Blue cats in DC

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N Elgas

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Jan 23, 2018, 4:00:31 PM1/23/18
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I know this is flyrodders,  but i figure i cant be the only DC fisherman that will fish no matter the method.  Anyone interested in catching Blue Cats in DC in the next few weeks from kayaks?  I was thinking somewhere between key bridge and 14th st.   Its a blast,  but i don't feel comfortable on a February river going solo and would like some company.  I am flexible but looking to play hooky from work and hit it on a weekday when i have the river to myself.  also could float from fletchers to thompson if i had someone to run a shuttle with.  

Dalton Terrell

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Jan 23, 2018, 4:07:01 PM1/23/18
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No reason you have to stick to conventional gear... our cats can be hungry for flies too.


Dalton

N Elgas

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Jan 23, 2018, 4:34:17 PM1/23/18
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Im sure,  but not sure January is the ideal time for them on the fly.  I would need a 20wt with an entire pack of polar fiber to tie the shad.....well actually maybe I should be saying challenge accepted.  

Lane Thurgood

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Jan 23, 2018, 4:34:18 PM1/23/18
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Hear, hear, Dalton!  I've attached one blue from late in the shad run last year.  Took a shad conehead fly just hanging in the current.  And took it HARD.

My two biggest, both at 30 inches, also came on the fly.  One on a klawdad meant for smallmouth and the other on a size 6 orange clouser meant for white perch.






Shad dart fly blue cat.jpg

Marek Rich

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Jan 23, 2018, 4:59:46 PM1/23/18
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They’re in there![image1.jpeg]

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On Jan 23, 2018, at 4:34 PM, 'Lane Thurgood' via Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders <tidal-potoma...@googlegroups.com<mailto:tidal-potoma...@googlegroups.com>> wrote:

Hear, hear, Dalton! I've attached one blue from late in the shad run last year. Took a shad conehead fly just hanging in the current. And took it HARD.

My two biggest, both at 30 inches, also came on the fly. One on a klawdad meant for smallmouth and the other on a size 6 orange clouser meant for white perch.







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<Shad dart fly blue cat.jpg>
image1.jpeg

Andrew Sarcinello

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Jan 23, 2018, 6:43:18 PM1/23/18
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I'm planning to go after some monsters during the shad run with cut gizzard shad.  If you wanna join then, let me know.  I'm gonna let it warm up a couple more months before I hit that part of the river - good luck to you!


On Tuesday, January 23, 2018 at 4:00:31 PM UTC-5, N Elgas wrote:

Rob Snowhite

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Jan 23, 2018, 7:01:07 PM1/23/18
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What are TPFR members thoughts on killing blue cats? They are horrible and detrimental to our river. In the summer there is usually someone on shore willing to take them home. 



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Jim Boryan

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Jan 23, 2018, 7:17:54 PM1/23/18
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Hey I'm down to fish either spot. Feel free to text me @ 5714391841


On Tuesday, January 23, 2018 at 4:00:31 PM UTC-5, N Elgas wrote:

Jim Boryan

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Jan 23, 2018, 7:27:51 PM1/23/18
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Rob, 

Blue Catfishing is the only type of fishing ill use conventional gear for and I kill almost every fish I catch. I usually have a bait rod set up as I fly for shad and up spending more time reeling in/killing the blue cats than I do fishing for shad. I think that the catfish are not only eating the shad but literally scooping up entire nests of eggs off of the bottom of the river. 

ALSO: What do y'all  think of using herring/hickory shad  as bait? If I can cut one herring/shad into 6 pieces of cut bait and can catch/kill at least 6 catfish off of that one sacrificial fish, is that sustainable?


On Tuesday, January 23, 2018 at 7:01:07 PM UTC-5, Rob Snowhite wrote:
What are TPFR members thoughts on killing blue cats? They are horrible and detrimental to our river. In the summer there is usually someone on shore willing to take them home. 



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On Jan 23, 2018, at 6:43 PM, Andrew Sarcinello <andy...@gmail.com> wrote:

I'm planning to go after some monsters during the shad run with cut gizzard shad.  If you wanna join then, let me know.  I'm gonna let it warm up a couple more months before I hit that part of the river - good luck to you!

On Tuesday, January 23, 2018 at 4:00:31 PM UTC-5, N Elgas wrote:
I know this is flyrodders,  but i figure i cant be the only DC fisherman that will fish no matter the method.  Anyone interested in catching Blue Cats in DC in the next few weeks from kayaks?  I was thinking somewhere between key bridge and 14th st.   Its a blast,  but i don't feel comfortable on a February river going solo and would like some company.  I am flexible but looking to play hooky from work and hit it on a weekday when i have the river to myself.  also could float from fletchers to thompson if i had someone to run a shuttle with.  

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N Elgas

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Jan 23, 2018, 7:44:43 PM1/23/18
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I was pretty sure hickory and herring have a moratorium and must be released...at least herring does.  Also food for thought,  all the bass in the river are technically invasive also...  there is a pretty decent economy built around blue cats,  and a few fly rodders killing a couple catfish has zero impact on the population.

Lane Thurgood

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Jan 23, 2018, 8:08:25 PM1/23/18
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The federal and local biologists I have spoken with have uniformly begged me never to release a blue cat.  I will never do so again. 

Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone

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Jim Boryan

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Jan 23, 2018, 9:01:27 PM1/23/18
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"a few fly rodders killing a couple catfish has zero impact on the population" 
Something similar was probably said about unicorns

Richard Farino

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Jan 23, 2018, 9:22:04 PM1/23/18
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And dragons.

There is a moratorium on all river herring and both species of shad – possession of either species is prohibited.


R

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namfos

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Jan 24, 2018, 9:26:35 AM1/24/18
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Question: Blue cats, thems good eatin?

Mark


On Tuesday, January 23, 2018 at 4:00:31 PM UTC-5, N Elgas wrote:

Gregg DiSalvo

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Jan 24, 2018, 9:41:31 AM1/24/18
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPwbAeDTCeM

This isn't the Potomac, but our southern neighbor the Rapp. It's an informative watch.  At the end, John encourages us to catch AND eat any catfish we catch.  They make up a huge percentage of the total biomass in the river.  I am a little wary of eating catfish from these rivers, but in fishing with Chris Campo, we found there are usually folks on shore who are more than willing to take the fish from you (+1 to Rob).  It truly is amazing how many large cats there are down there, and I doubt we would make much of an impact on the numbers, but I am more than willing to try. 

Gregg

Bobby Davis

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Jan 24, 2018, 11:24:44 AM1/24/18
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https://doee.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/ddoe/service_content/attachments/Fish%20Advisory%202-2-2016.pdf

I would be a little careful, and larger fish are probably worse eating than little guys.  But, you fry anything enough and it taste good.  


On Wednesday, January 24, 2018 at 9:26:35 AM UTC-5, namfos wrote:

Andrew Sarcinello

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Jan 24, 2018, 2:34:03 PM1/24/18
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Chris and I were discussing this not long ago.  It's hard to imagine having an impact on the population, but I'm planning to knock out a few this year. I'm unsure of what to do with any larger ones I catch. I don't want to eat them, Chris isn't sure people on the banks would, and I don't want to kill anything that won't get used.

You also cannot sell them in DC due to commercial fishing being illegal.

I fully believe the biologists that are concerned about the severe harm they might do to the fisheries.  Shad seem to be handling it for now, but you never know if there's a tipping point on the horizon.

Bobby Davis

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Jan 24, 2018, 2:36:14 PM1/24/18
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there are enough critters around that a catfish carcass would not go to waste if thrown away in the woods, I think. 

Scott Stankus

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Jan 24, 2018, 2:40:58 PM1/24/18
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Just what DC needs - bigger, better-fed rats! ;-)

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Andrew Sarcinello

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Jan 24, 2018, 2:43:34 PM1/24/18
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You're probably right but it would stink up my/everyone else's fishing spot.  a 30-40 pounder is gonna have a lot of stinky scraps left over.  There's enough shad carcasses that get left on the bank as it is. 

Gregg DiSalvo

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Jan 24, 2018, 2:44:17 PM1/24/18
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Scott, just an excuse for Pat Cohen to tie a bigger, badder (dare i say....tighter packed) rat 


On Tuesday, January 23, 2018 at 4:00:31 PM UTC-5, N Elgas wrote:

Bobby Davis

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Jan 24, 2018, 2:44:59 PM1/24/18
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Ever go to the Salmon River in Pulaski near the end of the run?  The whole town reeks.  

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Richard Farino

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Jan 24, 2018, 4:24:04 PM1/24/18
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One would argue it’s not the fish that are the cause of the smell.

Regards,

R

From: Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders <tidal-potoma...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Bobby Davis <robert....@gmail.com>
Reply-To: Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders <tidal-potoma...@googlegroups.com>
Date: Wednesday, January 24, 2018 at 2:44 PM
To: Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders <tidal-potoma...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: {Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders} Re: Blue cats in DC

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Jim Boryan

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Jan 24, 2018, 8:28:29 PM1/24/18
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Or throw them back into the river so their nutrients can be recaptured by the eco system. Also wouldn't be surprised if you could sell them to a supermarket in the Eden center. They have a blue catfish display and the catfish, alive and dead, look very fresh.
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