S.T.A.R (Before & After Creel Change)

["W"]

I have said this all alone also...you can only hold so many fish in a given area! If you stop fishing for 10 years it will not matter! You will still only be able to hold that X amount of fish! I have no problem with the 15 limit but I have concerns that it is not the best thing for trout growth. Guides have no problems putting 45 to 60 trout in the boat..... Big trout have declined and declined and your more common limits are 12-15 inch trout . Its rare to have a 3lb adv 30 trout box like 8-10 years ago!

[Feesherman]

Originally Posted by "W"

I have said this all alone also...you can only hold so many fish in a given area! If you stop fishing for 10 years it will not matter! You will still only be able to hold that X amount of fish! I have no problem with the 15 limit but I have concerns that it is not the best thing for trout growth. Guides have no problems putting 45 to 60 trout in the boat..... Big trout have declined and declined and your more common limits are 12-15 inch trout . Its rare to have a 3lb adv 30 trout box like 8-10 years ago!

This is true and you cannot compare oysters to trout. Trout are the wild hogs of the salt water. Reproduce like crazy. It's takes a long time for oysters to grow and reproduce! I find it very disturbing to alter fishing/hunting oppurtunities based on a survey rather than any biological evidence!

["W"]

another thing I can add........ Off the top of my head I would say I know 8 guides who could put 100 trout in the boat daily.......with artificial bait only!

Back when the limit was 25 per person they still had lots of guides only coming in with half their limit.

Even when strike nets were legal and trout were being taken out in huge numbers , you still could go catch 100 trout easy.

Back when my dad and grand paw fished the lake the limits were none and 50 per person.......Dad told me he would have 150 2-5lb trout in the boat by 10am most of the time.....

[SaltyShaw]

Originally Posted by "W"

another thing I can add........ Off the top of my head I would say I know 8 guides who could put 100 trout in the boat daily.......with artificial bait only!

Back when the limit was 25 per person they still had lots of guides only coming in with half their limit.

Even when strike nets were legal and trout were being taken out in huge numbers , you still could go catch 100 trout easy.

Back when my dad and grand paw fished the lake the limits were none and 50 per person.......Dad told me he would have 150 2-5lb trout in the boat by 10am most of the time.....

That would be nice . . . . good ole slabs for dinner

[cmdrost]

Originally Posted by chasin'tail

I went to the meeting with the biologists, no one would listen to what they had to say. The guides and the CCA got what they wanted, with no science to backup the new creel limits on BL. Call Mike Harbison he'll tell ya. Its all about the bucks... the fish over 5-6 lbs makeup less that 1% of the population. I don't have a problem with 15 fish, but the 2 only over 25" isn't needed. We have the biosystem to support the 12" 25 limit without hurting the fishery.

NICE 1st post. I was there too. Its funny thats how you remember it.......Biologists wanted to go to 10 or fewer!!! CCA said that was too big of a reduction and it wouldn't make anyone happy. FACT: Trout SPR limits were below and are still below the thresh-hold set by our very own LDWF.....meaning a declining stock.

W. You've fished long enough to know the big fish come in cycles. Look at this Year! You conveinently left that out. Several 8's on the board and numerous 9 & 10 lb trout caught by others.

["W"]

Originally Posted by cmdrost

NICE 1st post. I was there too. Its funny thats how you remember it.......

Chas....Whats your thoughts on the decline in big trout being caught in the STAR ...

With out using More boats on the water, because back in 2003-05 gas was cheep and the pilgrims were just as thick as ever....Just like today Heberts would be full to the rim with boats...


IMO...It started to decline when the limits were dropped....IMO we are keeping more small fish in the lake and the bigger ones are just not staying and hanging around as long.

["W"]

Yes big fish are still caught and yes 9lbrs and 10lber yet rare are still landed but Jack C had 10 over 9 in his freezer for a stringer mount and lost it in Rita....to this day he has not boated but one 9lbers..... There is a reason for the big trout decline

[cmdrost]

Originally Posted by "W"

Chas....Whats your thoughts on the decline in big trout being caught in the STAR ...

With out using More boats on the water, because back in 2003-05 gas was cheep and the pilgrims were just as thick as ever....Just like today Heberts would be full to the rim with boats...


IMO...It started to decline when the limits were dropped....IMO we are keeping more small fish in the lake and the bigger ones are just not staying and hanging around as long.

More boats on the water....

Really don't know my man. Your theory is valid no doubt. But trout are carniverous. So to say the big ones don't stick around doesn't really jive. Why would they leave? Plenty of food. If they can't find shrimp or mullet, big trout will eat little trout. Overcrowding? I don't think so.

Also, you could ask the people like the Poes, or Stansels, and they'll tell you big trout come in cycles. They've kept books for a long time too.

[Super Spook]

I am hoping on the cycles theory as well Chas.

W, don't you think that with drastic increase in guides and pressure on the Lake that there are probably just as many Trout being taken out when it was 25 and less boats? I can't get over the number of boats that I am seeing on the lake.

["W"]

Originally Posted by Super Spook

I am hoping on the cycles theory as well Chas.

W, don't you think that with drastic increase in guides and pressure on the Lake that there are probably just as many Trout being taken out when it was 25 and less boats? I can't get over the number of boats that I am seeing on the lake.

No I dont...Reason is 70% of the boats dont catch fish.... Like said before when a study was check it was like 5 trout per boat...

300 boats that is 1500 trout

I would say on weekends its less than 5 trout per boat.... You would be surprised at what you would see at the landings....

They had a game warden checking for redfish last year at Heberts (wanted ear bones)....out of 145 boats in one day ....she checked it has less than one red per boat..and she said about 3 trout....

guides will take the numbers and the rest are well below adv....

Sit at Hebert and drink beer about 12...and ask to look at every icechest that comes in and count.....I never counted but I have ask....lol....

If you catch 3000 trout today....the tide will bring 3000 in...and the tide will send half back out to never return...
Have you ever fished offshore for trout? I bet less than half those trout never come into a lake...

I have tagged about 60 trout at the 1st rigs and never had them caught anywhere yet

["W"]

and one more thing...all the boats is probably a good thing for the trout....More boats = less fish caught..because i cant count how many times some yonk has killed by bite ....

and with 300 boats in turners chasing birds or just fishing..... I would promise 20 boats in turners will catch more than 300 boats all day

[Super Spook]

Originally Posted by "W"

No I dont...Reason is 70% of the boats dont catch fish.... Like said before when a study was check it was like 5 trout per boat...

300 boats that is 1500 trout

I would say on weekends its less than 5 trout per boat.... You would be surprised at what you would see at the landings....

They had a game warden checking for redfish last year at Heberts (wanted ear bones)....out of 145 boats in one day ....she checked it has less than one red per boat..and she said about 3 trout....

guides will take the numbers and the rest are well below adv....

Sit at Hebert and drink beer about 12...and ask to look at every icechest that comes in and count.....I never counted but I have ask....lol....

If you catch 3000 trout today....the tide will bring 3000 in...and the tide will send half back out to never return...
Have you ever fished offshore for trout? I bet less than half those trout never come into a lake...

I have tagged about 60 trout at the 1st rigs and never had them caught anywhere yet

I do get your point and I know there are a bunch of pilgrims out there, but it seems there are also alot more guides as well.

I have read the trout don't come in and out of the Lake like many thought they did.

I can also attest that catching consistently on Big Lake is challenging unless you put your time in. Not any Joe blow can launch and come back with a limit. You put in your water time to catch like you do I'm sure.

[SaltyShaw]

Originally Posted by "W"

Sit at Hebert and drink beer about 12...and ask to look at every icechest that comes in and count.....I never counted but I have ask....lol....

You bring the beer and we will have a little survey!

[Super Spook]

Originally Posted by SaltyShaw

You bring the beer and we will have a little survey!

That would be fun. If I hear someone tell me they caught a mess of puppy drum I would lose it.

[SaltyShaw]

I just spat all over the screeeeen hahahahaha!!!
Ill cut a trip short if i dont have my limit by noon to do this, seriously lol

[Feesherman]

Originally Posted by "W"

and with 300 boats in turners chasing birds or just fishing..... I would promise 20 boats in turners will catch more than 300 boats all day

You can get a lot of cheetos for cheap at sams. Spill em out on da way to da south end. Frees up da good spots down south.

[SaltyShaw]

Originally Posted by Feesherman

You can get a lot of cheetos for cheap at sams. Spill em out on da way to da south end. Frees up da good spots down south.

Not a bad idea

[inchspinner]

Buy more cheetos....:

[Feesherman]

Originally Posted by inchspinner

Buy more cheetos....:

It really works. Try it, and see how many boats rush up to da birds feedin on cheetos!

[chasin'tail]

If the CCA and the guides wanted to protect their industry, it would have been better to set limits on your 2-4 lb fish. These are your brood stock group-limiting the # of these size fish in the old (25) limit would have been a smarter approach to helping the speck #'s.