Thread: 2015 AGFC Proposed Fishing Regulations

Point well taken, Chris, and there are good points on each side of this discussion. I also have hung a few in my day, but they were properly labeled with my name and phone number on them, I hung what was allowed, and stayed with them, or if I left them, I got up before daylight and took them and the fish up. If everyone did that, I'd have no problem whatsoever with their use. But you know the type I'm talking about. The guy whose photo you posted on here yesterday. That's what gets me riled.

Took the survey and I'm for a state wide creel limit of 20 or 25 and length limit of 10"...that's plenty for any individual

Did the survey. I think 30 is too much, I'd rather see 20 or 25 even though I'm currently in the 30 zone. 10" length should not apply to all lakes, too many lakes overpopulated as it is with smaller fish. They are not going to get bigger if you cant lower the population.

Yo Yo's. Touchy subject on here. I use the about 4 to 5 times a year for crappie. Use them twice that for cats. Mine have reflective tape, I count them, they have my current LPN on them, I do not leave them unattented for more than 30 minutes to an hour. Even then, I'm close enough to hear them go off. I understand some lakes like conway have a problem. Lets compare apples to apples, those of you that want them banned, do you really think people will stop using them if they are already breaking the law now? If so, do you favor gun control, or have you thought criminals will just keep being criminals....

Be careful banning certain types of fishing, next thing you know someone will complain about the trollers/spider rigging boats and they will be banned also... As a hunter, I've seen this happen too many times. Once that door is open.... I firmly believe that you will get further by contacting game wardens, get to know them, get their number, call them when you find something illegal, especially if they are marked properly. I'm good friends with a local game warden Tracey Blake. I'd bet you I could call him at 3am to report something and he would be there in under an hour. AGFC does not have enough wardens, while it may not be our job, it is certainly up to us to help ourselves by helping them.

my 2 cents, worth about as much as anyone else's.

My 2 cents ... When did Conway become a crappie fishing only lake? You think it's a good crappie lake , it's an even better flathead lake. It's just "most" ppl don't know how to catch them. I personally limblined hard for a entire month and let me tell ya more work goes into limb lining than crappie fishing ever thought of having.
During this month of limb lining we fished about 75 hooks a day , give or take a few from the channel cat twisting them up. But for evey hook I set out , when we were done fishing we picked back up and brought them home. Every morning we were one of the first boats on the water checking our lines before the sun has risen and then one of the last boats to come off the water in the evening from baiting. This meaning every hook I had out got lifted twice a day whether anyone seen me on that tree or not I was there. As far as cutting down ppls lines , I never cut a one unless it was growed up with moss and a rusted out hook , then I cut it dropped it in my boat and took over the tree. I'm glad I didn't have a problem with anyone cutting my lines bc it wouldn't take much for me to stake the culprit out and pull that ruger blackhawk out from under the steering console and sink a boat from underneath them. Homie don't play games .
My opinion is that the real problem with the yoyos and limblines left hanging is from the residents that live on the lake and just want to fish on the weekends or whenever they feel like it . I'm not saying its only the residents cause lord knows it ain't but the vast majority starts there.
This again in my opinion if the "concerned" fisherman feels that there is a problem out on the water with a specific group of yoyo/limblines then shouldn't it be left at contacting the proper officials? I mean if its a fish hanging and been hanging the entire day you were out there ... .... ... Take it off! I've ran trot lines in gf and put them out in the morning with no bait then leave go catch a bunch of bream and came back and took fish off hooks . One time it happened to be a 40+ lb blue cat. They will hit bare hooks ESP in muddy water with a shiny hook , so there's always the chance that the fish in question wasn't there when the lines were ran that morning. So would this warrant someone to cut ten yoyos and cost someone twenty bucks ??? I don't think so if they were mine somebody would get their head thumped real quick. I would much rather know someone took my fish then cut my lines and get into my wallet bc when you start costing me money I will cost you a dentist appt , I don't mind taking teeth.
And if these methods of fishing are outlawed I suggest we outlaw anything but single poling . I'm a firm believer I'm a good enough fisherman to feed my entire family from one rod why does someone need 4,6,8.

Maybe just have a Conway cleanup day and go take down all illegal devices and turn em into the wardens. 20 boats can cover a lot of water and patrol the lake. Sometimes ya gotta take things into your own hands and help out. Enforcement for a stump ridden lake that is difficult to maneuver around in just proves to be difficult IMO. 2 wardens in a boat in hat lake would have a heck of a day covering the whole lake. Just saying.

I don't feel comfortable saying my opinion on most of the controversial subjects around here. I know my opinions on fishing aren't shared by many who are way better at this than I am.

But until the law changes, these are all just internet discussions. Nothing wrong with that, of course!!! But when it comes to hunting and fishing laws, I've found that opinions are like elbows and ***holes, everyone has one or two. I do too. But.......we don't get to make up our own laws. There's a process for changing them.

Is a fish left on a yo yo that feeds a turtle better or worse than one you jerked the swallowed hook out of and chunked back??? There are many people equally fervent about yo-yo's, limblines, spider rigging, alabama rigs, and even fishing tournaments. Lots of people that care deeply for fish and game have very varied opinions on some things. Just my two cents.

But it irks me too to see unattended dead fish...........especially ones that I can't seem to catch!

Originally Posted by Kayakcrappieman

My 2 cents ... When did Conway become a crappie fishing only lake? You think it's a good crappie lake , it's an even better flathead lake. It's just "most" ppl don't know how to catch them. I personally limblined hard for a entire month and let me tell ya more work goes into limb lining than crappie fishing ever thought of having.
During this month of limb lining we fished about 75 hooks a day , give or take a few from the channel cat twisting them up. But for evey hook I set out , when we were done fishing we picked back up and brought them home. Every morning we were one of the first boats on the water checking our lines before the sun has risen and then one of the last boats to come off the water in the evening from baiting. This meaning every hook I had out got lifted twice a day whether anyone seen me on that tree or not I was there. As far as cutting down ppls lines , I never cut a one unless it was growed up with moss and a rusted out hook , then I cut it dropped it in my boat and took over the tree. I'm glad I didn't have a problem with anyone cutting my lines bc it wouldn't take much for me to stake the culprit out and pull that ruger blackhawk out from under the steering console and sink a boat from underneath them. Homie don't play games .
My opinion is that the real problem with the yoyos and limblines left hanging is from the residents that live on the lake and just want to fish on the weekends or whenever they feel like it . I'm not saying its only the residents cause lord knows it ain't but the vast majority starts there.
This again in my opinion if the "concerned" fisherman feels that there is a problem out on the water with a specific group of yoyo/limblines then shouldn't it be left at contacting the proper officials? I mean if its a fish hanging and been hanging the entire day you were out there ... .... ... Take it off! I've ran trot lines in gf and put them out in the morning with no bait then leave go catch a bunch of bream and came back and took fish off hooks . One time it happened to be a 40+ lb blue cat. They will hit bare hooks ESP in muddy water with a shiny hook , so there's always the chance that the fish in question wasn't there when the lines were ran that morning. So would this warrant someone to cut ten yoyos and cost someone twenty bucks ??? I don't think so if they were mine somebody would get their head thumped real quick. I would much rather know someone took my fish then cut my lines and get into my wallet bc when you start costing me money I will cost you a dentist appt , I don't mind taking teeth.
And if these methods of fishing are outlawed I suggest we outlaw anything but single poling . I'm a firm believer I'm a good enough fisherman to feed my entire family from one rod why does someone need 4,6,8.

Lol!! KCM, you are a trip man. Keep in mind that we are talking about lines and yo-yos that are illegally set and not properly marked. What you describe is legal for the most part. No problem there, as far as I am concerned.
To your comment about hitting people in the pocket book, isnt that the purpose of the game wardens writing tickets? The other day, I fished the same group of trees that had all of the dead fish hanging a few days before, and guess what? All of the yo-yos had been replaced, but every single one of them were marked properly. Within 5 minutes of me showing up in the spot a boat loaded down with three people pulled up giving me the stink eye. I had my paddle in hand, but they never said a word. They just took off the three fish that were hanging and went about their business. I wasnt intimidated, and if they slip up they will be cut again.

Oh I completely agree with taking out the illegal devices (not properly labeled) and the lines that are nasty and hadn't been fished in forever , I think it should be illegal to leave any hook/line unattended for over a week, but that all comes back to how do you prove the last time it was baited ... But I would hate to see ppl like you dealt with ruin something for ppl like me that go about it 100% legal from the word go.

Anyways I didn't mean to offend anyone just offering a different perspective we all know what's right and what's wrong and leaving baited lines unattended ain't right

Y'all keep smoking them big slabs and I'm a shut up and go back to being a trip!!!