant but now I know. I seen one of them fish make it to the weigh in once but it was too late once I put the puzzle together. That fish brought good money in that tourney...more than it would in a pay lake. Now I know enough to not tourney fish down there.
It is going to start at other places also.
 

CRC

Old Mossy Horns
No limits on fish 32 or smaller apparently

Still trophy catfish management
 

CRC

Old Mossy Horns
Nope no stirring

VA has a 20 fish limit for Gaston and no size limits

Kerr has a size limit and bag limit

20 , 1 over 32
 
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sakoman

Guest
There’s too many big ones in there now, I say keep them all. They are playing hell on the perch and crappie populations.
 

sakoman

Guest
Well the stripers and largemouth I’ve cleaned had Shad and crawfish in them and every big blue I’ve cleaned had crappie and white perch in them.
 

CRC

Old Mossy Horns
What about the flatheads and walleye?

I bet they also eat the perch and crappie
 

nccatfisher

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Well the stripers and largemouth I’ve cleaned had Shad and crawfish in them and every big blue I’ve cleaned had crappie and white perch in them.
Funny, when I fish with crappie and perch I catch blues, flatheads, stripers, largemouth and on Gaston I have even caught walleye. So I would surmise they must consider them their natural forage.
 

sakoman

Guest
Don’t think the blues and flatheads are native. About like the spotted bass. Anyway if y’all want some blues they are stacked in the mouth of Lee’s creek off the clay island ledges
 

Mr.Gadget

Old Mossy Horns
Well the stripers and largemouth I’ve cleaned had Shad and crawfish in them and every big blue I’ve cleaned had crappie and white perch in them.

Thanks for the pointers

Time to start catching crappie and perch for cat bait......
Got a bunch on perch early in the year.
 

catfishrus

Twelve Pointer
Thanks for the pointers

Time to start catching crappie and perch for cat bait......
Got a bunch on perch early in the year.

Fresh bait is key but boat traffic on a school of blues is like the police pulling up to a drug house....everybody runs and shuts their mouth.
 

CRC

Old Mossy Horns
Even so with the changes the regs will still be different between VA and NC on Kerr and Gaston in regards to blues
 

Mr.Gadget

Old Mossy Horns
Even so with the changes the regs will still be different between VA and NC on Kerr and Gaston in regards to blues

Have been for years.

No new rule needed on size or limits.
They just need to stop all pond stocking from public waters.
No transfer of live fish with out permits to cut down would be a start.
 
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