Corpusfishing.com

reallifetexan · Pony Mullet Joined: 08 Jun 2013 Posts: 77

I was fishing with my youngest son today, and he caught a nice 23" trout. We understand the new regs and released it. Unfortunately, the trout had swallowed the hook. This wasn't a situation where the hook was barely in the stomach - I could barely see the hook at all it was so deep inside this trout. So we just cut the line and let her go, but it was pretty clear that she wasn't going to make it. She kept sinking to the bottom, and we kept picking her up and reviving her (this was on shallow flats), and she eventually was able to swim out of sight, but I'd say the probability's low for survival.

Now for my one request - instead of having a tag for one trout over 30" to be kept, like I believe the new regs state, I'd rather the tag be for one trout over 20" to be kept, so in situations like this, we could have kept the trout and not wasted it, and forfeited our chance to keep a bigger trout. I don't even want to keep a bigger trout - if I ever caught a 30"+ trout, I'd release it regardless. Having this large hole in the slot (>20" to 30") seems like an invitation for lots of injured trout to be "released" while the largest breeders (30"+) can be removed? Why not make the slot range like redfish, where it's continuous - keeper red slot is 20-28", have one tag for 1 red >28" per year. Again, I don't want to keep any bull reds, but I have kept a 29" red before and used my tag for the very same reason - swallowed the hook and wasn't going to make it, so don't waste such a beautiful fish.

Notice I'm not even arguing with the 3 fish limit. I know some have strong emotions about this new lower limit, but I'm just rolling with it in the spirit of conservation. I'm not trying to open the larger can of worms here on this 3 fish limit, I just don't like to waste quality fish like I feel we had to do today.

I gave this feedback to TPWD during the period where feedback was accepted, but it didn't do any good. Whenever anyone on this board becomes queen or king for a day, please fix this.

CaptinAcademy · Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2024 10:20 pm Post subject:

What he said! ^^^
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Steve-O
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My biggest worry is that my wife (when I'm dead) will sell my fishing gear for what I said I paid for it. ~Koos Brandt

captfrankie · Posted: Tue Jun 18, 2024 8:42 am Post subject: Spotted Weakfish

Lets call it what it is.

The meaning of SPOTTED SEA TROUT is a weakfish (Cynoscion nebulosus) that is a valuable food and sport fish of the southern Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the U.S. —called also sea trout, speckled trout, spotted weakfish.

Years ago when the Powers that be went from 10 to 5 , local Guide Ron Behnke said if the fishery is in such bad shape make it where you cant keep any.

Having a slot limit is ignorant.

While I'm at it The CCA a ( conservation ) group holds the biggest kill tournament on the Gulf Coast. By getting you to join they have great lobbying numbers and a few elitists making big money
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red jkg · Posted: Wed Jun 19, 2024 7:09 am Post subject:

I’ve always believed if a fish has swallowed the hook, we should be allowed to cut the line to show the hook is to deep to remove and then keep the fish. Releasing a fish in this situation is releasing a fish to die.

kweber · Posted: Wed Jun 19, 2024 8:32 am Post subject:

I completely agree....
time for a little common sense
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Central Scrutinizer · Posted: Wed Jun 19, 2024 10:00 am Post subject:

It's ........ complicated.
The situation you describe (and I totally agree, a deep hooked trout has a nearly zero % survival rate) is actually accounted for in modern stock assessment models. There are 3 major components of F (fishing mortality), outside of M (natural mortality). One deals with the numbers/pounds/length frequencies that are observed at the landing point. Another deals with 'dead discards' at sea, and what their numbers/pounds/length frequencies are (almost always estimated). And the third deals with catch&release delayed mortality (again, a wild ballpark estimate).

It all boils down to nailing the effort (i.e., the people side of the equation) on the population, and having reasonable estimates for A, B1, and B2 F components of mortality numbers.

Is it a perfect system? No.
But I tell people that think counting fish ought to be like counting trees in a forest.
Yea nah, it's dark, and you can't see the trees, and the tress move around! Shocked

rodandroll · Posted: Wed Jun 19, 2024 5:30 pm Post subject: Re: Spotted Weakfish

reallifetexan · Pony Mullet Joined: 08 Jun 2013 Posts: 77

CS, I understand the math, and how they estimate mortality based on the different variables. That all makes sense. My point is not with the modeling or estimating, it's only what to do with the fish that it seems everyone agrees are going to die. The rules say I have to give it to the crabs, while I'd rather not waste it and would instead prefer to eat it. As a previous poster said, if I can show the game warden that the fish is gut hooked, then I should be able to harvest the meat. That's all I'm saying. Makes me feel quilty for a long time when I have to release a fish I know will die. I don't feel guilty if I eat it - that's the natural order of things on this planet.