Dont want to start an argument...just curious:)

[zimmy]

Ok....
I fish a lot. Lots of gas for the truck. Lots of gas for the boat. Lots of time spent (granted it's always good time).
From time to time I will keep a bass or two for the table. No 3lbs, 4lbs, etc. Just at the keeper size or an inch or so above. And never a full limit...just a couple. And even that is rare. Maybe one or two a month.
Question: Lots of friends I know who fish tourny's get pissed about this. I hear "if everyone keeps doing that there won't be any left for my kids one day", ect. But those same guys will do nothing but bed fish in the spring and pull females and males off their beds to weigh in. I've seen pros say the same about keeping fish to eat but do the same to bedding fish.
Am I missing something? Isn't more important to protect fish protecting fry then to keep a couple that are a couple years old? Do they find their way back to their beds after being released maybe?
Just wondering.

[artcarney_agr]

Keep what ever keeper size fish you want. There are too many in there as it is, resulting in slower growth rates and/or a smaller average size. If there was a problem with keeping fish, the size and creel limits would be smaller. Thank you for keeping them, and please keep on doing it. The ones telling you to throw them back more than likely haven't talked to a fisheries biologist or understand how it works.

[IronWorker]

I absolutely dont fish for largemouth while they are bedding and i dont allow anybody in my boat to do so. And i do keep a limit of decent sized largemouth for the dinner table every now and then. The way i see it is i paid good money for a fishing license that entitles me to eat the fish and God put the fish here to eat so only seems sensible i should have the opportunity to enjoy eating them every now and then.
And yes some will say that other species of fish taste better than largemouth so why eat largemouth but largemouth tast good enough for me to eat so therefore im going to eat them.

[fishinfreak]

There is a limit for a reason and I don't see anything wrong with keeping them. Do I keep them? No, only if they swallow the hook. I don't care if I catch a 10 pounder I'll let it swim away and keep a picture for the wall. The only reason I don't keep them is because I have loads of catfish crappie and bluegill. I think they shouldn't have tournaments during the spawn just because of the fry being eaten. Go ahead and keep you some for dinner in my opinion.

[DJD]

Your legally allowed to keep your limit. Folks with good intentions can mess some things up. I used to fish for bedding bass in tournaments and would do so if I saw the opportunity but I don't fish tourneys anymore. As long as folks follow the rules I have no problem with what they do.
Personally I don't eat bass that's just my choice.

[gocards40]

I don't tournament fish and I am not a big time bass fisherman. I don't see anything wrong with taking a limit of legal size fish for dinner. We spend a bunch of money to go fishing and there is nothing wrong with taking legal fish for dinner. I am pretty sure that I have seen some of the pro's talk about taking a fish or two for dinner while practicing.

[Hlleonard]

Something that always irked me about this topic is the guys who are always stumping against the folks who take bass for the dinner table, these same guys will take a boatload of bluegill or a limit of some other species and still have the brass to criticize someone else... With that said I don't think we have a population shortage of bluegill,crappie,catfish or any other species unless mother nature is the culprit in their demise... I believe an earlier poster referred to the creel as a guideline and I think if we take fish as specified by that and let the biologist tell us what will work then we won't be responsible for the downfall of the bass population.

[MetalFish513]

I am not by any means a biologist. I only know what I know from my own experience and research on the Internet and fishing shows. I've read and heard that a bass will swim up to 10 miles to find it's bed again and like others have posted the limits were put in place for a reason and if an under-population started to occur then the laws would change. I used to be one of those who said "never keep a fish! Put it back to grow!" but the fact of the matter is (as others have also already stated) sometimes by putting them back you're not allowing others to grow. I think there is a good balance of the "catch and releasers" and the "keep and eaters". So IMO do as you please as long as it's legal. I personally am in it strictly for the sport so I always catch and release but I have no problem with anyone who follows the rules and does as they please with their legal fish.

Just my 2 pennies...

[RoadToad]

People who think that the only way to preserve a bass fishery is to never keep any bass at all are full of it. Sorry if that sounds inflammatory, but I get tired of guys getting all high-and-mighty about this. The fact is, they don't know what they're talking about. It is often the case that keeping a few is the best thing for the fishery. This is especially true in the case of slot limits, which are instituted with the intent of some fish UNDER the slot being kept, in order to thin out the "dinks."

[MetalFish513]

It's funny because I'll bet most of the guys who scream "catch and release 100% of the time or soon there will be nothing left for the rest of us!" are also the same guys out there with a gun or bow in their hands during hunting season. Now let me ask you this... Are they hunting with tranquilizer darts??? Do they shoot, snap a quick photo, and then let that 12 pointer wake up to be shot again another day???

I used to be like this years ago. I'll admit I was pretty ignorant. The biggest problem is that most people are not educated on this topic.

[zimmy]

Thanks to all who have responded. Just why I love this board.

[Brandon__]

I am one of the few that absoultly hate eating fish, so I dont keep anything, I have no problem people keeping "legal" bass.. But even if it is legal to keep small mouth, im pretty sure its a sin to eat them..