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Does commercial fishing affect your fishing area?

3K views 26 replies 21 participants last post by  hdfatboy29 
#1 ·
This last weekend, me and JetDoc and my son went down to the Ohio River near Derby Indiana. We have been there before and caught lots of nice fish, but this past weekend, we caught 2 small channels and 1 buffalo. That was it for 3 days of fishing. The thing is: The last time we were there, I saw no commercial nets, but this time we saw at least 15 in a 2 mile stretch and we saw the people working them. We drifted and anchored both deep and shallow and could not buy a bite. Had fresh shad and skippies too. Ive seen some other reports from the river where people caught fish at other locations, so I ask...Can commercial fishing on such a big river really make that much of a difference? I say yes based on our results, but I want to hear what everyone else says.
 
#3 ·
i fish a medium sized river here in arkansas that has 5 commercial fishermen fishing the stretch of river that i fish. any deep holes where fish would hold are covered up with hoop nets. commercial fishermen in arkansas have no limits on the amount of fish that they can catch. they are allowed nets with mesh down to 1/2 inch called fiddler nets. fishing sucks in this river anywhere close to a boat ramp. if you want good fishing you have to travel 10 miles or so from the ramps to catch fish. with fish farming becoming popular, i think commercial fishing should be outlawed.
 
#4 ·
we've got the same problem here ,100ft long gill nets they use for catching paddlefish seems like since the commercial season opened i've only caught like three fish :angry::angry: had a friend drift into one of these nets, i would be really ticked if that had happened to me it was bad enough these guys were laying a net out just downriver of me as i was drift fishing that way, i should've drifted right into it and then proceeded to hack it up but i was by myself and two of them:angry::angry::angry:
 
#5 ·
http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/files/2006_Ohio_River_Commercial_Fisheries_Rpt.pdf

I have no doubt commercial fishing is having a negative impact on the Ohio. Indiana banned sport fishing for paddlefish under the guise of conservation. At the same time selling unlimited commercial license to gill net all that could be caught, Research shows that 92% is by catch with no commercial value. Some 71% will be dead in the net. We have always had the hoop nets but the greed for roe is ruining our fishery.

 
#6 ·
http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/files/2006_Ohio_River_Commercial_Fisheries_Rpt.pdf

I have no doubt commercial fishing is having a negative impact on the Ohio. Indiana banned sport fishing for paddlefish under the guise of conservation. At the same time selling unlimited commercial license to gill net all that could be caught, Research shows that 92% is by catch with no commercial value. Some 71% will be dead in the net. We have always had the hoop nets but the greed for roe is ruining our fishery.
i agree with that
 
#8 ·
we've got the same problem here ,100ft long gill nets they use for catching paddlefish seems like since the commercial season opened i've only caught like three fish :angry::angry: had a friend drift into one of these nets, i would be really ticked if that had happened to me it was bad enough these guys were laying a net out just downriver of me as i was drift fishing that way, i should've drifted right into it and then proceeded to hack it up but i was by myself and two of them:angry::angry::angry:
That is bad. Ban the comercial fishers for spoon and cats in ya state push to get the laws changed. I am glad Mo did on the Mo river only place left in Mo ya can comercial fish for catfish and spoons is the Miss river. Fact comercial fishing fishin has destroyed fish stocks worse than the recreational guys could ever think of.
 
#10 ·
Back in 2000 i think it was ,we were going to Masons inlet at Wrightsville bch an fishing for speckle trout an doing good for a bout 2 weeks .Then 1 afternnon a guy came in there an set 2 gill nets ,caught lots of speckled trout that day ,he was back he next day an got a few .After those 2 days with the nets in there the r&r fishing for that year went to nothing . He was fishing legaly but he sure messed it up for about 10 -15 people that were fishing there before he came in with the nets .
 
#11 ·
The netting is the problem, This stretch of the Arkansas river absolutely sucks for fishing. I live close to the Oklahoma line and as soon as you cross over into Oklahoma the fishing is great on the same river. They DO NOT allow netting in Oklahoma. And starting January 1st the new 30 inch rule goes int affect. I don't think the commercial fisherman are the problem it's the laws or lack there of that govern commercial fishing, the methods they can use and the size and numbers of fish they can keep.
 
#12 ·
The commercial guys that work the section of the TN River where I used to spend most of my time have made a huge impact on the fish in THAT section of river, can they hurt the overall population?? , I really dont think so but they have really over fished that section of the river so bad that im looking for new water to spend my fishing time in, and I hate that, I have spent a lot of time learning that section of the river...:angry:

And on another note, on the same subject, I was a big supporter of CPR untill I saw with my own eyes what a commercial guy takes out of my river in ONE day, X how many com. boats,, Its more that I will catch in two years time with rod and reel "and I fish a bunch", and they are doing that every day,,,huge amount of fish...:eek:oooh:,, Im not so big on it now, I still set free big fish and only take what I can use, but untill something changes with the commercial guy's I really make no differance in the river, one way or the other what I do...:confused2:

Puddle
 
#13 ·
well, you didnt catch many so thats your answer rite there brother! this state need to put the hammer down on that netting crap! the rest of the state isnt safe either though. idiots are taking fish from all over the state to sell to pay lakes, legal or illegal!!! with this economy it will only get worse! i feel for you guys down on the big river where its legal.
 
#14 ·
Just watch them unload and you'll have your answer. Anytime you have open season with no limit whatsoever on anything logic tells you it will impact the species.

I've personally watched them unload at Tanners Creek in the Markland pool and to say my mouth hit the floor was an understatement. I'm talking several thousand pounds of fish by one out-fit in one day. I couldn't even imagine what 5 pros could unload in arguably the best pool on the big O.:angry::angry::angry:
 
#15 ·
Now if they had a market and a way to ONLY catch those @#$% Asian carp It would be ok... I know my post is a little off base . I just have been hit one to many times in the boat by flying carp ! No I don't like commercial fishing ! And yes I would like to see every last one of those plankton eating carp Gone ! All of my carp experience has been on slack water inside bends of cumberland river .so...anyone fishing down that way heads up or heads down !
 
#18 ·
Aaron, that is an unfortunate result of sites like this!!!!!! keep your locations to yourself on here or loose your best spots!!!!!!! i dont post too much either these days because of this very issue. it doesnt matter if your in the " legal commercial areas" either, fish hogs will travel to ruin your river!

be careful what you post brothers.



.
 
#19 ·
Netting is awful on the Ohio right now. I fish from Smithland north to Levenworth and there are nets all up and down the Ohio. The problem with any sort of legislation is that you are going to have to get at least three states involved. Heck, it's almost like summoning God to get one state to pass something!:confused2:
 
#20 ·
Commercial fishing hurts us all. Some more than others. Especially you Ohio river guys.... Indiana folks had their chance for a say in the matter a couple month ago and only one BOC member showed up for that hearing. despite it being advertised here in the Indiana section of the BOC. (Metalman)

Commercial fishing don't get to me here, except for what ever would have migrated into the area I fish. Poaching is the problem here.
 
#23 ·
I fish around lawrenceburg, aurora, and a little ways up threw ohio. About 5 years ago the commercial fishermen got nailed for breaking limit laws and many others and were fined loads of money because supposedly some local fishermen had called the conservation officers on them for doing illegal acts. they actually stopped netting threw here for 3 years because of the result, at least from what me and my many fishing buddies could tell cause we never seen them the past few years. last summer we went out just about every day, it was nothing to catch over 15 to 20 nice blues averaging 8 to 20 or so pounds and also catching many over that per day, how could we not fish everyday. at one point my brother took my boat out between 8a.m. til i got off at 3 and met him, he had caught 27, i went out for 4 more hours and caught 19 more, that was an everyday thing. last year when commercial fishing season started we started seeing them moving back into the area. went out all this summer and didnt even catch half of the amount as last year in the same areas, a phenomonal difference after they moved back in. my buddy saw him at the ramp and talked to him last year, he said he pulled over 4000 pounds of fish out, how wouldnt that hurt the local fishermen? thanks for letting me get that off my chest, glad to know me and my buddies arent the only one who recognize they destroy the waters.
 
#24 ·
very sad in deed brother! dont know why we need fish in the stores anyhow. if people want fish they can get off their lazy bass n go catch some! lol
 
#25 ·
i fish a medium sized river here in arkansas that has 5 commercial fishermen fishing the stretch of river that i fish. any deep holes where fish would hold are covered up with hoop nets. commercial fishermen in arkansas have no limits on the amount of fish that they can catch. they are allowed nets with mesh down to 1/2 inch called fiddler nets. fishing sucks in this river anywhere close to a boat ramp. if you want good fishing you have to travel 10 miles or so from the ramps to catch fish. with fish farming becoming popular, i think commercial fishing should be outlawed.

I have the same problems down here .. No gill nets tho just alot of trout lines,bush hooks,and jugs. I wish they were outlawed..:angry:
 
#26 ·
i fish a medium sized river here in arkansas that has 5 commercial fishermen fishing the stretch of river that i fish. any deep holes where fish would hold are covered up with hoop nets. commercial fishermen in arkansas have no limits on the amount of fish that they can catch. they are allowed nets with mesh down to 1/2 inch called fiddler nets. fishing sucks in this river anywhere close to a boat ramp. if you want good fishing you have to travel 10 miles or so from the ramps to catch fish. with fish farming becoming popular, i think commercial fishing should be outlawed.
Good morning gentlemen, I think, commercial fishing does impact the fishing. Out here in California Commercial fishing is a big problem. It is to the point enviromentalistknown as thr Marine National Reserve wants to ban fishing altogether in certain ereas. Commercial fishing has devestaded our Rock Fish population and these Kelp Huggers PETA wants to ban our off shore Fishing!:angry:

Jaime
 
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