Maybe he came from Florida, or Alabama they are both 1 year from the date of purchase, and I'm sure there are other states, but those are the only other 2 that I purchase that have a 1yr from the date of purchase.

Florida license
 

That's funny that you mention the TWRA guy thinking the license lasted a year. In Florida that's how it's done and how it should be done in my opinion. I think the rule here with it ending in February is stupid. Anyway, when I first moved here from Florida I was compeletly unaware of the difference so I bought my license in August and in the middle of March got approached by TWRA about it. I showed him my license thinking it was valid and then he dropped the bomb on me. I begged and pleaded to get out of the citation since it was an honest mistake. At that time, I had actually only lived in TN for about 6 months, still even had my FL drivers license and showed him that to prove it. He wouldn't budge. I think that was unnecessary to give me a 200 dollar citation for a license only 2 weeks expired when I lived 18 years in a state with different rules which I always adhered to. I like to think that not all TWRA officers are not like this guy was

I think just about every TWRA officer I have ever met in the field has been very courteous and respectful.

Maybe they would give more leeway about the expiration date if it wasn't printed right there on the license an inch and a half above where you sign your name. :)

bd

The only thing tricky now for them is the 5 year color run. They won't be changing license colors every year anymore. Instead every 5, I believe that was told to me last year.

As far as that guy at the boat show, you never know. He could have told you right away out in his pickup truck next to the boat ramp. But, have him couped up in a show for who knows how many hours being asked a reg question by about anyone who walked up could take a toll on a young man.

I remember the days of doing business shows. All your concerned with is how much longer until it ends and you can sit down.

I agree that every TWRA officer I have met/talked to/been checked by was very courteous and I to them. Having not had any infractions of the law, they have no reason to be discourteous. But I agree again, if it was an honest mistake, there could be some leeway given.

And yes, the officer in question was young and should have a lot more study time before he is allowed to take on such a public position such as a yearly, well attended function.

Hopefully before he works his next show, he will bone up on the regs.

And I believe without a doubt Doug knows the regs forward and backward.

I asked around, and I'm told the booth at the Nashville Boat Show was manned by Doug Markham and another older, long-time officer who most assuredly knows the regulations very well.

I couldn't figure out who the young officer might have been. My best guess is that it must have been a new officer who just stopped by the booth and got caught off guard by your questions. Maybe someone ran to the restroom or something and he got asked to "stand in" at an unlucky moment. Not sure.

bd

I got the new regulations. Nothing changed for trout in the Caney :(

I don't think the current regs will change any time soon.

But, we should start seeing the benefits from it this year and next year should be really good for avg size quality. That is as long as the construction by product doesn't screw it all up.

I was there early on Sunday. Doug wasn't there when I was, and if he came, it was later in the day. I passed by the booth again as I was leaving and the same young man was there.

I never did see any older gentlemen there.

What changes were you looking for? Now that we've got the slot limit on rainbows and brookies and the increased size limits on browns, I'm pretty happy. I might have done the regs slightly differently (start the slot a little higher and set the brown trout limit at 26"), but I'm pretty happy.

I think TWRA will let these regulations have a few years for evaluation before they would consider doing anything else.

Speaking of the Caney, I fished it all day yesterday. I had high hopes that it would be a really good day - and apparently I wasn't alone because there were a lot of boats out there. I think the striper posts have had an impact because there were a number of boats running back and forth catching bait at the dam to fish downriver.

Unfortunately it was slow, and I didn't really see anyone having much luck. I caught four or five trout plus a couple skipjack, but no trout of any size. I had one follow from a brown that might have gone 20", but he didn't connect.

I'm not sure why the fishing wasn't better, considering the ideal temps, cloud cover, favorable generation, and the big frontal system that was about to roll through. Maybe the fish had gorged on dying shad during the cold snap and were not in an eating mood. I don't know.

bd

I was hoping for regulations that allow me to keep more trout! I miss the days of keeping 7 of any size any species. Of course, that would not be a good idea but I'd like to be able to keep 7 within the size ranges currently allowed. I'm not saying it should be changed, I'm sure its for good reason that the regs are the same, but I'd like to keep 7. Plus, lets be honest, the 5 a day limit isnt stopping anyone from taking 5 home then coming back in an hour to catch 5 more. I live far from the Caney now, its almost a 2 hour drive, so when I go, Id like to be able to bring home a couple more meals. As much as I enjoy the trout fishing though, I don't want it to be a free for all and the trout population get depleted like it has been. That brings me to another question...

I inquired a lot about big stripers in there and I plan to work hard to catch one this year. Are there white bass in that river? I've caught tons of 10" or so fish in there that could either be stripers or white bass, I'm no expert at telling the difference but I will be this year, and I know there aren't any hybrids in there. I hear that white bass are excellent eating and nobody would throw a fit if I kept a bunch of them.

jimmy are there not any trout streams closer that you can keep the 7. i know the winter stocking place you can keep 7 of any size.

also i think white bass could be in the caney. but i would guess those 10'' fish are small stripers i have caught them.

also yes white bass are good to eat if prepared right. when they start to run in alittle over a month i will be catching my limit when ever my work schedule will allow.

Well yea, a place called Nice Mill out here has stocked trout but I'd rather not eat stockers for health reasons. They're fed "food" pellets with crap that I don't want to ingest. When I fish the Caney, I don't keep the recently stocked trout. Just my preference. There aren't any limits on white bass I don't think... not for size, quantity maybe. I'll have to check.

you have many places to fish that are closer then the caney then. the duck and the elk have hold over fish. if you don't want to eat stockers.

white bass has no length limit. but the creel is 15 per person. and if you want to catch a mess of them fish the stones about 2 miles below nice mill. i go there every yr. and i am looking forward to it.

The regulations just went from 7 down to 5 last year because the Caney is being developed as a trophy fishery. The river has an amazing growth rate, and tighter harvest restrictions were the next logical step to moving the river from a good trophy trout fishery to a great one. To be blunt about it, the guys who were wanting to keep 7 holdover fish every time they went are exactly the problem the regs were changed to address. The people who want to keep some fish can still keep a few, and the people who would rather have a shot at a trophy fish have a better fishery. In my opinion it's a reasonable compromise.

As far as saying there are people who keep five fish and then come back for more - well, those same people used to keep seven fish and come back for more. You can't give up on reasonable regs because some people are unethical.

bd