# Yellow River Catfish



## billyb (Aug 22, 2012)

I stopped by a friends pond on my way to the river and caught a dozen bream. Fished with rod and reel from 8 to 12. Had one strip the line out, but when I set the hook nothing.

Set out 25 bush hooks before dark. Caught 12 catfish and 1 eel. The 2 flatheads ate soap. Caught them on the same line.


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## jcoss15 (Oct 11, 2010)

Fine mess!


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## CatHunter (Dec 31, 2008)

Starting to see more blues on yellow river


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## billyb (Aug 22, 2012)

People show me pictures all of the time and the fish are always bigger than they look so I weighed each one of these fish. The biggest flathead weighed 9.10, the biggest channel weighed 5.10 and the blue weighed 7.40. After giving some to my parents, the man who gave me the shiners and the friend who let me catch some bream from his pond I still have a freezer full.

I baited my lines with river shiners and soap even though I had 12 bream on board for the rod and reel. I read somewhere that if you set lines you could not have a bream in your possession. I like to set hooks and then fish with the rod and reel after dark. Could this be a problem?


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## Jason (Oct 2, 2007)

That's a mess of fried filets!!!!


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## Try'n Hard (Oct 23, 2008)

Why not? As far as I know bream are legal bait. Somebody tell if they're not before I get in trouble!

Sent from my iPhone using Forum Runner


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## CatHunter (Dec 31, 2008)

Any sunfish are illegal to use on set lines. You can use them on rod n reel.


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## billyb (Aug 22, 2012)

*Lawful Methods for Using Trotlines and Bush Hooks or Set Lines*

Return to Contents​A trotline limited to 25 hooks may be used for taking nongame fish for personal use. Persons operating more than 25 bush hooks or set lines or a trotline using more than 25 hooks are considered to be fishing commercially and must have a commercial license. All game fish taken by trotlines, bush hooks or set lines shall be immediately returned to the water, and it is unlawful to possess any game fish while operating trotlines, bush hooks or set lines.

I found this on the FWC site. What do you think it means?


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## jcoss15 (Oct 11, 2010)

We do it all the time, set a few lines with shrimp or shiners, then catch a few bream to fish with rod and reel. I don't see how they could do anything to you without catching you in the act of baiting a line with a bream. Most GW know people use bream for r&r so I don't think it should be a problem...good question though we do it all the time and I have never really thought about it.


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## billyb (Aug 22, 2012)

The FWC site states "it is unlawful to possess any game fish while operating trotlines, bush hooks or set lines", but as long as I am not using the bream for my lines I don't see where I should have a problem.


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## DMC (Nov 28, 2010)

billyb said:


> The FWC site states "it is unlawful to possess any game fish while operating trotlines, bush hooks or set lines", but as long as I am not using the bream for my lines I don't see where I should have a problem.


I think that the key word here operating. As long as you are not setting or running lines I would think you would be safe.
Any where I have fished a game fish was never allowed as bait either as cut bait or live on any type of lines including rod and reel.
I think the dump part of the law is that you can use sunfish on rod and reel but not on any type of lines. a game fish is just that a game fish. I know what some will say. It's their law to do as they want and you would be right.
The next dumb thing is to make a sunfish a game fish.
Ok that's my view now I'm ready for the ass chewing.


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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

From billyb:
"The FWC site states "it is unlawful to possess any game fish while operating trotlines, bush hooks or set lines", but as long as I am not using the bream for my lines I don't see where I should have a problem."

I agree with billyb but the word "possess" could cause a problem with a literal interpretation of the law. It's a very common practice to check a trotline or brush hooks and in between checks go fish for bream or bas and maybe catch a few. I think should this be the case when a Wildlife Officers comes along it's going to depend on what sort of common sense might be applied to the given incident. Seems to me this needs to be clarified in the law


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## billyb (Aug 22, 2012)

I just called the FWC and the man I talked to said if I run bush hooks I cannot have a bream in the boat. I can either set bush hooks or fish with rod and reel. That means I will have to set my lines and go all of the way back to my truck and get my bait and gear to fish with a rod and reel. I guess I will have to decide if I want to do one or the other before I leave the landing because I usually go about 3 to 4 miles up or down river to set my lines.


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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

I'm not surprised at the FWC answer. It' either or, but not both! This is a gotcha rule that needs some adjustment to make it more fair.


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## DMC (Nov 28, 2010)

That's one of the points I was trying to make Walt. I am always carrying other gear in the boat that is kept in storage boxes.
I could get in trouble as the law reads with trot line or limb lines and not even be using them and just be bream fishing.
It's like you said the way some of them read is confusing.
Like on the trot line. It reads that if you have more than 25 hooks on a trot line you need a commercial license.
So can I put out 5 lines with 10 hooks since there is no more than 25 per line?


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## DMC (Nov 28, 2010)

Billb what kind of soap are you using or you making your own?
The reason I ask is because I made my own once


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## billyb (Aug 22, 2012)

I use Ivory bar soap. Tried Zote, but Ivory seems to catch more fish. When I set up river the next morning I like to take up my lines and drag a chain back down bass fishing. Now if I catch a bass and keep it I am afraid I will be breaking the law.


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## DMC (Nov 28, 2010)

billyb said:


> I use Ivory bar soap. Tried Zote, but Ivory seems to catch more fish. When I set up river the next morning I like to take up my lines and drag a chain back down bass fishing. Now if I catch a bass and keep it I am afraid I will be breaking the law.


Ok thanks . I was going to send you a pm but guess that's been changed up or I haven't found it yet


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## jcoss15 (Oct 11, 2010)

billyb said:


> I just called the FWC and the man I talked to said if I run bush hooks I cannot have a bream in the boat. I can either set bush hooks or fish with rod and reel. That means I will have to set my lines and go all of the way back to my truck and get my bait and gear to fish with a rod and reel. I guess I will have to decide if I want to do one or the other before I leave the landing because I usually go about 3 to 4 miles up or down river to set my lines.


Man that sucks and it's stupid, I've been breaking the law for a long time then...


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## Try'n Hard (Oct 23, 2008)

Yup. I'm going to jail for sure, y'all think Bama is the same rule?


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## CatCrusher (Jan 18, 2009)

Try'n Hard said:


> Yup. I'm going to jail for sure, y'all think Bama is the same rule?


Not even close. Unlimited hooks and a creel limit of bream per person. Bream must be caught with a hook.


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## drifterfisher (Oct 9, 2009)

I've had dealings with a real douch on yellow one evening, We were camping and had lines set out, 25 per person, and were fishing from the bank with r&r at the camp site. The FWC officer gave me a "warning" for having more than 25 hooks on the boat, not lines made up already, but what every tackle box has, extra hooks. Said he could write a ticket for every hook over the limit of 25, just because we had lines out. Be careful, if he's wanting to be a douch bag you could wind up with a serious fine. Our "officer" said he didn't want to do all the paperwork involved in that many infractions so he let us go with a warning. Many of you local boys know exactly who I'm referring to, been harassing hunters and fishers for years on yellow.


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## DMC (Nov 28, 2010)

drifterfisher said:


> I've had dealings with a real douch on yellow one evening, We were camping and had lines set out, 25 per person, and were fishing from the bank with r&r at the camp site. The FWC officer gave me a "warning" for having more than 25 hooks on the boat, not lines made up already, but what every tackle box has, extra hooks. Said he could write a ticket for every hook over the limit of 25, just because we had lines out. Be careful, if he's wanting to be a douch bag you could wind up with a serious fine. Our "officer" said he didn't want to do all the paperwork involved in that many infractions so he let us go with a warning. Many of you local boys know exactly who I'm referring to, been harassing hunters and fishers for years on yellow.



You know Jared this is the type that gives all the good leo's and GW a bad name.
He is breaking the same laws that he has taken an oath to uphold.
By the way did you start laughing at him when he said he could give a ticket for every hook over 25? I would have.
That's why he didn't write the ticket as he knew he was wrong.


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