Changing an old view....

[Attila]

I love my dad, without him I wouldn't have developed the bug to fish as much as I do and try to learn as much as I can about this great sport we all love.

He loves to eat fish, everything from bass to walleye to crappie to perch.

I've tried changing his mind on the bass and have even gone out of my way to bring home more crappie and perch and even big bluegill from time to time but he just loves his bass.

Anyone been able to convert someone from being a bass consumer to a releaser??

[A-Jay]

13 minutes ago, Attila said:

I love my dad, without him I wouldn't have developed the bug to fish as much as I do and try to learn as much as I can about this great sport we all love.

He loves to eat fish, everything from bass to walleye to crappie to perch.

I've tried changing his mind on the bass and have even gone out of my way to bring home more crappie and perch and even big bluegill from time to time but he just loves his bass.

Anyone been able to convert someone from being a bass consumer to a releaser??

Perhaps from time to time you should leave a hook in - squeeze down the barb of course . .Just Kidding.

There's nothing wrong with eating a bass - I don't particularly care for it but I say let the man enjoy is catch.

A-Jay

[Attila]

Thanks for the feedback!

[Darren.]

I simply don't like to eat fish. Most every one of my 
buddies also releases...got a nephew that likes to 
catch and eat trout....

[Dye99]

I eat native trout from the high streams but Ive always caught and released bass. Its part of keeping the sport alive.

But in the end thats me, what others like your dad do is up to them as long as its legal...

I do get bothered by the "stringer idiots" that I see at the launch... Yesterday I saw a guy with a handful of nice pregnant bass on his stringer all proud of his daily haul....

But I won't lie, I often see these people, then tell them how great my luck was that day using a lure that I know isn't working...

 

[Catt]

It's really quite simply!

Let him enjoy what he loves!

I'd give anything to enjoy a fish fry with my Dad again!

What's more important a few bass or a friendship!

[flyfisher]

As long as someone is within the legal limits let them enjoy their catch and their meal. 

[geo g]

In South Florida, south of Okeechobee, the bass have higher levels of mercury from all the Agricultural runoff around the lake.   Sugar Cane and Dairy Farms have politically control the the  environment for all of modern times.  They control water releases, and the polution pumped south and dumped back into the lake.   The last few years we have seen a few changes with some possible solution's to the problem.   Catch and release is not as big a problem here,  as it is in other parts of the country.  If you eat a lot of South Florida Bass you may start glowing in the dark.  Cancer may follow!  It has done more for Catch and Release then anything advertising could do!

[buzzed bait]

the DNR have the limits in place for a reason.  believe it or not, taking some home is part of sustaining a healthy population.  so long as it's legal, i'm fine with letting each do their own thing....

[N Florida Mike]

Don't worry about it.My dad's idea of catch and release was catch and release it into his ice chest.

[Zippyduck Krimm]

Converted my mother in-law with deep fried walleye, now she doesn't even want any old bass.

[Attila]

I'd like to thank everyone for sharing their thoughts on the matter.

I'll be keeping a few more this year so that I can enjoy the fish fries with him as he can't really get out much to fish anymore...old age happens to us all at some point and he's not a young pup anymore.

Again, thanks to everyone for voicing their opinions.

[scaleface]

I converted my dad from a catfish eater to a bass eater . LOL

[BaitMonkey1984]

Keep a few bass a year, less than 5 and I fish a lot. It is there for the taking, just stay within the rules. Plus, nothing tastes better than something caught yourself. Just prepare it properly and it is delicious. 

[IndianaFinesse]

Don't worry about it, keeping some small bass actually helps the lake.  My dad's the same way, one of his favorite shirts says, "fillet and release".

[Bluebasser86]

Find a lake with too many bass and let him eat until his heart's content. There's a few lakes around me that I wish people would keep more bass out of. Heck I wish I liked to eat them, but I'd rather go hungry. 

[Fishes in trees]

Back in the day, when I was a meat fishing bush hippie, I gained access to a smallish lake ( 30 crew more or less)  that was totally stunted.   It wasn't unusual to catch 20 or more 9" to 12" fish before you would catch something 13" or larger.   I had permission to keep all the little fish I wanted, BUT everything 13" & up had to be thrown back.   In the 7 years that I had access to that  lake, I had dozens of hundred fish days, keeping them all.  Let me tell you that little bass from 9" to 12" from a lake with minimal agricultural run-off are good.  Over time, 15" and larger fish started showing up  somewhat.  This was the lake that I got ultra confident in throwing 4" worms on slider rigs, using 6 lb test.  (80's version of 6 lb test)

I'd advise you to find some similar water situation so you & for dad can fish and keep all you want.

[mwh33]

Growing up in the country in south GA, we used to eat plenty of bass. As I have gotten older we don't keep bass to eat unless the pond/lake is really stunted in growth (most of the time I just give them away or dump them in a river, creek, or pond/lake if someone is stocking) or we gut hook them. We do eat our fair share of catfish, bluegill, and crappie though.

[BaitMonkey1984]

On April 12, 2016 at 5:21 PM, Attila said:

I love my dad, without him I wouldn't have developed the bug to fish as much as I do and try to learn as much as I can about this great sport we all love.

He loves to eat fish, everything from bass to walleye to crappie to perch.

I've tried changing his mind on the bass and have even gone out of my way to bring home more crappie and perch and even big bluegill from time to time but he just loves his bass.

Anyone been able to convert someone from being a bass consumer to a releaser??

Just thought of a better answer. Give him an old bass that had a long drawn out fight back to the boat (loosen up your drag if you must). Stressed fish/game tends to taste worse. One bad tasting bass to save the rest!

[Catt]

Another greatly exaggerated part of bass fishing is catch & release!

Selective harvesting is proven more beneficial than catch & release!

[scaleface]

After several post on the same topic , I have come to the conclusion that Missouri bass just  taste better than every where else .

[Master Bait'r]

Lol...  Good one!  

 

 

 

[K_Mac]

On 4/13/2016 at 0:17 AM, Bluebasser86 said:

Find a lake with too many bass and let him eat until his heart's content. There's a few lakes around me that I wish people would keep more bass out of. Heck I wish I liked to eat them, but I'd rather go hungry. 

The other option is taking him to a lake with a larger keeper size. A couple of years before my dad passed I took him fishing on a lake with an 18" minimum length. We caught a bunch of nice 15-17" fish. For my dad the thought of releasing fish that size was inconceivable. I did manage to convince him a couple of fish were not worth going to jail for! He really wasn't happy about it though. A few days later we went to another lake and caught a nice mess of bluegill. We kept fish that still had some growing to do, but I cleaned every one. I would also give much to go fishing with my dad again...

[Murrica]

I see pictures everyday from people that don't understand selective harvest.  Keeping your limit of 12-14" fish can help out the waters if your not doing it every day.  When I see people keeping limits of 8-10 yr old bass in the 20-24" range full of eggs it irritates me a little.  Those bass didn't grow that big by having bad genes.  I don't eat bass because of the taste I would much rather eat perch or walleye.  I do keep a couple 12" bass for the father in law when he requests it though.