New Catch and Release Protected Water on the Smith River

Started by rjs123, November 24, 2009, 17:27:45 PM

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rjs123

I stopped by the canoe launch today to see what the water looked like today before I fished.  There are signs posted across from the canoe launch along the bank from the bridge that marks the end of the special regs to the small creek down stream from the canoe launch.  Im not sure if it extends any farther, I dont think it does, it looks like the signs stop at the creek.

I called Dr. David Jones today to see what he knew about it.  He was busy and Ill call him later this evening to get the details.

I dont think this will be easy to enforce here.  This is a favorite stretch for bait fisherman.  I think its good though. Id like to see if it changes the way this short stretch fishes.

Ill post more details if I find anything else out about it.

Here is a pic of one of the signs.

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Get Bent

Now if we can just get them to do some more of that down here in North Cacalac, and enforce it!

0--0

R


Konichiwa Bitches!

Woolly Bugger

ex - I'm not going to live with you through one more fishing season!
me -There's a season?

Pastor explains icons to my son: you know like the fish symbol on the back of cars.
My son: My dad has two fish on his car and they're both trout!

Al

Sounds good to me but I am not sure where it came from and also the legality of it - I don't think the DGIF are involved. I am checking with some of my sources right now to see what is up - Stand by for more info on this.........................

outdoorguy3

#4
Not done by the state so it's not going to be enforceable.  Nice window dressing by who ever put these signs up, but it's not going to have any kind of effect.  Let the bait guys fish, they buy lic. too!  Besides, even if the bait guys do fish that stretch, they sure as hell don't catch all of the fish.....or so I've been told! ;)

Hope who ever put those signs up makes sure they are taken down when all this hoopla is over.  Don't need any more litter on the river.

Ralph   0--0
Life's about havin' FUN!!!

22midge

Its not legal and will get one hell of a fight started as soon as the stocker fishermen see it. Someone is trying to take a favorite spot away from bank fishermen in hatchery supported water.Not a good way to keep everyone trying to solve the problems .
never let a day go by without telling your children how special they are----make a child smile today and gain a friend for life

rjs123

Quote from: outdoorguy3 on November 24, 2009, 18:39:01 PM
Not done by the state so it's not going to be enforceable.  Nice window dressing by who ever put these signs up, but it's not going to have any kind of effect.  Let the bait guys fish, they buy lic. too!  Besides, even if the bait guys do fish that stretch, they sure as hell don't catch all of the fish.....or so I've been told! ;)

Hope who ever put those signs up makes sure they are taken down when all this hoopla is over.  Don't need any more litter on the river.

Ralph   0--0

Not disagreeing with you Ralph but something I dont understand and maybe you or someone else can explain it to me.

Most people who do bait fish throw the small ones back and keep the 12 inch and larger fish.  If there isnt enough food in the river for the fish to grow properly and it takes years for them to get even 10 inches doesnt it hurt the river to take 12 inch and larger browns? There cant be an unlimited amount of larger fish in the river as slow as they grow. I know they dont get them all, but I have seen people walking away from the river with stringers full of browns.

Like I said, Im not arguing, I really want to understand this.

I'm hoping the next TU meeting with the Smith's biologist will answer some of my questions.  I talk to a lot of bait fisherman on the river,  all the time.  Probably talk to more of them than most of the people on this forum. Ive  got nothing against them.

dossphoto

Bob, I know who did it, I'll fill you in by email or message on Facebook. 

5xTippett

It is only going to cause hard feelings and make it harder to do the things that need to be done to help the river.  I sincerely hope people will go to the TU meeting and listen to Scott and work with him not against him.  Everybody, spin fishermen, bait fishermen and fly fishermen will have to work together or we'll be catching 8 inch browns for the rest of our lives with an occasional exception.

Woolly Bugger

I was thinking it was a little odd looking, but then thought it might be some county sponsored program to promote the fishery...

this sort of thing could cause some unintended backlash...
ex - I'm not going to live with you through one more fishing season!
me -There's a season?

Pastor explains icons to my son: you know like the fish symbol on the back of cars.
My son: My dad has two fish on his car and they're both trout!

outdoorguy3

5X and I have discussed this and I think 5X has even discussed this with Scott the biologist that manages the Smith.  The best thing to do to increase the size of the browns without anything else changing would be to set a slot limit of 12 to 18 inches allowing one fish over 18 and get some of the smaller fish out of the stream.  There are a ton of fish in the stream....too many for the available food sources available to them.

I'm going to do my best to make the TU meeting in Martinsville next week, because i really want to hear what Scott has to say after doing their survey this past summer.

Right now it's not illegal to take the fish the bait guys take so as much as it pains me to see larger browns on the stringer, as long as they aren't breaking the law then there isn't much anybody can do.

Fishing with bait in the Spec. Regs is another story.

Looking froward to the meeting and hearing what the guy that's paid to manage the fishery has to say.

If I get a chance, I may have to sneak up there this Sat. and see if I can still catch a fish on that river.  Hell, it's been so long for me, I might have do mapquest to make sure I still know how to get up there.

Ralph   0--0
Life's about havin' FUN!!!

trouthead

I'm not from NC but it's not a very official looking sign. The bait fisherman aren't doing anything wrong. It's up to the biologists to set the limits. Slot limits have worked well here in TN.

5xTippett

#12
ODG is right on the money.  Right now it is not illegal for people to keep fish over 12 inches.  He is also correct that there are too many fish for the amount of food in the river for the fish to get to their optimum size. The 10 inch browns in that river are 6-7 years old when they should be 3 years old.  The natural mortality is in the high 60's where it should be in the 50's.  These are not signs of an over harvested, under populated stream.  Scott is going to go over all of this at the TU meeting.  I frankly hope everyone will listen to what he has to say because he knows what he is talking about.  He has managed this stream for years and has access to data that nobody else has.  He is also a dam nice guy.  We all had better realize that fly fishermen are in the minority and our rivers belong to everybody whether they fish the way we do or not.

Al

I have checked with all the folks whom I would put on the "usual suspects" list and no one is claiming responsibility. In fact a couple of them thought  I was behind it which is definitely not the case. Interesting...............

I'm with 5x, we need to have a good turn out at the SRTU meeting on Dec 3rd - The DGIF biologist who knows the river from a scientific point of view will lay it all out for us and give his professional opinion on what can realistically be done, short of spending millions which the state or federals do not have,  to improve the fishery.

troutrus

Not sure if I'll be able to make the 12/3 meeting, but would appreciate if someone could ask the biologist how old were the largest trout that were electro-shocked this year. I think they had a couple that were ~17" and was curious as to whether they were older fish or if they were just faster growing fish.

from a post above (see below) it has been indicated that 10" fish are 6-7 years old. Seems I read in the VT study that from 2000-2003, 10" fish were 4 years old and the oldest fish that was aged at that time was 5 yrs old.
Could someone ask the biologist for some information pertaining to length at age and maximum age found in recent surveys.
Thanks!

Quote from: 5xTippett on November 25, 2009, 11:44:25 AM
ODG is right on the money.  Right now it is not illegal for people to keep fish over 12 inches.  He is also correct that there are too many fish for the amount of food in the river for the fish to get to their optimum size. The 10 inch browns in that river are 6-7 years old when they should be 3 years old.  The natural mortality is in the high 60's where it should be in the 50's.  These are not signs of an over harvested, under populated stream.  Scott is going to go over all of this at the TU meeting.  I frankly hope everyone will listen to what he has to say because he knows what he is talking about.  He has managed this stream for years and has access to data that nobody else has.  He is also a dam nice guy.  We all had better realize that fly fishermen are in the minority and our rivers belong to everybody whether they fish the way we do or not.