Under what conditions would you KEEP a bass? 2024
FivePoundBluegill reply :
Just wondering how it is for you guys...
For me I am a 100% catch and release guy. However there is a situation where I would keep a bass. That situation is if I catch a state record bass or better. That is the only time I would EVER keep any bass for a wall mount or anything else....
How is it with you guys? I know some of you guys like to keep smaller bass from overpopulated lakes for the table because it helps increase the size of the average bass in those lakes. Others like to release 90% of their catches but keep a fish for a wall mount if its a trophy. Just wondering how this works with most of you guys?
Again for me I am a 100% catch and release fisherman...unless of course i get a state or world record fish...
Cory N reply :
If it's big enough to eat and not going to make it.
If I'm hungry and the fish is big enough to eat but not a big fish for the lake.
I would release any record fish, after taking a picture, weight and measurements.
Fish Man reply :
for me it would be a state record or at least 7.5 pounds.....but to tell you the truth i could keep a bass of any size and i probobly wouldnt give it a second thought or lose and sleep over it as long as i or somone else eats it, i C&R but im not a fanatic and i dont plac e abass as being any beter than any other fish
guest reply :
I haven't kept a bass in many years. That's not to say I won't. I could decide to keep a chunky 2-3 lber for dinner.
About the only time I would ABSOLUTLELY keep a bass is if I caught one that I thought was a state or world record. I don't think much about it cause the likelyhood is slim to none, but in florida.....who know's?
I might even kill it immediately to prevent it from regurgitating those few ounces that could mean the difference between the record and a close but no cigar bass.
Like I said, I don't fret about it much, if it happens I'll figure out then.
alger319 reply :
the only way i'd keep one is if it's 10+. though i do fish a semi-private lake that i have property on and sometimes keep some fish to eat (but never any over 2 lbs. ) if im consistantly catching small ones.. i try my best to keep my little private lake in check but realize it really doesnt even make a dent.
tfisherman reply :
We sometimes eat smaller bass (2lbs) but not as much as we use to, now it's probably crappie for the table instead.
At this stage in my life a Lg mouth 10+ and a sm mouth 6+ would go on my wall anything else released ASAP!
I hope I'm not offending anybody by saying this but it kills me to see people keeping 4+lb bass for eating >
I was talking to a guy from out of state years ago at the dock and he told me he had the weekend of his life 4lb'r after 4lb'r and a couple over 6lbs. At first I was like yeah right until he started pulling them out of the live well. I shook his hand but was still confused until he said he was putting them in the cooler and taking back to his home state to cook them up!!
I thought what a waste and a terrible loss for the population of bass that spring. I don't know if he caught them legally but he could have won a ton of money fishing a tourney that weekend. I can't believe a man that pays that much for a bass boat can still see a 4+lb bass as food let alone a whole cooler full??
Bassin_Fin@tic reply :
QuoteWe sometimes eat smaller bass (2lbs) but not as much as we use to, now it's probably crappie for the table instead.At this stage in my life a Lg mouth 10+ and a sm mouth 6+ would go on my wall anything else released ASAP!
I hope I'm not offending anybody by saying this but it kills me to see people keeping 4+lb bass for eating >
I was talking to a guy from out of state years ago at the dock and he told me he had the weekend of his life 4lb'r after 4lb'r and a couple over 6lbs. At first I was like yeah right until he started pulling them out of the live well. I shook his hand but was still confused until he said he was putting them in the cooler and taking back to his home state to cook them up!!
I thought what a waste and a terrible loss for the population of bass that spring. I don't know if he caught them legally but he could have won a ton of money fishing a tourney that weekend. I can't believe a man that pays that much for a bass boat can still see a 4+lb bass as food let alone a whole cooler full??
what a shame!
I wont keep any at all,I cant stand to clean them nor do I think bass are the greatest to eat.Would rather eat crappie.Even If I get a bleeder I try to return it to the water asap.I know that most of the time the fish wont make it but...if it does then great.
If I caught a 15+ I would have to consider mounting it.I got a few over ten and one around 13,never thought twice about keeping it.I actually loved watching them swim away.
Gatorbassman reply :
I keep bass if they don't make it. I keep four or five every time I am teaching survival skills to Boy Scouts. Other than that I don't keep them. Even if they are records.
TI_Bassin reply :
The only time for me is if its not going to survive.
burleytog reply :
Pond Hopper reply :
I fish alot of small farm ponds and I keep some of the little guys just to aid in the selective harvest as very few people fish the ponds and hardly no one keeps bass. The result of not doing this is a pond full of 8-10 inch bass.
Oscar O. reply :
The only time i would keep a bass, unlike my father, would be if there is no chance of survival and/or it is a state/world record. By the time a fish hits world record size it would be pretty close to the end for it. Unless it was spring time because i would like to be able to know that there is a line of big genes coming from that fish! 
Catt reply :
Y'all got this catch & release thing backwards; the state or world record bass are the ones you want to release. Y'all need to do some serious research on Selective Harvesting; releasing 100% of your bass can be worst than keeping them. I would suggest y'all do some reading over at Texas Parks & Wildlife and try to understand why this state is producing such numbers of double digit bass from such a large variety of lakes. With programs like the Share-A-Lunker program and others TP&W has convinced angles to keep smaller bass while giving the 10+ bass to them for breeding in captivity insuring the gene pool.
Yea on occasion I'll keep a limit of small bass and anyone saying it's a shame clearly doesn't not understand Selective Harvesting and are doing more harm than I am.
ww2farmer reply :
I keep a limit or two of 12" fish a year from public water,. Out of my ponds I usually "dispose" of quite few 10" fish every year to keep them from over populating.
ABC123 reply :
QuoteY'all got this catch & release thing backwards; the state or world record bass are the ones you want to release. Y'all need to do some serious research on Selective Harvesting; releasing 100% of your bass can be worst than keeping them. I would suggest y'all do some reading over at Texas Parks & Wildlife and try to understand why this state is producing such numbers of double digit bass from such a large variety of lakes. With programs like the Share-A-Lunker program and others TP&W has convinced angles to keep smaller bass while giving the 10+ bass to them for breeding in captivity insuring the gene pool.Yea on occasion I'll keep a limit of small bass and anyone saying it's a shame clearly doesn't not understand Selective Harvesting and are doing more harm than I am.
We have a lake up here that is catch and release only. The fishing is great, but.....people have been compaining that there is something wrong with the lake becouse all the fish are long, but have poor girths. Um, gee, I wonder why. There isn't enough food to feed all the fish. Unlike people, a fat fish is a healthy fish.
If the bite is hot, I'll keep a couple to make a meal, but generally, I go for Crappies and 'Eye's for food.
Other. reply :
The only circumstances I would keep a fish is if the fish I caught has a terrible disease or the bass will not make it after release due to me. However that has never happen to me with a bass only saltwater fish. I am hopping I will never have to kill any bass though.
fishfordollars reply :
I fish a lot of lakes with a 14-21 in slot. Will keep five under the slot every trip to try to keep the smaller ones thinned out. most of my friends do the same. It works, three weeks ago one of my friends fished this lake(Lake Nacogdoches) and had 4 over seven pounds in the first half hour. Caught a 7 and an 8 on one cast on a crankbait. I have the email with pictures but do not know how to load it. If anyone cares to see the fish and the article I will send it to them and they can put it up if they like.
Crestliner2008 reply :
I'm a diehard CPR fisherman; will only keep one badly injured, but we probably should keep more in the 2# range to keep the population more on the large size. That being said, now we're getting more input from state DNR's NOT to eat the fish, due to contaminants. Damned if you do and damned if you don't.
Jake. reply :
If I were deserted on an island in the middle of nowhere with no food. With Crappie it's a different story though. 
Fish Chris reply :
Catt is "kind of right" {a World record bass is the exception. First off, it needs to be scrutinized from "the inside out", and secondly, what would one gain by releasing it ? A WR is a WR is a WR ! I don't care if its 22.8, or 50 dang lbs}...... Their are certainly some people here who have the whole C/R thing backwards. It's okay to keep a few smaller ones, here or there (Selective Harvest can be a great thing) but to release every bass for years and years, then one day an angler finally gets that 10 plus Largemouth, or 6 plus Smallie..... and kills it ? Huh ? I call this "reverse selective harvest". This would be the single, most important fish to release. Besides, doesn't the angler want to be able to show off his catch ? Show em' a beautiful replica, and watch them drool...... OR, show them a skin mount, and watch their stomachs turn. It's just not logical.
Besides, why would a guy want to hurt his own chances of catching an even bigger bass in the future ? I've C/R'd, then re-C/R'd many big bass to over 13 lbs in the past (some of those in HUGE impoundments). Why couldn't you ?
Peace,
Fish
PS, Heaven forbid I should ever kill (from deep hooking) a big bass (even if it were only like say a 10 to 14 lb'er..... In other words, not one that I'd need a replica for) I'd probably still donate it to a place who makes replica molds, as that fish might make a really nice mold, for replicas, for a bunch of C/R guys in the future.
mattm reply :
Quote(even if it were only like say a 10 to 14 lb'er..... In other words, not one that I'd need a replica for)
Must be nice to be able to say that. 
Fish Chris reply :
any trip that I get a "teener" is still a great trip :-)
Peace,
Fish
dumb_dog11 reply :
dude, you should really release the trophy bass. All you have to do is measure weight length and girth and take some pics and ppl can make mounts from that. put ur trophy bass back and try to catch it again the next day.
DON'T KEEP TROPHY FISH
cajun1977. reply :
i would keep a state record fish, if a fish dies due to me i would give it away cause im not really a fish eater, but these are the 2 scenarios where i would keep a bass
sal669 reply :
I make sure I keep some bass just above the legal limit every year , on every lake I regularly fish. I decide how many depending on the feel I get while fishing. If I catch a lot of "pounders" and hardly any bigger than 3-4 lpb, I'll start "thinning" them.
Even though we preffer walleye , perch or crappie, all fish gets eaten.
Young fish tastes better than old ones !! Everything over 2lb goes back to make babies, even if I'm not sure it'll survive.
t bend tex reply :
I generally keep all from the legal min (14" in Texas) up to about 18"- all that is within the legal creel limit. My family and friends enjoy eating fish and I am happy to supply when I can.
As far as taste is concerned, I recently served a mix of bass, crappie, and walleye- and no one could tell me what fish he was eating- if those species are prepared and cooked the same, they are all good eatin'.
99% of those over 18" go back in the lake- if I caught a "record", she would not go on the wall, but be given to the sharelunker program in Texas.
Larry G
HesterIsGod reply :
I only kept bass 2 times last year and they were because
1.A small private pond I fish had way too many small fish and all the fish were skinny and long, and the owner knew I was decent at bass fishing and asked me to remove some smaller 1/2 to 2 pounders.
2. I hooked a bass deep down in the throat and a little in the gills and there was no way of him surviving so I kept him and a few bluegill for dinner.
.dsaavedra. reply :
i'd keep a bass if i was hungry for bass.
i'd keep a bass if i gut hooked it and tried to release it but it wasnt swimming away.
i'd keep a bass if it beat world record and get it mounted. state record, i'd just get a replica.
Bassackward reply :
Catt....you are absolutely correct!! I dont know about everyone else, but I get really excited when I catch a "larger than average" bass. If nobody kept any bass, this would never happen!! I hate eating fish...have hated it sense birth, but you have to look at the big picture. If fish are overpopulating a body of water, they will soon start to fight for resources...therefore, the average size of the fish will greatly decrease within a few years. I think that selective harvesting is correct.........when done properly!!
Catt reply :
QuoteI think that selective harvesting is correct.........when done properly!!
That my friend is the key, each body of water is different, and the selective harvesting should be done under a biologist supervision.
Fish Chris reply :
And on a side note, speaking only for our waters here in Nor Cal, we actually have a LOT more lakes with too many smaller fish, and very few big ones, than we do lakes which have low populations of bass overall, but good numbers of big ones. Of course being a trophy angler, the latter are the lakes I prefer ;-)
Just too many guys here in Nor Cal releasing too many smaller fish. I'm guilty too though. Of course I'm not targeting smaller fish.... But even so, I do accidentally stick a few. I just don't even like the taste of bass, and just don't have the time to deal with them.
Keeping smaller fish would just be a pain in the bass, but releasing the big ones is always an easy thing for me.
Peace,
Fish
paul. reply :
QuoteHeaven forbid I should ever kill (from deep hooking) a big bass (even if it were only like say a 10 to 14 lb'er..... In other words, not one that I'd need a replica for)
Quoteany trip that I get a "teener" is still a great trip
chris, buddy, you've got no idea how much i'd love to posess the skills to have this kind of perspective on bass fishin'. any trip i get a teener results in no sleep for 3 days and euphoric state of such proportions it borders on a full-blown manic episode, putting me at serious risk of psychiatric hospitalization. very fortunately for my poor family, this phenomenon of unprecedented luck has only occured to me twice. ;D any YEAR i get a "teener" is a great YEAR. just havin' some fun with ya. i've said it before, you're the man buddy!
anyway, the question was "what conditions would i keep a bass under"?
the answer? i would keep a small bass "under" about 5 inches of hot cooking oil with a nice coating of cornmeal. ;D.
but i do release all the biggun's i'm blessed enough to get.
Fish Chris reply :
I'm flattered....
But like I always say; Take anybody on this forum (or on the lake) let them fish as much as I do, in the places I do, {then assuming the same amounts of persistence, patience, and passion}....... and Bam ! > All kinds of giant fish.
Peace,
Fish
luger306 reply :
I always fish the slot if they have one if not I go by the law I never take more than we can eat so they don't go to waste we love fish and if I catch a big one it goes to the breading program in Louisiana
32251 reply :
My brother lives on a nice healthy 50 acre lake. The neighbor association sends around a report on the lake that comes from the company that oversees the lake with fertilizer and other good stuff they put in the lake along with doing the test to see how the fish population is doing. They give reccomendations on which fish to keep and what size in order to maintain good ratios. Some fish of certain sizes they tell you keep or even just throw away to keep from ruining the lake. C@R is great...until it ruins your fishing spot.
guest reply :
If I was standing on the corner on Flatbush Ave,, some guy comes out of the shawdows and says "psssttt! hold these Bass for me" and never comes back for it
oxbowbass reply :
I release them all, simply because I don't care to clean and cook fish. LMB in particular do not appeal to me.
Fortunately my main lake is quite healthy. I suspect the pike are taking their share of the smaller bass and keeping the population balanced.
ba7ss3in reply :
I stopped keeping bass about 5 years ago. If I want some fish to eat I will catch crappie, brim, or catfish. I have given bass to others on the lake if I thought that it was not going to survive.
fooman reply :
100 % CPR
Had a 8.5 I released and had a replica made..I think the replicas look alot better..
A couple years ago the sportsmans club I belong to needed to thin out the smaller bass so I took 3 home to eat and thought they tasted like crap(nothing like crappie) so after that ,the bass I kept were transfered to a new pond
Popeye reply :
Only if I intended to eat it. However, since there are better tasting fish for the table, i.e. crappie, perch, walleye, catfish, I'd fish for those to eat. I pretty much C&R all the bass I have caught.
Tokyo Tony reply :
I only keep the big ugly ones (5 lbs+). The little ones are too cute so I let them go because they have their future ahead!
Lol, just kidding - I would only keep one if it were a state/world record. That's it.
fishizzle reply :
never..pictures last longer
Daniel My Brother reply :
I only keep the ones that look delicious.
F15HGuy reply :
I keep a couple under 2 pounds probably three times a year for the table. I have mounted 2 and I don't think I will mount another, but you never know. Other than that, everything goes back in the water.
RWHusker. reply :
Im sitting here at my desk looking at a picture of a almost 7lber I kept 12 years ago as a proud rookie bass fisherman. I don't feel the pride seeing it on my porch as I do of the many I have released since. I release everything of size and have had no reason to keep any smaller ones recently. I have a couple of lakes that encourage selective harvesting and I would have no problem doing so if we were going to have a fry.
GO BIG RED
Fish Chris reply :
Ya' gotta' be careful mounting a bass..... You don't want to get scales on your #@$% :-)
Seriously though, skin mounts are a dying art form. Many of the best fish art masters, won't even mess with a dead fish carcass anymore. Too much work, and they most often don't come out as nice as the best replicas anyway..... Not to mention, they won't last as long, before they start to turn yellow, scales lift, skin deteriorates, etc.
Fiberglass takes paint much better than skin, and will pretty much last more than a lifetime.
Plus, you can have a nice 8 x 10 of the actual fish below, and have the additional bragging point of, "And I released her too"..... Not to mention, > The chance of sticking her again, when she has grown to be even bigger !
Can't wait for the replica of my 8.5 lb Smallie :-)
....and my 20+ lb Largemouth ! ..... Oh wait a minute, I haven't caught that one yet ;-)
Peace,
Fish
Fish Chris reply :
That was a GREAT answer ! :-) Don't you just hate it when that happens ? :-) LOL
Peace,
Fish
Fish Man reply :
i know that in general a skin mount will deteriorate but we have a rockfish my grandfather caught in the 80's and is still going strong......are we jsut lucky or do better mounts last longer??
Fish Chris reply :
I'd say that one skin mount might vary from the next, because of how well it was cured in the first place, as well as how it was treated in the years theirafter. No temperature extremes, low humidity, etc.
Either way, given all the same conditions, fiberglass is guaranteed to last much longer.
Peace,
Fish
maxke01 reply :
At this stage of fishing i would only keep something 5lb + for mounting aside from that im 100% C&R
kms399 reply :
I typically don't keep fish simply because i am too lazy to clean them ;D
however my wife has found a new love for fish so i plan to keep 1-2 each time i go out though definatly nothing over 16-17" unless it is gut hooked and bleeding pretty bad.
toolpush reply :
when fishing with boss and he says to.
John J. reply :
I usually catch and release. But I will occasionally stock my pond with the bass I catch from local lakes. Either than that or I will keep them if I feel they won't make it and they will be made into "bass sticks"
roadwarrior reply :
My thoughts:
Keep all the bass you kill. It happens...If you don't like eating them, find someone that does and give them away.
Some ponds are overpopulated, but you should not "assume" that is the case unless the owner has told you so or you have fished there over a long period of time.
In healthy lakes, keep smaller fish if you like, but nothing over 3 or 4 lbs. In a healthy environment, especially on big water, there are literally thousands, maybe tens of thousand of bass that size. Regulations (limits) are based on a managed harvest.
8-)
JayW reply :
Well, I never keep a Bass, but I did in 1999. I kept a 10lb Bass that my wife caught and a 13+lb Bass that I caught. Since then... 9 yrs... I haven't kept anything. Before that... I hadn't kept a Bass since 1987 when I kept a 9lb and a 11 lb Bass that I caught back to back and they were all mounted and I even ate the meat from the 2 in 1987. If I get a bigger Bass... I might keep her too! I've let a LOT of 6 - 10 lb Bass go over the years. I don't have a problem with someone keeping a trophy Bass or even eating one as long as they aren't just out there keeping everything all the time. I let go a 10.6 lb and a 12.11 lb Bass just last spring.
skunked_again reply :
one of my fav. places to fish ive learned has been sold for mining and will be drained in september, so.......a fish caught is a fish kept. @ our farm pond we have it shocked every year for the best options to grow big bass. the last report was catch every crappie you can
bass wrangler569 reply :
The only time I ever kept a bass was this past summer. I reeled in a five pounder, as I was unhooking him from my spinnerbait, I felt my pants get wet. I looked down and my pants and the entire john boat were covered in blood. It was bleeding profusely from the gills. I put it out of its misery, took it home and ate it. It was actually really good. I can't think of any other instance where I would keep one, even if it was a state record. However, I have no problem with people who keep the bass the catch, I just prefer not to.
David P reply :
If I gill hooked a bass, and it was bleeding, knowing it was going to die, and after trying to get it to swim away.
related General Bass Fishing Forum topic
previous topic
most viewed General Bass Fishing Forum topic
© 2024 - fishing.qciss.net. All Rights Reserved.