re: Redfish numbers

Some good ideas (and some entertaining BS, too). How can we "spawn" (no pun intended) a ODB movement here, to help motivate/enable the CCA to start pushing on regulations and politicians to protect our LA fisheries? Many of us have kids/grandkids that we want to ensure can enjoy the great fishing that we grew up with here in our state in the future.

Marsh man Masson has commented on him personally seeing a redfish explosion this year after years of struggling to come across any good numbers consistently.
It appears their numbers have gone up for now after years of being low or declining.

quote:

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Sometimes I wonder if it is the gafftop catfish explosion.

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I think about this too. I've heard from some credible sources Big Lake doesnt have the amount of bait it did in it's hey day 20-25 years ago. Gaftop and Sharks were never a thought either.

I never thought about catching a gaftop on artificial and now they'll hit a topwater. Could it be they're out competing trout/reds? Is there not enough bait to grow the big trout that Big Lake used to have

Is it fishing pressure? Too many fish taken out to grow bigger ones.

....Or is it all environmental driven - erosion, destruction of a lot of reefs etc

Not sure on dolphins but I think everyone would agree they've gotten worse.

That's where I've been fishing recently, and I'm having same results. That's why I'm wondering if it's the Pogey boats... When I was fishing specks this summer, there was a FLEET
of Pogey boats working all of the last island chain, right off the beach...

100% its the Pogie boats. We need some Whale watcher like group to start sinking their ships and cutting their lines. They are destroying the guessing industry for fish oil.

After the freeze last year I couldn’t find a red in cocodrie. . I’ve been fishing leeville the past month and I’m seeing 50-60 a sight fishing trip. Hopefully they have repopulated in Coco as well.

Bow fishing is the biggest threat I see.

I agree with bow fishing being an issue.

Please explain the reasoning behind bowfishing being the cause

I am not saying it is a main cause. Just that I can see it possibly being a contributing factor. You get a boat full of guys who have been a couple times and you can clean up pretty quick. I would guess the percentage of take or "success" is a lot higher in bow fishing vs traditional rod and reel.

Had some co workers go on a charter a few weeks ago. They shot 15 oversized fish. Just threw them back in the water…..
bowfisherman cover more ground , kill more fish,(no clue on size) and ruin the bank/ oysters below than a rod and reel fishman.

Oyster fisherman completely remove the habitat and water filtration system which is another big issue. It’s so bad in Coco they get out the boats and pick them in the really shallow water.

The biggest is erosion and loosing the habitat but Jeff Landry doesn’t seem to
care.