Disgusted!

[*Hank]

Last friday i went fishing at a local lake and some nice bass and bluegill and saw guys catching 1-5lb LMBs even a 7lber ALL SPAWNING FULL OF EGGS! And they kept all the fish they cuaght, I released all the fish i cuaght but I think they should make a law against keeping bass during the spawn...

[BrownBear]

Some people are just raised and taught better, so give your parents big thanks for me!

But yeah as far as the spawn goes, depends on the population of the area for that species, you might want to look into it. Contact your local DNR.

[Mccallister25]

Providing everything is legal, that's their right. Don't get me wrong, I never keep fish I catch, and frankly never plan on it, but no reason to dwell on it. People are gonna do what they want.. Come to think of it, a lot of people are gonna do what they want legal or not. That's when its a shame.

[Bigchunk]

Some people cant throw anythimg back, worst part is, they probly give it away or let it get freezer burnt...

[yugrac]

I am 100% catch and release, I dont need to fish to eat. I was at a local reservoir last summer , just pulled the boat out when one of the "regulars"  a guy I see there every time I go there, ask me if we did any good. We were bass fishing and had picked up a few but nothing major, he ask me if I wanted any Walleye, I said no thanks when He replies " I have a whole freezer full of fish at home and I dont know what I will do with these if I cant find someone to give these to" I am like WHAT!  If you did not want them then why are you keeping them, Some people. I  get guys all the time ask my "catch anything" I will say just a few 12 inchers and they reply "them would eat"  no wonder there are so few bass in some of these lakes around here.   I understand your disgust. 

[Bigchunk]

I understand keeping panifish, trout, and what not, even the ocasional bass, and if people are keeping them to eat keep the 12" throw the biggins back. but its not like bass even taste that good. Fish poacherssssssss..... Freezers full im just gonna trhow these over the bank when i get home

Lololol, drives me crazy

[*Hank]

Yea, here in So-cal the fishing is already super pressured so the last thing these lakes need is a lack of fish!

[bigbill]

I mainly catch and release. I do take a few 2/3 pounders a year to feed my rescued kittens just once a year. Nothing during the spawn. My local places had winter kill offs because there's too many bass for the body of water to support. I'm sure I'm not hurting the bass population. It breaks my heart when I see some take 2" long sunnies to eat. Get help and food stamps.

Luckily most fisherman here don't understand how to fish for bass. I lol at some of the stuff they use. Like 2oz saltwater sinkers. The noise when it hits the water scares the fish and the people nearby too. They put a bobber above the sinker. I have no clue. Maybe well see them on ESPN someday on a bass blooper show. That's why I switched from evening fishing to early morning fishing. No one is there but me, the deer, the otters and fish.

[blackmax135]

I keep maybe 3 to 4 bass through out the year.  There is noting wrong with keeping bass and they do taste good properly cooked.  I agree with being illegal to keep them during the spawn though.  The lake down the road from me I like to go try to catch some fish and throw back for fun and there will be people lined up with buckets by the spill way this time of year.  I know exactly what they are doing and they are keeping everything they catch, even little 2 finger sized bream and its pathetic.  It ticks me off because these are the people with food stamps and welfare selling there food stamps to get drugs and alcohol.  I saw one guy get caught the other day by the game warden and the game warden looked in his bucket and asked him why he is keeping all these baby fish. The man said, I got to eat something. So the game warden said why do you smell like beer.  Man said I like my beer.  Game warden told him if you can afford beer you can afford food and I don't want to catch you back down here with a single fish under the size of my hand again and if you want to ruin the little bit of fishing we have left in this place you better think again and grabbed his bucket and pored all the fish back into the water.  He got fired a few weeks later for standing up for what's right, in my opinion.  There are so many people like that in my town that I see doing that every day.

[Bluebasser86]

My biggest thing is I hope they eat the fish they keep. I know so many people that will load the freezer with white bass or catfish, then never touch it again until they throw it away a year later because it's freezer burnt. It's just like they can't bring themselves to put a fish back in the water after it's caught, like they need that freezer full of fish just to prove that they caught them. The good news is, they're the minority anymore around here and most of the fish kept are catfish that are heavily stocked by the state so they're in no short supply. 

[SirSnookalot]

I do a heck of lot more saltwater fishing than bass, just about everyone keeps their catch.  I do get a bit annoyed at some of the fish whores that are out everyday taking home fish (perfectly legal), these people get nothing from me.  I do give fish away to those that I feel are needy.  I don't even put my beloved snook on that high pedestal, small slot and limit of 1, that just doesn't happen every day anyway.

 

I pretty much C & R everything and certainly believe in selective harvest, I do have some what of a double standard.  I see some one on a bucket I have no problem giving a bass a way, there are plenty of legal ones here.  If I can help a family with dinner that is more important to me than just catching a fish, makes me feel pretty good that I helped.

[Alpha Male]

I understand keeping panifish, trout, and what not, even the ocasional bass, and if people are keeping them to eat keep the 12" throw the biggins back. but its not like bass even taste that good. Fish poacherssssssss..... Freezers full im just gonna trhow these over the bank when i get home

Lololol, drives me crazy

 

It must depend in the bass because I regularly eat bass that i catch here on central MN.  I do release bass over 3ish pounds, those are the ones that tend to taste worse anyways.  I do the same with all species here in MN, walleye over 3-4lbs, I keep northerns between 4-10lbs, and any panfish with the effort of filetting gets eaten.  If any fish are injured while catching them they go into the livewell and if theyre still alive when Im done then they go back.   In the fall i teld to stock up in the fall a bit and between all species I have 10 meal size bags of fish for my wife and I. they are gone now so now that the ice is going out its time to get some panfish.

 

 

 

And thats why in MN bass season doesnt open until may 9th, and thats only a Catch and release season, you cant keep a bass until 2 weeks later and thats early. usually its memorial weekend. 

[slonezp]

I might as well say it now. IBTL. These threads always get locked at some point.

[Bluebasser86]

It's a touchy subject for sure. Fact of the matter is, as long as no laws are being broken you can be upset as you want, there's nothing you can do about it except maybe try to educate them a bit on the matter but more than likely just going to get blank stares back from them. 

[scaleface]

I have no problem with keeping bass to eat. I do have a problem with the game hogs who fill their freezers full of fillets . There is a possession limit too. I dont fillet 5 and 7 lb bass but will keep the two and three ponders that are over the 15 inch minimum limit . Id like to see slot limits in more fisheries.

[Senko lover]

So one of the ponds I fish is strictly catch-and-release. They have people drive around the pond in golf carts to pick up trash and ensure that people are keeping this rule. One time, there was a guy and his kid fishing with nightcrawlers from the dock. They had a big cooler with them and they were keeping everything they caught to release in their little pond at their home. I certainly didn't grudge them some bluegill or turtles, both of which this pond has overdose of, but if they had caught a big bass, guess who would have lipped that fish out of the cooler, thrown it back in the pond, and moved across to the other bank? That's right, yours truly.

[flyfisher]

So one of the ponds I fish is strictly catch-and-release. They have people drive around the pond in golf carts to pick up trash and ensure that people are keeping this rule. One time, there was a guy and his kid fishing with nightcrawlers from the dock. They had a big cooler with them and they were keeping everything they caught to release in their little pond at their home. I certainly didn't grudge them some bluegill or turtles, both of which this pond has overdose of, but if they had caught a big bass, guess who would have lipped that fish out of the cooler, thrown it back in the pond, and moved across to the other bank? That's right, yours truly.

So you then would make a choice of what is right or wrong disregarding the rules of C & R at this pond by letting them take some fish.....that is no better than what they are doing in my mind.  If it is against the law, it is against the law or rules in this case.  If you let some slide you don't have the right to pick and choose what to follow.

[J Francho]

Bass Resource has a staunch position on game rules and regulations. If you think this is the place to come and brag about how you interfered or broke those laws, then you're mistaken.