CAUGHT WORD FROM A FEW PEOPLE AND CONFIRMED WITH TPWD. A MEETING WAS HELD AT FALCON LAKE AND TACKLE REGARDING ALLIGATOR GAR HARVEST BY BOW-FISHERMAN DURING THE SPAWNING MONTHS. NEW REGULATIONS ARE HEADED OUR DIRECTION POSSIBLY SHUTTING OFF HARVEST COMPLETELY DURING MONTHS OF SPAWN. Just spreading the word anyone catch wind of this yet.
sotexfishstick
op:
Those liberalizations may be so "slow to come" that they are non existent. Those commissioners will do whatever they are politically or emotionally motivated to do regardless of facts. Where was their evidence that bowfishing was hurting the catfish population to the point they needed to cut it off? There wasn't any.....Where was their evidence that the gator gar population was so dismal that TX needed a blanket regulation to one a day for every water body in the state? There wasn't any. Why now are they wanting to hear statements that would help regulate gator gar harvest even more, only a few years after limits were imposed and commercial fishing for them was all but eliminated? They haven't even had time to determine if their last legislation has had an impact or not. They have been so anti bowfishing the last several years that even a rumor of a rumor of more regulations should have us up in arms.
<a href="http://s270.photobucket.com/user/wbg444/media/Screenshot_2014-01-29-21-53-58_zpskybqwmty.png.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj110/wbg444/Screenshot_2014-01-29-21-53-58_zpskybqwmty.png" border="0" alt="yep photo Screenshot_2014-01-29-21-53-58_zpskybqwmty.png"/></a>...
There is some great reading here (entertaining as well as informative) from the perspective of the man who owns Falcon Lake Tackle.
http://www.tackleandrods.com/lake/flash.htm
http://www.tackleandrods.com/lake/flash.htm
I have kind of been out of the Texas loop for the last couple of years but I know for the past several decades, most of the TPW commissioners were board members or members of the TWA.
I'm with you. That's the first think I seen in the transcript. The part about the gaps from 2007 year class fish till now. Of course we're not taking that year class, we only get 1 a day. We have to pass all those to get the bigger ones. But they are at fault for that, not us.
Of course we know also that the age is crazy on these fish. When you can put two 6 footers side by side and one will be 5-10 and the other will be 40 yrs old. Either they method of aging is wrong or the growth rate is whacked. Either way, no one can honestly guess the age of a fish by length.
Of course we know also that the age is crazy on these fish. When you can put two 6 footers side by side and one will be 5-10 and the other will be 40 yrs old. Either they method of aging is wrong or the growth rate is whacked. Either way, no one can honestly guess the age of a fish by length.
Are any of you guys part of the TWA? I know they have pretty good input in what happens regarding rules and regs and concerning wildlife. I would assume they could help with this. I know some folks if I need to make a call.
Thoughts Steve?
Thoughts Steve?
Great Tony. tell him there are so many 4-5fters down here that I cant even fish my favorite holes for them. They know darn well there isn't a population problem unless its that there are too many small fish for optimum growth.
We, the TBA, have a meeting with Craig Bonds tomorrow for dinner to discuss this. After this he wants to set up a group meeting to discuss it all and to hear everyones point of view after being presented with what that have.
We don't know what it is or what he has, but we will know tomorrow.
We don't know what it is or what he has, but we will know tomorrow.
Me
To dan.bennett@tpwd.texas.gov
Today at 12:22 PM
Mr. Bennett,
I have just read the transcript from the November 2013 Commissioner's meeting. I remember from talking to you years ago (in the middle of the one alligator gar per day debate) that you have a genuine interest in doing the right thing for having a sustainable alligator gar population in TX. What I read in the transcript was a bunch of half facts and skewed statistics used to push an anti bowfishing agenda.
Its pretty obvious that these gator gar populations are independent of each other. Sure some of the gar that live downstream of dams of each river system might go out into the bay, but a gar that lives in the lower Trinity isn't going to swim out into the bay, along the coast and up into the Sabine drainage. You and I both know this, and they flat out said it in the meeting, they are different populations.
Hypothetically....IF the gator gar population in say, the Neches was declining, then they should look into regulation of harvest for that water body, not a blanket regulation for the entire state. To me that's like shutting of mule deer hunting in West Texas because they couldn't locate any in the pineywoods. I believe that a blanket law for the entire state banning their harvest by bow would only make things worse in river systems such as the Trinity, where the gar are already at their maximum sustainable level.
At the very least, it seems to make sense scientifically that this should be tabled until more studies can be done not only for each waterbody, but also until the impacts of them no longer being able to be commercially harvested can be measured.
Thank you for your time,
Steven Sallee
I can promise you, if I thought that the gator gar fishery was in trouble, I would be the first one pushing for some type of regulation to help them rebound.
To dan.bennett@tpwd.texas.gov
Today at 12:22 PM
Mr. Bennett,
I have just read the transcript from the November 2013 Commissioner's meeting. I remember from talking to you years ago (in the middle of the one alligator gar per day debate) that you have a genuine interest in doing the right thing for having a sustainable alligator gar population in TX. What I read in the transcript was a bunch of half facts and skewed statistics used to push an anti bowfishing agenda.
Its pretty obvious that these gator gar populations are independent of each other. Sure some of the gar that live downstream of dams of each river system might go out into the bay, but a gar that lives in the lower Trinity isn't going to swim out into the bay, along the coast and up into the Sabine drainage. You and I both know this, and they flat out said it in the meeting, they are different populations.
Hypothetically....IF the gator gar population in say, the Neches was declining, then they should look into regulation of harvest for that water body, not a blanket regulation for the entire state. To me that's like shutting of mule deer hunting in West Texas because they couldn't locate any in the pineywoods. I believe that a blanket law for the entire state banning their harvest by bow would only make things worse in river systems such as the Trinity, where the gar are already at their maximum sustainable level.
At the very least, it seems to make sense scientifically that this should be tabled until more studies can be done not only for each waterbody, but also until the impacts of them no longer being able to be commercially harvested can be measured.
Thank you for your time,
Steven Sallee
I can promise you, if I thought that the gator gar fishery was in trouble, I would be the first one pushing for some type of regulation to help them rebound.
FrogHunter, Buddy I like you but you better wake up here. this is not rumor nor speculation. I told you there was a new anti bowfishing agenda a while back. Im hearing a little of whats said behind closed doors in Austin. The CCA and HOH are pushing any avenue to stop bowfishing.
Please don't mistake what they tell you for the truth.
Please don't mistake what they tell you for the truth.
Yall need to talk to Dan Bennet. They are making a fool of him. He is your only hope if you want to stop this. He could shoot this down in ten seconds...of course he would be looking for a job in a week. However, Dan is about science, not politics. We have had that discussion before.
Allan, they say Lousiana can't produce a gator gar over 4'.
How can I prove they are wrong. How can we show them that LA
has plenty 6, 7 and 8 footers too?
They don't want to be like LA but us sportsmen want us to be exactly like LA.
You can take catfish, redfish and alligator gar. Texas is about to go three for three.
Screw it, I'm just gonna move.
How can I prove they are wrong. How can we show them that LA
has plenty 6, 7 and 8 footers too?
They don't want to be like LA but us sportsmen want us to be exactly like LA.
You can take catfish, redfish and alligator gar. Texas is about to go three for three.
Screw it, I'm just gonna move.
Steve, I know you can shoot holes in their facts. That guy Daugherty gave that commission half truths only. He never gave the whole truth.
I said it in 2009 at the commissioners meeting. The commissioner mentioned his pond drying up and nothing but gar left. What does he think happens in the rivers, like way upper Trinity, Brazos, Colorado and others. When there is drought your left with pools of water. If there is a gar there it will eat everything and when the rains come all you have left are gar. No bass, no crappie, no catfish, just fat gar
I said it in 2009 at the commissioners meeting. The commissioner mentioned his pond drying up and nothing but gar left. What does he think happens in the rivers, like way upper Trinity, Brazos, Colorado and others. When there is drought your left with pools of water. If there is a gar there it will eat everything and when the rains come all you have left are gar. No bass, no crappie, no catfish, just fat gar
Their not Robert, read the transcript.
One commissioner talks about his son catching one of these fish (guess to be 60 yrs old, could be 10 yrs).
I bet if that kid was taken out on a bowfishing trip for the same fish and then asked which was more fun.
It wouldn't be the R&R I'm sure. Long hours of sitting there soaking a bait vs actively hunting.
They are biased and I plan on making it my mission to get these commissioners elected by the voting public
vs appointed as they are now. These men DO NOT represent us or the common man or the children.
They talk about recruitment declining. I wonder why, maybe the because in Texas it has to be trophy before
you can take it. How do get children interested when it takes hours and hours if not years to be able to take
a trophy.
One commissioner talks about his son catching one of these fish (guess to be 60 yrs old, could be 10 yrs).
I bet if that kid was taken out on a bowfishing trip for the same fish and then asked which was more fun.
It wouldn't be the R&R I'm sure. Long hours of sitting there soaking a bait vs actively hunting.
They are biased and I plan on making it my mission to get these commissioners elected by the voting public
vs appointed as they are now. These men DO NOT represent us or the common man or the children.
They talk about recruitment declining. I wonder why, maybe the because in Texas it has to be trophy before
you can take it. How do get children interested when it takes hours and hours if not years to be able to take
a trophy.
Its the entire state. The same discussion as the flounder. That's what I was saying a while back. There is a serious anti bowfishing agenda. Im not just guessing here. I had a hard time getting folks to believe me.
Well I hope the decision makers in Austin are smarter than the last batch that made a change WITHOUT ANY supporting scientific data. Of course I know its all political now.
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