Looks like a high slot limit (17-22"- 1 under, 1 over) for smallmouth will be going into effect on my home waters early next year in attempt to create a trophy fishery.

There are a lot of mixed emotions about changing the present regulations (18" min), which seems to be doing alright. Most of this comes from tournament fishermen who rely on those 18 inchers to bring in the money.

So, I was just wondering, has anyone had experience with a high slot like this on lakes you fish? How has that fishery changed?

We have a different take on the Tennessee River.

ALL smallmouth under 12lbs 1 oz are released.

8-)

In Connecticut they have slots but they are not in effect during tournaments and only if you want to take the fish home. I don't see a point in having a slot limit in tournaments when you generally have 95-100% of the fish are released alive.

We have a different take on the Tennessee River.

ALL smallmouth under 12lbs 1 oz are released.

8-)

Good luck trying to get that size limit raised by a pound or so! :

In Connecticut they have slots but they are not in effect during tournaments and only if you want to take the fish home. I don't see a point in having a slot limit in tournaments when you generally have 95-100% of the fish are released alive.

A gentleman from CT actually spoke about this yesterday at the commission meeting, but it was shot down pretty quickly...

I have no qualms with the new regulation (which will essentially create a catch and release SMB fishery), just wondering what to expect in a few years.

Hopefully, 22" bass will become as abundant as the 17"s are now 

It has been phenomenal on Dale Hollow, the quantity of 4lb+ smallmouth has gone up tremendously. I know some of the guys hate it but it has been great for the fishery. By the way are you talking about Tims Ford?

RW wrote " We have a different take on the Tennessee River. ALL smallmouth under 12lbs 1 oz are released."

I am glad to see you remembered the IGFA rule about beating the existing record by two ounces or more under 25lbs. :)

It has been phenomenal on Dale Hollow, the quantity of 4lb+ smallmouth has gone up tremendously. I know some of the guys hate it but it has been great for the fishery. By the way are you talking about Tims Ford?

Norris, actually. The TWRA commission just voted on the regulation change today. I think the slot will go into effect in March.

DH was the only lake around I could think of that has a similar slot. I'm glad to hear it's still working. Even though I'm living in Cookeville now, I haven't had the time to get up there and fish.

Dale Hollow has seen a major turn around in the past decade. There was a lot of articles wrote back in the 90's about how Dale Hollow fishing was over rated due to the fact you couldn't catch any fish. Now, going out and catching 4lber a day is nothing. In the winter fish average 4lbs. The slot plays a major role into Smallmouth because you have to have the slot spawners producing the babies. Smallmouth are very sensitive during spawn too, more than Largemouth, so more spawning fish increases the overall lake production.