May need therapy

[smljaw]

I have access to a small lake I fish year round. It has some big fish in it. We went yesterday and had 1 over 3, 2 pushing 5 and broke one off that was 7+. Anyway, here's the therapy part... There was one other boat sharing the water with us yesterday. The guy in the front was pitching a jig and obviously knew what he was doing. Later in the day they pulled up next to us to chat and he pulls a 6+ out of his livewell. After that he tells us he has 5 in his well that go 19 pounds or so. I asked if he was keeping them and he said he was going to take pictures later and release them... Well, there was never any closure. We never saw any picutres taken and never saw the fat females released. I talked with them back at the ramp and asked if I could take pictures of them holding the fish. He said, "no, we already did that..." I seriously have my doubts that those fish were released... He also told me at the ramp that he's been out there 4 times in the last week and has caught 3 over 6. So... why would you carry 19 pounds of bass, full of eggs, around in your well for hours if you plan to release them???

I'm just tore up about this and needed to vent, get some feedback... And buddy, if you are on this board, I hope you really did let those fish go. Our lake will continue being a quality fishery if we take care of, and release, the big fish. Take pictures and get them back in the water as soon as possible.

[mhall]

Seen it and heard it too many times, 500 dollars say's they were not released and weren't gonna be unless it was in one of his private honey holes. That kinda stuff makes me sick when I see it, but what do you do. I've had people look right at me and say, ''You can't fish a place out, there's to many fish in here''. Wrong, oh so wrong..... Meathogs you gotta love'em.

[stratosjoe]

The next thing you will hear is this guy *(&^ing about no bass in this lake and he will go on to tell you about how it used to be. Disgusting isn't it? Its like the guys in the deep v with 200 crappie in the livewell for two days in a row then complaining about nothing hitting on the third day GO FIGURE.

[know1]

I guess if you didn't actually see him take the fish home, it's probably best for your sanity to assume that they were released.

[MsgMills]

If you have to ask permission to fish this great honey hole, then maybe you can talk to the owner and explain what you believe is happening. If the owner knows that the big fish are being removed at a steady pace, then he might step in and stop this person from fishing the Honey Hole.

This is exactly what I'd do if it were me....No sense in killin those big Hawgs just to eat them...If the guy wants fish to eat, catch some other type of fish and eat them...... Or if it's particularly Bass he wants to eat, then take some small ones around 12"'s.....

[smljaw]

The sad part is the guy can do whatever he wants. Without going into detail, there is no way to control what comes out of that lake. Believe me, me and my buddies could have put a hurtin' on that fishery years ago. We have caught a crazy number of 4-8 pounders that we have tagged, recorded the info and released.

As for eating fish, go to Kroger and pick up a thick tuna steak. I can give you some great tips and how it's best prepared! No filet knife required either!!!

[Grumpy]

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; the courage to change the things I can; and the WISDOM to know the difference!

Grumpy

[markmac60]

AMEN. Turn em loose.

[dpage70]

There was a pretty big that I use to fish when I was younger. It was an unbelieveable lake. Gin clear water, grass growing all over it. HUGE fish in it. I went down there last spring to try to catch some big girls on their beds and it has now been turned into a pay lake. I paid and fished anyway and while I was there a guy caught a bass that was at least 6 lbs and got mad because he was catching "those d@#$ trash fish" and threw in the woods behind the pond. I went after it but it had apparently bounced off of a few trees and was dead already. I could not believe believe that someone would do that. Haven't been back since.

[CTFSHWHISKER]

i know how you feel,the water supply lake here is getting hammered,evrytime i go someone has a few around 3 and a 5 or 6,going home with them.if you aske why they keep the big ones to eat instead of the 16 inchers they litterally want to whip your assss and tell you how they have the right to keep what they want,and they actually think it is overstoked with big ones.
there are guys jug fishing and taking 150 or more cats a weekend out.It had its own pressure conrol,it would get too low to put a boat in about june and it wasn't fished except from the bank til the next spring,the last 2 years it's been full all year and getting whipped.

[fisheater]

When i was growing up it seemed like fishing was good just about everywhere you went.The last 10 years or so it has declined everywhere.I dont know if it is the fishing pressure or the habits of the folks who are fishing now.Not trying to sound selfish but i dont know if all the publicity of bass fishing tournaments on t.v has been a good thing.

[smljaw]

The thing that stumped me was the guy catching the big hawgs looked like a bass pro. He was up front flipping like Denny Brauer!!! A guy like that should know better than to drive big fat female LM around in his livewell for hours... As for the BASS tournaments on TV, I think the broadcast does a good job encouraging catch & release. If a guy is tuning into The Elite Series every Saturday he shoudl be bent toward catch & release... I just don't get it... ???