It takes all kinds of kinds...

[NittyGrittyBoy]

So there's a pond by my house i fish, it's a guy from church so i pretty well have full access as well as a few other people from church. 

 

Small pond maybe 2acres? I try and fish it maybe 4-5 times a year,

number 1 for courtesy

number 2 a small pond gets pressured easy

 

I mean it's nothing to go out there and catch 10 over 5lbs, I mean loaded with qaulity fish. I've been pretty much only one fishing it for couple years. Well I talk to a buddy and he asked, have you heard? Heard what I said? So and so caught and 11.8 out of small pond I fish. AND KEPT IT! 

 

That wouldn't be so bad had I not have caught that bass last year, took pictures, and released her... I mean come on! Am I wrong to kinda be mad about that??

[MassYak85]

The way I see it, there are two reasons to keep fish. To eat, or to mount. Replicas now-a-days are VERY good and will not deteriorate, and who wants to eat a 12lb bass....yuck. The only other reason would be to verify a record, but that's not the case here. 

[bigbill]

First it’s these big gals that keep the bass population up. The government did a study and put a slot limit on bass here so they can’t take the big bass to eat anymore. I may take one smaller bass to feed the rescue kittens I take in. One bass per year.

[flyfisher]

If it isn't against the pond owners wishes then i don't see a big deal.  I mean if you are easily catching 10 5+lb bass an outing then it can obviously produce large fish.  That fish has already spawned a lot of times by now.

 

As far as being mad, that is up to you.  I have other things to get mad about myself.

[soflabasser]

There's not much you can do if he has a fishing license and is following the laws of the state. I say congratulations to that man for catching a 11.8 pound bass from land, that's bigger than what most people will catch in their whole lifetime of bass fishing.

[NittyGrittyBoy]

Healthy bass, still spawning, still growing. Could've reached 13-14lbs

 

Oh im not mad about him catching, I'm just upset about keeping her. 

 

And yeah it's a quality pond for sure, but there's a reason for that. Selectively keeping a small number of small bass, releasing large bass, harvesting oversized bluegill and crappie. 

 

Idk I know it's not my pond, but when you sorta manage it, and only a handful of people fish it kinda gets to you. Ever since he caught that 11.8 he's been there almost every other day hammering it. O well I guess. Just needed to vent about it some. 

 

I don't expect everybody to be ethical and courteous. That would be foolish

[N Florida Mike]

I'd be mad if it was my pond ! Esp. If I told him not to keep any .

The experience I've had with Inexperienced fishermen is that they always want to keep the big ones to show off. The REALLY inexperienced anglers keep the big ones because they are big, and let all the little ones go , because they are " too small ". I manage my small lake exactly the opposite of that.

I can't control everyone on my lake but I try to get the word out to the few that fish it. Anything over 16 inch goes back. Keep some of the little ones to avoid dink city!!

[Sam]

Nitty, I totally understand your frustration.

 

I believe in returning all large ladies back into the pond. They form the basis for future populations.

 

In my humble opinion, if you want to eat seafood go to a grocery store or seafood outlet and purchase what the sea has to offer.

 

I believe if you do this you will create these advantages:

1.  Allow the big bass to continue to procreate.

2.  Not poison yourself with the chemical runoffs from the fertilizers and cow droppings.

3.  Catch her again!

 

But this is my philosophy and others will not agree.

 

If anyone wants to harvest the bass they need to take the smaller ones to allow the larger ones to have more forage.

 

 

[Hyrule Bass]

here is my opinion. first, let it be said that its not your pond. it also seems no laws were broken. also, if the pond owner doesnt mind people keeping fish from his pond, then the guy who kept said fish did no wrong. him keeping that fish was not unethical or uncourteous in any way, absent the landowner mandating people release all fish. in my opinion you have no valid reason to be angry, not everyone has to agree with your way of thinking, and just because they dont doesnt make them unethical. and i dont even want to hear an argument about "they couldve gotten a replica made". replicas are cheesy and fake looking like theyre mass produced in china and sold at walmart, cost more money, and i would choose and recommend a much realer skin mount made from the actual fish over a replica any day

[NittyGrittyBoy]

The argument stating that not everyone has to agree with my opinion, also works in that not everyone has to agree with yours either sir. I feel like replicas have come a long way and can be made to look very realistic.

 

But unethical, your right. There's nothing wrong with a man keeping a bass he caught. He had permission, so I think it's just selfishness on my part that I wanted to catch that bass again. Not my pond so not my call to make. Thanks for pointing that out. 

 

Thanks for your feedback though!

[Glaucus]

I am 100% against taking a big bass from a pond. It's selfish in a few different ways.

[Bluebasser86]

You can be as mad as you want, if it's legal then it's their right to do it. Someone caught a 10 pounder on a limbline set for flathead with a green sunfish last year out of the power plant lake I fish a lot. They kept it and ate it. Less than 2 pounds from the state record, and really frustrating to see a fish I've been chasing for years get eaten, but it's legal and within their rights so it really doesn't matter how I feel about it. 

[iiTzChunky]

I can see both sides of this. If someone's catching a trophy bass and they get it mounted, I understand. But if you take that big bass and eat em shame on you (unless you're starving ofc). At the same time I'm all about catch and release, those bass can grow and be someone else's personal best. 

[Oregon Native]

Let em go....let em grow.

[All about da bass]

On 5/18/2018 at 8:37 PM, NittyGrittyBoy said:

Healthy bass, still spawning, still growing. Could've reached 13-14lbs

 

Oh im not mad about him catching, I'm just upset about keeping her. 

 

And yeah it's a quality pond for sure, but there's a reason for that. Selectively keeping a small number of small bass, releasing large bass, harvesting oversized bluegill and crappie. 

 

Idk I know it's not my pond, but when you sorta manage it, and only a handful of people fish it kinda gets to you. Ever since he caught that 11.8 he's been there almost every other day hammering it. O well I guess. Just needed to vent about it some. 

 

I don't expect everybody to be ethical and courteous. That would be foolish

I read some study that once they reach that big, they will go off on their on and their chance of spawning is actually very slim compared to a 2 pound momma. It's makes sense, the same way with humans, you don't see very many 50 or 60 year olds having a baby.

[flyfisher]

On 5/20/2018 at 5:40 AM, iiTzChunky said:

I can see both sides of this. If someone's catching a trophy bass and they get it mounted, I understand. But if you take that big bass and eat em shame on you (unless you're starving ofc). At the same time I'm all about catch and release, those bass can grow and be someone else's personal best. 

Who cares if they are mounting it or eating it, it is the same end result.  Just because you can justify it one way and not the other doesn't make the end result change.

[Hyrule Bass]

On 5/19/2018 at 4:46 PM, NittyGrittyBoy said:

The argument stating that not everyone has to agree with my opinion, also works in that not everyone has to agree with yours either sir. I feel like replicas have come a long way and can be made to look very realistic.

 

But unethical, your right. There's nothing wrong with a man keeping a bass he caught. He had permission, so I think it's just selfishness on my part that I wanted to catch that bass again. Not my pond so not my call to make. Thanks for pointing that out. 

 

Thanks for your feedback though!

as for opinions, i dont expect everyone to agree with me, i knew that writing my post. but also, i'm not the one upset someone kept a bass that was within their rights to keep, theres a difference here...

 

On 5/20/2018 at 5:40 AM, iiTzChunky said:

I can see both sides of this. If someone's catching a trophy bass and they get it mounted, I understand. But if you take that big bass and eat em shame on you (unless you're starving ofc). At the same time I'm all about catch and release, those bass can grow and be someone else's personal best. 

Whats the difference? the bass has been caught and removed from that body of water. whether it gets mounted or eaten makes no difference

[OCdockskipper]

Most experienced anglers have far more legitimate reasons to release such a fish then keep it.  However, bashing the angler who kept it with those reasons will do nothing but create resentment by that angler and not stop him from doing the same in the future.

 

Without judgement, have a conversation with that angler to get his side of things.  Maybe he grew up in a household where he was taught to eat everything he caught.  Maybe he believes other experienced anglers will give him respect being that he caught a large fish.  Whatever it is, there are reasons why he did what he did (assuming he is not mentally imbalanced).  Take the time to talk with him, learn and maybe even go fishing with him.  Rather than tell him that it was a mistake to keep that fish, model your behavior for him so that he sees there is an alternate way to do things.  

 

I believe the saying "A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still" is oh-so true.  Let him observe enough to change his mind on his own.

[Hook2Jaw]

I'm about to ride down that way now, @NittyGrittyBoy.  Trophy guy can catch and release these hands!

 

I'm kidding, and understand your frustration.  Sorry to hear about your loss. 

[NittyGrittyBoy]

Haha too funny @Hook2Jaw

 

It's all good, I'll find me another secret hole to fish and grow some big bass! 

 

I guess angry is the wrong word I used in the beginning of this thread, a better word would have been frustrated. O well, like the title says, it takes all kinds of kinds! ?

[iiTzChunky]

23 hours ago, Hyrule Bass said:

as for opinions, i dont expect everyone to agree with me, i knew that writing my post. but also, i'm not the one upset someone kept a bass that was within their rights to keep, theres a difference here...

 

Whats the difference? the bass has been caught and removed from that body of water. whether it gets mounted or eaten makes no difference

The difference would be starvation 

[Hyrule Bass]

34 minutes ago, iiTzChunky said:

The difference would be starvation 

Not everyone who likes to eat fish, or bass more specifically in this case, is starving. some people just like it. and what you say still has no bearing on the situation. the fish was kept legally, doesnt matter if the guy goes home and throws it on his garden or feeds it to his cats. its his fish, people have no realistic right to be upset over what one does with his fish providing no laws or rules were broken

[MarkK76]

If I caught something that size id probably keep it to, and  mount because something that size would be my absolute PB and I probably wouldn't catch bigger.  I do keep bass to eat cause I LOVE bass "not sure why people think bass taste gross?" but their the smaller ones that are legal limit size, i would keep probably anything under 3 or 4lbs and only what I plan on eating for a meal, the rest get released.  I don't feel that makes me a bad person for any of that, as long as I'm following the rules of the lake/pond/river I'm on which I always do.  On a side note.. id kill to have a pond like yours around my area that I could fish, I'm super jealous

[mattkenzer]

To Each Their Own.

 

If you want to release your catch, that is fine.

If you want to eat your catch, that is fine.

 

Just follow the rules of the road ......

[NittyGrittyBoy]

2 hours ago, MarkK76 said:

  On a side note.. id kill to have a pond like yours around my area that I could fish, I'm super jealous

It's a small pond with relatively no structure, in the middle of a cow field. Absolutely nothing special about it. Just several years of harvesting bluegill and crappie and small bass.

 

Releasing the large fish and resisting the urge to bass fish it everyday makes a huge difference. Basically it's just a small pond with a healthy ecosystem.

 

What makes it nice is when you want to take an inexperienced angler or kid bass fishing it's super easy for them to catch quality and quantity bass. It rather spoils them to fish anywhere else haha! 

 

Thanks for the feedback guys