05-11-2014, 12:32 AM
I agree. I know not everyone likes catfish but a lot of us do. The Red River in Manitoba has a good program and the average Channel cat below the lockport dam is 30 pounds. If I remember right there is no limit under 24". Above that you can keep one per year. I don't know if I would like it that stringent but I would go with what other states say, and do one fish per day over 28". What I like about that is if you catch a state record you can keep it to enter the fish. If you accidentally injure a large fish and it is not going to make it your good to go. I have my own guide lines that I try to stick with. I don't like keeping any fish over 24". If I injure one or something I will keep them but I try to stay under that. I also never keep more than I can use that should be a given. I also try to only keep males if I can. In the spring it is easier to tell the difference but even at that I still mess up once and a while.
What kills me is the guys that have 30,40,50 fish and a lot of them are over 24". Nothing was thrown back. I did that once. My first time fishing for cats in Brownlee I was on a roll and we clobbered them. I have felt bad about that ever since.
The catfishing in Idaho is amazing. Our Catch rates here in Idaho are as high or higher than a lot of the southern states that are famous for catfishing. But we don't have a super over all size. I read a report that Idaho has over 30% harvest on the overall population every year. With that kind of harvest I do believe that a harvest limit and a size limit is in order. Everyone would like to see carp removed. Large cats do that but they have to get big. A 20" catfish is a perfect size to eat. But that fish is not much threat to a carp over 3 or 4" long. A 40" cat is hell on large carp.
Flatheads are listed as a Trophy fish. Yet they are not treated any different than a carp. Flatheads are slow to grow and they are limited in reproduction. If any fish in the state deserves protection it is Flatheads. And it is flatheads that have the best potential to remove carp from the system. Ron
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What kills me is the guys that have 30,40,50 fish and a lot of them are over 24". Nothing was thrown back. I did that once. My first time fishing for cats in Brownlee I was on a roll and we clobbered them. I have felt bad about that ever since.
The catfishing in Idaho is amazing. Our Catch rates here in Idaho are as high or higher than a lot of the southern states that are famous for catfishing. But we don't have a super over all size. I read a report that Idaho has over 30% harvest on the overall population every year. With that kind of harvest I do believe that a harvest limit and a size limit is in order. Everyone would like to see carp removed. Large cats do that but they have to get big. A 20" catfish is a perfect size to eat. But that fish is not much threat to a carp over 3 or 4" long. A 40" cat is hell on large carp.
Flatheads are listed as a Trophy fish. Yet they are not treated any different than a carp. Flatheads are slow to grow and they are limited in reproduction. If any fish in the state deserves protection it is Flatheads. And it is flatheads that have the best potential to remove carp from the system. Ron
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