# Fwc shocking yellow river



## CatHunter (Dec 31, 2008)

Just herd from one of my buddy's that the FWC has been electro shocking the yellow river in a effort to eliminate all the flathead catfish and they have been doing this all summer long killing thousands of flatheads because ther not a native fish, i dont know about you guys but this kinda up sets me, i mean come on there's better things to spend our tax money on instead of killing them great sport fish, and besides that we have lots of fish that aren't none native that do just fine, hell some of witch the FWC them selves put there. I really did love going to the yellow river hunting them river monsters, But that's just me what do u guys think about this?


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## jim t (Sep 30, 2007)

I'm pretty sure that's NOT their intention. How many native bass, and threatened Gulf Sturgeon would also be killed?

I suggest they were looking for Gulf Sturgeon to stun and tag.

The Sturgeon spend the summer in the river systems spawning. They spend the winter in the Gulf. If you want to get an idea of the local population it's smart to look in confined areas like the yellow river.


Jim


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## WaterRat (Apr 2, 2009)

I don't think shocking kills the fish it just stuns them and they float to the surface. The FWC would then need to harvest the fish, but if they are doing this during the day I would think the flatheads would be in thick cover so they would not float to the surface?


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## Firefishvideo (Jul 1, 2010)

Sounds "fishy" 

Don't think it has anything to do with the sturgeon...It is actually the USFWS that is tagging them, and I rode along with them one day last month.
They use 120' long gill nets and large live wells to catch, hold, tag, and release them unharmed.
If Someone IS doing some kind of weird science ..I'd love to get video of it, Let Me KNOW!


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## Bbagwell (Mar 10, 2010)

Yea, I dont think they would be doing this in order to kill off or regulate the number of flatheads. Like WateRat said, shocking wouldnt kill them, just stun them. But if it was done in an effort to eradicate a certain species, I hope to the all mighty it wouldnt be done on any species of catfish. If anything, and i mean only as a last resort, i would think the cotton fish would be the first on the list as far as voracious predators and over feeders. But they are still a ball to catch.


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## jesse1378 (Mar 29, 2010)

do you by chance know if they are all over the river doing this or are they up river, by the mouth??? we have a bass tournament there next weekend. and i would like to stay away from areas that they are do this.


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## CatHunter (Dec 31, 2008)

Apparently they have been doing so all summer long from the Hwy 87 bridge up to Gin Hole Landing near Crestview.


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## jesse1378 (Mar 29, 2010)

thanks. i havent gone up that far yet, been stayin close to the boat ramp. still gettin use to the new boat.


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## CatHunter (Dec 31, 2008)

thats always a good idea, i got stranded about 7 miles up escambia river one time on a Tuesday night with a dead cell phone, and no other boaters around to help because i was testing a older 25hp jhonson out, when i got ready to come back the pull cord assembly broke, i still get flash backs from time to time of that nightfftopic:


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## Yaksquatch (Mar 23, 2009)

They're probably doing a population/diversity study. Shocking fish to stun them. Collect everything that floats up, ID, count it all, then turn it loose. They could also be shocking to collect striped bass to take to the hatchery in Holt so they can spawn them, raise up the babies and release them next year or 2.

Alex


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## CatHunter (Dec 31, 2008)

there shocking to exterminate the none native flathead catifish in there, so they don't eat all the baby gulf sturgeon that's all ready endangered


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## Bbagwell (Mar 10, 2010)

That sounds a little far fetched to me. But if you are right, it is really unfortunate.


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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

I have been fishing in Texas all month, headed home tomorrow. Flatheads out here have bag and size limits. In FL they are non-native. It's actually against the law to catch one and release it. The "release" part is against the law. Here is an excellent brochure on the flathead in Florida. http://myfwc.com/WILDLIFEHABITATS/Freshwaterfish_FlatheadCatfish.htm

Scroll down to the bottom and click on the pdf brochure. It's a good read.


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## CatHunter (Dec 31, 2008)

i know just about every thing there is too know about my whiskery friends, did u catch any flatheads while u was up there


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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

Naw, only thing we got was a blue about 3 to 4 pounds. After that I got sidetracked by the outstanding bream bite in the same river. Three guys I met went last Wed night and did well. See http://texasfishingforum.com/forums...5547833/South_Texas_Catfishin_Fun#Post5547833

They promised me a trip when I get back out there in the spring.


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## DMC (Nov 28, 2010)

CatHunter said:


> there shocking to exterminate the none native flathead catifish in there, so they don't eat all the baby gulf sturgeon that's all ready endangered


 
First of all the shocking of fish workes on skin fish is what I am told. Now that being said I don't think that the FPWD would be doing a lot of it as it would make the fish sterial.This is what I was told by the TPWD In Tx. I am by no means an expert ,just what I was told.
This being the case it would put all of the Sturgeon in danget as it is also a skin fish.
Just my 2 cence worth.


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## Firefishvideo (Jul 1, 2010)

Hey cathunter, is this STILL just something you heard from a friend, or can someone lend some facts to this thread.....it's been a while since you started it, and I havn't seen any new info surface yet.
I'm just saying......there is a lot of knowledge on this forum, and no-one else has seen or heard of this?
I'm sure you believe this is happening, and it could be possible, but If it can't be verified, all this wild speculation is a wast of time....kill this thread.
Any facts would do, ....where, When, with what, Who saw it happening..ect. 
Given any of these I have people I can ask about it, but I'd feel silly asking Important people about something that sound like myth.


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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

I have read FWC reports releated to bream population determined by shocking methods so it must work on scale fish as well.

However, to determine what is correct the best way to find the truth is go to the right source. Nothing to feel silly about when you are looking for facts


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## Bullshark (Mar 19, 2009)

I saw 3 groups of people shocking the fish in Shark Valley/Everglades last week. I think they are just doing population counts and the fish are fine.


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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

About 6 weeks ago I was crossing the Choctawhatchee River on Hwy 20 and north of the bridge there was a large boat tending a net with floats. It covered about half the river width There are a lot of sturgeon in the area. Most like it was FWC doing some sort of count.


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## Firefishvideo (Jul 1, 2010)

*Shocking confirmed*

I always kind of thought that shocking was a myth, and This thread's lack of facts, and WILD theories had me irritated, but my curiosity won out.......
I checked with my WFC friend, and The answer... is that "Shocking" is a method of fish counting. The info links are below.
I am contacting the Biologist in charge of the USWFS program, and will try and get out and shoot some video of the process for the World Fishing Network. 
It will take some time, but I'll post the link when the story goes on-line.
I just finished my story on the Gulf Sturgeon tagging in Blackwater, and am waiting for it to be posted - hopefully in the next couple of weeks.

http://www.smith-root.com/products/
http://training.fws.gov/EC/Resource...fficiency/ChicketalAirboatEFeffectiveness.pdf


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## L4570 (Oct 19, 2010)

*Shocking*

They are doing research on the sturgeons again. As much as they do this you would think they'd know them all on a first name basis by now. Shocking does kill some of the fish. Usually the smaller fish don't survive, but the larger ones are O.K. This is all dependant on the power level they are using to shock that particular day.


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## Mr. Bostin (Dec 8, 2009)

yea they do that to study the fish. they did it in my lake to test the mercuary levels in the bass. it stuns them temporarily and they float up to the surface so they can get the data they need.


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