Blue cats on the ohio river

[smashdn]

Means you have to take that many more small ones to make the money that you used to with a few big ones. 300 lb of fish with 5 fish don't pay the same as 300 lb of 50 fish. Got to catch a bunch more of the small ones to make anywhere near the same money.

More gear, more time, more expense, takes more fish to break even.

[riverrat12]

Means you have to take that many more small ones to make the money that you used to with a few big ones. 300 lb of fish with 5 fish don't pay the same as 300 lb of 50 fish. Got to catch a bunch more of the small ones to make anywhere near the same money.

More gear, more time, more expense, takes more fish to break even.

Good ,maybe they will go after another speices like bighead and silver carp. Maybe paylakes will start buying grain fed cats again and stop depleating OUR natural resource. All anyone has to do is look back at what comercial fishing did to the Mo. river. But I digress.

[riverrat12]

The reason for the new regs was samples taking showed a large decrease in big catfish. Plain and simple.

[smashdn]

Good ,maybe they will go after another speices like bighead and silver carp. Maybe paylakes will start buying grain fed cats again and stop depleating OUR natural resource. All anyone has to do is look back at what comercial fishing did to the Mo. river. But I digress.

Carp certainly don't pay what catfish do.

Youdo realize there are fewer commercial fishers now than ever right? And fewer bodies of water open and more regulation.

[AaronS]

Carp certainly don't pay what catfish do.

Youdo realize there are fewer commercial fishers now than ever right? And fewer bodies of water open and more regulation.

And your point is? The resource is there for EVERYONE to enjoy, not to be raped and pillaged by a few for a paycheck. There needs to be a complete ban. I don't understand why catfish aren't considered a sport fish. That would help this mess. The Ohio River is a ghost of what it used to be when it comes to trophy catfish, thanks in large part to the commercial "fishermen" (much nicer term that I feel like using). The new regs will help save a few fish to ensure our kids and grandkids will be able to enjoy the sport, but I wish it would have went further.

[smashdn]

And your point is?

My point is mathematically they have less of an impact now than they ever had. Point is that the effect you are seeing is not the cause of commercial fishing.

If you would like to blame someone blame pay lakes. Then blame the people that run them and go to them. The pay lake is willing to pay big money for big fish. The fish market is willing to pay better money for bigger fish to satisfy the pay lake demand. Used to there was demand for smaller eating size fish. They paid as well or better than large fish. Pay lakes changed that. Now pay lakes can get the small fish from fish farms (out of state btw) but there is still the demand for the large trophy fish.

One commercial tag can only keep one fish over 35" a day. I would be willing to bet there are not 250 commercial tags sold to guys fishing the Ohio. And no way are the fishing everyday let alone catching their +35" fish everyday. We are talking minimal impact.

Your vitriole is misplaced.

What I don't understand is why anyone would pay to catch something you can catch for free in a lake or river.

[AaronS]

What I don't understand is why anyone would pay to catch something you can catch for free in a lake or river.

I agree completely with that statement. I do place the blame squarely on pay lakes, but where do they get these trophy cats? Most don't come from the regular Joe Fisherman.

[mhall]

And your point is? The resource is there for EVERYONE to enjoy, not to be raped and pillaged by a few for a paycheck. There needs to be a complete ban. I don't understand why catfish aren't considered a sport fish. That would help this mess. The Ohio River is a ghost of what it used to be when it comes to trophy catfish, thanks in large part to the commercial "fishermen" (much nicer term that I feel like using). The new regs will help save a few fish to ensure our kids and grandkids will be able to enjoy the sport, but I wish it would have went further.

Welcome to the site I like you already. You are spot on with this post, preach on brother....Many here like riverrat, Tyme, Lowerider and many more including me have your back.

[kyriverblues]

I would love to see catfish made a sport fish but I don't guess that is going to happen any time soon. I just try to do my part and release every cat I catch. Maybe we all should start going to pay lakes and taking every cat we can catch and put them back in the river????????

[AaronS]

Unfortunately that's probably illegal. I'm pretty sure you can catch a fish in state waters and release it in your pond, but that it's illegal to do the opposite.

Here's something that made my blood boil.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSPH4JL9hu0

[mhall]

Unfortunately that's probably illegal. I'm pretty sure you can catch a fish in state waters and release it in your pond, but that it's illegal to do the opposite.

Here's something that made my blood boil.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSPH4JL9hu0

Dude that made me wanna puke.

WHY..........Money thats why. So some slaphead can go catch a trophy out of a Goldfish bowl and beat his chest. Most of these fish will be caught and drug around till they die and end up in a dumpster and the rest will die in the Toilet bowl because Blue's are not meant to be in a mud puddle they need room and current and good water with depth. They are not nasty like people think quite the contrary they are hunters and prefer to eat the same stuff Bass eat so do Flatheads. This is nonsense and it like you said makes your blood boil. Let this happen to Bass and watch this site light up....there is no difference.

[Tyme2fish]

Pay lakes.