# Scumbags!!! What is wrong with these people???



## TunaFish (Aug 16, 2001)

There were 17 dead blue cats. If you're not going to keep them, why can't you just release the damm fish!!!!! Assholes!!!


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## Beachlover (Mar 21, 2019)

That kind of crap really pisses me off!!!! I bet they saw a DNR officer and dumped them.


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## dominopizza (Sep 29, 2017)

oh thats the catfishes that I saw on sunday. I thought they were caught there when water level went up. i guess it was a naive thinking on my part. DNR police checked license that day and im pretty sure he saw that too.


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## thaweatherman (Mar 9, 2018)

Does DNR actually care about blue cats?


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## nhunter344 (Oct 14, 2016)

thaweatherman said:


> Does DNR actually care about blue cats?


No. Its still considered an invasive species and you are encouraged to not release them. That being said, I agree, they're already established, they aren't going anywhere, so if you catch them, either release them or eat them. Or give them to someone that will eat them.


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## Ajv5148 (Mar 3, 2017)

thaweatherman said:


> Does DNR actually care about blue cats?


they care if you caught them without a license. which is the only reason I could think someone would dump them


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## nhunter344 (Oct 14, 2016)

dominopizza said:


> oh thats the catfishes that I saw on sunday.....


Where did this happen? No need to be specific if its going to burn a spot.


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## Benji (Nov 19, 2014)

They're invasive......


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## dominopizza (Sep 29, 2017)

there's only one spot in SPSP that can produce that number from the beach. it's really no secret. front of small kayak launch.


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## thaweatherman (Mar 9, 2018)

Do these fish ever eat lures or do people only fish for them with cut bait and hot dogs?


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## andypat (Jan 7, 2004)

nhunter344 said:


> No. Its still considered an invasive species and you are encouraged to not release them. That being said, I agree, they're already established, they aren't going anywhere, so if you catch them, either release them or eat them. Or give them to someone that will eat them.


 X2 on that.


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## captmikestarrett (Apr 28, 2004)

Benji said:


> They're invasive......


Yes they where introduced by the Virginia Dept of Game and inland fisheries. They where thought to be a good fit for trophy fishing and food.
Capt Mike


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## captmikestarrett (Apr 28, 2004)

thaweatherman said:


> Do these fish ever eat lures or do people only fish for them with cut bait and hot dogs?


Yes they eat lures slowly moved in the lower water column. They prefer fresh cut bait the most. White perch is like candy to them. They are great table fare also. 

They grow so fast that they do not accumulate nasty stuff like older fish do. Any blue cat under 8 pounds is safe to eat. 

Capt Mike


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## bigmanindc (Mar 13, 2003)

Whoever did this literally did what DNR asks us to do as responsible fisherman!!!!!


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## TunaFish (Aug 16, 2001)

bigmanindc said:


> Whoever did this literally did what DNR asks us to do as responsible fisherman!!!!!


Sorry. I completely disagree with you in this matter. As an avid fisherman, I couldn't have said it any better than what nhunter posted. Instead of littering these dead carcasses, these idiots could have put them into a dumpster.


theweatherman, in addition to what captmikesaret said, I also caught blue cats on a rattle trap...


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## CYT (Nov 9, 2015)

WOW! That's inhumane.....some pretty ignorant people out there. Total PRICKS!

First time at Conowingo dam I saw this same kinda practice where guys fishing stripers would accidentally catch channel cats, stomp on there heads and throw em into the rocks to lay there and die in the baking sun.
Pretty sickening. Ya call DNR and they never show up...hate that. They're there to check licenses tho. 

Did you know catfish are one of the most intelligent fish species?

P.S. Thanks Tuna, now that image is going to stick with me all day...LOL.


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## andypat (Jan 7, 2004)

I know people that would eat all of them.


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## Ajv5148 (Mar 3, 2017)

bigmanindc said:


> Whoever did this literally did what DNR asks us to do as responsible fisherman!!!!!


Aldo Leopold said "ethical behavior is doing the right thing when no one else is watching- even when doing the wrong thing is legal"


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## Garboman (Jul 22, 2010)

Benji said:


> They're invasive......


Could have been a Cow Rockfish ran them up on the beach, as a penalty for lying in wait to eat all her fry and being invasive to her legacy.

If DNR says to kill them, then birds have to eat too. If you feel sorry for the critters release them.

I wonder why 8 pounds is safe to eat and 8.5 pounds will give you health issues? What if your scale is off?

Maryland should fine Virginia for their illegal immigrant program.

I used to fish the Potomac a lot by boat thirty years ago, Blue Cat was almost non-existent. Stripers and Channel Cats and the occasional Flathead. We fished the Spring with Herring as bait, when the tide started to drop the clickers on our 6500's started to scream...... Shad were scarce, but the Stripers were like clockwork, mostly males in the under 15 pound range.

Anyway bad human behavior does not surprise me much anymore, not sure if wanton waste is a crime if the DNR asks for them to be removed, or if someone just left in a hurry cause they did not have a license. I am not even sure if you can buy a license if you do not have valid ID.

There is a hierarchy in Man's view of animals.............Blue Whale is worth more than the Jackal or the garden slug and so its death should be mourned with empathy rather than scorn.

If someone left 20 coyotes strung up from a barb wire fence in Colorado for the buzzards, the sheep farmer would praise the Killer, the varmint hunter would decry wanton waste of the hides. and the PETA person would weep for them.

Have not thought of Aldo Leopold in many years, he would be weeping today as little water reaches the Mouth of the Colorado in Mexico and that delta has passed on into memory.

100 years from now with rising sea levels the OBX will be just a memory, but we still demand to drive pickups and suburban's and Wind Farms are great, just don't build one next door to my place.....


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## nhunter344 (Oct 14, 2016)

Ajv5148 said:


> Aldo Leopold said "ethical behavior is doing the right thing when no one else is watching- even when doing the wrong thing is legal"


Thanks for that. Its time to break out A Sand County Almanac for another read!


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## Guest (Mar 23, 2019)

I've had park rangers (at a different location) tell me to kill every blue cat I catch. Even the little ones too small to keep, they said cut the gills. Everyone was so afraid of snakeheads but blue cats are even worse for the ecosystem. I will say I disagree with throwing dead ones on the ground though, because they really are one of the best eating fish in Maryland. It'd be a blessing if the poachers that target stripers start targeting blue cats instead. They'd get more meat and better meat and more baby stripers would get to live.


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## Benji (Nov 19, 2014)

The james river is a " world class trophy blue cat fisherie " ... way more blue cat than rockfish compared to 25 years ago. As much rain as we've had they have been caught at the i664 tunnel recently. They eat anything that will fit in their mouth.


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## bloodworm (Jan 5, 2007)

They do the same shit w Cownose rays and toadfish give them to a neighbor fisherman or something gosh!


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## bigmanindc (Mar 13, 2003)

TunaFish said:


> Sorry. I completely disagree with you in this matter. As an avid fisherman, I couldn't have said it any better than what nhunter posted. Instead of littering these dead carcasses, these idiots could have put them into a dumpster.
> 
> 
> theweatherman, in addition to what captmikesaret said, I also caught blue cats on a rattle trap...


So you are upset that tried to maybe recycle them instead of wasting them by throwing them in a dumpster?


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## Benji (Nov 19, 2014)

Very little goes to waste even if its tossed back dead, something will make a meal of it . Seagulls, crabs, minnows, any number of other scavengers. I'm not advocating that its alright to just kill something to kill it. I just don't get as upset over blue cats floating by as I would rockfish or drum. And I think law enforcement looks at it as there is no limit on them, they're invasive, no obvious law broken, no need to investigate .


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## Ajv5148 (Mar 3, 2017)

lots of great comments and thoughts here. someone mentioned those cownose Ray's getting wasted, I cooked skate for the first time last year and it was delicious! I thought it tasted like crab meat


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## andypat (Jan 7, 2004)

Just throw all fish you don't want back in water alive. I even throw back mud shad alive. Why kill any fish ? Snake head use to be invasive, now it is almost a game fish everyone wants to catch.


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## CYT (Nov 9, 2015)

Look like all Blue Cats. Write your Congressman on this matter. DNR law is to blame.

DNR law is to kill all invasive species (Blue cats and Snakehead). Do not release back into the water alive. This needs to change for these tasty gamefish. After all they're here to stay and aren't going anywhere.
It's pretty obvious, these people were fishing for C&R trophy's and ran into a school of Blue cats and dis guarded them per DNR law. I release them personally and agree this type of carnage is not right..


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## Ajv5148 (Mar 3, 2017)

CYT said:


> I release them personally and agree this type of carnage is not right..


 obviously I wasn't there to see it, but chances are there were others fishing who would have gladly taken those home to eat! if you dont want to release them, fine. but try to put them to use


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## TunaFish (Aug 16, 2001)

I'm glad this thread didn't go crazy over my rant. I have seen enough dead toadfish, skates, rays, and horseshoe crabs that were left by fishermen and didn't need to happen. Oh yeah, I fried some blue cat fillets l and have to say it wasn't all that bad. But I will not make it my regular diet though and I wish they go away.


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## VCAngler (Sep 26, 2018)

What a damn shame... they did that to the sand sharks and dog sharks in Atlantic City and Ocean City. I love the fight so I don't care what I catch but I always release no matter what. That is such a disgrace!


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## sand flea (Oct 24, 1999)

If you could erase an invasive species by killing a small number of them I'd be all for it. But you can't. All you're doing is killing an animal for no reason. It's what trashy people and losers do.


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## kurazy kracka (Oct 14, 2008)

blue cats fight about as well as a log in current, still doesn't mean they gotta be thrown up on the beach like that. That's gonna stinkkkkkkkkk too.


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## jcreamer (Mar 6, 2001)

Agree with you Tuna

JC


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## andypat (Jan 7, 2004)

They are serving blue catfish sandwich's at the ball park this year. At O's park.


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## CaptSam (Jun 2, 2005)

*We eat the Bay Cats*

I just want to say the large number of cats in the bay in the 24-36" range provide a lot of fun for the kids and guest on the boat. Since the other gamefish are almost gone (croaker, weakfish, big blues) its nice to have big fish to catch when the rock aren't biting. All the cats that live in the bay have a good clean taste and provide a meal each. 

Last year after it started getting cold and the rock quit, we fished the bay bridge near the west channel and nailed big cats on cut bait until all the kids were tired of pulling fish in. 

So yes it really is upsetting to have people throwing them away or encouraging people to kill them.


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## zam (Jun 16, 2004)

Theres always something you could do with the meat, take it to a homeless shelter, cattle feed, fertilizer..I think it is just as wrong to release them though. there is a reason DNR asks people to never release Blue cats or Snakeheads, they don't do it because they are evil, its because they know that's the only way of preventing a major problem in the fishery, one day the only thing we may be catching is evasive fish, and there will be no one to blame but the people that refused to do their part by not releasing them. but its to late now, they've spread to to many places, and the only way to control them is if every single person that ever caught one didn't release them, and that's not going to happen


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