Gill Nets
 

I went fishing in Lake Fausse Point today. Didn't do well, but I didn't really expect to. Mostly went to give dad's boat a run. While fishing we came across 2 new gill nets. set in the waters within the State Park boundaries. We found the first one because my nephew's spinner bait was hung in it and we nearly wrapped the trolling motor and boat motor in it. The second was visible because we saw the top rope of it floating at the surface. Each of them had an small orange ribbon tied to the surface rope. I thought these things were illegal. Does anyone know if these are some kind of test nets the state is using or should they be reported? It did not seem like the owners were too particular about hiding them. I was just a little aggravated with them because each of them were about 75 feet in length and did cause problems trying to fish areas I have fished all my life.

I'd report it, I don't believe the state using gill nets for research, I think they shock fish for research

Wlf nets fish in turners as per game warden I talked to last year.

If you feel like wasting your time, report it. We reported one several years ago for several days. Each time we were promised a return call. I'm still anxiously waiting by my phone foe the call. We did cut it up and remove it from the water after those days though.

That is kind of why I didn't call anyone yet. I did put a few good holes in the one we got caught in. It was ridiculous because they were running parallel to the banks and the one we got tangled in was only about 12 feet from the bank in a heavily sport fished area.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Gill nets are legal with a commercial fishing license; but I think it has to be north of the Intracoastal waterway. But I doubt if they are legal in a State Park.

Not legal in saltwater areas.

Gill nets are only ILlegal in a few freshwater areas, not sure about Fausse Point. You have to have a commercial license to use them and the webbing has to be a certain size. It is ILLEGAL to destroy them on purpose. Thats like running someones crab traps or crawfish nets or destroying them actually.

I seen on swamp pawn where they gill net for buffalo fish. I don't think it would illegal if they were doing on TV.

Thanks for all the info. And to ease everyone's mind, I put holes in the parts that tangled around my equipment and left his fish in the net. The troll motor and engine weren't running at the time, the wind had actually blew into the net after we discovered what the spinnerbait was hung in. Kind of a small problem got potentially worse situation. His net and fish are still there in one piece today.

Yeah, that happens:)