Siebert Outdoors Posted June 21, 2006 Posted June 21, 2006 I see this brought up alot but I have also found in tourneys a keeper can be anywhere from 10"-16" depending on the tourney's I have seen. I typically consider a keeper 15" or more. Like said previously most tourneys around here are based off 15" but I have seen some that it starts at 10" or 12" etc. I have also seen slot limits on lakes where anything between 13-16" had to be released on a certain lake. Just wondering what a keeper is to you. Quote
Super User roadwarrior Posted June 21, 2006 Super User Posted June 21, 2006 I think largemouth bass start to get interesting at about 3 lbs (that's a 5 pounder if you are not weighing them on a scale). I have caught plenty of smaller bass that have put up one heck of a fight, but the bass' mass becomes a factor as they get bigger. 1 Quote
Guest ouachitabassangler Posted June 21, 2006 Posted June 21, 2006 Except in tournaments my keepers go up to 4 pounds. The taste quality falls off above that. Each tournament lake has it's legal definition of "keeper", and of course there are the "exact weight" events in which the only keeper is the weight they post as a winning weight. Jim Quote
BD Posted June 21, 2006 Posted June 21, 2006 I don't keep fish, but if I ever do, she'll be a big girl Quote
cravenfish Posted June 21, 2006 Posted June 21, 2006 When I'm fishing a tournament, a keeper is whatever the rules state. BUT most of the time if you come in with just a limt of keepers around here you wont be in the money. The Potomac river is a 12" limt now and 5, 12" fish will only weigh about 4-7 pounds, but it takes over 17lbs to win a tournament.So to me keepers are whatever the rules state but it's always nice to have a few kickers in the livewell!!! Quote
Super User Matt Fly Posted June 21, 2006 Super User Posted June 21, 2006 In Tx, the state law says it must be 14 inches or greater to retain. There are some lakes that have restrictions on bass. Some lakes are catch and release only such as Purtis Creek State Park. Some lakes have a slot in place such as Lake Fork, which is 16-24 inches and only one fish per day of over 24 inches may be retained or anything below 16 inches, but can't touch 16 inches. State limit on Bass is 5 fish per day. A keeper would be what each state determines in my book. But I like to call those 3-5 lb bass, chunks, or nice chunks, and from there, your getting into "Toads" and "Hawgs". Curious, what is some of the lingo across the US that you name your fish. Fatties, toads, hawgs, she-pigs, piglet?????? Hookem Matt Quote
BD Posted June 21, 2006 Posted June 21, 2006 (answering matt's side bar): toads, pigs, sow, hogs, piglets, and momma Quote
j-bass Posted June 21, 2006 Posted June 21, 2006 It doesn't become fun until they start rippin drag Quote
Super User ww2farmer Posted June 21, 2006 Super User Posted June 21, 2006 12" is the minimum length for most bass to be kept in NY, thats what I call a keeper. Most of the time a 12" bass around here will way around a lb, some a little more some a little less. Since I got a good digital scale I don't bother weighing much of any thing that doesn't look like it's at least pushing 2lbs. LOL like RW said after I got my scale all those 5lbers I used to catch are now 3lbs ;D Quote
tallydude Posted June 21, 2006 Posted June 21, 2006 I never keep my bass. I couldn't tell you when the last time it was that I kept one. I just to catch them, maybe get a picture and then release the fish. If I want to catch fish to eat, I'll head to my favorite reef and get some yellowtail snapper and if I'm lucky, a few grouper too. Quote
Guest ouachitabassangler Posted June 21, 2006 Posted June 21, 2006 Ya don't know what you're missing! Even Ray Scott is on record saying we should kill some bass and enjoy the delicate sweetness of them, especially if they feed on shrimp, not coming out of swampy smelling water. He loves the taste of bass, as do probably a few million other bass anglers. His advice especially applies to ponds where population management is more critical. Jim Quote
Top Posted June 21, 2006 Posted June 21, 2006 beings this is my first year of Tournament fishing I am STILL waiting for my first "keeper". hahahaha but in my defense... I have only fished 1 Club Tournament and 3 "Tuesday night bass club" tournaments.. I have caught a grand total of ONE Bass so far at about 12 inches :-/ 14 is the minimum in Wisconsin NOW when not fishing a tournament I would have to say the state recored before it is a "keeper". this year I have kept TWO Bass... one just barely over 3 lbs and the other bit over 2... the guy that owns the lake I go to asked me to keep a few for him... his wife had a stroke a couple of years back and she loves fried bass... so that is the ONLY time I keep bass... anything bigger than 3 1/2 pounds is going back to grow bigger anything smaller if he says he wants it.. .they will go into his livewell AL Quote
Shad_Master Posted June 21, 2006 Posted June 21, 2006 Here in the Nebraska/Iowa area -- keeper size for Bass is 21" -- safe to say not many are "kept". The tournaments that I fish in are "paper tournaments" (catch the fish, measure it, record the length/point and release -- one "trophy" sized fish may be kept during a season) and we use 12" as the minimum length with an increase in points once you reach a 15"+ fish. Quote
BassKing813 Posted June 21, 2006 Posted June 21, 2006 I think largemouth bass start to get interesting at about 3 lbs (that's a 5 pounder if you are not weighing them on a scale). I have caught plenty of smaller bass that have put up one heck of a fight, but the bass' mass becomes a factor as they get bigger. lol, roadwarrior, that seems very true most of the time. I caught my first three pounder and thought it was 4 or 5lbs, and was surprised that it weighed so little. Quote
tbird Posted June 21, 2006 Posted June 21, 2006 It doesn't become fun until they start rippin drag That's what I'm talkin about ! Quote
bassclown Posted June 21, 2006 Posted June 21, 2006 It doesn't become fun until they start rippin drag That's what I'm talkin about ! nothing better than setting the hook and feeling like you just got yourself hung up...that is until line is peeling off of your reel. Quote
Top Posted June 22, 2006 Posted June 22, 2006 It doesn't become fun until they start rippin drag That's what I'm talkin about ! I mainly use 50# power pro so my drag is pretty tight because of the slop i fish in... even when I caught my 5 lber it didn't rip drag... I know your supposed to get the fish into the boat and released ASAP but dang... I sure would like to latch onto a fish that pulls drag for me... Quote
CJ Posted June 22, 2006 Posted June 22, 2006 I'm with RW.3 lbs. or better is satisfying.Although when I am fishing a tournament,whatever state laws say a keeper is,is a keeper.On my home lake 15". Quote
Rattlinrogue Posted June 22, 2006 Posted June 22, 2006 I keep no fish,but as RW said when you hook a 3 pound bass it's starting to get fun. Quote
abelfisher Posted June 23, 2006 Posted June 23, 2006 I keep no fish,but as RW said when you hook a 3 pound bass it's starting to get fun. What he said! Quote
basser89 Posted June 23, 2006 Posted June 23, 2006 MD's legal keeper size is 12". When I reference keepers, it's usually how many I'd be able to keep in a tourney. Like others have said, small keepers are ok, but 4 pounds and up...... that's where it starts getting fun! ;D Quote
tallydude Posted June 23, 2006 Posted June 23, 2006 Ya don't know what you're missing! Even Ray Scott is on record saying we should kill some bass and enjoy the delicate sweetness of them, especially if they feed on shrimp, not coming out of swampy smelling water. He loves the taste of bass, as do probably a few million other bass anglers. His advice especially applies to ponds where population management is more critical. Jim Jim, have you seen the canals down here? I'd eat them on Kentucky Lake, but not from South Florida canals. Quote
Low_Budget_Hooker Posted June 23, 2006 Posted June 23, 2006 I think largemouth bass start to get interesting at about 3 lbs (that's a 5 pounder if you are not weighing them on a scale). Eloquently Put!! Quote
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