Hand-grabbing regulations

Lindsey Scott, of Brandon, began hand-grabbing with Parker and Harrell in 2009 and has been a fan of the sport ever since.

Jerry Brown, a fisheries biologist for the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks said the fact that blues and flatheads are cavity spawners accounts for their willingness to enter man-made boxes during the spawning season.

“Boxes must be made of natural material,” Brown said. “Plywood is a primary material, but I’ve seen others made of hollow logs.”

Brown was part of a research team that worked with hand-grabbers on the Rez in 2007-08. They found that channel cats, in addition to blues and flatheads, will share the boxes. He also noted that blue cats tend to spawn earlier in the season, with flatheads waiting until later in the spring and early summer.

One of the objections offered by those too timid to try grabbing is the fear of finding a turtle, snake or alligator in the box. Brown has no knowledge of any grabber losing digits or suffering bites while tending a box. He does advise caution when grabbing in natural cavities, where air pockets may exist and allow reptiles to hide.

Mississippi has no creel limit or slot limit on hand-grabbed catfish, but some neighboring states do. Tennessee allows only one in excess of 36 inches — a rule honored by Mississippi.

Not all public waters are open to grabbing. It is not allowed in state fishing lakes or state park lakes. It is allowed on Corps-operated lakes and all rivers.

About David Hawkins 195 Articles
David Hawkins is a freelance writer living in Forest. He can be reached at hawkins2209@att.net.

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