Changes proposed for Lake Gaston blue catfish

CRC

Old Mossy Horns
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.

Can you catch blue catfish alive with a commercial non game fish fishing device license?

I think a flat 20 fish limit (same as VA) should hinder pay lake sellers?

In West Virginia they had problem with folks catching lots of flatheads (very few blues in WV) for pay lakes so they put bag limits up in some places to discourage them.
 
Last edited:

Mr.Gadget

Old Mossy Horns
Can you catch blue catfish alive with a commercial non game fish fishing device license?

I think a flat 20 fish limit (same as VA) should hinder pay lake sellers?

In West Virginia they had problem with folks catching lots of flatheads (very few blues in WV) for pay lakes so they put bag limits up in some places to discourage them.

how?
they fish as a group and could catch 60 to 80 fish that are big?
How would that be any different than now.
 

CRC

Old Mossy Horns
No limits for netters right now.

Because the NC side has no bag limits where do you think the fish sellers are going?

To the side of the lake with NO limits.VA side has limits.

Putting any kind of limit on the NC side should shift pressure right?

I don't know what the regs are in VA for selling live blue cats.
 
Last edited:

Mr.Gadget

Old Mossy Horns
No limits for netters right now.

Because the NC side has no bag limits where do you think the fish sellers are going?

To the side of the lake with NO limits.VA side has limits.

Putting any kind of limit on the NC side should shift pressure right?

I don't know what the regs are in VA for selling live blue cats.

So how do you think the 1 over 32 will fix the problem?
 

CRC

Old Mossy Horns
So how do you think the 1 over 32 will fix the problem?

It will not.

Thats for managing for trophy (large) catfish.

Pure and simple.

The pay lake sellers will continue to take unlimited numbers under 33 inches.

The WRC thinks it can please both meat fishermen and trophy fishermen with this proposal.
 

Mr.Gadget

Old Mossy Horns
It will not.

Thats for managing for trophy (large) catfish.

Pure and simple.

The pay lake sellers will continue to take unlimited numbers under 33 inches.

The WRC thinks it can please both meat fishermen and trophy fishermen with this proposal.

They dont really care.
Called them to talk and hard to read them on the rules.

They say you can not sell deer meat.
Ok
What about horns, cant sell horns or anything that can be looked at as wild deer.
OK
What about selling off extra catfish if I have a good catch to help pay for tackle or fuel.
Sure no problem you can sell it.

Shows how screwed up it is.
Cant make a knife with NC deer horns but sell all the fish you want.

Wonder if that goes for other fish also. Did not ask. May be a market for trout and Bass ... .
 

woodmoose

Administrator
Staff member
Contributor
They dont really care.
Called them to talk and hard to read them on the rules.

They say you can not sell deer meat.
Ok
What about horns, cant sell horns or anything that can be looked at as wild deer.
OK
What about selling off extra catfish if I have a good catch to help pay for tackle or fuel.
Sure no problem you can sell it.

Shows how screwed up it is.
Cant make a knife with NC deer horns but sell all the fish you want.

Wonder if that goes for other fish also. Did not ask. May be a market for trout and Bass ... .

You can make a knife handle with your horn(s), just can't sell it. ;)
 
Last edited:

nccatfisher

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Thanks for the pointers

Time to start catching crappie and perch for cat bait......
Got a bunch on perch early in the year.
I used to not use crappie because they were regulated by a size limit primarily where I was fishing. Even if I netted them in private waters and then went to the river/lake it could present a sticky situation so I just didn't bother. When they removed the size limit and creel I started using them because I have plenty of ponds here that are full of them and they love them. They are excellent bait. White perch has always been my bait of choice though.
 
Last edited:

Mr.Gadget

Old Mossy Horns
yes but you asked about trout and bass, and they are game fish. "may be a market for trout and bass" was your statement

there is definitely a market but you might want to leave it untapped.

Was not really a question.
was more like whats next with all the rule changes.....
 

CRC

Old Mossy Horns
Was not really a question.
was more like whats next with all the rule changes.....

Most serious catfishermen are OK with limiting the take of "big" catfish

Its why restrictions are in place already on several NC lakes
 

Mr.Gadget

Old Mossy Horns
Most serious catfishermen are OK with limiting the take of "big" catfish

Its why restrictions are in place already on several NC lakes

But when it does nothing what good is it?

Define Serious catfisherman?
I bet those that are taking truck loads of big cats think they are serious catfisherman.
 

Boojum

Ten Pointer
Blues or flatheads are not native east of the Appalachians. They breed like rats. They eat native fish. I like to catch them myself, but I don't see protecting non-native species. Catfish are tasty. Wild-caught catfish are 100x more tasty than farm-raised catfish. Win-win on catching them and selling them. The catfish aren't going anywhere.
 
Last edited:
Blues or flatheads are not native east of the Appalachians. They breed like rats. They eat native fish. I like to catch them myself, but I don't see protecting non-native species. Catfish are tasty. Wild-caught catfish are 100x more tasty than farm-raised catfish. Win-win on catching them and selling them. The catfish aren't going anywhere.


You can't keep every big cat or before long, there will be no fishery. Those big fish are the breeders and we need them to sustain our trophy fisheries. Bass, striper and many more native fish also eat other game fish, it is not just the cats that eat game fish. Cat fish will actually prey on the weaker smaller fish and ends up making your game fish even bigger than before because good genetics stay in the water. It's been proven. Glen Flowers of Flathead Catfish Hunters made a very good video explaining this and why we need to keep our trophy flat head and blues in the lakes they reside.
 

darkthirty

Old Mossy Horns
You can't keep every big cat or before long, there will be no fishery. Those big fish are the breeders and we need them to sustain our trophy fisheries. Bass, striper and many more native fish also eat other game fish, it is not just the cats that eat game fish. Cat fish will actually prey on the weaker smaller fish and ends up making your game fish even bigger than before because good genetics stay in the water. It's been proven. Glen Flowers of Flathead Catfish Hunters made a very good video explaining this and why we need to keep our trophy flat head and blues in the lakes they reside.

Blues maybe. But flatheads are some of the most efficient predators on the planet. I have not seen the video, but I’m gonna go ahead and assume since the guy who made the video was in a group called called “flathead catfish hunters”, that there may be some bias...............

Also, landlocked striped bass are not native, as with rainbow and brown trout...........
 
Last edited:

oldest school

Old Mossy Horns
so i have a friend who is a wonderful liar.

he allows as to how he has seen big cats schooling with LMB being the prey on buggs island.

any of you cat guys seen this on any lake? Do the big ones exist in numbers big enough to school on top? Would they waste their time running bass on the surface?

or is this another wonderful lie of his? :)

darkthirty i expect you to call BS on this for me so i can do the same with my lying buddy. LOL
 

darkthirty

Old Mossy Horns
so i have a friend who is a wonderful liar.

he allows as to how he has seen big cats schooling with LMB being the prey on buggs island.

any of you cat guys seen this on any lake? Do the big ones exist in numbers big enough to school on top? Would they waste their time running bass on the surface?

or is this another wonderful lie of his? :)

darkthirty i expect you to call BS on this for me so i can do the same with my lying buddy. LOL

Thats one of those deals where I ain’t gonna say it don’t happen, but I wouldn’t tell it in public for fear of being laughed at:):):). One I thing about a wild animal or a fish. They’re extremely keen on knowing what it takes to get a meal while putting forth the least energy to get it. More energy to get get food=more energy lost. And they ain’t a dam thing about a blue cat, especially a big one 40-50lb+, that leads me to believe he was put on earth to “chase” his prey in open water near the top of the water column.

I know they will congregate under big schools of shad and pick of the dead.
 
Last edited:

oldest school

Old Mossy Horns
Thats one of those deals where I ain’t gonna say it don’t happen, but I wouldn’t tell it in public for fear of being laughed at:):):). One I thing about a wild animal or a fish. They’re extremely keen on knowing what it takes to get a meal while putting forth the least energy to get it. More energy to get get food=more energy lost. And they ain’t a dam thing about a blue cat, especially a big one 40-50lb+, that leads me to believe he was put on earth to “chase” his prey in open water near the top of the water column.

I know they will congregate under big schools of shad and pick of the dead.

thank you sir, that was my thoughts; but hell i wasnt there.

folks have a hard time with my dad and mine's tales of jordan lake bass schooling on frogs. :)
 

CRC

Old Mossy Horns
You can't keep every big cat or before long, there will be no fishery. Those big fish are the breeders and we need them to sustain our trophy fisheries. Bass, striper and many more native fish also eat other game fish, it is not just the cats that eat game fish. Cat fish will actually prey on the weaker smaller fish and ends up making your game fish even bigger than before because good genetics stay in the water. It's been proven. Glen Flowers of Flathead Catfish Hunters made a very good video explaining this and why we need to keep our trophy flat head and blues in the lakes they reside.

There has never been limits on the NC side of Buggs or Gaston yet folks still catch big blues and flatheads every year.
 

Boojum

Ten Pointer
You can't keep every big cat or before long, there will be no fishery. Those big fish are the breeders and we need them to sustain our trophy fisheries. Bass, striper and many more native fish also eat other game fish, it is not just the cats that eat game fish. Cat fish will actually prey on the weaker smaller fish and ends up making your game fish even bigger than before because good genetics stay in the water. It's been proven. Glen Flowers of Flathead Catfish Hunters made a very good video explaining this and why we need to keep our trophy flat head and blues in the lakes they reside.

They don't belong there to begin with. And it's really hard to wipe out catfish.
 
There has never been limits on the NC side of Buggs or Gaston yet folks still catch big blues and flatheads every year.


Yes they do still catch fish, but how long is that going to last with the commercial guys taking our fish and moving them to paylakes and other bodies of water. I can tell you not long. Missouri river used to allow commercial fishing and that fishery was screwed up till they put a ban on it and now it a world class fishery. We need to stop the taking and transport of our bluecats and flatheads.
 
They don't belong there to begin with. And it's really hard to wipe out catfish.

You should do some research and you'll see that areas where catfish have been exploited are not good fisheries now. The Ohio river is one and there are many many more. These cats are a resource and it will be all dried up if these commercial guys keep on. You can go to Buggs on a good day and catch 50 plus fish, won't be long before that will be a thing of the past. The thing that will help Buggs is it's shear size. Who says they don't belong, they bring in a lot of money for the surrounding areas. Tell some of these local bait shops that they don't belong here and see what they say. They are here and have been for years and hopefully some new regulations get put in place to protect our trophy fishery.
 

woodmoose

Administrator
Staff member
Contributor
,,,,,,,,,,, areas where catfish have been exploited are not good fisheries now. The Ohio river is one and there are many many more. ,,,,,,,,,,,The thing that will help Buggs is it's shear size. ,,,,,,,,,,,.

Buggs isn't big compared to the Ohio River so not sure what you are getting at there,,,,,,,

catfish,,,,it's what's for supper,,,,,
 

oldest school

Old Mossy Horns
You should do some research and you'll see that areas where catfish have been exploited are not good fisheries now. The Ohio river is one and there are many many more. These cats are a resource and it will be all dried up if these commercial guys keep on. You can go to Buggs on a good day and catch 50 plus fish, won't be long before that will be a thing of the past. The thing that will help Buggs is it's shear size. Who says they don't belong, they bring in a lot of money for the surrounding areas. Tell some of these local bait shops that they don't belong here and see what they say. They are here and have been for years and hopefully some new regulations get put in place to protect our trophy fishery.

Usually VA and NC are in sync on regs affecting gaston and kerr. not sure why cats are different, absent some commercial lobbying it should be an easy sell to the ncwrc.
 

CRC

Old Mossy Horns
Yes they do still catch fish, but how long is that going to last with the commercial guys taking our fish and moving them to paylakes and other bodies of water. I can tell you not long. Missouri river used to allow commercial fishing and that fishery was screwed up till they put a ban on it and now it a world class fishery. We need to stop the taking and transport of our bluecats and flatheads.

I agree with regulations on folks netting for pay lakes but how does putting size limits on the guy using rod and reel and fishing for dinner do anything?
 
Top