We have us a new problem in Mississippi: fish stealing. Seriously. Agriculture & Commerce Commissioner Andrew Gipson announced on Facebook yesterday:
Recently I was briefed by the legendary fisherman Bill Dance about folks from up north like this rig from Illinois - coming to Vicksburg, Mississippi and seining the river and stealing all our big native river catfish, then hauling them across state lines to sell them up north. Depleting our catfish in the River, leaving far less fish for our Mississippi fishermen and threatening our Vicksburg catfish tournament. I am headed to Vicksburg this morning to meet with folks and see what we can do to help protect our Mississippi River catfish population. These are the People of Mississippi’s catfish, they don’t belong to Illinois. Bottom line: these folks need to stop stealing our catfish, right now.
Talking with several local fishermen today it sounds like the main solution is to stop the hauling our big fish live across state lines - which will also help our Mississippi fishermen enhance their ability to make a living. So if we can figure out a way to limit to out of staters hauling loads of big fish, problem solved! Will communicate this common sense solution
There are some interesting comments and strong rebuttals on the Commissioner's post.
Mr. Gipson said he is hearing the same thing is taking place with the harvesting of crappie in Mississippi lakes and will investigate.
20 comments:
If they are legally licensed, do not exceed limits and follow regulations there should not be much you can do. Maybe unless you are running for a future elected office and need the publicity. Delbert and the Fitch take note…
My grandpa had a commercial fishing license for catfish in the 1980s. He lived in Mississippi his entire life, except for a few years in the Army. He didn’t have a rig like this but I bet he could out-fish these Yankees within the legal limits. He did this for 20+ years and finally stopped when his body couldn’t handle the work.
Why is this just now happening?
Well 40+ years ago, if the local boys caught some fucking YANKEE doing this, he would end up feeding the fishes and his boat would be found adrift down by Natchez!
They come down here because they have ruined their own habitats!
This is also a big problem on Grenada lake. They come down and load up deep freezers full of crappie. Then head up north and sell them. Been happening for years.
Maybe if the MDWFP would quit fooling around with WMA permits, HIP surveys, gun plugs, calibers & shot size, and all sorts of other irrelevant regs, they would have resources to actually police limits and poaching.
Lord….false outrage and division. What if one the foreigners is from South Illinois huh doc? Yall need lives
9:31, the law is always evolving to meet current situations and issues. In 1870 there were no speeding laws and in 1920 there were no laws against cyber crimes, but times changed and so did the law. The current fishing regulations were not drafted with this type fishing in mind, but now there’s a need to address it so I’m sure the legislature and/or MDWFP will. It reminds me of Joseph Kennedy, who made a fortune about 90 years ago on Wall Street by manipulating stock prices and insider trading, neither of which were illegal at the time. In response, the Securities and Exchange Commission was created to regulate the markets, with the SEC’s first chairman being none other than Joseph Kennedy.
Bill Dance is 85 years old. I’ve got to wonder if he’s a reliable source of information.
Read the comments on the FB post and it will become clear that The Hat is in over his empty head on this.
“Hey Andy, they’re hauling truckloads of fish outta Grenada Lake!!”
“Oh heck I’m the Ag Commissioner and I didn’t know nothing about that!”
“Hey Andy, those are research agencies pulling buffalo carp from the river. Didn’t you know that already?”
“Well golly gee I guess we’ll just have to find out!”
Your next guvner, folks.
Bill Dance is 85 years old. I’ve got to wonder if he’s a reliable source of information.
Read the comments on the FB post and it will become clear that The Hat is in over his empty head on this.
“Hey Andy, they’re hauling truckloads of fish outta Grenada Lake!!”
“Oh heck I’m the Ag Commissioner and I didn’t know nothing about that!”
“Hey Andy, those are research agencies pulling buffalo carp from the river. Didn’t you know that already?”
“Well golly gee I guess we’ll just have to find out!”
Your next guvner, folks.
Make it illegal to take wildlife from the state to be harvested again or sold. If that boat pictured is a common rig for this then yes, it is likely a problem that needs a solution. It is a sick business, let people come here and catch their own fish, stay in Mississippi lodging and eat at our restaurants and buy our bait and fuel and have a real experience on the real water trying to catch fish the sporting way. Pay lake fishing is lame and the fish do not deserve to be in that situation. I would be ashamed to fish a pay lake. Stock that with brim and let kids catch them that grown there.
South Illinois, South Michigan, South Toronto. It’s all a Yankee red leg yellow belly to me!
I don't know the laws regarding commercial fishing done by out-of-state businesses and I'm sure most of the responders to this website don't either, but what makes you so sure that the game wardens haven't checked on these guys? I'm fairly certain commercial freshwater fishing is legal with the proper licenses and/or permits. Of course, we can't count on good old boy Big Hat to check on that first before hauling ass down to Vicksburg to "check out the problem".
@10:19
Dude is willing to admit he needs to get the facts instead of lying, blaming an intern, or trying to cover the whole thing up. Hmmm, i think I would rather have the “aww, shucks” honest guy than the liberal liar.
never forget, Hilary, Obama, Biden, all lied, mispronounced words, and also had plenty of shit they just didnt know. That’s just reality. Leaders dont hve to know everything. They have staff they lead for that!
https://www.mdwfp.com/fishing-boating/freshwater-commercial-fishing
This is 100% a huge issue and has been happening for years. On the 3 big corps of engineers lakes, some of the best crappie fishing in the US, the Illinois & Missouri guys are catching multiple limits a day, freezing them, and bringing them back up north. They are raping our fishing. The difference is crappie are a game fish and catfish aren't...yet anyway.
Another issue our legislature is trying to pass is HB1593. This is sponsored by Rep. Kevin Horhan, who just so happens to "allegedly" be friends with someone who leases 16th section land in Leflore County, who just so happens to duck hunt said 16th section land, which just so happens to cross a public body of water. What this bill is trying to do is make 16th section lease land trust supersede the public waters trust, to the point that if you lease 16th section land that runs across public lakes and waters, you in fact can prohibit someone from crossing said public waters. This has already been an issue on Mossy Lake in Leflore County. Wren or Iv it passes, it's bound to be a very slippery slope when it comes to public water rights, they have tried it in the past and lost BC you can't own public, navigable waters. But with enough money and legislative influence, they are going to keep trying through the court system. Rogers that.
https://legiscan.com/MS/bill/HB1593/2026
https://law.justia.com/cases/mississippi/supreme-court/2025/2024-ca-00067-sct.html
How does one actually police where someone is fishing on the Mississippi river? Suppose this would require GPS and where nets were actually deployed. Like taking someone to court over property issues. Might need to get a surveyor of sorts involved.
As long as they’re licensed and within limits, I don’t see the problem. Don’t we want folks from out of state to pay the extra $$$ and fish here?
You can actually seine the Mississippi river??
Leave my damn catfish alone! Maybe we should go up north and pilfer some of their homely women.
It’s been happening. Go drive around lake Washington, Sardis, Enid, Arabella, Eagle/cho/alb, in the spring and tell me how many out of state tags you see with a deep freeze in the tailgate and a crappie rig/boat hooked up.
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