Yea that is not good at all. Should be interesting to see how this all plays out

 

COMMISSIONER DUGGINS: Bill, are you sure yours were Alligator Gar and not Longnosed or Spotted?

COMMISSIONER JONES: No, I think they were -- they were Alligator Gar. I'm positive.

COMMISSIONER SCOTT: How much wine was involved on that?

COMMISSIONER JONES: No, no. I've got --

COMMISSIONER DE HOYOS: Before the fish started walking, how much wine was involved?

COMMISSIONER JONES: I've got pictures to prove it. I'm telling you that fish -- I thought somebody had taken a motorcycle and driven out across the -- I said, well, who's been out in the middle of this lake and I look in the little water.

COMMISSIONER DUGGINS: Commissioner Morian I think has comments or questions

 

77 percent. The remaining 23 percent was hook and line, jug line, so on and so forth, yeah. So the majority of our effort is definitely coming from the bow angling community.

WOW!! Talk about some finger pointing trigger happy fools cause everyone knows that the float/jug and line guys never lie and are turning in all the GG they are catching. Also we all know all the guys using nets are for sure turning their GG catches in also and would never just be sinking the fish and GOD knows that boat props have no effect on the numbers. I have only shot just a few GG but every sigle one had prop marks on it so you know a percentage of those are not surviving either. All i can say is i hope you boys are ready for a fight cause you have a tough one ahead. I know im up hear in Kansas but if there is anything we can do to help just let me/us know. We have to stick together in all of our ordeals or they will slowly get each state one by one. May not be GG but it could be catfish or buffs or just this sport we all love in general.

 

^Well said Justin, I am here to help too guys whatever we can do we will.

 

Very correct kskiller. Anyone have contact info for the commissioners? I looked and couldn't find. Email is what I am looking for if possible.

That statistic about bow kill vs hook/jug line is about as skewed of a statistic as I have ever seen. They obviously aren't fishermen in any of those areas. Jug liners catch can dozens a day. Pull them up, whack them in the head and cut them off right back into the water. The ONLY way I see that statistic ever being even remotely close to accurate would be only during a spawn event.

 

It's amazing all the "New" things they discovered. :groan:

 

We will work on getting those email address. Remember this though, I've never known any of them to have TPWD email or phone or office. These are professional business men, I tried to talk to Holt one time. It was his office number and I never got him. I had to leave a message with his office clerk/receptionist. You out of state guys can help by making calls and sending emails. Document the money you spent when you came to Texas to fish for alligator gar. These guys see $$ anyway. Also, when you get a chance, join the TBA. Numbers count and frankly, we don't have them right now. Not in the least.

I too believe the numbers are skewed and have no idea of the river people and what they can do.

 

Will you let us out of staters join the TBA?? If so send me the info. I love coming down there every summer and would be proud to stand with you guys!! :tu:

 

It's always been open enrollment. Anyone can join, even Marno from South Africa.

http://www.texasbowfishingassociation.com/join the tba.htm

 

yup, you can pay via paypal on our website, its only $20

 

I found a form on the "Contact Us" page on the TPWD site and submitted a very detailed argument. The flawed reasoning for the entire discussion lies below:

MR. DAUGHERTY: We are doing some. Dan Bennett, who is one of our management biologists over in Tyler, conducted -- has been working really close with a lot of the boat* fishing clubs over there on the Trinity River over the last four to five years and he's collected some pretty interesting data. He conducted an angler survey -- well, he conducted a survey, an angler survey, over there and based on the results of his survey, suggested about 70 -- 77, I want to say, percent of the Alligator Gar harvest was by bow anglers. The remaining --

*I believe this to be a transcript typo - probably should be BOW

COMMISSIONER MORIAN: 70 percent?

MR. DAUGHERTY: 77 percent. The remaining 23 percent was hook and line, jug line, so on and so forth, yeah. So the majority of our effort is definitely coming from the bow angling community.


So, OF THE PEOPLE SURVEYED in boat (or bow, whichever it may be) fishing CLUBS, the vast majority were from bow harvests... Anyone know of a bass, catfish, or crappie CLUB on the Trinity? This was obviously NOT a scientific survey nor a large enough sample size of the total number of fish harvested to even be valid. And the fact that he hesitated and restated whether it was an angler survey, a survey, or an angler survey leaves me sure of it.

The argument needs to be about science. Where are the numbers reflecting total harvest statewide? Where are the method specific numbers based on scientific surveys? Heck, where are the numbers reflecting actual fish population estimates via scientific method? My guess is they don't exist.



I will also be joining the TBA.

 

I am not doubting Mr. Bennett. The way they are skewing the statistics to indicate a collapse of the species in the near future based on bow fishermen is ridiculous.

 

I think they see the growing popularity, but what they don't realize is the peaks and valleys and that the guys that quit bowfishing usually outnumber the guys that stay with it. It's a fad almost, everyone wants to try it but not many actually stay with it more than a couple of years. Is there more bowfishermen then 20 years ago, yes. Is there more than there were in 2008, not likely. Lots of guys bowfish, but I bet only 15% or less actually bowfish for Alligator Gar