Gill nets at Guntersville..What is going on???

[abelfisher]

Watchin Loudmouth Bass this morning, there was a feature on about the Alabama authorities allowing gill net fisherman  to use their nets on the lake.  Supposedly, there were large number of LM bass 5-9#'s floating dead on the water due to the gill netters.  What is going on there?  Does anyone know the facts about this situation?  I would be interested to know.  Sounds like the Alabama DNR needs to hear from some of us.  

[chad km5qf]

One thing you can do for info is to type "guntersville gill nets" into google and search it. pulled up a lot of sites pertaining to this. The netters dont go after bass, or any other gamefish for that matter.  (at least not legally) To find several bass just floating in the water makes no logical sense in regards to nets. Given how netters are portrayed in the most negative light possible wouldnt s'prize me if what u saw was dumped there for the camera.  

[Chris]

They really need to make a law saying that they need to take up their nets at first light just for safety reasons. I think on the same show or it might have been a different show they had a DNR person stating that the bass populations are not hurt from the nets which I really don't believe.

[crankbait]

This is a legal practice in the state. They say the number of extra causalties is nothing to be concerned about and the lake replenishes itself. They aren't doing anything wrong just making a living. Seems like T.V. can be a little off sometimes by not also interviewing a couple of the gill netters for their side of the story.

[hookset]

People set up these nets to make a living, these are the netters that mark their nets well enough for any boater to see.  The problem is the illegal netters who just set their nets and mark it with a pepsi can or something like that.  These are the people who have had confrontations with the fishermen.  I dont agree with the netters but hey this is america and they have rights or wrongs as I like to call them.

[BamaBassn78]

 I have fished Guntersville Lake, (we just call it the River  ;D), all my life.  I personally have only seen gill nets maybe 4 times.  

I think they are more prevalent towards the lower end.  More or less in Guntersville Proper.  The deal is, the nets are legal.  Thing is, there are only 6 commercial fishermen in Jackson Co, 7 in Marshall Co. with actual permits for the nets.

The pictures on ESPN were real.  I know atleast 3 people that saw the Camera Boat run up on the net and see the bass and other fish not classified as "rough" fish dead or dying in the nets.

 As far as the DCNR goes, i'll save that for another day.  :

Can you actually say if you where fishing and got caught in a net, unmarked, would you cut your line or cut your lure/motor out?   ???

[Rmart30]

The pictures were real and not staged. When the BASS  event was held there a few weekends ago Dustin Wilkes was actually arrested for cutting one of these unmarked nets that tangled in his trolling motor off. The dead bass and stripers some were 5lbs + were cut out of the net .  

  The nets are legal (if licensed) in Alabama  tennessee, georgia , florida and probably more places, those are just the few Ive heard of.

 They kill anything that gets tangled up in them regardless of size or species.  

 This time of year with the pre spawn begining the gill netters will have the nets strung across the entire mouth of a creek.   Where are the spawning bass heading? the creeks.    There is no telling how many 5 lb + bass that die in these nets every year.  Not to mention the small 1- 2 lbr's that will be thrown back dead into the lake along with the dead turtles and waterfowl.

 Here is the email address to the Alabama state conservationer..... wmccullers@dcnr.state.al.us.....

 Please tastefully email your opinions on the gill nets to him.  With the Dustin Wilkes incident this issue is getting a lot of attention and hopefully will be corrected.