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  #1  
Old 03-31-2010, 01:15 PM
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[SIZE=2]End bowhunting of Louisiana's last gamefish[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2][/SIZE]
Current Louisiana law grants “gamefish” status to over 10 different species of freshwater fish. However, only one saltwater species enjoys that same status: red drum. In the 1980s, commercial fishermen were decimating redfish stocks trying to meet the insatiable national demand for blackened redfish, a dish made famous by Chef Paul Prudhomme. At that critical time, your CCA Louisiana stepped in to demand protection for this important recreational species. CCA was the driving force behind successful legislation that designated red drum as a gamefish in Louisiana waters.

Gamefish status provides a species with many important protections. First, it prevents the commercial sale of that particular wild species taken from local waters. Although we see redfish on restaurant menus across our state, these fish are either farm raised or wild fish brought into Louisiana from Mexico or Mississippi (where redfish do not enjoy gamefish protection).

Another important protection afforded a gamefish is the allowed “method of take.” It is illegal to harvest gamefish with nets, spear guns, or bow and arrow. Black bass, striped bass, white perch, bream and others are all protected from this method of harvest. But redfish are not! It is currently legal to harvest a redfish with a bow and arrow or spear gun. Louisiana is the only state along the Gulf that allows any gamefish to be harvested with an arrow or spear.

Sen. Dan Claitor, R-Baton Rouge, has filed a bill in the Legislature to fix this glitch in our gamefish laws. His bill amends RS 56:320 so that red drum is provided the same protection extended to other species designated as “gamefish.”

CCA Louisiana is not against bow fishing. Amending the current law will still allow bow fishermen to harvest numerous saltwater species in Louisiana’s coastal marshes…..black drum, flounder, and sheepshead…..among others.

REDFISH IS A GAMEFISH IN LOUISIANA! LET’S HELP CHANGE THE LAW TO TREAT THEM THAT WAY!

Sen. Claitor and the members of the Senate and House Natural Resources Committees need to hear from CCA members like you. Please follow the prompts below to send an email of support to Sen. Claitor and members of the committees who will hear the bill.

Thanks for your support of conservation and Louisiana’s iconic gamefish.


What say you guys???
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  #2  
Old 03-31-2010, 01:36 PM
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I don't understand why they are taking on this battle. They had the gamefish status added to keep Redfish from going extinct due go commercial fishing of the species. Their efforts paid off and we have a great fisherie now. But why ban bowfishing? Bowfishing is not harming red numbers one bit.
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  #3  
Old 03-31-2010, 01:52 PM
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Its a "gamefish" YOu can still bowfish. Its also an issue of a few bad seeds ruining it for everyone else. Contrary to what you think, there is much abuse within this "sport". Its not like fishing with rod and reel where you can throw back undersized fish. You shoot it, you kill it. Many examples have been found of dead fish floating next day, or many over limits, or undersized.


ETA - Admins....please move this to Conservation Board.
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  #4  
Old 03-31-2010, 02:04 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cmdrost View Post
Its a "gamefish" YOu can still bowfish. Its also an issue of a few bad seeds ruining it for everyone else. Contrary to what you think, there is much abuse within this "sport". Its not like fishing with rod and reel where you can throw back undersized fish. You shoot it, you kill it. Many examples have been found of dead fish floating next day, or many over limits, or undersized.

ETA - Admins....please move this to Conservation Board.
I agree with this, especially around where I fish. 99% of the locals bow fish and they think the run what goes down there, shooting under sized fish and over limits is always common with them. At least if this law is put up it could cut some of this out, also as stated why do you need to shot reds? Plenty of fun shooting sheephead, flounder and drum. Well just my opinion also like cmdrost said catch a under sized red with rod and reel you can throw him back and every one is happy....
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  #5  
Old 03-31-2010, 02:41 PM
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I have bow fished a few times w/ guides . Never seen an under sized fish shot or any thrown back. . Now maybe ya got outlaws that do this just like you have out laws that keep undersize and over the limit w/ rod and reels.
Just like last time CCA spearheaded something , No biological reason to stop bowfishing for reds . Bow fishermen harvest MAYBE 2% of the redfish that are caught in La, waters.
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  #6  
Old 03-31-2010, 03:08 PM
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CCA not spearheading this.....You honestly think they'd waste their time with this if it wasn't a concern???
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  #7  
Old 03-31-2010, 03:50 PM
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When I got the email, I was kinda pizzed, until I read the whole thing.
For years, I bow hunted Garfish, nothing else. From the looks of the email header,
I thought they were going to try to stop bow hunting fish. Garfish are a dime a
dozen in South La.
What needs to be done if it doesn't pass, is start writing tickets for bow fishermen
who kill undersized fish. If they are not sure of the size, then don't shoot it.
Start writing up the guides who let them shoot undersized fish, or release legal fish
that have been shot.
I know it is hard to check on everyone who is fishing, but if no one gets punished,
what is to stop them from doing it over and over.
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  #8  
Old 03-31-2010, 04:48 PM
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Originally Posted by cmdrost View Post
CCA not spearheading this.....You honestly think they'd waste their time with this if it wasn't a concern???
Yes i do.
and from the emails i got and from a post from david creason they are spearheading this along w/ the sen and jenkins.
And it's only a concern from a certain few folks.
Just like the reduction from 25 trout to 15 trout was over in big lake.
CCA said that they polled the membership and that the majority said reduce. when in fact they only polled members in the L.C. area.
Again ,Just like the reduction ,They have NO biological evidence to support their claims that bow fishing is hurting the red fish and / or that gamefish status means that red fish should not be harvested w/ a bow.
Jenkins claim that bow fishing reds is like shining deer is a big smelly pile of B.S. they do not freeze under the light . In fact the run from it.
Don't believe me ? google bowfishing red fish and watch. or even better do like i told jenkins. Go on a bowfishing trip for yourself.
No one will ever convince me that a sport (bowfishing) that takes less than 2% of the reds harvested every year in louisiana is hurting the overall population .
If the air boats are the problem then they need to police the airboats .
If outlaws are the problem then LDWF needs to hammer them.
But for me to go out in a boat w a few lights and shoot 5 legal reds is no different than anybody else catching them on a rod and reel.
I was a member of CCA at one time and they in my opinion need to leave the fishermen alone and start spending their time worrieing about costal errosion as in a short time we won't need them as we won't have the marsh and fish to worry about.
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  #9  
Old 03-31-2010, 04:54 PM
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Ray,
On the guided trips i have been on i have never seen an undersize fish shot . the capt. or a deckhand will make the call of shoot or not if the shooter is not experianced in judging fish.
i admit there may be unethical guides out there just like there are in rod an reel fishing. They need to be weeded out.
But to ban it is just like saying ,OK since joe blow got caught keeping undersize fish No one can keep fish.
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  #10  
Old 03-31-2010, 05:07 PM
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if you do not support the ban go to http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/b...ishingstopcca/
after you submit your name it says to donate money but dont do it the money is for the site. your signature is already logged
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  #11  
Old 03-31-2010, 05:07 PM
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I would like to see this banned under the premise of more fishermen should catch and release and bow fishing doesn't allow for that. That being said there are very few fishermen that actually catch and release redfish when caught on a rod and reel. So, it seems that my reason for the outlawing is moot.
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  #12  
Old 03-31-2010, 05:09 PM
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i dont bowfish but i dont support anybody taking away a freedom with no corresponding evidence to show there is a reason for doing so...
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  #13  
Old 03-31-2010, 05:18 PM
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man left to his free will, will decimate this planet and all of its resources. I think fishing and bow fishing are privileges not rights. I am not looking to argue I just thought I would give my opinion since I like to hear myself type.
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Old 03-31-2010, 09:15 PM
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I'm with Eman on this. I have never bowfished in my life but don't see why the ban is necessary. It is not like they are throwing dynamite in the water and killing everything in the pond. They can narrrow their kill to what ever they are shooting at and from the post the can distinguish size pretty easily. I don't find that too hard to imagine because I can tell a 13 inch speck from a 12 inch speck by just glancing at it when they are being flipped in the boat. I think the premis that it should be banned just because it has a gamefish status is way off base. As I said earlier they classified Redfish as "gamefish" to end the commercial fishing of the species (first paragraph of their letter in the original post) not to keep them from being taken by bow. As for as "Outlaws" they fish with rods and reels also. And lastly to mediumheavy. They are regulated and can only bag 5.
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  #15  
Old 04-01-2010, 08:15 AM
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eman....you are correct....CCA did only poll LC charles area members. Why would they poll people in New Orleans about trout limits in LC?

CCA hears about new bills daily from Legislators. CCA resently was asked to help stop a bill being introduced to allow gill nets again. Think that was a good one??? You can b**ch about CCA all you want, but they do more good than bad.
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Old 04-01-2010, 02:02 PM
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Originally Posted by cmdrost View Post
eman....you are correct....CCA did only poll LC charles area members. Why would they poll people in New Orleans about trout limits in LC?

CCA hears about new bills daily from Legislators. CCA resently was asked to help stop a bill being introduced to allow gill nets again. Think that was a good one??? You can b**ch about CCA all you want, but they do more good than bad.
No one said CCA has not, and will not, do a great amount of good for our sport.

But I WILL NOT agree with every decision they make just because they did something in the past.
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  #17  
Old 04-01-2010, 08:55 PM
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Originally Posted by cmdrost View Post
eman....you are correct....CCA did only poll LC charles area members. Why would they poll people in New Orleans about trout limits in LC?

CCA hears about new bills daily from Legislators. CCA resently was asked to help stop a bill being introduced to allow gill nets again. Think that was a good one??? You can b**ch about CCA all you want, but they do more good than bad.
yes i know the gill nets come up every year in some form or fashion. and yes cca fights it every time.
BUT, cca said they polled the membership . not just lake charles members . ya'll don't own the lake or the fish . fishermen from all over the country fish big lake. Why should just a few have a say over everyone. Sounds like obama is following the cca handbook.
again there was NO scientific or biological reason to reduce limits just like there is none to support CCAs wanting to outlaw bowfishing.
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  #18  
Old 04-02-2010, 08:08 AM
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SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE - SPR LEVELS WERE BELOW THRESHOLD OF 18 as set by LDWF. Can't get much more scientific than that.
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  #19  
Old 04-02-2010, 12:24 PM
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Originally Posted by cmdrost View Post
SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE - SPR LEVELS WERE BELOW THRESHOLD OF 18 as set by LDWF. Can't get much more scientific than that.
Excuse my ignorance but what is a "SPR Level"?
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  #20  
Old 04-02-2010, 12:32 PM
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Spawning Potential Ratio.....a formula LDWF uses to determine if the stock is healthy. We were well below the threshold at the time of lower limits. I'd be willing to be we are still well below the threshold.
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