I'd also like to propose a "no catch and release" for hybrids and stripers from June thru September.

No culling, no catch and release. Catch your two fish, regardless of size (over the legal limit of 15 inches of course) and you are done for the day. This would eliminate the deaths of many fish that are fought, caught, stressed, mishandled, and released to die from delayed mortality. I'll post just one study out of many that show the mortality rate to be as high as 40% once the water temps reach 79 degrees.

http://www.bigindianabass.com/big_in...ity-study.html

And I would support a striper/hybrid stamp if it would increase the size of the fish in JPP. Old Hickory does not get the pressure as does a small impoundment like Percy Priest'

Old Hickory reservoir contains 22,500 acres (91 km2) at an elevation of 445 feet (above sea level) and extends 97.3 river miles.

J Percy Priest lake consists of 14,200 acres (57 km²) of water at summer pool elevation 490 feet (149 m) above mean sea level. The lake covers 42 river miles from the dam near Nashville to between miles six and seven of the Stones River.

I would be all for like what Merv suggests with the June-Sept, or July-August with your 2 fish limit, no culling, but I would go as far to suggest a two fish limit, but change the length limits to only being able to keep 18"-34" fish, and anything below 18" must be released, and above 34" must be released.

Merv, JPP won't grow big stripers like Old Hick. Not enough current in summer and to warm of water temps. They've tried. That's why they concentrate more on hybrids in priest. I've talked to he TWRA guys about it when I went electro fishing with them a few years ago.


Mike

It would be tough to implement a no culling law because of high mortality rate during high water temps and also a slot. If someone catches several over that 34", they must be released and will still be susceptible to not making it due to the water temps.




Mike

I am under the impression that there are not that many "over 34 inchers" that are caught on Priest. I don't have any statistics, anecdotal or empirical, to support my supposition. Just general conversations about the dearth of big stripers in JPP.

The enforcement of the catch and release portion is just the same as all the other regs in the book. It would be up to the individual fisherman to police themselves.

Any guides on the lakes would be required to impose those regulations on themselves and their clients under the honor system they should all be following now.

If they are that trustworthy The TWRA could just forget all the patrolling that is costly. Think of the money saved by TWRA if they did not need all those vehicles, fuel, tires, maintenance and officers. License cost could be reduced.:D

So here is a hypothetical on the suggested "stamps" and regulations, just so im understanding what we are talking about here, im not stirring the pot just want to get a grasp on the convo: (hypothetical scenario)
as of today i must possess a stamp to "fish" for hybrids/stripers on jpp, i dont plan on pursuring those fish for any number of reasons, its july, i find a school of fish off a channel edge while targeting bass, crappie, carp, ect....i hook and boat a hybrid or striper......now what?
I know i cant legally keep it with no stamp, but the regs say no catch/release this month due to delayed mortality....what do i do? Call TWRA to notify them of it? am i required to leave the area which i know has my target species mixed in just so i dont risk possibly hooking what can be viewed at as a "protected" species?
im all for adjusting regulations for the benefit of the species but something like this can be tricky to properly regulate or it would just be wasted ink in the regulations book.
Maybe im missing something in the logic here so im open to clarification..
A multi-species reservoir isnt as easy to regulate with varying regulations throughout the season.

So would this just be a reservoir specific regulation? Because there are places other than priest where fish under 34" are rare."


Mike

Mike did you mean to post "under 34" are rare? Or did you mean "over 34"?

And there are reservoir specific regulations in place already.

I meant what I typed, under 34" are rare. And those are areas this wouldn't work.

On priest it would work.


Mike

Stamps are stupid...nuff said Lol

Stamps only for non Tennessee born residents!!! :p

Yee Haw................ :D

FINALLY, a sensible approach.

I thought about a fee based on the individual's IQ. Lower IQ pays less. Then I realized that TWRA may have to pay Merv and a few others to fish.
:D

I could fish for FREE!!!!!

Not me!

like SAMBOLIE says, They'd have to pay me!

YAAAAYY!!