Catch and release

[WRB]

On April 2, 2018 at 10:40 AM, JustJames said:

That shows you have not kept any bass for quite awhile. Our state change to over 15" with 2 bag limit a few years back.

I used to have an agreement with my fishing buddy to keep one bass of every tenth we caught. Most of the reason is to shut my wife since she always bug me about keeping bass. "That never happens"

I did keep some last year with all bleeding bass. 

2 black bass, 15" min length....how did I miss that new reg? 

Tom

[BASS302]

@JustJames, @WRB,

2018-2019 General California: 12-inch minimum size limit and a five-fish daily bag limit: All lakes and reservoirs in the State, and the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.

Certain counties/districts:

certain lakes have their own regulations:

[Boomstick]

I watched a few youtube videos of public seminars about keeping bass. The general consensus was that keeping a few wont hurt the bass populations, and in some lakes where nobody keeps any it might actually help the bass populations.

 

That said, I almost always throw them back.

[TnRiver46]

On 4/6/2018 at 8:26 AM, scaleface said:

I would like to see an experimental limit where bass under  a certain size are legal , say 15 inches . Tournaments still be able to continue as long as they are C&R . 

I have always thought there should be length maximums as opposed to minimums but the only example in my state that is similar is catfish. Only two over 34" may be harvested 

[bobbyg]

At Dale Hollow where we just were this weekend, you can only keep one smallmouth over 21" and one under 16". And only a total of 5 black bass a day.

[the reel ess]

What makes a bass's life more important than, say, a crappie's? If you own a pond, you better take a lot of fish or you'll have a bunch of 5 year old, 1 lb fish. My buddy has an overstocked pond full of 1/2 pounders and we take as many as we can catch. I have no issue whatsoever with people eating bass. I do always release all the ones I catch over 3 pounds and if I'm fishing from the kayak, I don't usually keep any. But I might give them to someone else fishing at the same time. It's a hassle to drag them around on a stringer.

[Vilas15]

On 4/4/2018 at 8:07 PM, gimruis said:

Bass are not a renewable species up here and I've heard directly from a Biologist at Mille Lacs that it takes a smallie about 10 years to get to 20 inches/5 pounds there.  It wouldn't take much to deplete a population of large fish like that.  That's why people keep walleyes and panfish here instead of bass - they taste better and grow quicker than bass do in this part of the country.

I imagine it would also take at least 10 years for a walleye to reach 30", which I would consider comparable to a 20" smallie. Walleyes can reach 15" in 3 years but how long would it take a smallmouth to reach a decent size for eating? I imagine maybe a bit longer but I would be surprised if it's by much. I don't know the limits on Mille Lacs so if you can't keep them until trophy size then it doesnt really matter. I think walleye would be just as "nonrenewable" as bass if they did not stock such a large amount and I'd be surprised to find out they stock any bass in Mille Lacs, bass aren't stocked in any Wisconsin lake that I've seen.

 

Overall I just think walleye are not more renewable than bass, but they get supported through stocking. If smallmouth were fished primarily for eating at smaller sizes and stocked like walleye I think they'd be ok. The slower growth rates up here effect all fish, look at walleye growth in Lake Erie vs Canada. That's why we need correct limits on all types of fish, especially smallmouth which have some pretty lax regs in some places up here. 

 

[MN Fisher]

3 minutes ago, Vilas15 said:

I imagine it would also take at least 10 years for a walleye to reach 30"

Longer than that. 25 years to hit 29"
 

http://www.aikenslake.com/news/a-look-into-the-growth-rates-of-walleye

[Vilas15]

3 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

Longer than that. 25 years to hit 29"
 

http://www.aikenslake.com/news/a-look-into-the-growth-rates-of-walleye

Aikens lake is in Manitoba which is pretty far up there. I saw something for Ohio which had 27.5" at 10 years, but thats further south and they grow big and fast in Lake Erie. Again it just illustrates that all fish are affected by the higher lattitudes. It matters for bass since they are primarily catch and release regardless of regs and people want to catch trophy fish where most people just want eater walleye. The regs just need to be improved up north to protect the trophies from certain people who would keep as many 20" smallies as possible which could have a real effect.

[soflabasser]

3 hours ago, the reel ess said:

What makes a bass's life more important than, say, a crappie's? 

I know a couple guys down here that put largemouth bass on the tallest of pedestals and won't harvest a single bass for food, even for a friend or family member. These same fishermen fish bass only for "sport" and rarely leave their comfort zone to fish other species. To them a crappie and basically any other freshwater fish is less than a bass, which to me makes no sense, but then again I enjoy multi species fishing and have a open mind. As for me, I will consider harvesting a bass if a family or friend ask me and see nothing wrong with harvesting a legal catch.

[scaleface]

I use to be strictly catch and release but after thinking it over , bass are a renewable resource .  I am not a game-hog and dont load the freezer for a big fish fry . I keep enough that a few times a year , I'll make a meal for my immediate family and take a few pieces to my   parents who are in their 80's and really appreciate them  .

[soflabasser]

5 hours ago, scaleface said:

dont load the freezer for a big fish fry 

I got a separate freezer almost filled to capacity with saltwater fish fillets and lobster that I have caught. I enjoy eating fresh seafood and it beats buying old stale seafood that most people buy in supermarkets. I do give some of my catch to family members and a couple close friends when they ask me.

[RichF]

23 hours ago, soflabasser said:

I know a couple guys down here that put largemouth bass on the tallest of pedestals and won't harvest a single bass for food, even for a friend or family member. These same fishermen fish bass only for "sport" and rarely leave their comfort zone to fish other species. To them a crappie and basically any other freshwater fish is less than a bass, which to me makes no sense, but then again I enjoy multi species fishing and have a open mind. As for me, I will consider harvesting a bass if a family or friend ask me and see nothing wrong with harvesting a legal catch.

Maybe they just really like to bass fish?  I'm in that category.  I don't care to do any other fishing than bass.  I don't see anything wrong with that.  I like what I like.