colbypearson Posted April 25, 2013 Report Share Posted April 25, 2013 Tell him if he wants to eat bass, to go to the water most plagued by small fish and take them in moderation. Smaller bass are not only less ecologically substantial but also safer to eat due the fact that most warm water fish build up large amounts of mercury in many bodies of water. Tell him he can catch smaller bass, eat them, and do a system good. Where keeping upper percentile fish is literally blowing out a fishery at the knees, tell him the age large bass can attain while growing up here most 6+lb fish are 10 years old or more, and that's not even a large fish. A friend told me smallies can take 8-10 years just to reach 6''. I personally don't consider it my right to take something out of the world that has been here for such a long period of time maybe longer than myself, I know it sounds tree hugger as eff but its the truth. If there's not stunted populations of bass available, striped bass, catfish, crappie (delicious) etc... all reproduce and grow relatively fast compared to bass AND are typically minority target species ( No I don't mean specific races target these I mean they are the minority of what makes up the biomass of target fish). Convince him to eat carp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ceaser Posted April 25, 2013 Report Share Posted April 25, 2013 Here is a funny, I believe it was Steve Sapp that said it to another guy. A lot of people feel that the Delta is nasty, bottom of the barrel water. Anyway A guy at a tourney was talking about keeping a striper to take it home and eat it. Steve said, from here? the other guy said yea why? Steve said this water is NASTY! The other guy said but stripers don't stay, they are just in there for a while and leave. Now the guy was eating a hotdog at the time. So then Steve said to him, Let me take your hotdog and swirl it around in the toilet real quick. It was only in there for a few seconds Steve Sapp? Lmao bottom of the... Barrel! I see what u did there hahahaha was it a stolen hot dog he was going to swirl around in the toilet? Or was it a stolen toilet that he was gonna swirl everyone elses hot dog in? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WRHguy Posted April 25, 2013 Author Report Share Posted April 25, 2013 thanks for all the input. I can see there are some pretty strong feelings on both sides of the issue. Appreciate the insight and everyone's take on it @dragger I see your point but this was a fat female in the middle of spawning season. So my vote would be release either way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aesoprocks247 Posted April 25, 2013 Report Share Posted April 25, 2013 Ive only kept a couple fish and I made sure they were all pretty small. I have a spring fed farm pond in my front yard that noone takes responsibility for or anything and the population is pretty out of control, lots of stunted and skinny fish. Its important to know your waters and what shape they are in. I have the luxury of having a reservoir thats backs up to the property. Its one of the largest reservoirs in the state and doesn't see much traffic. Most people fish for perch/crappie/ sunnies/ cat to eat, I don't hesitate to take fish from there but I haven't felt the need since I run my family's fresh seafood market and have access to anything I want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mossypumpkin Posted April 25, 2013 Report Share Posted April 25, 2013 Just ask him if he enjoyed catching that 9 pounder. If he did, there is his answer on why he should release it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CST Posted April 25, 2013 Report Share Posted April 25, 2013 The other thing is, if you fish enough, you're going to kill some bass. I've gut hooked a fish earlier this year and recently stuck one in the gills with the small shellcracker. You release them and hope for the best but ish happens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WRHguy Posted April 25, 2013 Author Report Share Posted April 25, 2013 @cst I agree but this wasn't the case. If he would have foul hooked it or gut hooked it and it didn't stand a chance that's one thing. But this bass was beautiful and healthy. On a stringer for 20 minutes and still swam off like a champ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CST Posted April 25, 2013 Report Share Posted April 25, 2013 @cst I agree but this wasn't the case. If he would have foul hooked it or gut hooked it and it didn't stand a chance that's one thing. But this bass was beautiful and healthy. On a stringer for 20 minutes and still swam off like a champ Yeah you did a great thing. A lake near a rural town might benefit from having a few bass kept. We live in L.A. and we have 9.8 million people and about 10 lakes. We don't need to kill any more fish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hookedup Posted April 25, 2013 Report Share Posted April 25, 2013 Everyone talks about harvesting fish and needing to take out the small bass to allow the larger fish to get bigger. You need to remember that every pond or lake is different. If you're fishing a private lake in Texas that is probably a good idea. If you are fishing a public lake in CA, not so good. Lets tell all 30 of these fisherman that are fishing this 5 acre pond to keep a limit of small bass every time they come and see how long that will last. Just because you can legally take 5 fish doesn't mean you should. And I'm sorry, just because that bank fisherman can legally take that 9lb spawning female home, it still pisses me off. Ca isn't producing monster bass just because they stock trout and have mild winters, its also because they are years ahead of the whole "catch and release" movement. How many times was dotty caught? I think 3 times confirmed but I bet that fish was caught 10+ times easy over its life time and should have been the new world record. Ca is a great state, I work hard so people without jobs can buy Iphones and fish during the weekday, but that's a different matter, and if they are C&Ring Im cool with it, lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tearitup66 Posted April 26, 2013 Report Share Posted April 26, 2013 Largemouth isn't that great of a tasting fish unless you like the taste of mud. Even carefully removing the mud vein doesn't help it much. Especially a huge 4 year old fish can't be tasty. Older fish just have a bad taste in my opinion. My dad likes smallies and usually we catch the limit for the day, one day out of the season, and fill his freezer with 5lbs of filets and that's it. We release all the rest as I'm no fan of smallies. I ask my dad, do you see this fish in the fish market? I fish Lake St. Clair in Michigan and this lake is loaded with all size smallies and larges. And no one keeps them so I feel the few some people take, don't harm this body of water. Perch and walleye are for eating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassindon69 Posted April 26, 2013 Report Share Posted April 26, 2013 Everyone talks about harvesting fish and needing to take out the small bass to allow the larger fish to get bigger. You need to remember that every pond or lake is different. If you're fishing a private lake in Texas that is probably a good idea. If you are fishing a public lake in CA, not so good. Lets tell all 30 of these fisherman that are fishing this 5 acre pond to keep a limit of small bass every time they come and see how long that will last. Just because you can legally take 5 fish doesn't mean you should. And I'm sorry, just because that bank fisherman can legally take that 9lb spawning female home, it still pisses me off. Ca isn't producing monster bass just because they stock trout and have mild winters, its also because they are years ahead of the whole "catch and release" movement. How many times was dotty caught? I think 3 times confirmed but I bet that fish was caught 10+ times easy over its life time and should have been the new world record. Ca is a great state, I work hard so people without jobs can buy Iphones and fish during the weekday, but that's a different matter, and if they are C&Ring Im cool with it, lol. I'm with ya except for the paying Mid week part You're not paying for my mid week fishing and I let them ALL go. So where do I send My address to collect midweek fishing money? I will take it if your paying Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragger Posted April 26, 2013 Report Share Posted April 26, 2013 @dragger I see your point but this was a fat female in the middle of spawning season. So my vote would be release either way. That is a very valid point and I side with your opinion there as I C&R a lot (ironic right?) and what I stated was my experience as a person educated and working in fisheries as well as a simple generalization. Of course this does not apply to every body of water with bass in it (it is ridiculous to assume that was my point), but it does apply to a greater majority of them. More than anglers give credit. I work in the North East a lot and even here where it takes some fish 4 years to reach 14", we still encourage strong culling of these fish and the quantity of 4-7 pound fish (trophies for this region) increases prolifically. Predation and competition by larger fish is a good thing and bass have very little of that in most lakes were they dominate. People need to fulfill that role. CA produces monster bass simply by having small bodies of water (comparatively) with high forage supplies (trout, crayfish, shad, etc.) and non stop growing seasons so the fish rarely travel to find abundant forage. I believe catch and release really limits the fisheries more than it helps; except in the case of a trophy fish. A lot lakes I grew up fishing in So Cal had insanely high numbers of 1-2 pound fish and very low numbers of 4-8 pound fish and a few super trophies from 10-15 pounds. I think less C&R of smaller fish would really do wonders for the fishery, but these lakes aren't managed to produce trophy bass; they are recreational fisheries to be enjoyed and utilized as a resource of the people. Japan does everything in their power to eliminate largemouth bass and what has happened? They have created the most effective trophy bass fishery in the world cranking out bass American's can only dream of due to limiting our fisheries with perpetual C&R and sustaining dink fisheries. Even culling trophy fish isn't the sin of our sport. Those fish have spawned successfully many many times and contributed superior genetics to the population over and over. Bravo, their role is complete by the time an angler catches them typically. They are only preserved to save the ego's of fishermen who feel better about themselves and become "sportsman" by releasing them. A fishery does not operate effectively on sympathy and ego. It is primal and aggressive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colbypearson Posted April 26, 2013 Report Share Posted April 26, 2013 @dragger I see your point but this was a fat female in the middle of spawning season. So my vote would be release either way. That is a very valid point and I side with your opinion there as I C&R a lot (ironic right?) and what I stated was my experience as a person educated and working in fisheries as well as a simple generalization. Of course this does not apply to every body of water with bass in it (it is ridiculous to assume that was my point), but it does apply to a greater majority of them. More than anglers give credit. I work in the North East a lot and even here where it takes some fish 4 years to reach 14", we still encourage strong culling of these fish and the quantity of 4-7 pound fish (trophies for this region) increases prolifically. Predation and competition by larger fish is a good thing and bass have very little of that in most lakes were they dominate. People need to fulfill that role. CA produces monster bass simply by having small bodies of water (comparatively) with high forage supplies (trout, crayfish, shad, etc.) and non stop growing seasons so the fish rarely travel to find abundant forage. I believe catch and release really limits the fisheries more than it helps; except in the case of a trophy fish. A lot lakes I grew up fishing in So Cal had insanely high numbers of 1-2 pound fish and very low numbers of 4-8 pound fish and a few super trophies from 10-15 pounds. I think less C&R of smaller fish would really do wonders for the fishery, but these lakes aren't managed to produce trophy bass; they are recreational fisheries to be enjoyed and utilized as a resource of the people. Japan does everything in their power to eliminate largemouth bass and what has happened? They have created the most effective trophy bass fishery in the world cranking out bass American's can only dream of due to limiting our fisheries with perpetual C&R and sustaining dink fisheries. Even culling trophy fish isn't the sin of our sport. Those fish have spawned successfully many many times and contributed superior genetics to the population over and over. Bravo, their role is complete by the time an angler catches them typically. They are only preserved to save the ego's of fishermen who feel better about themselves and become "sportsman" by releasing them. A fishery does not operate effectively on sympathy and ego. It is primal and aggressive. Everything bass fishing related I have ever personally practiced in terms of catch or release completely disagrees with what you have said. That being said I REALLY think that you have a great perspective, and one that is not often brought forward for fear of starting controversy. I definitely don't want to see keeping trophy fish as commonplace, but I wouldn't disagree with the notion you have presented. I think its an interesting perspective that deserves serious consideration if it applies. I'm not likely gonna keep any bass but it wouldn't be out of the question for me to seriously consider my morals and encourage selective harvest in moderation on certain fisheries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassindon69 Posted April 26, 2013 Report Share Posted April 26, 2013 Well I don't know about you guys but I really don't care how big they get here or there I just enjoy fishing. If they only get to 3 lbs then I will try for 3 lbers. And if there are a lot of 3 lb fish that would be fun too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colbypearson Posted April 26, 2013 Report Share Posted April 26, 2013 If they only get to 3 lbs then I will try for 3 lbers. And if there are a lot of 3 lb fish that would be fun too I would too, unfortunately a good 3/4 of every lake up here is stunted with 6''-7'' clone fish And I don't care who you are Ain't nobody got time fo' dat! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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