2020 catfish thread

[SaltwaterSlick]

While I don't necessarily disagree, seems to me marking your lines with decent sized colorful noodles and such is a good idea for the safety of boaters everywhere.

Yea, that's what "seems" will get you when you don't know what you're talking about. I trotline fished east Texas lakes for 30 years... No only were my lines NOT a danger to any boater, they were safely hidden from others who'd flat steal fish off the lines if they knew the fish were there... My lines were for the most part at least 6-12 feet below the surface of the water, some more than that. They were marked with the required data and were legal... My brother has noodle fished these lakes for the past 15 years or more, but now by the stroke of a pen, all his noodles are illegal because they're not the minimum diameter of 3"... don't know how these things didn't cause total catastrophe for the previous 20+ years they were perfectly legal... Neither of these new requirements do a single thing to improve safety or make it easier to fish... They are strictly now just another way a GW can zap someone who does not know that the standard noodles that have been used for years can be written up with a citation...



I actively got involved with several of these various changes over the years by attending public meetings in various places throughout the state, even spoke at some of them... all to ultimately find out, the fix was in BEFORE the first meeting is ever held... Just like the rest of the political deep state, the TPWD Commission is just a bunch of bureaucrats that serve their own interest and the interest of their bosom buddies. It's just another swamp that needs draining BADLY!


don't get me wrong, I'm not hammering at you specifically. It is just that many, many don't have a clue what really goes on behind the scenes with these constantly tightening regulations, fresh, salt and hunting regulations.

[MadHatter]

WOW, that's pretty small equipment for where I'd have to fish...(well maybe except the 6500/7000's). My lakes are full of brush/stumps and I'd need something to be able to turn a big fish I think... Do you fish on the bottom or suspended? We always caught our best fish this time of year Feb/early March) fishing on the flats away from rivers/creeks and mid-water column... (mostly Livingston but some Lake Houston and Rayburn).

Actually it's all pretty big equipment when comparing it to 6500s or 7000s.
The new LPs hold more line, and put out twice the drag.
Any of the reels I mentioned will turn any fish you could possibly hit
We are drifting, while dragging across the bottom, with a suspended chunk of bait

[MadHatter]

Yea, that's what "seems" will get you when you don't know what you're talking about. I trotline fished east Texas lakes for 30 years... No only were my lines NOT a danger to any boater, they were safely hidden from others who'd flat steal fish off the lines if they knew the fish were there... My lines were for the most part at least 6-12 feet below the surface of the water, some more than that. They were marked with the required data and were legal... My brother has noodle fished these lakes for the past 15 years or more, but now by the stroke of a pen, all his noodles are illegal because they're not the minimum diameter of 3"... don't know how these things didn't cause total catastrophe for the previous 20+ years they were perfectly legal... Neither of these new requirements do a single thing to improve safety or make it easier to fish... They are strictly now just another way a GW can zap someone who does not know that the standard noodles that have been used for years can be written up with a citation...



I actively got involved with several of these various changes over the years by attending public meetings in various places throughout the state, even spoke at some of them... all to ultimately find out, the fix was in BEFORE the first meeting is ever held... Just like the rest of the political deep state, the TPWD Commission is just a bunch of bureaucrats that serve their own interest and the interest of their bosom buddies. It's just another swamp that needs draining BADLY!


don't get me wrong, I'm not hammering at you specifically. It is just that many, many don't have a clue what really goes on behind the scenes with these constantly tightening regulations, fresh, salt and hunting regulations.

Yes yes and yes.

[huntindude]

Read the media release. Currently all of my noodles are the smaller ones (now illegal) although the media release says the rules go into effect February 2020, are they enforceable if they are not in the outdoor annual?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[rtp]

Read the media release. Currently all of my noodles are the smaller ones (now illegal) although the media release says the rules go into effect February 2020, are they enforceable if they are not in the outdoor annual?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Put them out and let us know what the GW says....

[bigchiefj]

I've got a bunch that are illegal now. They're 2.5" diameter. The lake will me much safer with my new minimum 3" diameter ones.

[justletmein]

Yea, that's what "seems" will get you when you don't know what you're talking about. I trotline fished east Texas lakes for 30 years... No only were my lines NOT a danger to any boater, they were safely hidden from others who'd flat steal fish off the lines if they knew the fish were there... My lines were for the most part at least 6-12 feet below the surface of the water, some more than that. They were marked with the required data and were legal... My brother has noodle fished these lakes for the past 15 years or more, but now by the stroke of a pen, all his noodles are illegal because they're not the minimum diameter of 3"... don't know how these things didn't cause total catastrophe for the previous 20+ years they were perfectly legal... Neither of these new requirements do a single thing to improve safety or make it easier to fish... They are strictly now just another way a GW can zap someone who does not know that the standard noodles that have been used for years can be written up with a citation...



I actively got involved with several of these various changes over the years by attending public meetings in various places throughout the state, even spoke at some of them... all to ultimately find out, the fix was in BEFORE the first meeting is ever held... Just like the rest of the political deep state, the TPWD Commission is just a bunch of bureaucrats that serve their own interest and the interest of their bosom buddies. It's just another swamp that needs draining BADLY!


don't get me wrong, I'm not hammering at you specifically. It is just that many, many don't have a clue what really goes on behind the scenes with these constantly tightening regulations, fresh, salt and hunting regulations.

Except that I've been on the water at night for going on 35 years and I appreciate being able to see all this garbage in the water.
Your noodles aren't an issue to you because you know they're there and are looking for them. Joe Blow boater cruising to his fishing or hunting spot at 0 dark thirty gets a line in his prop he tends to be ******. Don't pretend it doesn't happen because it does. I got one of those "hidden lines" in my freaking trolling motor at Amistad. There are a LOT more boaters on the water now, things that were negligible 20byears ago aren't anymore. TPWD has to answer to all people of the state, not just those who are upset because they have small noodles.

[randal]

Pretty slow at Tawakoni for me last weekend we ended up with a 40 pounder and nothing else over 10, gonna be at eagle mountain Friday and Saturday..

[SaltwaterSlick]

Except that I've been on the water at night for going on 35 years and I appreciate being able to see all this garbage in the water.
Your noodles aren't an issue to you because you know they're there and are looking for them. Joe Blow boater cruising to his fishing or hunting spot at 0 dark thirty gets a line in his prop he tends to be ******. Don't pretend it doesn't happen because it does. I got one of those "hidden lines" in my freaking trolling motor at Amistad. There are a LOT more boaters on the water now, things that were negligible 20byears ago aren't anymore. TPWD has to answer to all people of the state, not just those who are upset because they have small noodles.

I recently took you off my ignore list but your smartass degrading condescending drivel has reminded me again why I had you on the list. I’ll just say if you hit any of my lines, you’ll be running a submarine. They are nowhere close to the surface. Further, I don’t have “small noodles”. I fact I don’t have any noodles. I don’t fish with them.

[justletmein]

I recently took you off my ignore list but your smartass degrading condescending drivel has reminded me again why I had you on the list. I’ll just say if you hit any of my lines, you’ll be running a submarine. They are nowhere close to the surface. Further, I don’t have “small noodles”. I fact I don’t have any noodles. I don’t fish with them.

Really? Do you have a remote control sub to fetch them? Me thinks that line comes up to the surface somewhere. Tied to a tree maybe where some poor bass fisherman unsuspectingly snags his lure on it? Not that hard to mark your lines so people can avoid them and if it's required by law, so if you're doing it already what's the harm in marking them with a larger more visible marker? As for you not using noodles, it was YOU who was complaining that your brother's noodles were too small in the post I quoted, did you forget?
Now I think the main issues are the free floating noodles and jugs so if you don't use them I'm not sure why you're bothering to complain so much.

[SaltwaterSlick]

No sir. My lines did not come to the surface. That’s what I meant by you not knowing what you were talking about. Most folks that fish big water for big catfish don’t tie off to trees n stumps. I’m not currently fishing. When I did, I was always 100% legal. I could talk all day about “poor bass fishermen” but that’s off topic. Other “fishermen” stealing fish off my lines is what I have issues with. The last thing I’d want to do is make my sets easy to find.

[justletmein]

Ok now we're getting somewhere. So what happens to all this hidden gear when you can't come retrieve it for whatever reason? Just like the abandoned crap traps that littered the bay before the annual cleanups, there's tons of trotline trash out there. These lines eventually slack up, break off, etc and then pose a public safety concern such as wrapped in props strangling water skiers or divers or just become an eyesore. There's many reasons for marking lines and we don't always see the bigger picture as you're not seeing it here, but TPWD has to consider all that whether it's an inconvenience for someone isn't the biggest concern.
Also you may be a perfect water citizen, so maybe this ain't for you but geared towards all the others. How's TPWD supposed to know they can trust you to keep your lines safe and not abandon them when they see it all the time from others?

[TeamAmerica]

What about safety of swimmers?

[Dirtymike]

Now i need to go measure my noodle

[TeamAmerica]

Now i need to go measure my noodle

Tell us what we already know mike. Your noodle is too thin.....[emoji1787]