Ichthyologists Of Bass Resource

[tbone1993]

How much do creel limits effect a lake's bass / fish population? The reason I ask this is because a local lake (15 acre at best)  next to my University is constantly producing small fish. Every big bass is few and far between and small fish are plentiful. The creel limit is six bass over 14in  and in my opinion catching one 14in fish in that lake is an accomplishment. The real issue with this situation is that I am not the only one holding this opinion. My club hosts regular small bank fishing tournaments on this lake and even with 20 competitive bass anglers fishing it only shorts are brought in.  Should we contact the national resources department at our school and ask if they can do a study? We catch and release but should we begin taking fish out?  I know my friends do it to maintain their farm ponds so maybe we can turn it into a charitable thing. Let me know your opinion on this issue. 

[J Francho]

I'd try to get a biologist to do a full work up of the pond.

[mddrew88]

It can be a catch 22 sometimes, you need to get a bunch of the smaller guys out so that the remaining have space enough to grow big, but the limits protect the fish that sometimes need to come out. 15 acres could be hiding some big bass, you never know. Looks like you've just been getting dinks though. If it's school property I'm sure you could wrangle a biologist into doing a survey or hiring one.

[Dwight Hottle]

Take a look at this from another thread.

 

http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-videos/bass-fishing-fish-biology.html

[Sam]

Too many fish and not enough food.

 

Maybe the school will let everyone harvest the smaller ones?

 

You can have a Bass Day Picnic and invite the cheerleaders and football team.

[bigbill]

A few years back here I heard there was a winter kill. The ice was full of bass. There wasn't enough oxygen in the water to support all the bass. It's nature's way of thinning the numbers of bass.

We just had a slot limit put on us here. So no big bass will be removed. The big baby makers will remain.

Our government did a survey on how to eat fish and still keep the population numbers up. They said to eat the smaller fish so the bigger ones can keep up the population numbers. Sound familiar?

At one time we had bass hatchery's here too they been shut down for many years. I guess they think the bass population will manage itself numbers wise. Our local DEP does have a boat with the electrical shocker so they can check the number of bass in that area but it's only good for the shallows. They haven't seen any big bass. I don't think this way of counting the numbers is legit.

But one lake has a weed chopper and it killed 12lb bass in the process of chopping the over grown weeds. This should of been a wake up call that we have big bass but no one caught on.

Just some facts to think about for bass. Bigbill

I take two or three smaller bass per year to feed my abandon kittens that I find and adopt.

[Glenn]

We have TON'S of information on this very topic.  Start here:

 

http://www.bassresource.com/fish_biology/selective_harvest.html

http://www.bassresource.com/fish_biology/bass_limits.html

http://www.bassresource.com/fish_biology/fishing_limits.html

 

And then follow the links at the bottom of each page.  Days of reading for your enjoyment!

 

Glenn