OTTERS????

GREAT idea zofish!!!!!!!!! Never thought of just giving them back to the Dept. I love the idea.

They're all over the licking too. They are hard to trap. I found a toilet area (they crap in one area like a cat) on a trib of the Licking and set traps there all season. The closest sign I saw was a half mile away in a pond. 10 years ago you could go outside of Cynthiana and catch 100 smallies a day. Every time I went last year I saw at least 2 otters and very few fish. A 22 in the body wouldn't be a bad thing if you could get away with it but they'll never open the season on them because they are furbearers and to alot of people they represent "wild". Every time I see one I just think about the half dozen fish a day that goes down that gullet.

I mean what is the point of having all the regulations on fishing like size and creel limits? All the benefits of this that are meant to help increase size and fish poplulations go right out the window if you drop an otter in that stretch of water. They are going to eat what they catch regardless to survive. I don't mean to be so shallow as to say that fishing is more important that we need to do away with a species of animal just because it is affecting my day of fun, but there has to be a solution.

Otters F...IN S..k! I hate them, they have been eating fish out of my pond for several years. I have a large creek behind my house and they come in at night, mainly during the winter and eat the larger bass and all the catfish. I do like ZOFISH's idea but I will kill everyone I see if I have a chance. Im with BASSJB09, kill'em all.
ROADTOAD, Im not sure on exact dates but the KDFW and another group deciced to reintroduce them into the rivers and streams about 10 years ago because they use to be native to this area (with out doing any research). They are in T-ville lake and have hurt the bass population dramatically, especially the larger fish. The biologist are trying to figure out why the bass don't get big there. Its because the otters catch the larger lethargic fish, they are easy pray. I don't understand what the purpose of the stupid otter is other than eating as many fish as possable. They are just like a coyote, but they hunt in the water. Kill ever otter you can if you want the fish to come back.

First time I ever saw any was several years ago as I was floating Barren River. When I first saw them, I thought they were a pack of dogs. There were 4 or 5 of them running down the bank. Then all the sudden they dove from the bank into the water. The things were freakin huge! I can only imagine how many fish one that size can eat daily.

Worst part about the otters is that they love to eat the same fish that we do. Crappie, bass, and bluegill seem to be at the top of the list for them as well as us. If they ate more suckers and carp, no one would care.

I saw one last year on the west side of Ky Lake. It was just swimming around, heading north. I did not see it after about 5 minutes. I think my dog chased it away.

I have a funny story about an otter. I was F-n-F fishing on Laurel about 3 years ago and I make a cast next to a large rock. I let it sit and all of the sudden this otter comes up beside my bobber and begins to play with my bobber. He is hitting it around like a ball and I am amazed at what I am seeing. I try to get my camera to take some pics but when I move the otter see's me and swims away.