Would you take a 11 pounder for the wall??

[QUOTE=Luveatnbass;487732]Conservative – believe in personal responsibility, limited government, free markets, [B][U]individual liberty[/U][/B], traditional American values and a strong national defense. Believe the role of government should be to provide people the freedom necessary to pursue their own goals.[U]Conservative policies generally emphasize empowerment of the individual to solve problems.[/U]

Hmm...You're a conservative? Not really adding up.[/QUOTE]

Wild life conservation and political conservatism are two completely different things, surely you know better! Then again who is this "shirley"?

I don't have the cash to do it, I would rather let it go and have the funds to go try and catch another one.

[QUOTE=MagikSmallie;487736]Wild life conservation and political conservatism are two completely different things, surely you know better! Then again who is this "shirley"?[/QUOTE]

I agree. That is why Fish & Wild set the creel limits they way they do. So I can eat bass.

i would keep it alive and take it to Bass pro shops so a lot of people can see her and get a free mount.

[QUOTE=offdtop;487733]But I also feel that the big girl may live and spawn at least one more time and that is the genetics we want in the lakes to get decent sized fish.[/QUOTE]

At that age, her contribution to the spawn is not beneficial.....it's like a 90 year old woman having a baby......

I'd let it go and get a replica made. They look better and last longer.

Also I'd rather eat a steak, don't care for fish. Give the girl a chance to spawn a few more times to keep the genetics out there.

[QUOTE=offdtop;487733]the genetics we want in the lakes to get decent sized fish[/QUOTE]

A fish can have the best genetics, but without enough food, it won't ever reach it's potential.

If you want bigger bass, you best start keeping them for the fryer. The annual growth rate is something you need to look at. With more and more people practicing catch and release, the more the growth rate declines.

no way ! free willy !

i only eat a LM every now and then , and its a 15 incher, I NEVER eat a SM and only have replicas made now of fish over 7, but a spot regardless of size is hittin the grease !

Many years ago I had a 7'2" LM mounted - still looks great - but that was before replica's were so popular - a couple of years back I caught my 1st (and only) 10' LM - I took a pic, measured it and let her go - one day I'll have a replica made - I'm not fanatical about it... but I love catching fish and the one's with good DNA should be left to reproduce. Tight Lines....

I am kind of split! I am a big deer hunter and have two walls filled with them.but I have never even thought about mounting a fish... I have spent a lot of hours staring at my deer mounts remembering all the great memories that are associted with them but I don't know if a fish would be the same... not really sure why. I guess it would really matter where I was fishing at too. In a farm pond... let it go and maybe get lucky enough to catch it again. The river or big public lake... maybe I would take it if I could afford to actually mount it!!! just got my deer from last year back... $420!!!!! :eek:

That bad boy is going on the wall. So I can smile everytime I see it.

I'd put it on the wall. I regret not putting the 9lb LM I caught on the wall.

Chuck