Why Not

[Squirmin Wormin]

first of all the goldfish topic was to be a analogy,but it's ok,but back to what this is all about and hit me from what someone mentioned and found true, i think anyway ,was mentioned pro's have used lures and that's all ,now do they have any pro tournaments that use live bait or not ? Sorry again on the goldfish topic

[NorcalBassin]

Nope... at least not for bass.

[gettin bent]

Imagine!! Id love to see a live bait pro tournament for bass. I bet the records for heaviest bags would change real fast. Also no it opens up the fields for non pro to join in the mix. I know here in Ontario on Lake Simcoe nothing beats a leech. A limit of 5 smallies would exceed 30lbs easily. 28-30 lb bags would fill the top 20 spots in the field. It wouldnt happen though, to much money generated from tackle manufactures supporting these pro events.

[Catch and Grease]

That would be a very boring tournament....

[slonezp]

Walleye tournaments allow the use of live bait

[Dwight Hottle]

Walleye tournaments allow the use of live bait

 

 

Walleye are not bass but they do taste better.

[ColdSVT]

Live bait or not one still needs to first locate the fish

Something pros just happen to be really really good at

[Raul]

Imagine!! Id love to see a live bait pro tournament for bass. I bet the records for heaviest bags would change real fast. Also no it opens up the fields for non pro to join in the mix. I know here in Ontario on Lake Simcoe nothing beats a leech. A limit of 5 smallies would exceed 30lbs easily. 28-30 lb bags would fill the top 20 spots in the field. It wouldnt happen though, to much money generated from tackle manufactures supporting these pro events.

 

I seriously doubt records fot the heaviest bags would change real fast.

 

Just like everything in this sport, you got to be at the right place and fishing with live bait can and is as challenging as fishing with artificials.

 

If ketchin´ bigger fish with live bait was so easy all the dudes fishing for big mommas in Florida with shiners would catch 10 pounders on every cast, or all the guys up north catchin´ 7 pound northern strain fishing with minners.

[gettin bent]

I seriously doubt records fot the heaviest bags would change real fast.

 

Just like everything in this sport, you got to be at the right place and fishing with live bait can and is as challenging as fishing with artificials.

 

If ketchin´ bigger fish with live bait was so easy all the dudes fishing for big mommas in Florida with shiners would catch 10 pounders on every cast, or all the guys up north catchin´ 7 pound northern strain fishing with minners.

Well our current five fish limit is 31 lbs of smallies during a tournament in the fall. You can do that very easily with leeches on that body of water in the summer! I cant speak for the records in the states but i guarantee in Ontario it would be easly trumped the first year. Id say five smallies in August for a 33-34 lb bag. If not higher. To most that sounds crazy but if you understand or fish some of these lakes you would quickly understand its not that unrealistic. Last week alone off a wreck we boat a 7+ smallie each outing using tubes. A leech will never be beat on my home body of water. You can go shallow and pull your hair out watching giants swim by or swim away when you drop a tube or drop shot. One pass see 100+ fish catch 3 if your lucky on a tube. 1 pass with a leech and you get your arm yanked off with 5-7s. But they are also shallow clear water high pressured fish.

[Driftb]

Actually, years ago, I believe that tournaments did allow live bait.  They also allowed competitors to keep fish.  Eliminating live bait and later on going to catch and release was instituted in response to conservation concerns.  There were too many tourney anglers catching big fish and then dumping dead fish.  People didn't want to see that happening at their lakes. A few forward thinking organizers realized that tournaments were adversely affecting fishing, and public perception of angling in general.  Eliminating live bait helped to reduce mortality in caught and released fish.  Today, ALL ethical fishermen avoid the use of live bait whenever possible, just as ALL ethical fishermen practice at least selective catch and release.

[EmersonFish]

I'd like to hear B.A.S.S. and F.L.W. pitch that live bait tournament idea to all of those lure manufacturers who spend so much money sponsoring fisherman and tournaments, and promoting the sport. That would probably go very smoothly.

[gulfcaptain]

just think of all the circle hook sponsors they could list and bobber makers. 

[Dwight Hottle]

Actually, years ago, I believe that tournaments did allow live bait.  They also allowed competitors to keep fish.  Eliminating live bait and later on going to catch and release was instituted in response to conservation concerns.  There were too many tourney anglers catching big fish and then dumping dead fish.  People didn't want to see that happening at their lakes. A few forward thinking organizers realized that tournaments were adversely affecting fishing, and public perception of angling in general.  Eliminating live bait helped to reduce mortality in caught and released fish.  Today, ALL ethical fishermen avoid the use of live bait whenever possible, just as ALL ethical fishermen practice at least selective catch and release.

 

 

I disagree with your statement regarding ethics & live bait. If a man chooses to use life bait he is no more unethical or ethical than the man using artificials. Ethics has nothing to do with either.

[Jigfishn10]

I disagree with your statement regarding ethics & live bait. If a man chooses to use life bait he is no more unethical or ethical than the man using artificials. Ethics has nothing to do with either.

Gotta agree with you Dwight. Here in the Bay State we can use live bait to fish. We have regs that let us keep the fish we catch providing we comply with the laws. Nothing unethical about that.

 

Now, if we use a leadhead jig weighing less than an ounce, which we can not do based on our regulations, then I would consider that unethical.

[Driftb]

I agree that it isn't unethical to keep your limit sometimes.  Is it ethical to keep limits of big fish every day?  Modern ethics demands that we release the big fish and keep smaller eaters. Do you think that merely adhering to the law makes someone an ethical angler?  The word "ethics"  means that someone is making a conscious choice to do the right thing, not just blindly adhere to the absolute minimum standard that society will allow. I think that in this day and age, we need to protect the resource.  Limits are too liberal and slot limits have been set for legislator's convenience. Laws always lag behind conditions.  In other words, the fish will be gone long before the laws change.  Ethics demands that an intelligent, effective angler protect the resource, not merely obey the law. I don't see why anyone wouldn't do his best to protect the resource.

[Catch and Grease]

I keep 4lb bass to eat every now and then, and I keep some bass on most of my trips.... Is that unethical? I don't think so....

[Dwight Hottle]

I agree that it isn't unethical to keep your limit sometimes. Is it ethical to keep limits of big fish every day? Modern ethics demands that we release the big fish and keep smaller eaters. Do you think that merely adhering to the law makes someone an ethical angler? The word "ethics" means that someone is making a conscious choice to do the right thing, not just blindly adhere to the absolute minimum standard that society will allow. I think that in this day and age, we need to protect the resource. Limits are too liberal and slot limits have been set for legislator's convenience. Laws always lag behind conditions. In other words, the fish will be gone long before the laws change. Ethics demands that an intelligent, effective angler protect the resource, not merely obey the law. I don't see why anyone wouldn't do his best to protect the resource.

Your whole answer never addressed your statement that live bait was unethical. That statement not only offends me but countless of other ethical fisherman. Sometimes it is best to just admitted you spoke in error.

[K_Mac]

I agree with you Dwight and I haven't used live bait for bass in many years. I just don't care to in the waters I fish. If I fished Erie, the Tennessee River, or other places where live bait increased my chances of a trophy I would have no reluctance to do so. I do not believe that the use of live bait is unethical or that mortality rates when using live bait in these situations is any higher than using artificial.

 

C and G I think that keeping 4# bass to eat, if legal, is your choice. Whether or not it is unethical is a matter of opinion. I think that is the point here. While I don't keep 4 lb fish or use live bait I do not have the moral authority to condemn anyone for doing so. What I can do offer my opinion and make my case respectfully or keep my opinion to myself...which really isn't my nature.

[Catch and Grease]

If I do keep a 4lb bass (which is big for me) its the only fish I'll keep.... I'm not gonna take home five 4lbers, just thought I'd clear that up haha

[slonezp]

If I do keep a 4lb bass (which is big for me) its the only fish I'll keep.... I'm not gonna take home five 4lbers, just thought I'd clear that up haha

Hell, I'm not going to catch five 4lbrs. 

 

Is it ethical for a man to allow his family to go hungry. If someone is lucky enough to catch 5 large bass on live bait and chooses to feed his family for the week, who am I to judge?

 

Driftb,

Limits were not enacted because of sport fishermen. They have come into play because of meat fishermen. A conscious choice to do the right thing??? Protect the resource??? Should I Let my family go hungry because of a sport? Is that ethical?  What makes bass sacred, walleye a delicacy, and panfish table fare? 

[Catch and Grease]

Exactly.... Why is it okay to go to a place and catch a limit of bream/crappie but some people are disgusted by a guy bringing home 5 good bass.

I remember one day I had 5 good 1-2 pound bass I was gonna bring home for me, my papa, and my cousin for dinner and as I loaded the boat this guy walks up with the usual "you wear em' out!" I was like yeah and opened the live well real quick and he saw the 5 bass and his attitude towards me instantly changed. It was as if he was talking to a different person all the sudden he acted like I spit in his face....

[fishva]

I'd like to see a live bait tournament where they have to use live bait that bass don't usually eat. Hamsters, for example.

 

Ok, I don't really want to see hamsters being hooked and drowned under water. But the idea of trying to fish with a hamster cracks me up.

[Stumphunter]

Far as people taking limits of  bream and crappies and it not being a issue,  is because we will use a 1 acer pond for example. The harvest ratio for 1 acer is 20-25 pounds of bass per acer per year.  and far as panfish, it is 100-150 pounds per acer per year.  The bass keeps the pounds or lakes population in check. If you take out a lot of big bass out, then the bluegill population will get out of hand, causing a stunt in growth in all species. Its totally you're right to keep a legal fish, but to help grow better and bigger bass, imo eat the smaller ones and let the over 2-2.5  pounders go. It takes 6-7 years in healthy waters to grow to be 4 pounds in kentucky that is. Takes a long time to replace that fish. Panfish can be replaced in a lot faster rates. I'm not try to tell anyone what they can and cannot keep by all means feed your family. Just giving a thought on why people frown on taking a lot of big bass out.  We all agree that we love this sport lets make it the best we can.   

[SirSnookalot]

I don't think it's an issue of ethics using live or cut bait to catch any fish as long as the rules of the state are obeyed.  Whether one admits it or not the issue is more of elitism as a sportsmen using artificial lures rather than bait.  IMO the hardest thing about catching fish on bait is catching the bait, I see this every single day.  Fishing saltwater far fewer people are into catch and release, the use of live bait is extremely popular.  But being the elitist I am I do kinda turn my nose up to bait users, I don't do it myself more than 1-2 times every couple of years.  My attitude probably stems from 50 years of freshwater fishing in Michigan.

[Catt]

I agree that it isn't unethical to keep your limit sometimes. Is it ethical to keep limits of big fish every day? Modern ethics demands that we release the big fish and keep smaller eaters. Do you think that merely adhering to the law makes someone an ethical angler? The word "ethics" means that someone is making a conscious choice to do the right thing, not just blindly adhere to the absolute minimum standard that society will allow. I think that in this day and age, we need to protect the resource. Limits are too liberal and slot limits have been set for legislator's convenience. Laws always lag behind conditions. In other words, the fish will be gone long before the laws change. Ethics demands that an intelligent, effective angler protect the resource, not merely obey the law. I don't see why anyone wouldn't do his best to protect the resource.

To avoid getting trouble with Glenn, I'll be nice!

Dude you sound like PETA (people for the ETHICAL treatment of animales)!

"modern ethics demand"! "blindly adhere"!

"slot limits set for legislator's convenience"!, That's the best one.