Makes me sick.

[fourbizz]

I am a member of a certain other "international masters" site and there is a guy from my area that thinks he's cool. Tries to get me to fish with him. He has caught 4 big fish recently.

15-4 ounces...VERY VERY DEAD

11-6 also very dead. please note the other large fish lying on his tailgate

10-8 and 9-3, not sure if they are dead. he said what town he lives in and what water he fishes, they are not close, and he is wearing waders. this says to me that he is in a float tube. so he didn't trailer them in the livewell, then drive back to the lake and release them.

So infuriating. Big dead fish really bum me out. I don't want to hear any of that "within the law" "his right" crap either. That may very well be the case, but I am also well within my rights to call him a d-bag for murdering multiple trophy fish. It is really really disgusting and I hope he falls down a flight of stairs and lands on a rake.

Furthermore, despite my attempts to ignore this a-hole he keeps trying to get me to fish with him. NO WAY! Meat hunters of this magnitude make me so indescribably ill. Thats why we blank out our backgrounds and take pictures super close to the shore, or looking at the sky. These meatbags are the ones in our backyard, looking at our pictures. Any one of those fish could have been a buddies first DD or PB, or crap, my PB! My thirteen is still swimming around, and it is my honest hope that someone gets to stick her as a 15.

A plethora of obstacles overcome over the course of 10+ years for a fish to reach that size and some a-hole has to kill every one he catches. What is the likely hood of a bass living to be that size? 10,000:1?

Now there are those old timers that have fished for thirty years and finally get their 10 somethin, and it goes on the wall, and there won't be another. Thats cool, I mean it would be so much better if she lived too, but one in a lifetime is at least reasonable. Then there are people like this that have to kill any big fish they catch. To what end? Make sure there are a few less swimming around?

Now that was a rant!!! But I feel much better. If anyone comes across this guy on  that other site, I encourage you to think about your stance on the subject.

Jay

feels like punting this guys cat onto the freeway

[Dan:]

Can't you install live wells on float tubes? Maybe he did that. I'm not saying it's likely, but it's a possibility. If you are indeed right (which seems more than likely) than I agree with you, it's irresponsible.

[David P]

Man, what BS.

 I was fishing the other day with some older guy, he had never fished the reservoir I was at, so Nicely, I showed him how I was catching some bass. After an hour he FINALLY pulls out a 14 inch bass (No where near the gorgeous size of those ladies).

He pulled out a black trash bag, dropped the fish in the bag, and left it on the dock, while I sit there, and listen to a fish flopping on the dock dying. I was seconds away from just grabbing the trash bag, and throwing the fish back in the water and running way.. But I was dumb and didn't =(

I know how you feel four, and not to mention, those fish are 10000 times more rare, and jeezus christ any of those fish would have been my PB.

[fourbizz]

I hear ya dude.

Remember though, there is a line you do not want to cross. Voicing your opinion to the person (which I do, sometimes with tact, sometimes without) is a good thing. But if you cross the line and try and physically do something about it, I don't think thats right. They ARE within their rights to keep fish and we are within ours to object.

[KU_Bassmaster.]

Hate to see the front yard/back yard/kitchen pictures :'(

[David P]

I hear ya dude.

Remember though, there is a line you do not want to cross. Voicing your opinion to the person (which I do, sometimes with tact, sometimes without) is a good thing. But if you cross the line and try and physically do something about it, I don't think thats right. They ARE within their rights to keep fish and we are within ours to object.

"I wanted to" - Doesn't mean I would  

 But G D, I beat myself up for giving him advice, if I had known, I would have not said I word to him.

I caught 3 bass in front of him, all 15-17 inches, and he said "How come you don't keep them", and I told him...

After that, he still kept the bass that he caught after all of that.

Oh well, people will be people, I just wish I didn't have to hear the fish dying 2 feet away from me.

[Cravin]

Dominion Dan..

No live well on the tube. Some people use a stringer, In our club you had to use a net bag, Its much easier on the fish. We always used a boat to get to our tubing spots and put our catch in the live well. Also you would receive a stiff penalty for dead fish.

[RecMar8541]

UGH I have an issue in this direction also.  The lake I live on coughs up about 12-15 fish a year over 10 for me.  My neighbors think Im about as close to being a living breathing KVD as you can get to the real thing(I am so not, trust me).  I dont ever fish with the neighbors (one exception), because EVERYTHING they catch goes in the fryer.  I have gone to great lengths to save the bass here including making my own 100 gallon live well complete with pond pump, cooling and recirculation.   I use chemicals to destress the fish, and return about 99% to the water.  Most of the pics you see of my fish are inside the house, they come from the livewell into the house(usually dark outside) then back to the livewell and then the lake(30seconds away).

Very few of my neighbors have much big bass sucess in our lake, which is fine with me!  It has proved a great fishery and I want it to stay that way!!

Recon

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

so,.....what's his email?  I'LL fish with him, no problem.  Doesn't mean he'll be making it home that night,...but sure,...I'll go pop his float tube in 30 ft of water fishin' with this guy.

Sickening. :-/ >

[jomatty]

so senseless. i dont have anything against someone keeping a few 12 inch bass or a mess of crappie but keeping a bass of any real size is just unimaginable.  have you asked him about it and heard his response?  just hard to imagine how he could justify this sort of thing.

i mean its kinda beside the point but has anyone ever eaten a big bass, they are disgusting.  and skin mounts start to look like crap after awhile, so even if he was somewhat unethical its hard to imagine why he would do this.

especially in cali where most fishermen seem knowledgable and c&r seems to be much more prolific then other places like florida.

anyhow very sad and im sure frustrating

[grimlin]

No offense guys,but what's the difference in keeping one for mount and eating one.Michigan has a limit of 15" before they are keepable and also have a "closed season" meaning we can't or aren't suppose to be targeting them.The "Keep" limit also helps. What does make me mad are the ones who keep bass that are way undersize and over the limit catch and know better.I ran into 2 old farts about a month or so longer ago who was doing the illegal netting thing and was catching tons of tons of small undersized fish and keeping every single one.What can a 6-8 inch walleye or bass do for supper?That can't be more than a 1/4 pound of meat.I approched them about it and needless to say it didn't turn respectful.

While i'm really big on C & R and rarely ever keep fish.I can't say i'm completely sick at somebody keeping bass.As long as it's a legal keep i don't see anything wrong with it.Alot of times i won't tell the guy next to me how i catch fish,for the simple fact i know they will just keep it if it's legal or not.If i don't know who the person is "i'll just say hi,what are you targeting and good luck".I too told somebody where the fish were and the idiot was keeping everything from undersize to over the limit catches,after a long conversation about sizes/limits and whatnot.I thought he was a decent respectable person,guess i was wrong.I said to myself "never again am i doing that".

I hope i'm not crossing my bountries or coming off disrespectful since i'm new here.I think we Bass fishermens just love our big bass and want to keep them around as long as possible.Nothing wrong with a little catch and keep for some people as long as it's done rightfully..afterall it does help balance our fisheries.This is all my opionion.

[roadwarrior]

Just pitiful... :'(

This isn't about C & R, I think it's fine to keep small fish and ONE trophy fish (as long as they are not smallmouth  8-). As far as I'm concerned, this thread is about environmental rape. That slug is not a "bass fisherman" and he is not a sportsman.

[Replica.]

A slot limit would help, but only if the morons obey the laws.

[Avalonjohn44]

Nothing is going to stop that guy from doing what he is doing, short of somebody violating his rights. What he's doing is no different from the pickup truck full of illegal immigrants siene-netting a lake or pond and keeping every single fish of every type and size that they net - an all too common sight in NoVa (Goose Creek Resevoir and areas around Algonquin Park have been ruined by fishing of this type). It is abhorrent. Somebody should snap his rods, slash his float tube and dump his tackle box in the lake.

[RecMar8541]

please forward me his name and email.  I would love to send him pics of my pond, and all the 8+ fish that come from there, then invite him to come belly boat it......(please see my gators video)  p.s. what do you think would be the best way to get chicken parts to stick to a belly boat??

[grid]

I hope that one day I catch a DD or close.  It will hang on my wall but it will be her fiberglass clone.   I'm glad technology has advanced to be able to do this.

What this joker is doing is not sportsmanlike at all.  He's acting like a b**ch waving it in front of your face then not sharing.  Take a pic, show it around.  Be proud!  But let it go so maybe one day somebody else can catch her and "take a pic, show it around.  Be proud!

[T-rig]

Why is it that people that keep the fish allways catch the big one's?

This is a shame and I dont consider this guy a fisherman but a bass killer!

Looks like some of those females are still full of spawn!

[=Matt 5.0=]

Go fishing with him, stick a Hog.  

Then release it in front of him while he stares at you and cries inside.

Seriously, why keep these trophy's?  Get a fiberglass replica if you want a dead fish on your wall.

[senile1]

Fourbizzle stated:

It is really really disgusting and I hope he falls down a flight of stairs and lands on a rake

I think this comment is still the best reward this fellow could receive.  You have to wonder if people like this can put two and two together.  Doesn't he ever stop to think what are the results of his keeping every pig he sticks?  Or does he just not give a d@#$?

[BaitMS]

To play devil's advocate...

Do any of you know the whole story about this guy? It is beyond me the way you react to anyone that keeps a bass. As a biologist, it is good to keep some fish. Harvesting fish makes"room" for other fish to grow. It also keeps systems from becoming overcrowd. However, this is rarely the case in large systems. Yes it takes a long time for fish to reach this size, but if your state agency is managing and monitoring the lakes and reserviors in your area PROPERLY, many fish of this size will be available. Especially, in California where laws are very strict and many anglers are knowledgable of whats going on. California also has a climate were fish can attain this size rather fast compared to other locations. Bass strain (florida, northern) also play a big part in this growth as well as species composition within a system. If the bass have other fish (other bass species) that utilize the same resources it does, it may not have the ability to reach these sizes. But, this is what the fish and game departments are trying to accomplish based on requests of the many usergroups that are trying to satisfy.

With that said, there are several types of fisherman: recreational, commercial, subsistence. Most bass fisherman are recreational fisherman. They are fishing for the fun of it. They enjoy spending hundreds of thousands of dollars a year to catch bass. Commercial fisherman rarely target bass, but this is because of harvest restrictions. Then there is the subsistence fisherman. This person is fishing to feed themself or their family. This has been going on since the start of time. The law allows these people to catch a specified number of fish (based on species) as determined by sampling performed by your state game and fish agency. It looks to me as if this guy is prepared to clean these fish for FOOD, but I do not know the whole story.

Not to to burst any of your bubbles, but if you didn't know most of the waterbodies that you are probably fishing in (other than natural lakes up north) are reservoirs. Do you know what the primary purpose is for creating a reservoir? It is for water retention. It is NOT FOR FISHING!! Fishing is just a benefit of the creation of these systems. So consider it a PRIVILEDGE to have a place to go fishing. Stop wining about what other people are doing and rely on yourself to "DO THE RIGHT THING" as you feel morally obligated to do. Then depend on your state agencies to manage these systems responsibly.

To say this guy is not anymore of a "sportsman" or "fisherman" than any of you  is WRONG! He is involved in the same activity as you. How do you know that the fish that you are catching are not dying because of foul-hooking, stress because of being hooked and "played" to the boat, contracted a virus because you put it in your livewell and you had other bass that had the largemouth bass virus (LMBV), died after you drove around the lake for 6 hours during a tournament with them in your livewell, slung the fish around and took pictures. How many of those fish that you caught off their "bed" this spring actually had a succesful spawn? All in all, YOU, yes you INDIRECTLY kill fish too. So, what makes you any better than this guy? At least he got a meal out of it (hopefully).  

Before you go and criticize this guy why don't you look at the bigger picture, rather than the picture in front of you. Yes, you have the option to return or not return that fish to the water, but that is PERSONAL PREFERENCE! Don't knock someone because they chose to keep a fish. Last time I checked it was legal (within the limits of the law).

[Fish Chris]

Jay, can you send me a PM with a link to that site ? Is there a way to send this guy a PM ? Honestly, I'd have more "questions for him, than comments"...... First and foremost being.... Why ???

Fish

[senile1]

To play devil's advocate...

Do any of you know the whole story about this guy? It is beyond me the way you react to anyone that keeps a bass. As a biologist, it is good to keep some fish. Harvesting fish makes"room" for other fish to grow. It also keeps systems from becoming overcrowd. However, this is rarely the case in large systems. Yes it takes a long time for fish to reach this size, but if your state agency is managing and monitoring the lakes and reserviors in your area PROPERLY, many fish of this size will be available. Especially, in California where laws are very strict and many anglers are knowledgable of whats going on. California also has a climate were fish can attain this size rather fast compared to other locations. Bass strain (florida, northern) also play a big part in this growth as well as species composition within a system. If the bass have other fish (other bass species) that utilize the same resources it does, it may not have the ability to reach these sizes. But, this is what the fish and game departments are trying to accomplish based on requests of the many usergroups that are trying to satisfy.

With that said, there are several types of fisherman: recreational, commercial, subsistence. Most bass fisherman are recreational fisherman. They are fishing for the fun of it. They enjoy spending hundreds of thousands of dollars a year to catch bass. Commercial fisherman rarely target bass, but this is because of harvest restrictions. Then there is the subsistence fisherman. This person is fishing to feed themself or their family. This has been going on since the start of time. The law allows these people to catch a specified number of fish (based on species) as determined by sampling performed by your state game and fish agency. It looks to me as if this guy is prepared to clean these fish for FOOD, but I do not know the whole story.

Not to to burst any of your bubbles, but if you didn't know most of the waterbodies that you are probably fishing in (other than natural lakes up north) are reservoirs. Do you know what the primary purpose is for creating a reservoir? It is for water retention. It is NOT FOR FISHING!! Fishing is just a benefit of the creation of these systems. So consider it a PRIVILEDGE to have a place to go fishing. Stop wining about what other people are doing and rely on yourself to "DO THE RIGHT THING" as you feel morally obligated to do. Then depend on your state agencies to manage these systems responsibly.

To say this guy is not anymore of a "sportsman" or "fisherman" than any of you  is WRONG! He is involved in the same activity as you. How do you know that the fish that you are catching are not dying because of foul-hooking, stress because of being hooked and "played" to the boat, contracted a virus because you put it in your livewell and you had other bass that had the largemouth bass virus (LMBV), died after you drove around the lake for 6 hours during a tournament with them in your livewell, slung the fish around and took pictures. How many of those fish that you caught off their "bed" this spring actually had a succesful spawn? All in all, YOU, yes you INDIRECTLY kill fish too. So, what makes you any better than this guy? At least he got a meal out of it (hopefully).  

Before you go and criticize this guy why don't you look at the bigger picture, rather than the picture in front of you. Yes, you have the option to return or not return that fish to the water, but that is PERSONAL PREFERENCE! Don't knock someone because they chose to keep a fish. Last time I checked it was legal (within the limits of the law).

BaitMS, (to play angel's advocate to your devil's advocate  )

Many of us do believe in selective harvest.  This is the whole point of conservation and it is a proven concept.  You can't maintain the health of a population of fish without it.  But many of us who have been on this forum for awhile know that if fourbizzle is complaining about this guy, the complaint probably has some merit.  We've had some good debates about when to keep a bass and when to release it, but many of us feel strongly that keeping a bunch of trophy fish is detrimental to the chance for others to do the same thing.  I understand that some trophy fish are close to their death bed anyway, but in California, I'd say that 9 - 15 lb'ers still have some living to do.  I would release them.  

As for fish dying after I release them, that is a possibility but chances are they will live if I release them immediately.  Statistics that I have read show that even under tournament circumstances where fish are released after weigh-in, the percentage that die generally runs 4 - 8 percent at most.  Don't get me wrong.  I worry about the effects of tournament fishing too.  But if I keep that trophy the chance is 100% she will die.  

[Fish Chris]

What I know about this guy, is that he is apparently killing as many big bass as he possibly can. It is beyond myself also, when guys get bent out of shape about a few "small fish" being kept (Selectively Harvested) from bodies of water where it might actually help the quality of the fishery. {well, I guess its not really beyond me.... they obviously just need more education on SH}

But in all of my years of trophy bass study, I have yet to find a place that was just so overpopulated with huge, 10 to 15 lb bass, that this became a problem ! Selective Harvest should have nothing to do with trophy sized bass !

Next, if this guy is in "need of food" there are places where he could more easily stick limts of 2 to 3 pounders, every time he went out. It would be simply illogical to fish for "big fish" if you were hungry.

You asked > How do you know that the fish that you are catching are not dying because of foul-hooking, stress because of being hooked and "played" to the boat, contracted a virus because you put it in your livewell and you had other bass that had the largemouth bass virus (LMBV), died after you drove around the lake for 6 hours during a tournament with them in your livewell, slung the fish around and took pictures. How many of those fish that you caught off their "bed" this spring actually had a succesful spawn? <

Here's how I know; Because every year, my trophy bass buddies and I continue to "re-catch" and positively identify, big bass which we have previously C/R'd. Of course there is always a posibility that one of these fish might suffer a fatal injury, or stress level from being C/R'd, but I feel that this can be kept to a minimum with proper handling, and by being prepared.

Now, I have a question for you BaitMS, forget about all the other anglers for a minute, "How bad would my buddies and I have hurt 'ourselves' if we had chosen to kill all of the big bass we have caught" ? I know of a couple ponds where I believe we could have probably reduced our own odds of future trophy bass catches, by "more than" 50% ! Fortunately, we are not into "self-punishment".

Yes BaitMS, you are correct that the guy is within his rights. This is why I try to never hit them with the "slamming approach". I believe that if this guy knew what most of us hard-core trophy bass anglers knew about trophy bass fisheries, he would decide, on his own, to do the right thing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BTW BaitMS, you were saying you are a fisheries biologists ? That's cool :-) I have several buddies who are fisheries biologists, including the Ca DFG Cheif Fisheries Biologists (ret.) Dennis Lee, and In-Fisherman biologist and Editor, Steve Quin. Both really good guys, and extremely knowledgeable......

And the fact is, I know enough to talk with them at an 'almost' equal level. Hopefully we can do the same ?

Peace,

Fish Chris

[aggiebassin]

i hate to see that.  i believe in slective harvest and keep some small fish from the private lake i fish.  you have to keep some of the smaller fish to prevent overpopulation.  but to keep a fish like those.... :'(...i just don't get it.  i can maybe accept keeping one to mount (although i would just take measurements and get a fiberglass replica)

this guy has to be eating these fish....which to me makes no sense really.  smaller fish are more tender and have smaller bones.  not to mention giving yourself and others a chance to re-catch this fish after some weight gain.

that is one of the things i like more about fishing than hunting, (and i am a very very avid hunter) is you can release your trophies

[Cravin]

My view is that yes the Biologist do keep good tabs on the fish population, My problem is that I know some places I fish will never see a Biologist, Not to mention the ones that do I rarely hear of the great work they've done for a specific body of water I've fished. I buy a fishing license every year that goes toward this and upkeep of the lakes and yet I still cant get a clean port-a-potty or cleaner facilities. I think it pays for someone to mow the grass!

If this guy was to kill fish of that caliber around here I most definitely would be up in arms. I don't want to wait till the next generation of fish reach that size when it could be a confirmed swimmer at a hole I currently fish. If he is that hard up for a meal I'll pay him to stay off the lakes. Roman Noodle is not that expensive.