TX Catfish Laws changed

[Scott M]

ESPN News Services

Catching catfish with your bare hands -- a practice allowed in only 17 other states -- may soon be legal in Texas.

A bill approved last week would make noodling legal in Texas, as it is in neighboring Oklahoma.

ESPN highlighted noodling in an award-winning feature by reporter Wright Thompson last year.

Noodling is the practice of using a person's hands to find the fish in underwater nooks, then to get the fish to latch onto the noodler's arm with their mouths. Sometimes, the noodler can get their hands in the catfish's gills.

The noodler then takes the fish to a boat or to shore and gets the fish to let go of the arm. It is often a two-person job, as catfish can grow to nearly 50 pounds.

Currently, people caught noodling are subject to fines of up to $500 in Texas.

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But it's going to devastate the fishery. Oops, wrong thread!

[goblueM]

huh, interesting. There's been several research projects in Missouri and Mississippi documenting the impact of noodling on catfish populations. Essentially, so few folks do it, and some release the fish, so the researchers concluded that this method of fishing will have minimal effects.

Mostly just a cultural thing. Definitely more focus on catfish regs around the country, and thats a good thing

[DTro]

The part of this that never really gets mentioned much is that folks build "nesting boxes" which equates to nothing much more than trapping fish. Then they just go in there and grab the thing.

Not something I'd ever want to try but whatever floats your boat I guess.

[Larry FlatCaster]

legal in 17 states? I thought it was only 4 for some reason.... Hmmm.

[Gordie]

legal in 17 states? I thought it was only 4 for some reason.... Hmmm.

Thats what I thought and can you use two hands or did that get shot down

[goblueM]

nope only one hand

[Larry FlatCaster]

Thats what I thought and can you use two hands or did that get shot down

Elwood.... I can't wait to get my hands on you.... Smart guy!

[rbs]

I could see how it could harm the fish but the redneck in me really wants to try it out lol

[pureinsanity]

I cant wait for some snappers to take some fingers!

[Ed Carlson]

It should be banned...the ONLY reason a cat will sit still, stand it's ground under attack, and allow itself to be pulled out of a hole, log, or box...is because it's on a nest.

Then the nest is abandoned if the fish is harvested and then the nest is lost to scavangers...or destroyed by the trashing about of the Noodeler and the Cat even if it's C&R Noodeling.

They don't ever mention that on the Hillbilly Channel now do they?

Very Bad practice...and should be stopped to protect the long term health of the fishery's.

[Gordie]

I dont think you can compare the catfishery from down south to up here in the north. they have a way better chance to grow faster in the south than up here in the cold waters of the north.

Besides they been hand catching cats as long as they've been hook and line fishin them and they still seem to do alright.

[skolvikesallday]

It should be banned...the ONLY reason a cat will sit still, stand it's ground under attack, and allow itself to be pulled out of a hole, log, or box...is because it's on a nest.

Then the nest is abandoned if the fish is harvested and then the nest is lost to scavangers...or destroyed by the trashing about of the Noodeler and the Cat even if it's C&R Noodeling.

They don't ever mention that on the Hillbilly Channel now do they?

Very Bad practice...and should be stopped to protect the long term health of the fishery's.

Great point. I have heard about noodling a lot in the last 10 years and I always had the same question:

What is wrong with the catfish down south that they just sit there and let someone stick a hand in their mouth and pull them out? Why don't they swim away when they see/hear/feel a 250 pound guy moving around in the water near them.

It makes perfect sense that they are probably on nests when they get pulled out. If that is indeed the case, then this practice needs to be banned.

[PoorWordUsage] like this makes me happy that I live in a state with pretty strict fishing regulations, even if I don't agree with every specific rule.

And yea, the whole losing a hand to a snapper thing would seem like a slight drawback to this type of fishing as well... but then again these snappers probably aren't on a nest and will run away when they sense humans near.

[Gordie]

I'm not saying I totally agree with noodling but its like spearing up here its tradition JMO

[Scott K]

I think they should allow noodling for muskies up here

[mainbutter]

If that is indeed the case

It is a well known fact that it is the case.

[fishuhalik]

I think they should allow noodling for muskies up here

the only law the dnr will never have to enforce. the first time you do it is the last!

[goblueM]

I'm not saying I totally agree with noodling but its like spearing up here its tradition JMO

+1

as for Ed's points, southern fisheries are a lot different than far northern ones. They have so much more productivity in their waters. They allow trotlines, jug lines, fishing with 50 hooks. Catfish populations are still booming in most areas, despite liberalized harvest regs. A few noodlers running around grabbing fish off nests has such a minimal impact it doesn't really even make a difference. Its hard to do, but I think this is a situation in which we have to consider all the differences between fisheries and consider the context of the regulation

[Ed Carlson]

There is a good reason they are imposing this ban, numbers of adults are on the decline, in particular Flatheads. Reproduction is down, Young new stock is down, hence the new laws.

I know many cat-men from the south and all over the central and eastern cat belt...they see the same thing. Waters were Noodling and commercial cat'n has taken it's toll are loosing there larger brood stock and reproduction is falling quickly. Cat men are behind these new laws and initiatives just as much as the state agencies.

Commercial fishing is also a big detriment on many fisheries. Cats that are Noodled from public waters, or taken on set lines, are taken to "Pay To Fish Lakes" and sold like cattle....then they charge the public for the right to fish them...BOGUS!

I do not know how they get away with that but it has been in practice for years. It's like me darting deer off state and public lands, and then penning them up in my back yard and selling the rights to shoot them to others.

You will see some interesting new articles in the Cat Trades soon on these issues. Areas of concern and a growing support for change from anglers and state agencies alike all over the USA.

[DTro]

Ed is spot on.

What we see is goofy reality shows and having a little laugh with those “silly southern folks”. But the REAL reality is that the wild fish are being traded and sold and put into “Pay” lakes. Simply, put down a nest box, wait for a big girl to show up and then (legal or not) take it out of their habitat and makes a few bucks on it.

These pay lakes are scary things, as often as I criticize our DNR, there are some real issues that I’m glad they step in on and outlaw it (such as noodling, trot lines and paylakes).

Check out “Match Fishing”. It’s the newest rage of organized contests in paylakes, which is all fine and good if the fish are stocked legally, but in most cases sadly they are not. In the cover of darkness these fish are being moved from old home to new home.

[Ed Carlson]

Actually I too will give the MN DNR and the ND G&F very high marks on looking at catfish as a long term resource, and strive to manage it as such.

New initiatives are in the works to better manage this regional fishery with the help of angler input from all over the tri-state region.

The Red River is a good example of constitutive catfish management practices that insured a long term trophy fishery with sustainable harvest built into it. From one end to the other, including out fellow catfish Bro's in Canada, anglers pushed for and achieved daily limits and size restrictions. This insured a healthy balance to the harvest ratio to keep older brood stock in place. Catfish take a long time to develop here so this is a key element to long term management.

I remember the days when no limits existed on the Red River and trucks with freezers filled to capacity took our channel cats South "for personal use". Personal use my @ss..BOGUS...they went for re-sale. Very pleased to see those days are over. If actions were not taken when it was, the Red River catfish fishery would have been decimated.

It is great to see the DNR and G&F taking catfish as serious as the other game fish now. Plus they really want our input. It is always a plus to see that level of commitment.

[Mike Steckelberg]

Its not the few people that noodle that create a problem. I believe noodling should be legal everywhere as long as nest boxes aren't used. Catching a catfish by hand in their natural habitat is by far more challenging than catching one any other way. I agree with not allowing big fisheries taking catfish out of the wild or having pay lakes, but noodling itself I believe should be legal in all states.