Management of blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus) fisheries has recently increased in priority for many fisheries management agencies, but little is known about managing these fisheries. Also, while large-scale surveys (i.e., national and statewide) have provided managers with baseline sociological information, localized motivations and opinions of blue catfish anglers remain unknown in most areas. A mail-out survey was conducted to quantify motivations and opinions of blue catfish anglers in an eight-county area in north-central Texas to better manage local blue catfish fisheries. Surveyed anglers were generally harvest-oriented and preferred to harvest fish <610 mm total length. They supported the current harvest regulation (305-mm minimum length limit, 25 fish/day bag) or increasing the minimum length limit but did not support a reduced bag limit or a protected slot length limit. Results from this survey were used to guide blue catfish management in the region covered by the survey, including implementation of a new blue catfish harvest regulation in a local reservoir.
