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220-2-.45 Commercial or Non-game Fish Designated
The following shall be designated as commercial or non-game fish:
Drum, Buffalo, Carp, Channel Catfish, all members of the Catfish family,
Paddlefish (Spoonbill), Spotted Sucker, all members of the Sucker family
including the species known as Red Horse and Black Horse, Bowfin and all
members of the Gar family, and mullet taken or attempted to be taken north
of the line specified in paragraph (1) of 220-2-.42 subject to the exception
provided in paragraph (3) thereof.
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220-2-.46 Legal Methods and Equipment for the Taking of
Commercial or Non-Game Fish
The following is hereby designated as legal fishing equipment and
methods for the taking of commercial or non-game fish in the fresh waters of
this State. Any other equipment or methods used in the taking of
commercial or non-game fish is a violation of this regulation.
(1) By Licensed Sport Fishermen - Day or Night
(a) Rod and Reel
(b) Hook and Line
(c) Trot Line
(d) Set Line
(e) Snag Line or Snare Line
(f) Bowfishing
1. General
(i) With the exception of sturgeon or other species protected
by law or regulation, it shall be legal for licensed sport
fishermen to take any of the following fish at any time by
bowfishing: (a) Shad, (b) White Amur, (c) Shark, (d)
Mullet, or (e) Any fish designated as commercial or nongame,
provided however, that only 1 alligator gar per
person per day may be taken.
(ii) It shall be illegal to take any other fresh water fish at any
time by bowfishing.
(iii) It shall be legal to have both bowfishing equipment and
normal fishing equipment in possession while either
bowfishing or fishing.
2. Bowfishing Equipment
(i) Any longbow, straight or recurve, compound bow or
crossbow may be used for bowfishing.
(ii) All arrows in possession while bowfishing shall be of
solid fiberglass or solid metal construction (as opposed
to hollow shaft construction).
(iii) Barbed bowfishing heads shall be used that do not have
sharpened cutting surfaces, and are of a design such that
the barbs may be reversed or removed to permit removal
of the arrow from the fish, except as noted in the section
on special exceptions.
(iv) A bowfishing line shall be used having a minimum
breaking strength of forty (40) pounds, and shall be a
minimum of forty (40) feet in length.
(v) One end of the bowfishing line shall be attached to the
arrow being used, and the other end of the line shall be
attached to the bow or some type of reel which is
attached to the bow, except as noted in the section on
special exceptions.
(vi) Lights may be used for night bowfishing, except as noted
in the section on special exceptions.
3. Special Exceptions
(i) Special exceptions to bowfishing equipment regulations
shall apply only while bowfishing in the coastal areas,
bays, or rivers of Mobile and Baldwin Counties. These
exceptions do not apply to non-tidal lakes or ponds in
those counties.
(ii) The end of the bowfishing line which is not attached to
the arrow may be attached to a separate fishing rod and
reel, or to some type of float of sufficient size to allow
tracking of a fish shot and/or recovery of line and arrow.
(iii) Barbed heads with sharpened cutting surfaces may be
used to shoot gars and sharks.
(iv) Once a gar or shark has been shot and is attached to a
bowfishing line, arrows with unbarbed, sharpened heads
may be used to kill the fish. These arrows do not have to
be attached to a bowfishing line, but they still have to be
of solid fiberglass or solid metal construction.
(v) The use of lights for night bowfishing while in
possession of sharpened heads, barbed or unbarbed, shall
only be permitted from a boat.
(g) Spear or Similar Instruments (underwater) by Special License
(h) Gigs or Grabbling
(i) It shall be unlawful to set and leave unattended in the public waters
of the State of Alabama for more than seven consecutive days all
fishing gear provided, however, that any set line or bush hook left
unattended for 48 hours may be removed by Game and Fish
Division personnel and destroyed.