GILL NETS IN CHICKAMAUGA LAKE

[Randall53]

I'm hoping everyone on here that loves fishing and/or has ever fished The Chick will sign this. It may not do any good, but I know doing nothing will not help at all. Everybody talks about these commercial fisherman "just feeding their families" and "I've been doing this for years and have caught only a handful of gamefish in all those years..."  but hey. It's not the commercial fishermen themselves to me, it's the way they are going about it. Gill nets kill fish and they do not discriminate. They kill all of them that get caught. A lot of huge bass are getting caught in these nets and these people may as well just use dynamite. That's my feelings anyway and I'll never change my mind on this.  If you feel like this is something you want to help out with the awareness of whats going on, then spread the word and sign the petition. If not, well, just continue with your day. Thanks.

 

https://www.change.org/p/wildlife-commission-and-twra-ban-gill-nets-on-chickamauga-and-nickajack-lakes?recruiter=41617697&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=share_facebook_responsive&utm_term=des-lg-no_src-no_msg&fb_ref=Default

[bersaguy]

Gill nets have been used for may years by commercial fishing industry and as long as they have a license and only place the gill nets in designated areas allowed by TWRA there is really nothing any one can do to prevent it. Back when I was fishing almost daily I would find many gill nets located in areas that were legal according to TWRA .

 

I did have a run in with one commercial fisherman but I was totally within my rights to do what I did and he ended up losing his license over it. This was on Old Hickory lake. I was running down main channel and saw a Loon all tangled in the net and could tell it had been in it quite some time. I stopped and put the trolling motor down and trolled over and took a pair of scissors and had to cut a part of the net about 10 foot square out and then bring the bird on board to care fully get the bird out and release it. (By the way Loons are not very friendly) I finally released the bird and began to continue on my way. Down stream about 1/4 mile I ran up on another net that had a Green Head Mallard all tangled up in the net and I preceded to take the same action again to release the duck.

 

Just about that time the fisherman showed up as I was untangling the duck on the deck of my boat. He was raising all kinds of hell about me destroying an 800.00 net for the sake of a damn bird. I told him if he was with his nets as is required by law I would not have had to cut them. He was getting very irate so I took out my cell phone for which I have TWRA on speed dial and I called them and just so happens they have a boat about 3 miles from my location.

 

He shows up while this guy is reading me the riot act about what he is going to do to me while I am still carefully cutting the duck out of the net on my boat deck. Only one that got arrested was him and his nets were all confiscated by TWRA and he lost his commercial license for 5 years. If you find wild life in any of the gill nets call the TWRA and give them location of the nets and wild life trapped in them. They don't agree with Commercial fisherman and gill netting and will normally respond pretty quick. Just my experience with gill nets..................and my :2cents:

Edited November 22, 2015 by bersaguy

[Randall53]

Good story Bersa.  I have friends and a cousin that guide on Chickamauga for bass and crappie and they have pictures of what these nets do. They kill everything that gets in them. It is indiscriminate killing. It's no different than people going hunting and killing hundreds of deer and picking out the choice bucks and leaving the rest to rot. That's my opinion anyway. Some of theses nets are hundreds of feet long and some of these guys will close off an entire slough which is especially bad when the bass, crappie, stripe or whatever is migrating into these areas to bed.  If you look at the regulations, Gill nets are illegal in many lakes for this reason. Why they let it happen in Chickamauga, which is a nationally rated top 20 lake, is beyond me. Here's some pics that have been taken of Chickamauga lake gill nets.  These guys claim they very rarely catch bass....well they are lying. Scroll down this facebook page below. It's an outrage.

 

https://www.facebook.com/Ban-Gill-Nets-On-Chickamauga-Lake-1394974204157152/?fref=ts

Edited November 22, 2015 by Randall53

[CJDore]

I signed the petition...Hope it helps.

[Randall53]

Thanks you CJDore.

[bersaguy]

Ok, now if you folks are really wanting to stop this go out and see just where these nets are being placed. They are not allow to be placed in any area that completely closes off any area to boat traffic such as all the way across the mouth of any coves or all the way across a creek denying boats to pass into the that creek access or travel the creek with your boat. If you find one that denies you access cal the TWRA and report it immediately. That Commercial fisherman will lose his privileges, his nets, boat and maybe event his truck used to take his boat to the lake plus fines to 10 grand. That is the only bad thing I don't like about the TWRA. They don't have boats on our lakes patrolling these lakes for commercial fishing violations. That is why it is so vital that anglers do the patrolling while out fishing as I did with the wild life I found. I was just out fishing when I discovered the birds. Check your local areas and see where the commercial fishermen are allowed to have their nets and time of year they can have them. If you see any nets where they should not be report it. I tried to open up the link to sign the petition but I have a firewall preventing it. If you have another link to the poll please post it............. :up:   

[speedwaytaco160]

Signed up myself. 

[Cherokee Slim]

Signed it

[Randall53]

Thanks SWT160 and Cherokee Slim!

[Randall53]

Thanks bersa for the effort but I don't know another link

[felinesNfreedom]

I signed the form. I fished chick for the first time this year and loved it. Going back next spring for 5 days.