Gill Net

[G-MAN]

Are Gill nets illegal, if not, they should be. At 2:30 am Friday night, I got one tangled all up in my prop. This seemed to be a huge very expensive looking net. I was heading straight out of Chester Frost Park towards the Islands. Just before I got to the Green Channel Marker, my boat bogged down and I cut the engine off. I was going pretty slow, since there was a bass boat about 80 yards too my right with some huge black lights. I started my engine and when I would put it in drive, it cut imediately off- did this 4 to 5 times. I thought I must have gotten a bag or something on my prop, so I raised my motor and discovered the gill net. After about 20 minutes, we finaly got it cut free from the prop and were on our way. I put all that I cut out in the livewell.
The boat with the huge black lights had to see what all was going on, but never said a word. I looked back after we got about 40 yards away and off he went. I figured he was either waiting to see if we made it out O.K. or that was his net we ran into.
This was the first gill net that I have ever seen and was wondering if they were legal.

 

[Guest]

It's too bad for us but they are legal. They are the reason the Chick and the Nick don't get the striper stockings that other dams get. Someday maybe that law will change.

 

[rsimms]

They are legal if mesh sizes are correct, they're properly marked and fishermen are properly licensed. Commercial regulations are located here: http://www.state.tn.us/twra/fish/Commercial/TN_com_reg_08.pdf

Normally good commercial fishermen try to set their nets where other boats will not run in to them. Obviously they know if a prop gets their net, it is going to get cut up. Those nets are expensive and they don't want to lose them.

 

[SpurHunter]

On my way back to HB from the nuke Saturday (11:30ish AM) I saw 2 guys pulling in a long net of some kind with a catfish in it. It definatly was not a casting net, so I am assuming it was a gill net? They did not look like commercial fishermen.....just an average-joe bass boat I thought. They were about 1/2 way to the Nuke on the HB side of the water-way. Any ideas?

 

[Freebird]

Don't get me started on these things. They are fish killers. (My opinion only!). They do have to be marked however. If you find one such that is not marked. PLEASE CALL THE TWRA. These guys have legal recourse against you if you destroy the net and it is marked. If not marked, it is our turn. I have a friend who had a gun pulled on him at G-ville a couple of years ago over this. The next week, Dustin Wilkes (BASS PRO) was charged with destroying one these. He destroyed the lower unit on his boat, but still had to pay a fine, and the guy for his net. The arrested him after he came off the weigh in stage.

I understand some folks make a living this way, however there has to be a better way. I have seen gill nets with 6 and 8 lb largemouthes in them at G-ville. The netters say this does not happen, but I have seen it. The grass in the lake is our only hope to keep our game fish populations high. No Grass means no where for little fish to hide and grow. This plus polution, and gill netters can greatly effect our waters and their populations of fish. I do not care what the netters say. I have seen it.

Just my opinion,
Freebird

 

[BigFishGuide]

You need to take your prop off and make sure that you removed all the twine or netting from your prop shaft other wise you will develop a lower unit seal leak around your prop shaft. I usually pull boat maint. on my engine in January and I always pull the prop off and check to make sure that I dont have line or or something else wrapped around to cut into the seal. Just a preventive measure to save you some money later on day the road.

I wish those nets were outlawed as well.

 

[Liveliner]

Freebird - 7/9/2007 11:43 AM ................... <font color="#ff0000">These guys have legal recourse against you if you destroy the net and it is marked.</font> If not marked, it is our turn. I have a friend who had a gun pulled on him at G-ville a couple of years ago over this. The next week, Dustin Wilkes (BASS PRO) was charged with destroying one these. He destroyed the lower unit on his boat, but still had to pay a fine, and the guy for his net. The arrested him after he came off the weigh in stage. I understand some folks make a living this way, however there has to be a better way................... Freebird

   Are you saying that if I get tangled in a marked net at night that is floating below the surface unseen, I have to pay for it?

 

[Guest]

NETS SHOULD BE PLACED DEEP ENOUGH TO MISS ANY PROPS , THEY ARE VERY EXPENSIVE AND A GOOD COMM. FISHERMAN SHOULD KNOW BETTER. LAWS ARE VERY CLEAR ,THE SQUARE HAS TO BE 3IN OR LARGER IF CAUGHT WITH JUST 1 GAME FISH IN THEIR BOAT THEY WILL LOSE THEIR LIC, ,BOAT AND MOTOR, TRAILER AND TRUCK. SO MOST MAKE SURE THEY ARE LEGAL IN EVERY WAY . NETS CAN NOT AND SHOULD NOT BE SET TO BLOCK OFF COVES, FLOAT ON TOP ,OR BE A HAZARD TO BOATS. CALL TWRA LET THEM HANDEL THESE GUYS, IF THEY GET ENOUGH CALLS THEN THEY WILL START MAKING SURE THEY ARE LEGAL, LET TWRA HANDEL THIS PROBLEM I AM TELLING YOU THESE GUYS ARE DANGEROUS AND HATE BASS FISHERMAN .