Has anyone been following this? Looks like they want to make it illegal to shoot redfish. But still allow the shooting of other fish such as black drum, sheepshead ect. What are yall thoughts on this? I thinks its crap. The only reason I bowfish is to shoot some nice reds for the grill.

i wrote to rep. badon and expressed my concerns.

I sent an email to each rep. Hopefully more people will do the same.

where did you guys hear this at? i would love to read and speak my mind on this subject

JP, there was an article on Louisiana Sportsman's website. And if you google Senate Bill No. 573 Louisiana it will come up. They are not messing with any other fish, just we can no longer shoot redfish.

I sent an email to Gov. Bobby Jindal, and every member of the Senate. The email addresses on La Sportsman's website are incorrect. I went to the LA government webpage and sent my email to every Seantor on the list.

CCA is behind this bill.

Yes they are. I can't believe that they support this crap since there is no scientific evidence that bowfishing is hurting the population.

Here is a list of each Senators email. This is the group I sent it to. I may have misposted earlier when I said reps. I actually meant Seantors since its a senate bill. I also sent an email to the governer's office. I'll send the same letter to each person on the House of Reps. list tomorrow. I have that kind of time!

I just emailed my Senator. This nation just took a giant leap toward socialism yesterday. Let's not give up the fight.

I don't bowfish and do very limited rod-n-reel fishing. But I don't understand this.
A limit is a limit. Don't matter how they are put in the icechest.
But seriously, isn't it harder to shoot a red, at night, on a moving boat with a bow than dropping anchor and hooking them with a line?

parran tink tha Lord aint put dat limit on dem fishs he eat all he want

Capt. "B" is a really good explaination. That would be the best reason for the ban.

Capt. Jon, I've been bowfishing for years and can say that I've neve shot a fish that was undersized. It's actually very easy to determine fish size. You can see the fish and decide weather or not to shoot. I'm not sure what the reasoning is, but I'd think if shooting undersized fish was that big of a problem you would read or hear about the tickets being issued. I wish someone with the ldwf would step in with some numbers as to the violations by the bowfishing community.

That's just my opinion, take it for what it's worth!

Smoke - like I said, I don't bow fish, but I do fish in the shallow waters of South Louisiana. Sight casting to reds really cranks my tractor. I find it difficult to determine the difference between a 15" fish and a 16" fish in the water, especially in the late summer when there seems to be a never ending supply of those 15" ones cruising the flats. Twist 'em, turn 'em, smash 'em flat. There is just no way that they will reach the 16" mark on the ruler. Yes, a 20" + fish is a no-brainer either in the water or in the hand. No mistaking them.

However, I have, on SEVERAL occasions, pulled into a pond at first light as a guide boat is leaving only to find 5+ undersized redfish floating belly-up with arrow holes in them. Pisses me off to no end.

I will also add that in all my years of fishing in Louisiana (about 12 years), I have NEVER been checked by the Louisiana Boogy-Man (game warden). I fish during the daylight & a lot on the weekends which are prime times for fishing and potential game warden interaction. I would think that activities in the middle of the night would be less likely to encounter enforcement officers.

Again, I'm not pointing fingers (or at least I'm not trying to), but rather offering my opinion as to why the legislation might have been proposed.

the problem is people go out there and just shoot whatever they see, just like some people keep whatever they catch. if you shoot and undersized fish; you k ow what be a man about it and take the ticket if it is issued. when i am out there if i see a fish that is in question, i don't even shoot and i tell the people in by boat the same. to me it is not worth it (meaning a ticket or ruining the redfish population) email was sent though.

Once again guys - I'm not saying that bowfishers are responsible for a decline of the redfish population. Nor am I incinuating that all bowfishers are slobs -- hell, I know a LOT more rod-n-reel folks abuse the limits & regulations.

I simply suggested my thoughts as to why the regulations might have been proposed.

I have no idea why they might have been suggested. Could have been for a reason that I guessed. Probably wasn't.

Either way, it was just my thoughts as to what could have been behind the suggestion.

And not that it matters one way or another, but yes, I am sure that it was charter bowfishing rigs I have seen at daylight leaving ponds with dead redfish in their wake.

Natives have been hunting fish like this since way before any of us, so who am I to suggest otherwise? It never has held an appeal to me personally, but neither has bow hunting deer. That doesn't mean that I want deer hunting with a bow stopped, either. Y'all sling those arrows to your heart's content. Just make sure that you leave a beer or two in the cooler on the dock when you load up and head out at dark.

Capt, I'm Sorry that you came across some azzhat charter captain. I know that they are out there, and I hope you don't let the few influence how our passtime is viewed. I can say that I have been stopped 3 times while bowfishing. 2 times on the water and once he was waiting at the launch. So the man is watching us too. Actually I've been checked more times bowfishing that rod and reel fishing.

I know you said that bowfishing doesn't appeal to you, but if you make I down his way and want to give it a try. Just let me know.

Yea over here in Texas, it was no bowfishing catfish…then one Gator Gar per person per day…now yall La boys r dealing w/ da red fish…I hate seeing this crap…im a proud to say I Bowfish…I know we need rules and regulations, but seriously the bowfishing community is so small “but it is growing” I honestly don’t think Bowfishermen can hurt the Red population, but that’s just my opinion.

People talk about fish dead with holes in them.
I want to see pictures of this.
I have been bow fishing for about 15 years and fishing for 30 years and never seen any red fish
dead with holes.

They also need to think about how much money people have invested in this.
I don't take people out on charters. I do it because it is fun.
I don't duck hunt
The only reason I had that 20X60 with the duals built is to bow fish, and
that boat was not cheap. I have about 3,000 $ invested in bows as well.
I don't even want to know how much the charter people invested because I know it is a lot .
Just one of their boats is over 40,000$ and most of them have more than 1.

Let me get off of this it pisses me off.

bump

What is the latest on the bill ?
I am back in Nigeria and they have
most of the internet blocked so it is kind of hard to find
out anything about it over here.

bump

There is a meeting in Baton Rouge tomorrow concerning this issue. Hopefully I'll hear some more about it and post something up.

UPDATE!!!!!

Got a call from a buddy; The senator behind this bill is Sen. Jenkins (This is the jackleg who will not allow duck season the be moved back to allow the ducks to come down). Anyway, people went to the capital this past week and CCA is in "cahoots" with theses Senators. They are trying to push the state limit of redfish down to 2 fish daily from the 5 fish we have now. The LDWF is supposably staying out of the matter, but they did state that the bowfisherman are not the cause of over limits and abuse of the law. They stated it is the rod-n-reel fishing that hurts the fish more than anything because people will take more than their allowed limit. They also stated that if they wanted to help out the redfish population cut out the 1-27" or over bullred a day(bullreds are your breeding stock).
The sportsman who do bow fish are taking a huge stand to fight this legislation!!!! Fisherman are getting together to start a LA bow-fishing committee ( like DU i guess ). They are starting this committee to fight this law and to give LA bowishers a voice. There will be a meeting NEXT THURSDAY NIGHT 7PM @ LA MASION CREOLE IN GRETNA ( BEHIND THE BEST BUY).
I encourage you guys who like to bowfish to come and sign up and have our voices heard. I will be there and I hope you will too. I will keep everyone posted as info is told to me.

Thanks for the heads up JP. I will be attending this meeting. We need to have our voices heard.

ya a friend & coworker of mine Capt. Rodney Boudreaux of deep delta bowfishing and a few other Capt.'s put this committee together for when them a$$holes try to do this aging we have a leg to stand on !!!!! but ya eveyone please come out we are only strong in are #s to fight the jacklags hope to see everyone out there. names kenneth ill have a blue deep delta bowfishing shirt on