In the last couple of years there has been multiple occasions when KDFW allowed tournament anglers to bring in smallmouth at Cumberland that were not 18". If my memory is correct the first time I recall it happening was the 2018 FLW tour event in late march/early April when they allowed 15" SM. KDFW made a statement and said the reason they were doing this was so they could conduct a delayed mortality study and see how it impacts the fishery. At the time of the tournament the water temperatures were upper 50's and low 60's. That is PERFECT water temperature for bass to thrive and be healthy. If you want to check them and see how delayed mortality plays into the mix then do it when its mid to late summer when the water is warm. This is just purely my opinion but KDFW made that statement to make it "sound good"

Then if my memory was correct there was a huge high school tournament in the spring of 2019 where they were allowed 15" SM. I might be wrong on that one but it seems like I remember it happening. Then about 2-3 weeks ago in the Bradley Roy tournament they allowed 15" SM and just this past week they allowed 15" SM for the FLW Costa event.

Call me a conspiracy theory freak and say I wear a tin foil hat because I am okay if that's your opinion of what I am about to type but the ONLY reason KDFW allowed 15" SM in the events I spoke of was because of the tourism $ it generated. 2018 FLW Tour had 183 boaters and co-anglers fishing multiple days and in town multiple days before the event. Plus when you add the FLW staff that came to host the event you soon have around 400 people dropping money at gas stations, motels, restaurants tackle stores and etc. If my memory is correct the Bradley Roy high school event had just a tad over 200 boats. 203 if my memory is correct. They have a boat captain and a team of high school kids so that makes 600 people spending $ that weekend. Granted the kids probably did not spend much but I bet the boat captains and parents did. Then you have the recent FLW Costa that had upper 190's in boats and co anglers. They were in town multiple days spending $...heck I ran into one Costa guy from Oklahoma around the first of October and he said he rented a house near Cumberland for the entire month. I bet he dropped some $ in the local economy. Then add the other 400 or so people counting all boaters, non boaters and event staff and $ quickly adds up....see where I went with that. It was a $ deal pure and simple. I bet if a 20 boat club ask for a reduced size limit they would laugh because they are not going to drop enough $ to make a big impact on the economy.

Now don't think I am against supporting the local economy. I shop at Bass Pro in Bronston. I shop at Lake County Outdoors in Russell Springs. I have had my boat serviced at a Evinrude dealer in Bronston. I live 45 miles from Somerset but I still make the drive for some Sunny's BBQ so I just wanted to be clear that I am not anti local economy. My gripe is smallmouth (as well as all fish) are a great natural resource that need regulation and protection. I am all for that but when you make special regulations for specific large groups for the sake of $ that does not sit well with me...rant over