Catch and release 2024
Derek black reply :
I'm a huge supporter of catch and release , wishing more ppl would follow , I hate seeing the bass population drop ,. I was always taught to release so someone else could in joy catching as well
TnRiver46 reply :
I'm 33 yrs old and have yet to witness a bass population drop, I guess I'm lucky enough to live in a good area.
SDoolittle reply :
On 3/31/2018 at 12:42 AM, TnRiver46 said:I'm 33 yrs old and have yet to witness a bass population drop, I guess I'm lucky enough to live in a good area.
Same here. What I have witnessed is overpopulation and stunted growth. Bag limits are in place for a reason. I have no problem with someone keeping a legally caught fish for the frying pan.
Troy85 reply :
I probably release my bass about 2/3's of the time, but Fresh fish is just to tasty to not eat at least some of the time.
Dwight Hottle reply :
It's probably more like catch & release in big lakes & fisheries but take your limit of fish under 15" in ponds & small lakes where stunted fish are prevalent. Nature has a natural balance but smaller bodies of water most often need angler help to keep from getting out of wack. If an angler wants to keep a limit to eat that is their prerogative.
senile1 reply :
On 3/31/2018 at 1:04 AM, Dwight Hottle said:It's probably more like catch & release in big lakes & fisheries but take your limit of fish under 15" in ponds & small lakes where stunted fish are prevalent. Nature has a natural balance but smaller bodies of water most often need angler help to keep from getting out of wack. If an angler wants to keep a limit to eat that is their prerogative.
I agree. I have witnessed a few small ponds that once had good fishing turn into dink waters. I may love catch and release but if I am going to manage a small water body for decent sized fish, it is highly likely that at some point I will have to perform selective harvest on that body of water. Not to mention that anglers have a right to eat what they catch as long as they abide by the creel limits set by their state.
sully420 reply :
As long as people follow the rules i have no problem with people eating bass if they wish. Many times this can be helpful to fisheries. People who love to eat 20" pike are my heroes.
MN Fisher reply :
Even larger lakes can benefit from some culling for the grill. The one I'll be fishing is 14,000+ acres and I'll be seriously considering putting any Bass in the 2#-4# range in the ice-chest rather than back in the water. Over 4# and it'll be C&R only, but I do enjoy my lemon-rosemary Bass from the grill.
Lasher reply :
I spoke with the a biologist who says every habitat is different and should be regulated to fit the need of that particular fishery; instead of any broad brush rules or limits. Some lakes need slot limits while others need catch and release only. I eat a few fish from time to time but prefer to turn them loose for another day, however walleye are delicious and I can't help myself.
MassYak85 reply :
I occasionally will eat a 2 or 3 lber here and there, or a fish I know is going to die. But I do have a thing against people eating trophy fish. That said I feel like most people who are catching fish solely to eat aren't targeting trophies so it usually works out.
Catt reply :
Most biologist agree selective harvesting is better than catch & release!
12poundbass reply :
I'm not a big fish eater, occasionally walleye and bluegill I'll consume, but I have no problem with people keeping legal fish of any species. I'm not sure where you saw the bass population drop but I'd assume you might be mistaken or there was something else that played the major role in the declining population you experienced. Like others have said keeping fish is needed in most cases in order to have a healthy population.
TnRiver46 reply :
On 3/31/2018 at 1:11 AM, sully420 said:As long as people follow the rules i have no problem with people eating bass if they wish. Many times this can be helpful to fisheries. People who love to eat 20" pike are my heroes.
I have only eaten one Pike but it was very good white meat. Instead of trying one of the 25 different methods I heard for removing the y bone, I just ate it with a fork
sully420 reply :
On 3/31/2018 at 2:40 AM, TnRiver46 said:have only eaten one Pike but it was very good white meat. Instead of trying one of the 25 different methods I heard for removing the y bone, I just ate it with a fork
Yea i just let my buddy fillet them he's a master at it. Nothing worse than a lake with too many 20" pike they destroy tackle worse then biggins.
All about da bass reply :
That's the reason there's a limit at a lake. So people that want fish to eat can get some and so that way there isn't to many small ones and they can grow properly.
Catt reply :
Let me give y'all the perfect example of the success of selective harvesting.
Texas Parks & Wildlife
Every lake in the state of Texas is man-made with the exception of Caddo.
The native Texas Bass & Northern Bass that lived in streams/rivers was the only breeding stock.
In 1971 TPWD brought the first Florida strain to the Tyler Fish Hatchery, state wide stocking started the following year. Over the next several years bass from Florida, California, & Cuba were brought to Texas to improve the genetics.
The ShareLunker Program was established in 1986, since then 258 bass of 13 pounds plus has entered the program from 55 public reservoirs. These bass are now the breeding stock for the entire state of Texas; they spawn at the hatchery & then released back into their lake of origin.
Many lake are doing the same program but starting out with 10 pound plus breeding stock.
Pkfish49 reply :
I respect your opinion, but I keep whatever is legal and eat it.
I'm confident that New York State laws make sense.
MN Fisher reply :
Minnesota has had the same keep limits in effect since I was a teen (40 years or more), and we still have an excellent Bass fishery all over the state. People keeping some eating size (2#-4#) has had no deleterious effect on the number of trophy-sized Bass caught in the state.
IMO: A C&R only law/response will only hurt the hunt for the next state record in whatever state implements it. And that's also from my College Education as an Aquatic Biologist.
scaleface reply :
Bass dont live forever .
I harvest several limits a year . I prefer 12 inch bass but they are protected so I am forced to keep 15 inchers or 11 inchers . A limit of 11 inchers wont feed the three of us , so....
Last_Cast reply :
I'll never keep any bass..its a sin =p
Derek black reply :
GREAT RESPONSE FROM YOU GUYS . I INJOYED HEARING FROM EVERYONE
LonnieP reply :
I can’t stand the taste of bass but I have no problem with other people eating what they catch.
slonezp reply :
tick tock tick tock
Jaderose reply :
I C&R Bass. I have no issue with anyone legally keeping anything for the frying pan. Some folks need to and I respect that. I consider myself fortunate that I do not NEED to but I know I can if I HAVE to.
soflabasser reply :
There is nothing wrong with keeping your legal limit of bass if you have a freshwater fishing license. The real problem is greedy people who keep more than what they are allowed to keep and those that keep too many bass outside the legal slot limit( depending on the location). I would be more concerned with places that have high fishing pressure, since the big bass will learn to avoid most fishermen and many of the bass will die a slow, painful death from swallowing so many soft plastics( plenty of videos and articles online of sick,skinny bass with stomachs full of soft plastics). Improper handing from catch and release bass fishing can kill bass and that's even worse than someone keeping a bass for dinner.
On 3/31/2018 at 2:21 AM, Catt said:Most biologist agree selective harvesting is better than catch & release!
Well said @Catt
greentrout reply :
When on private waters follow what owners tell me I can keep or should keep. No further discussion. State waters do exactly what the regulations dictate. https://www.mdwfp.com/
FishDewd reply :
Here's the thing, I prefer to take my fish home and filet them for dinner. Hence, I would have a hard time catching the perfect edible size bass and letting it go unless local laws prohibit that. However, this comes with limitations. I have a pond that's been well kept with catfish and perch for decades now. We don't keep female cats or bluegills over a certain size cause these are breeders and we want them to stay there to continue to spawn. With bass such a concept is easier cause they don't taste as good over a certain size as cats and bluegill do, or so I hear. I'm yet to catch or even see a really nice bass irl. Most of the laws here prohibit keeping one under 14". To me, that's too large for a bass to eat and I wouldn't keep it anyway. But for a catfish... that's pretty much darned perfect!
Bluebasser86 reply :
One of the biggest problems we have is that the smaller bass are better to eat and much more plentiful, but people aren't allowed to keep those. Only in recent years has the state started to try to change that with a 13-18 inch slot limit on a lot of smaller lakes with high population densities. I wish it was more like a 15-21 inch slot to give people a little more freedom to keep smaller fish, while protecting the larger fish better, but it's a start. I really wish I liked to eat fish, I'd keep a limit of 12 inchers every time I went at a lot of the lakes I fish and it would do them a lot of good.
Chance_Taker4 reply :
A local campground I grew up on has two ponds that held 3-4lbers (big for ponds in Ohio). about 5 years ago they added C&R rules to the ponds. Now when I go out there I only catch 1lbers if I'm lucky. I talked to the owners last year and they said it was because every year they had a company come in to stock bluegill and shad but they wanted to cut costs and not stock them yearly so they decided to no allow fish to be kept. I don't fully understand their thought process but whatever helps them turn the biggest profit.
My personal view is I don't like the taste of bass so I don't keep them. My wife likes bluegill so I will bring some home. But when it comes to Walleye, Perch, Trout or Crappie, I take everyone I catch within limits.
scaleface reply :
I'll add this . If everybody kept their catch that would be detrimental to the fishery . Being most people practice catch and release then the relatively few bass that are being kept is not hurting a bit . I release all bass over four lbs unless they are bleeders .
A couple years back , at a small lake , the Missouri Conservation dept implemented a 12 fish , no length limit , to thin out the population. I took full advantage of that . They must have got the population where they wanted because its now back to the slot limit .
slonezp reply :
There are far worse things that can decimate a fishery then a fish fry.
Gundog reply :
Catch and keep can actually benefit a fishery. I've suggested to political appointees on the PA fish & boat commission that to help solve the overpopulation of perch in local lakes they allow and promote catch and keep tournaments for perch. Maybe even offer small prizes like donated tackle or clothing. Instead they have extended the time period for keeping lakes water levels lowered in the winter. By not allowing the lakes to fill in early spring they figure the weeds that support populations of perch will not grow as abundant and the perch won't multiply as much. Problem is neither do the bass and pickerel that feed on perch. And with lower populations of fish, there are less people fishing. Vicious cycle.
Blacktail 8541 reply :
I usually release all bass I catch. But when I decide on having a dinner or two I will keep bass in the 15 or 16 in range and up to about 3 lbs. When I fish for crappie I will keep most of my limits. They taste great.
Raul reply :
On 3/31/2018 at 6:37 AM, scaleface said:Bass dont live forever .
I harvest several limits a year . I prefer 12 inch bass but they are protected so I am forced to keep 15 inchers or 11 inchers . A limit of 11 inchers wont feed the three of us , so....
That’s a nice stringer you got there.
NHBull reply :
This year, I will be keeping fish that may not have a good chance for survival. We have a few shelters that are more than happy to serve up some Bass. Wished I would have considered it sooner
J.Vincent reply :
proper education and respect for the earth and our natural resources....is paramount
burrows reply :
I don’t keep during the spawn and I only keep fish from what I consider to be clean water like a river or big lake I don’t eat fish from ponds anymore.
WRB reply :
The Linders started "Selective Harvest" as a moto for In Fishermen decades ago and makes more sense then Catch & Release started by B.A.S.S. as their organization grew nationally in the early 79's.
Ray Scott likes to claim the idea, I remember a very different Ray Scott when I was trying to get them to release tournament caught bass in the late 60's early years.
Scott told me it was impossible for recreational fishing to harm largemouth bass populations and promoting charity fish fry was his goal back then.
Scott may have been right regarding the large reserviors in the south, but public perception was agianst what they were seeing.
Today the C & R has become almost a cult following beyond any reason, kill a bass and you are labeled a villain. I remember releasing bass and being called a idiot back in the 60's.
C & R is a good practice for the majority of the time and for any organized bass tournament. Selective Harvest makes more sense for a sustainable and renewable bass population for recreational anglers.
Tom
Chowderhead reply :
On 3/31/2018 at 8:25 AM, LonnieP said:I can’t stand the taste of bass but I have no problem with other people eating what they catch.
Love to fish but cannot stand eating fish -- just not my thing. No judgement on those that do.
MN Fisher reply :
One reason I cheer the fact that my wife doesn't like fish either...more for me. 
scaleface reply :
On 4/1/2018 at 2:42 AM, Raul said:That’s a nice stringer you got there.
.97 wally world , 8 foot nylon .
burrows reply :
Nothing beats a good stringer of crappie.
MN Fisher reply :
On 4/1/2018 at 7:45 AM, Burros said:Nothing beats a good stringer of crappie.
Unless it's a creel full of Brook Trout
(runs and hides)
(yes, I do go out Trout fishing now and then)
soflabasser reply :
On 4/1/2018 at 7:45 AM, Burros said:Nothing beats a good stringer of crappie.
Hogfish, mahi mahi, tripletail, cobia, and most saltwater fish taste much better than any freshwater fish and that includes crappie.
Bluebasser86 reply :
On 4/1/2018 at 8:13 AM, MN Fisher said:Unless it's a creel full of Brook Trout
I hope they taste better than rainbows. IMO, trout make good cut bait, but are not fit for human consumption. Catfish treat them like they're candy though. Of course, all we have are stockers, so maybe natural fish taste better, but I'd think farm raised fish would be better?
MN Fisher reply :
On 4/1/2018 at 1:21 PM, Bluebasser86 said:I hope they taste better than rainbows. IMO, trout make good cut bait, but are not fit for human consumption. Catfish treat them like they're candy though. Of course, all we have are stockers, so maybe natural fish taste better, but I'd think farm raised fish would be better?
I don't know about the 'cut-bait' - in MN it's illegal to use any game-fish as bait...and they consider sunnies, crappie and perch to be 'game-fish' here.
I'm not much a fan of Rainbows for eating either. Brookies have, as a chef would put it, a much more delicate flavor...definitely worth a try, though wild-caught, not farmed.
Bluebasser86 reply :
On 4/1/2018 at 1:27 PM, MN Fisher said:I don't know about the 'cut-bait' - in MN it's illegal to use any game-fish as bait...and they consider sunnies, crappie and perch to be 'game-fish' here.
I'm not much a fan of Rainbows for eating either. Brookies have, as a chef would put it, a much more delicate flavor...definitely worth a try, though wild-caught, not farmed.
Anything is fair game as bait in KS, even bass, as long as they're keeper sized and you count them towards your daily bag limit. Lots of flathead guys use bass for bait here.
NYWayfarer reply :
On 4/1/2018 at 4:18 AM, WRB said:I remember releasing bass and being called a idiot back in the 60's.
70’s as well. I have had many conversations about fish I have caught that ended with “You didn’t keep them?” Followed by all bewildered look.
My answer was I don’t eat the ones I catch because I get the fish I am going to eat from where God intended me to get them...the supermarket.
slonezp reply :
On 4/1/2018 at 1:32 PM, Bluebasser86 said:Anything is fair game as bait in KS, even bass, as long as they're keeper sized and you count them towards your daily bag limit. Lots of flathead guys use bass for bait here.
In IL and WI the (gamefish) bait MUST be caught on the same body of water it is being used on. It is illegal to transport fish from one body of water to another. That includes minnows. One the minnow bucket has been dipped in a lake, the minnows cannot be used elsewhere.
MichaelCopeland reply :
I love the taste of bass. However I mostly catch and release. I do keep a limit of 1lb to maybe 3lbs tops. I believe those sizes are tastier. I do believe that anything over those weights should be released to help preserve the population, plus the taste isn't near as good in my opinion. At times I hear people talk about catching 8lb+ bass and keeping them for eating. When that happens I'll let them know that they just consumed a possible record size bass and that they could've one day caught that one again when it has reached that size. I'm going fishing here in a couple hours and I'm planning on catching my new PB. Even if I don't, I'm confident I'll catch a few and when I do, I'll be releasing them because it's tough to walk the banks with 3 rods, a tackle bag and an icechest. May have to invest in a dolly one day so I can harvest when I want to.
scaleface reply :
On 4/2/2018 at 12:19 AM, MichaelCopeland said:I do keep a limit of 1lb to maybe 3lbs tops
Thats what I like but the Conservation dept likes to keep that size in the water with a 12 to 15 inch slot in most of the lakes nearby . The slots only work if the anglers do their part .
MichaelCopeland reply :
Here in Louisiana most waters don't have a slot or length limit. There are a few that do though. See pic below
MN Fisher reply :
Minnesota has no slots in any body of water.
OCdockskipper reply :
Although Tom is slightly older than I, like him I grew up in the time that B.A.S.S. switched to C & R. It made an impression on me as a teenager and for bass, I have practiced it ever since. I have kept stripers, bluegill & catfish for eating and the lake I grew up on wanted to lower the carp population, so we used to catch them, cut them up and use them to catch crawdads & catfish.
Although I don't do it, I fully understand and have no problem with keeping 12" bass. It would be very difficult for me personally to keep any bass over 14" because I am constantly thinking of what that particular fish had to do to survive and get to at least that size. It sounds kind of tree-huggerish, but I really respect a largemouth that beats the odds to become an apex predator of its environment.
I know that fooling them into biting a hooked lure and yanking them out of the water to look at them may be an odd way to show my respect, but i don't scuba dive so that is the only way for me to check them out 
RPreeb reply :
Here in Colorado, the typical statewide limit on LM is 15" minimum length, but only one can be over 21". That essentially creates a slot limit of 15" to 21".
For SM the minimum varies - can be either 12" or 15" depending on the lake you are fishing.
slonezp reply :
On 4/1/2018 at 5:50 AM, scaleface said:.97 wally world , 8 foot nylon .
I see what you did there
ww2farmer reply :
On 3/31/2018 at 6:12 AM, Pkfish49 said:
I'm confident that New York State laws make sense.
You can't possibly be from NY then. LMAO
Bass_Fishing_Socal reply :
On 4/2/2018 at 5:18 AM, OCdockskipper said:
Although I don't do it, I fully understand and have no problem with keeping 12" bass. It would be very difficult for me personally to keep any bass over 14" because I am constantly thinking of what that particular fish had to do to survive and get to at least that size. It sounds kind of tree-huggerish, but I really respect a largemouth that beats the odds to become an apex predator of its environment.
That shows you have not kept any bass for quite awhile. Our state change to over 15" with 2 bag limit a few years back.
I used to have an agreement with my fishing buddy to keep one bass of every tenth we caught. Most of the reason is to shut my wife since she always bug me about keeping bass. "That never happens"
I did keep some last year with all bleeding bass.
OCdockskipper reply :
On 4/3/2018 at 1:40 AM, JustJames said:That shows you have not kept any bass for quite awhile. Our state change to over 15" with 2 bag limit a few years back...
You are right, I am still stuck in the 70's with 12" sizes and 10 fish limits.
The last time I paid attention to bag limits was while house-boating on Lake Mead. I knew my nephew wanted to keep some stripers to eat, so I asked at the marina what the size & creel limits were. The guy laughed and said if they are under 20", I could fill the houseboat with them (i.e., unlimited). Turns out even over 20", it is still 20 fish a day. Coming from the world of LMB, that is amazing for me to fathom...
Lasher reply :
Got me thinking about some of the guys who kill carp, gar, bowfin and other "nuisance" species. Should fishermen kill species to help population? I remember a summer I lived in yellowstone and biologist required anyone who caught a lake trout to kill it.
Scott F reply :
On 4/2/2018 at 8:23 AM, RPreeb said:Here in Colorado, the typical statewide limit on LM is 15" minimum length, but only one can be over 21". That essentially creates a slot limit of 15" to 21".
For SM the minimum varies - can be either 12" or 15" depending on the lake you are fishing.
Slot limit rules mean you have to release fish in the slot whatever slot limit is. If the slot reg says 15-21 inches, you are supposed to keep fish under the slot, and release fish that fall within the slot, not the other way around.
BigBassCatcher reply :
On 4/4/2018 at 3:36 AM, Lasher said:Got me thinking about some of the guys who kill carp, gar, bowfin and other "nuisance" species. Should fishermen kill species to help population? I remember a summer I lived in yellowstone and biologist required anyone who caught a lake trout to kill it.
If they are invasive species, then I see why a biologist might say to kill it. And the correct solution is definitely to kill those fish, as unfortunate as that may seem. And by kill I mean kill and take it home to eat, or if you don't eat fish then give it to someone who does. It would be a waste to just kill it and let it decompose. You can feed some hungry people and help out the lakes ecosystem!
If the biologists are saying to kill those fish because they are "dirty" fish but don't harm the ecosystem, then that would be wrong in my opinion. But then again, I doubt a biologist would ever say something like that, the only people that hate kill fish are people a little messed up in the noggin.
gimruis reply :
Realize that bass here in the frozen north take much, much longer to get to a specific size than they do in the southern portion of the country. Bass are not a renewable species up here and I've heard directly from a Biologist at Mille Lacs that it takes a smallie about 10 years to get to 20 inches/5 pounds there. It wouldn't take much to deplete a population of large fish like that. That's why people keep walleyes and panfish here instead of bass - they taste better and grow quicker than bass do in this part of the country.
tander reply :
I fish a local 50 acre lake.The local wildlife biologist told me to keep my limit ever time I fish. If I did not want them, give them them away. There are too many small fish in the lake and it would help the lake to thin them out. I am doing my part.
RichF reply :
I rarely keep anything and will only eat a bass if it expires in the livewell or is deep hooked and won't survive. I think most state regulations do a good job keeping fish populations healthy so as much as I cringe seeing a bass on a stringer, if it's harvested within the law, I won't cast too much judgement (pun intended). I just hope we all understand that with the advances in technology, fish are getting easier to find and, for many, catch. Couple that with the simple fact that our population is higher (and way more people are fishing for bass), I imagine some damage could possibly be done at some point if too many are kept.
Cheetahsneverprosper reply :
The northern midwest lake I fish the most is fairly small, but deep, and thankfully has no public access.
In over 15 years of almost constant fishing there, I can count on one hand the number of times I've seen anyone else going for bass or northern pike. Everyone I see is fishing for crappie and bluegill.
Because of this, I basically have all the bass and northern to myself, and they're huge.
I'm perfectly content for it to stay this way.
Catch and release almost exclusively, unless it's deep hooked and I know it's going to die. Then it goes into the frying pan. If you don't like the taste of a larger bass on its own, try chopping up the fillet and mixing it with some wild rice and broccoli. Delicious.
scaleface reply :
On 4/5/2018 at 9:34 PM, RichF said:I imagine some damage could possibly be done at some point if too many are kept.
I agree but being most anglers release their catch I get to keep some .. Thank you very much .
scaleface reply :
I would like to see an experimental limit where bass under a certain size are legal , say 15 inches . Tournaments still be able to continue as long as they are C&R .
Bluebasser86 reply :
On 4/6/2018 at 8:26 PM, scaleface said:I would like to see an experimental limit where bass under a certain size are legal , say 15 inches . Tournaments still be able to continue as long as they are C&R .
That's how slot limits work, lots of our lakes have 13-18 inch slots, so you can keep fish under 13" or over 18".
scaleface reply :
On 4/6/2018 at 8:33 PM, Bluebasser86 said:That's how slot limits work, lots of our lakes have 13-18 inch slots, so you can keep fish under 13" or over 18".
I'm familiar with slot limits , I mean once a bass reaches a certain length then they are protected . Maybe allow 1 in case someone catches a trophy they want mounted .
BassNJake reply :
On 4/4/2018 at 3:36 AM, Lasher said:Got me thinking about some of the guys who kill carp, gar, bowfin and other "nuisance" species. Should fishermen kill species to help population? I remember a summer I lived in yellowstone and biologist required anyone who caught a lake trout to kill it.
I got a pretty big shock the first time I saw a bowfisher and his bounty of carp.
I swear it seemed like he had 30 of them.
nosdog2 reply :
I am mostly C&R, however there are certain times I go out and keep a few to throw in the fryer for sure. Love me some pike and LMB in the fryer.
Ben Miller reply :
On 3/31/2018 at 12:36 AM, Derek black said:I'm a huge supporter of catch and release , wishing more ppl would follow , I hate seeing the bass population drop ,. I was always taught to release so someone else could in joy catching as well
Actually catch and release depends where you are fishing and your goals. Bass definitely have to be culled. Public, I release figuring thinking plenty of others keep. Private, I keep the small ones. Tons of info on the net
MN Fisher reply :
Found the video I mentioned earlier. It's right on BR's own YouTube channel. Busts the myth that keeping bass harms the population.
Mbirdsley reply :
I don't personally keep bass to eat ( if it is hooked to deep to survive I would) and haven't eaten a bass in years. But, I have no problem and will not judge anybody keeping fish to eat. Bag limits are in place for reason. Like others have said in some lakes it may actually help keep balance in the eco system. The issue is that some bodies of water can handle people constantly taking fish and some can't. For example in the great lakes, fishermen will never put a dent in the fish population as long as the bag limit is followed. Other smaller lakes if too many fish are kept and it could severely hurt the population. A person just has to mindful of what body of water can handle. If I were to eat a bass it would be a 14-18inch (min in Michigan is 14) small mouth out of deep cold lake pan fried. MMM that actually sounds pretty good
WRB reply :
On 4/3/2018 at 1:40 AM, JustJames said:That shows you have not kept any bass for quite awhile. Our state change to over 15" with 2 bag limit a few years back.
I used to have an agreement with my fishing buddy to keep one bass of every tenth we caught. Most of the reason is to shut my wife since she always bug me about keeping bass. "That never happens"
I did keep some last year with all bleeding bass.
2 black bass, 15" min length....how did I miss that new reg?
Tom
BASS302 reply :
@JustJames, @WRB,
2018-2019 General California: 12-inch minimum size limit and a five-fish daily bag limit: All lakes and reservoirs in the State, and the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.
Certain counties/districts:
certain lakes have their own regulations:
Boomstick reply :
I watched a few youtube videos of public seminars about keeping bass. The general consensus was that keeping a few wont hurt the bass populations, and in some lakes where nobody keeps any it might actually help the bass populations.
That said, I almost always throw them back.
TnRiver46 reply :
On 4/6/2018 at 8:26 PM, scaleface said:I would like to see an experimental limit where bass under a certain size are legal , say 15 inches . Tournaments still be able to continue as long as they are C&R .
I have always thought there should be length maximums as opposed to minimums but the only example in my state that is similar is catfish. Only two over 34" may be harvested
bobbyg reply :
At Dale Hollow where we just were this weekend, you can only keep one smallmouth over 21" and one under 16". And only a total of 5 black bass a day.
the reel ess reply :
What makes a bass's life more important than, say, a crappie's? If you own a pond, you better take a lot of fish or you'll have a bunch of 5 year old, 1 lb fish. My buddy has an overstocked pond full of 1/2 pounders and we take as many as we can catch. I have no issue whatsoever with people eating bass. I do always release all the ones I catch over 3 pounds and if I'm fishing from the kayak, I don't usually keep any. But I might give them to someone else fishing at the same time. It's a hassle to drag them around on a stringer.
Vilas15 reply :
On 4/5/2018 at 9:07 AM, gimruis said:Bass are not a renewable species up here and I've heard directly from a Biologist at Mille Lacs that it takes a smallie about 10 years to get to 20 inches/5 pounds there. It wouldn't take much to deplete a population of large fish like that. That's why people keep walleyes and panfish here instead of bass - they taste better and grow quicker than bass do in this part of the country.
I imagine it would also take at least 10 years for a walleye to reach 30", which I would consider comparable to a 20" smallie. Walleyes can reach 15" in 3 years but how long would it take a smallmouth to reach a decent size for eating? I imagine maybe a bit longer but I would be surprised if it's by much. I don't know the limits on Mille Lacs so if you can't keep them until trophy size then it doesnt really matter. I think walleye would be just as "nonrenewable" as bass if they did not stock such a large amount and I'd be surprised to find out they stock any bass in Mille Lacs, bass aren't stocked in any Wisconsin lake that I've seen.
Overall I just think walleye are not more renewable than bass, but they get supported through stocking. If smallmouth were fished primarily for eating at smaller sizes and stocked like walleye I think they'd be ok. The slower growth rates up here effect all fish, look at walleye growth in Lake Erie vs Canada. That's why we need correct limits on all types of fish, especially smallmouth which have some pretty lax regs in some places up here.
MN Fisher reply :
On 4/10/2018 at 12:20 AM, Vilas15 said:I imagine it would also take at least 10 years for a walleye to reach 30"
Longer than that. 25 years to hit 29"
http://www.aikenslake.com/news/a-look-into-the-growth-rates-of-walleye
Vilas15 reply :
On 4/10/2018 at 12:25 AM, MN Fisher said:Longer than that. 25 years to hit 29"
http://www.aikenslake.com/news/a-look-into-the-growth-rates-of-walleye
Aikens lake is in Manitoba which is pretty far up there. I saw something for Ohio which had 27.5" at 10 years, but thats further south and they grow big and fast in Lake Erie. Again it just illustrates that all fish are affected by the higher lattitudes. It matters for bass since they are primarily catch and release regardless of regs and people want to catch trophy fish where most people just want eater walleye. The regs just need to be improved up north to protect the trophies from certain people who would keep as many 20" smallies as possible which could have a real effect.
soflabasser reply :
On 4/9/2018 at 11:01 PM, the reel ess said:What makes a bass's life more important than, say, a crappie's?
I know a couple guys down here that put largemouth bass on the tallest of pedestals and won't harvest a single bass for food, even for a friend or family member. These same fishermen fish bass only for "sport" and rarely leave their comfort zone to fish other species. To them a crappie and basically any other freshwater fish is less than a bass, which to me makes no sense, but then again I enjoy multi species fishing and have a open mind. As for me, I will consider harvesting a bass if a family or friend ask me and see nothing wrong with harvesting a legal catch.
scaleface reply :
I use to be strictly catch and release but after thinking it over , bass are a renewable resource . I am not a game-hog and dont load the freezer for a big fish fry . I keep enough that a few times a year , I'll make a meal for my immediate family and take a few pieces to my parents who are in their 80's and really appreciate them .
soflabasser reply :
On 4/10/2018 at 4:57 AM, scaleface said:dont load the freezer for a big fish fry
I got a separate freezer almost filled to capacity with saltwater fish fillets and lobster that I have caught. I enjoy eating fresh seafood and it beats buying old stale seafood that most people buy in supermarkets. I do give some of my catch to family members and a couple close friends when they ask me.
RichF reply :
On 4/10/2018 at 2:46 AM, soflabasser said:I know a couple guys down here that put largemouth bass on the tallest of pedestals and won't harvest a single bass for food, even for a friend or family member. These same fishermen fish bass only for "sport" and rarely leave their comfort zone to fish other species. To them a crappie and basically any other freshwater fish is less than a bass, which to me makes no sense, but then again I enjoy multi species fishing and have a open mind. As for me, I will consider harvesting a bass if a family or friend ask me and see nothing wrong with harvesting a legal catch.
Maybe they just really like to bass fish? I'm in that category. I don't care to do any other fishing than bass. I don't see anything wrong with that. I like what I like.
related General Bass Fishing Forum topic
previous topic
most viewed General Bass Fishing Forum topic
© 2024 - fishing.qciss.net. All Rights Reserved.