Hey everyone,
I'm planning a trip to Mobile AL sometime in mid-October and have been eagerly researching cool fish I might be able to check out on my trip. I was specifically hoping to do some poking around in the Coosa/Tallapoosa drainages on my way down and/or back, along with some collecting around the Mobile/FL panhandle while down there. However, while researching seine lengths and license fees and the like, I came across these regulations:
"TAKING MINNOWS AND SHAD FOR BAIT
It is legal for licensed anglers to take minnows, shad, and certain suckers from certain public waters by the use of a cast net, minnow jug, minnow basket, not to exceed 24 inches in length, 12 inches in diameter, with funnel entrance not more than one inch in diameter, dip net or minnow seine, the length of which shall not exceed 25 feet and the width or depth of which shall not exceed 4 feet for the purpose of taking shad or minnows for the exclusive use as fish bait. No seines may be used in un-impounded tributary streams and creeks. All game fish and all commercial or nongame fish taken by nets or seines must be immediately returned to the water from whence they came with the least possible injury. Dip nets may be used to land legally caught fish."
No seines in unimpounded tributary streams and creeks? If I'm correct in interpreting this, it sounds as though it's illegal to use a seine in flowing water of any kind in AL. Does anyone have any additional information about this? Is this a new rule? I'd always been under the impression that AL was pretty liberal and easy, regulation-wise. Perhaps this is a recent change that none of us noticed?
I also cannot seem to find any information about bag limits for nongame fish, nor any information regarding what constitutes "minnows, shad, and certain suckers."
I probably need to contact their agency directly with my questions, but I figured I'd post this in case anyone else had any insight (or might be interested in meeting up if indeed it's legal to do some seining in AL!)