Basstagger

I should have given a few more specifics. All fish being caught and tagged are on a Private lake and all measurements and weights are being sent on a Bi-Annual basis to a contact at the Department of Natural Resources. The intent of the tagging is to determine if our lake fish population is stunted and needs more fish to be removed ( not many people fish this lake) or if due to the natural cover being removed by homeowners, the lake does not have sufficient cover/structure. Believe me that I value these fish as it cost over $16,000 several years ago to restock the lake due to an imbalance I have tagged and documented over 120 fish in the past year and the results show over 73% of these fish, weighed between 1.25 pounds and 2.25. The DNR has said that any fish between 125 and 2.50 should be removed and an effort needs to be made to add as much cover as possible - man-made or natural I was just inquiring as to how others may be managing their fish population with tagging and monitoring.

Does anyone catch, measure, and tag the fish you catch? I was been doing this and the bands I am using are not the easiest to put on and stay on. Has anyone used the circular Jaw tags to tag Bass? I tried the plastic tags with the applicator gun and they are expensive and jam all the time.

I personally know someone that was volunteering at this Tournament. They told me that not one boat should have left until the fog lifted which was late into the morning. It’s all about the money people, and if I was affected by this accident, I would hire the best paying lawyers. In the South, he who has more money, generally wins in court. These tournaments are one lawsuit away from being dissolved.

I could use some advice about fishing line. I grew up fishing up North for Largemouth and Smallmouth and I used 6-8# Stren Mono. I now live on a lake in South Carolina and I have a friend that has grown up here, tell me I should use 30# braided line. I have had two very large fish break my 10# test line, so I think it's time to upgrade to a heavier line. I would like to use the lightest line possible while being realistic because I believe fish can be "Line-Shy". Here's the scenario of the lake: Spring fed lake which generally is very clear- can see 4-5 feet down to bottom Very little structure- A good number of tree stumps, but not much more Some lily pads- 3% of total lake. Bass up 13#s have been caught, and in a given year there are 3-10 bass caught over ten pounds What line would you use on what rods? I use both Baitcasters and Spinning reels

I was personally responsible for stocking our 200 Lake in South Carolina in 2013. I reached out to the DNR and they said because our lake of 200 acres was not opened to the public, they could not get involved. They did however give me clear guidance as to what should be stocked in the lake and how many of each species . It cost the HOA over $16,000 in 2013 and it was well worth the money as the population of fish is very healthy. I have the list of fish species and how many of each we stocked if it would help anyone, I can post the numbers. We invited the DNR to our fish Club meeting and He answered questions ranging from fertilization of the lake, what structure to put in the lake and where, and even gave us a 1 year, 3 year and 5 year plan. We have shown the DNR the spider blocks we are going to sink in the lake (made from from old orange fiber optic pipe), and they told us they will last almost indefinitely and we never have stock the lake again, once the structure is added. I have started to tag all the largemouth bass I catch, and the DNR said they will work with me to determine what size fish and how many should be removed each year to grow bigger bass, which is our main goal. So far I have tagged 65 Bass and most of them are in the 1-3 pound range. If you get the right DNR person, they can be a wealth of guidance and knowledge and it's free. Good Luck

Right where I'm at- Living on a private 200 acre lake in South Carolina with little to no fishing pressure and being able to fish year-around for Largemouth. I'm Blessed.

I did not know there would be so much interest so please let me clarify for some: - I assure You, we are following all the laws and rules and with very few people using the lake, not much happens without someone seeing it. - The lake is 200 acres and there are only 98 House lots on the lake. There are a total of ten fishermen on this lake besides the small number of Children/Grandchildren - Anything placed in the lake needs to be approved by our state's DNR - Department of Natural Resources. - The small fishing club we have has already hauled OUT of the lake, the tires, appliances and trash so we do not have things leaching into the lake - The plastic 2 inch diameter pipe is exactly what Tennessee Boy said - HDPE and will not break down easily. I estimate that we ended up with 500 pieces between two and four feet long. I then cut 200 pieces eight feet long off of the different spools. This stuff is being hauled off every day they lay this HDPE Fiber Optics around the country and it IS NOT Recyclable. I think it is better using it for fish structure than sitting in the landfill doing nothing. I showed this to the sight supervisor that gave us the HDPE pipe and he said I could make a living following him and his crew around selling these fish habitat buckets. He said he would give me $80 for two of them. His crew was very interested in what and how I was making these. I think I may have started their side business. Our DNR has asked us to send them pictures cause they know of two other DNR Departments n the USA that are currently taking this pipe from the landfill and making fish habit for their public waters. Hope I answered any concerns or questions.

These structures will all be sunk in a 200 Acre Private Lake. I have checked with our DNR and they informed me that other states are starting to use the same plastic tubing. They have asked me to send them pictures once we are done cause they think it's a great idea for fishing clubs and private ponds.

If you want to save big money on building your own fish structure, here is what I found. They are laying High Speed Lines in our neighborhood and they have huge spools of 2 inch orange pipe everywhere. I saw piles of 2-3 foot sections they were cutting off and I asked what did they do with these 3 foot sections. They said they have to pay to dump it all in the landfill. This stuff is much thicker than PVC and it's all free. I now have over 400 pieces sitting in my backyard and will soon be putting 6-8 pieces in a 5 gallon bucket, adding cement, and then sinking them. They won't be dumped in a landfill and for many years to come, people will catch fish off these for years.

It's nice to have such a body of water all to Yourself most of the time. Tight Lines

Tagging these fish is going to allow us to work with the Department of Natural Resources to be sure the lake is healthy and STAYS healthy. The issue in the South is anyone can go to the local feed store and order a variety of fish and add them to the lake. The Feed store does not care what species you stock, they are in the business of selling fish by the inch. Thirty five years ago someone had the great idea to add carp to try and reduce the weeds and the DNR told us they added a species that was not in the lake at that time. Since then, this species has been drastically reduced. We are trying to systematically create a fishery for Bass, Crappie and Catfish and if not done correctly, we could set the lake towards an imbalance that could take years to fix. We actually looked into having a licensed person with a boat that shocks the fish come in to give us a report as to the health of the lake. but at $2000 we ae holding off in doing it. The DNR says we can monitor the health of the fish by tagging and it's much cheaper.

Well, I'm spoiled and please don't hate me. I live on a private 200 acre lake and it gets very little fishing pressure. I found this place in the middle of no where land South Carolina when I was planning retirement. I think I could start a new business with the prices people have to pay for these places. Everyone that sees the lake wants to know how they can get in to fish.

I'm glad there is so much interest in my tagging project and here's an update. I have caught and tagged 44 Largemouth Bass on the Lake so far. Some fish were caught and released when I felt they struggled enough and it would negatively affect their chances of living, so they were not tagged or documented. As of Sept 1st ZERO recaught fish. To clarify some of what I am doing: - The lake is in a fenced/gated community and really there are only 4-5 people who fish it on average, once every 2 weeks. On Holidays there may be 2-3 boats out on the lake. - The purpose of the tagging is not just for fun- It is to determine how healthy the lake and fish are after we restocked in back in 2013. The information will be shared with the others in the community and then it can be determined if any re-stocking is needed in the future. The lake was stocked in 2013 based on the DNRs suggestion as to what fish and how many to stock of each species. - The lake needs structure added because 30 years ago the dam burst and people removed the majority of structure-Bad mistake. - The tagging information will also reviewed to determine if the lake residents should practice "Catch and Release Only", or if more fish need to be taken and eaten. - The tags I am using are small tags that go on the gill plate and are used by some State fisheries. I went with these tags because they are so small and actually hard to see if you are not looking for it. The yellow tags are expensive and much more visible- our resident eagles and ospreys don't need a yellow target to help them catch fish. I am thinking of changing to using the lip bands someone posted a picture of, but I am sure they may cost more. If anyone knows a low cost place to buy Metal Lip tags, please let me know. If anyone is tagging fish, what are you using?

Well I'm the spoiled one cause I live on a 210 Private lake and it gets fished by less than a dozen people- might see one other guy fishing on some days. The HOA actually spent over $15,000 four years ago to have it stocked with Largemouth Bass, Crappie, and Sunfish. I just retired and am now on a mission to catch a double digit Bass. I have started to tag every Bass I catch and write down the details- Tag#, date, Weight, Length and Approx Location I catch it. I wonder how long it will take to catch a bass I tagged?

I live on a 200+ acre lake and I just retired. I just started documenting ( Weight, Length, ect..) tagging every bass I catch and release. I wonder how long before I catch a tagged fish? So far only 26 tagged fish but I just started this project