I NEVER keep bass, unless I was to gut hook and kill the fish, I will never keep one.

If someone wants to take a 2lb bass home for dinner, fine, but people that take home 4lb+ bass home to eat, is when I draw the line.

I NEVER keep bass, unless I was to gut hook and kill the fish, I will never keep one.

If someone wants to take a 2lb bass home for dinner, fine, but people that take home 4lb+ bass home to eat, is when I draw the line.

I was reading through the info from the DNR here in Georgia.  They list all the lakes that have been tested and show up as clean and safe to eat fish from. Even they say that larger fish should not be taken and eaten as they accumulate more of the stuff you should not eat.  Smaller fish are the ones to take and eat.

I will make a few quotes from Dan Ashe of Texas PWL:

Largemouth mature sexually at about 10".  for most lakes in Tx, the MLL is 14", giving the young ones at least one year to spawn.

an estimated 10% of all released bass do not survive.

slots are used on some lakes to help manage the bass population

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The limit (in general) inTx is 8 with no slot.  the limit on Toledo bend lake is 8 with no slot.   There is no MLL for spotted bass on Toledo, but they must be counted in the limit of 8 fish.

I think C&R is important for tourneys to be politically correct, but should not be a big concern if all fish taken are legal.

My wife and I fish many days per year, and keep most largemouth from 14" to about 18", releasing all over 18.  We enjoy filets quite often.

Last week, I saw a live 11#-14oz LM.  The fisherman tried to keep it alive, but failed, kept it to mount!

I dont have a problem with someone keeping a goodun' from time to time- I would not want to see someone taking out strings of 6-8 pounders daily or even weekly!

Larry G

I've only kept 1 or 2 bass to eat in the last few years.  Bluegill taste much better so if I want to eat fish, I'll try and catch a mess of them.

I made a typo above.  The general limit in Texas is FIVE bass.  on toledo Bend the limit is EIGHT.  My face is RED!

Larry G

The true problem in Northern Virginia is that we have individuals that don't speak or read or write in English fishing. These individuals fish without a valid license and yet they feel free to take every fish they catch. These people make me extremely mad and I have begun reporting them on a case by case basis to the park autorities and the VDGIF. They fish with nets and any other means possible to catch the most fish that they can. Some of these people don't even know how to remove a hook from a fish and put them on the ground and step on them so they can rip the hook out. This is starting to have a big impact for the responsible fisherman in Northern Virginia that know and obey the rules and laws.

That's a big problem there. Angering me and I'm not even fishing in your state.

If you EVER see this, and this goes for anyone, immediately call the police and have them give you the number to the Environmental Police and let them know about the situation. Better yet, program the local environmental police phone number in your cell phone or right it down. No person, regardless of their economic status has the right to break the law, especially when it has to do with a natural resource like fish. It's not even like you can go up to them and ask them if they are aware of the legal regualtions surrounding fishing and the outdoors, cuz they no speaky english. That really tick's me off.

If you want to immigrate LEGALLY into America(as many of our ancertors did) to better your lives or to get away from horrible governments, but learn freaking english so you can be a funtioning member of society. I shouldn;t have to learn spanish to speak to immigrants in my home country that can't speak the native language. I wouldn;t move to spain, or mexico if I didn't know a lick of Spanish.

Back to the the C&R topic, I think keeping 5 bass a day is a high amount. Maybe not so much in larger lakes and resiviors, but in ponds??? I think there should be a two bass limit in ponds. If I were to keep up to 5 bass I catch every time I fished from my local pond(and there were plenty of other fisherman doing this too) The bass would become extinct from these places. Then the Wild Life federations would have to stock more bass, using the tax payers dime, and then I wouldn't feel good about catching Hathery Bass. I like the fight of an untamed wild fish. Not a pellet nibbling hatchery sissy  

I don;t think there are many anglers that fish primarily or soley for food anyways. Maybe once in awhile a recreational angler will take a couple fish home a couple times a year, but they certainly aren;t doing it every outing. Mostly the only fish I see people nap and take home for the frying pan around my parts are hatchery stocked trout that are put in the ponds for put and take action. I have only once see a guy take home a largemouth bass on a stringer and I must say, I was angery and sad at the same time. I was honestly debating on running over and releasing the fish and giving him three bucks for a can of tuna. I couldn;t kill and eat a bass, not unless I was seriously going hungry. I would rather eat a pickerel or a handful of bluegills. I just have too much respect for the bass. That and I appreciate what bass fishing is today. More of a sport and not a primative act of retrieving food from the lake.

I think that more of a sport angler you are, the less likely it is that you are going to take fish home. I think its mainly the guys that only know fishing as a hook, bobber, and bait that do most of the keeping.

Dont call the cops.....thats not a man move....GO SAY SOMETHING! I know i would if i saw such behavior....then, if you tryed and you aint getting anywhere, then maybe call the park ranger, ect...

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regarding catch and release.....i HATE it when people want to push their personal views on EVERY fisherman....

Like when i post a pic and everyone has to give me crap about it.....

I know i release 97 out of 100 fish i catch.....but i also think that cooking and eating a fish every now ans then that brings me back to the roots of fishing

dont forget, fishing started as a way to eat, a way to stay alive, and it is nice to go back their from time to time....

anybody who calls themselves a fisherman but has never kept a fish, is still a fisherman, but has definately missed out on something....

i just think some people are starting to sound like PETA over here.......have an open mind

how dare some fisherman get such attitutdes when you keep a fish here and their,

if its all about the "sport", than why not go play basketball......its more than that...its fishing

There is NOTHING wrong with "selective harvest." In most ponds (small water), removing little fish is generally good for the management of the fishery. I think we all get worked up about people keeping "our" big fish! I know it strikes a nerve in me when I see anyone with a 5 lb smallmouth on their stringer, but I'm the guy who will keep all legal sauger and crappie, an occasional striper and catfish. I like eating fish, I just don't want anyone eating MY pets!

There are too many species out there that are easier to catch and better to eat.

LM bass are good to eat, I have had my share growing up.     Who or what to believe???    That is good question.

We just had 3000 anglers fish Fork for 3 day tourney.     1000's of fish caught and weighed daily for 9 hours.     With the 10% of all caught fish that are released will die theory, I should be seeing some dead bass on the water between last week end and the next few.     Normally, I don't see the death as some like to say.    I also know its not in the dead of the summer when mortality rates are higher, I don't see it then either.   IS 10% the truth?   Who knows, I just don't see the mortality after tourneys have come and gone.    Also, I see enough TX forums to know its not being reported by others.    

Maybe Lane and some other notables in the industry would give an opinion on dead bass.     Would they be visisble, are they gonna float, or die on bottom?

One must access the fishery he or she is fishing.     I also think the guys who represent the state of TX have good handle on the situation.   Do you have confidence in what your state does for you?

They are the experts, if my state was in trouble, they would change the creel limits if needed.

I think if you post your catch on here, great!!!   If you post that you ate your catch, your only gonna catch some grief to go with the hush puppies!!!!!!

I think its best to report the catch and leave the eating out of the equation, if you don't, you opened your self up for unwanted comments.

With todays society as a whole,    The man up comments where stupid.    NO WAY I TELL others to approach anyone and explain THE LAWS.

A good rule to live by.      IF YOU DON'T WANT YOUR NOSE BROKE, DON'T STICK IT IN SOME ONE ELSES BUSINESS!!!!!!!!!!

Call the Game Warden, thats what we pay them for.       This illegal immigrant as some described them may feel the need to stab your butt.     Just how did you fix the problem after you got stabbed?       Call the law, its the responsible thing to do.

Matt

catch and release can never be overdone

Illegals fishing...call the law.....I tell you what is happening in many locals, the law is just so stretched with dealing with all sorts of crap that they are not and do not deal with the illegals.  They just avoid dealing with them in traffic stops and such.  You think they are going to come down and stop them from fishing?!?!  I don't think so.

I'd keep and eat more bass if they tasted better.  Bluegill taste much better than bass to me.