DEAD bass was up after Tourney on KY Lake.

[sweetwater]

No livewell in my boat, straight on the ice in a chest then a hot oil bath. I never did like hauling my supper aroung dead in bath water for hours before I ate them. Big fish go back the little ones taste better.

When you immediately put fish on ice like that they will be fresher, easier to clean and definitely tastier. I don't think bass are very good to eat and I never put one in the live well for any reason. I usually hold em up for a second to get a good look at them then I'll thank them for a good fight and gently ease them back into the water. Unless they are foul hooked they are not out of their natural habitat for any more than 30 seconds.

[GeoFisher]

When you immediately put fish on ice like that they will be fresher, easier to clean and definitely tastier. I don't think bass are very good to eat and I never put one in the live well for any reason. I usually hold em up for a second to get a good look at them then I'll thank them for a good fight and gently ease them back into the water. Unless they are foul hooked they are not out of their natural habitat for any more than 30 seconds.

If I know I'm planning on harvesting fish, I usually put 2 20lb bags of ice in my livewell. It turns into an ice water bath in about 30 minutes. That Ice water is the absolute best way to keep fish. Throwing them in the crazy cold water kills them pretty fast, and keeps them fresh for when I put them to the knife.

[sweetwater]

If I know I'm planning on harvesting fish, I usually put 2 20lb bags of ice in my livewell. It turns into an ice water bath in about 30 minutes. That Ice water is the absolute best way to keep fish. Throwing them in the crazy cold water kills them pretty fast, and keeps them fresh for when I put them to the knife.

We do the same. We use one or both live wells as fish boxes with ice in them for bluegill and crappie. Our boat has a built in cooler and we used that as a fish box one time without thinking. It turns out the cooler drains it's water into the bilge and the boat reeked of fish smell for several weeks afterwards. All ya gotta do with the live wells is pump the melted ice water out and rinse.

[365allout]

Taking release out of catch and release would be a loss to the fisheries without question. The very small percentage that was lost at that event was offset by the the much higher percentage of fish that were released, returned to enhance the population in opposition to another option, catch , weigh and eat. Keep in mind if a tournament wanted to they could allow double the limit now brought to the scales by allowing the legal limit per angler to be brought in, weigh and fillet. So there is no question the catch and release in a benefit as compared to some other options. Is care needed to be taken in the process, of course but that's old news, debated and decided decades ago. If one wanted to try and reach perfection one could make it law that any fish hooked but not landed, came free, broke line, no matter the reason, that fish could count toward your daily limit and it would without question enhance the fisheries. Now apply it to all species, crappie, cats, whites, hybrids, sounds crazy don't it?

[sweetwater]

Taking release out of catch and release would be a loss to the fisheries without question. The very small percentage that was lost at that event was offset by the the much higher percentage of fish that were released, returned to enhance the population in opposition to another option, catch , weigh and eat. Keep in mind if a tournament wanted to they could allow double the limit now brought to the scales by allowing the legal limit per angler to be brought in, weigh and fillet. So there is no question the catch and release in a benefit as compared to some other options. Is care needed to be taken in the process, of course but that's old news, debated and decided decades ago. If one wanted to try and reach perfection one could make it law that any fish hooked but not landed, came free, broke line, no matter the reason, that fish could count toward your daily limit and it would without question enhance the fisheries. Now apply it to all species, crappie, cats, whites, hybrids, sounds crazy don't it?

Yes it does.

[SLP]

one could make it law that any fish hooked but not landed, came free, broke line, no matter the reason, that fish could count toward your daily limit and it would without question enhance the fisheries. Now apply it to all species, crappie, cats, whites, hybrids, sounds crazy don't it?

So if something snaps your line, which fish species limit would it count against?

[365allout]

So if something snaps your line, which fish species limit would it count against?

I'd say Asian Carp, that way nobody would give *&$^ , lol

[creekrock]

Taking release out of catch and release would be a loss to the fisheries without question. The very small percentage that was lost at that event was offset by the the much higher percentage of fish that were released, returned to enhance the population in opposition to another option, catch , weigh and eat. Keep in mind if a tournament wanted to they could allow double the limit now brought to the scales by allowing the legal limit per angler to be brought in, weigh and fillet. So there is no question the catch and release in a benefit as compared to some other options. Is care needed to be taken in the process, of course but that's old news, debated and decided decades ago. If one wanted to try and reach perfection one could make it law that any fish hooked but not landed, came free, broke line, no matter the reason, that fish could count toward your daily limit and it would without question enhance the fisheries. Now apply it to all species, crappie, cats, whites, hybrids, sounds crazy don't it?

Justifing this by using percentages is laughable to me. Even if 3 times the amount of fish were released healthy it wouldn't change the fact that bushel baskets of bass were left floating in the lake. If the tournament let the anglers clean ALL the fish,KDFW would adjust bag limits.After all,tournament anglers are licensed fisherman and have a right to their catch. It's the WASTE that bothers me. They shouldn't have the right to wantonly waste the resource.

[MagikSmallie]

Justifing this by using percentages is laughable to me. Even if 3 times the amount of fish were released healthy it wouldn't change the fact that bushel baskets of bass were left floating in the lake. If the tournament let the anglers clean ALL the fish,KDFW would adjust bag limits.After all,tournament anglers are licensed fisherman and have a right to their catch. It's the WASTE that bothers me. They shouldn't have the right to wantonly waste the resource.

the fish weren't wantonly wasted.

[creekrock]

the fish weren't wantonly wasted.

“to intentionally waste something negligently or inappropriately.”
I think it could be argued they knew or should have known that a large amount of fish would die given the circumstances and conditions.

[MagikSmallie]

“to intentionally waste something negligently or inappropriately.”
I think it could be argued they knew or should have known that a large amount of fish would die given the circumstances and conditions.

But the term wanton means that the waste was intentional, which it was not, the intention which could be proven was to release the fish unharmed!

[cghuntcms]

But the term wanton means that the waste was intentional, which it was not, the intention which could be proven was to release the fish unharmed!

I shoulda' just left this alone.

I attend an after work, office party. I very rarely drink. But this particular Friday signaled the end of a very stressful week. Its now dark. On the way home I fail to observe a pedestrian carrying a gas can on the side of the road. I strike & kill him. I can testify I didn't intend to drink more than one beer. I can testify I didn't intend on drving under the influence. I can honestly testify that I didn't intend on hitting the pedestrian. I'm charged with vehicular manslaughter. I spend 18 months in prison.

No, it didn't happen to me, but this did happen to someone I know. Intentions may be honorable, but they don't count in the final compilation of events.

I don't fish competitively. I fish for fun & for the healthy, delicious meals associated with a successful trip. I'm bothered with the photo of dead fish floating on the water. If, IF the Kentucky Fish & Wildlife department is left alone to exercise their professional knowledge on managing our lakes & fish for the general residents of KY, then I can live with that. I concentrate my fishing trips on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, & Thursdays.