size limit

[cnorth]

I just looked at the new size limit for lake shelby . They have placed a three fish limit on bass and they have to be 15 inches long to keep In last years book published
by the fish and wildlife they had the following regulations. It has been a while since i looked at it and i think these are fairly accurate. Of the 30 plus lakes
they regulate ,over 30 have a 15 inch size limit and or a slot limit 12 to 15 inchs. Only guist creek lake
in shelbyville has a 12 inch limit. I know there has been requests to have a 15 inch size limit placed on the lake but it has been denied by the state. According to the surveys, there is a really good population of 15 to 18 inch bass in the lake.I remember when the lake had 20 inch fish and larger. According to the state info map posted at the ramp they stocked some bass in 2004. Then they had a problem in frankfort and put some in the lake this past year. i have been there when they stock hybrids and cat fish.
it would be interesting to know how many fishermen and fisherwomen fished guist creek last year for bass. I have been to lake shelby the average depth is about five feet and is maybe a mile long. It is amazing to see they
are now going to protect the bass population in lake shelby when it gets about one one fraction the pressure guist creek gets. This is just my opinion.

[Rudypoo4444]

I'm sorry, but I can't help it. I HATE to hear people saying how bad it is to keep bass. Bass are delicious, there are no two ways around it. I love to eat them, and I usually keep 3-4 (enough for me to eat) when I fish a big lake. I'll turn anything over 4lbs back, but that is only because the big ones are nasty. If I am fishing with a partner, in his boat, and he doesn't want the fish kept, I respect his wishes. But if you are in my boat, you better get ready to see some fish kept for me to eat. I really like fish, and so does my father, so we enjoy a fish fry with the fish we catch.

Just please try not to look down at people for keeping a few fish, it isn't a sin.

[dc chopper]

funiest thing I've every read here

Thank you birdstrike, happy I can put a smile on your screen!

[dc chopper]

I don't have much of a problem with someone keeping some of the smaller bass, but for my moneys worth, as long as a crappie and a gill swim, theres dinner. Rudypoo, I m strait C&R on bass,even crappie when bass fishing. It up to the guy fishing. I fished a tourney a few years ago at Nolin, the guy running the thing kept EVERY bass that was weighed in, for stocking a pond. I was totally livid! I thought they were going to release them, I refuse to fish with them again. I should have called F&W on him but they would have never made it there in time to do anything. It was only 12 or so fish but 7 of them were slots.

[mhall]

KDFWR has no earthly clue how to build a trophy lake in Kentucky and never will. We have alot of hard working men and women in that department however the decision makers on lakes, streams and the deer hunting never seems to baffle me. Also enforcement is a joke, absolutely a joke. I've had a bad deer poaching problem on our place for several years by deer head trophy hunting magets. I can't even get them to come out and talk to me about it. When I call Frankfort and complain all I get is pass the buck BS. Fishing is no different, like another poster said they would rather write tickets for no PFD'S or some other crap. They need new direction and leadership in Frankfort, but it ain't gonna happen. Go to Cumberland in the spring and summer and hang around the fish cleaning stations at the docks and watch how many undersize smallmouth you see get cut, it will blow your mind. I've even seen guides doing it with their clients, unreal, I'll shut up now, sorry for the rant.

[Rudypoo4444]

I don't have much of a problem with someone keeping some of the smaller bass, but for my moneys worth, as long as a crappie and a gill swim, theres dinner. Rudypoo, I m strait C&R on bass,even crappie when bass fishing. It up to the guy fishing. I fished a tourney a few years ago at Nolin, the guy running the thing kept EVERY bass that was weighed in, for stocking a pond. I was totally livid! I thought they were going to release them, I refuse to fish with them again. I should have called F&W on him but they would have never made it there in time to do anything. It was only 12 or so fish but 7 of them were slots.

Well, that is a whole different story there. That is going over the line in my book. You should have called the department on him.

[SuperSprint007]

Made it out to Cumberland on Sunday and for the first time on a big lake I got checked by the game warden, he asked to see our licenses and life jackets, and checked the live well which contained 4 lb largemouth, (later put back in the water for those keeping score at home.) He never asked to see the fire extinguisher or the throw float. Said he had already found three boats that morning that did not have life vests.
Personally I applaud him for trying to make the place a little safer, having been harassed at Green River by a game warden who seem to have a beef with all bass boats and never stopped any of the skiers out running up and down the lake, this guy was nice and apologized for interrupting our fishing.

[mhall]

Made it out to Cumberland on Sunday and for the first time on a big lake I got checked by the game warden, he asked to see our licenses and life jackets, and checked the live well which contained 4 lb largemouth, (later put back in the water for those keeping score at home.) He never asked to see the fire extinguisher or the throw float. Said he had already found three boats that morning that did not have life vests.
Personally I applaud him for trying to make the place a little safer, having been harassed at Green River by a game warden who seem to have a beef with all bass boats and never stopped any of the skiers out running up and down the lake, this guy was nice and apologized for interrupting our fishing.

Excellent post. I was not and don't want to be interpeted as slamming the fish and game guys as I appreciate the hard work they do. But like anything they have issues and most of them stem from the guys and gals shining seats with their butts in Frankfort. They need more people in the field big time, but they say they can't afford it, oh well.

[Trophyhunter8]

o.k. as far as deer hunting goes. I think if you are 15 yrs old and under you should be able too shoot whatever you want be it big, little buck or doe. 16 and over bucks need to be wider than their ears.

As for fishing, I fish some big strip pits and in the evenings the bass start schooling in swarms the size of houses everywhere. you cast in them you will catch two fish at a time, most of the time but their all little fish. with a 15 in. size limit you can't keep any. would it not be better to keep the short ones so the big one can get bigger. It seems to me a million little mouths would eat more than 10,000 big mouths.

Just my theory but I say keep'em under 2lbs. c&r everything else

[fisheater]

I'm sorry, but I can't help it. I HATE to hear people saying how bad it is to keep bass. Bass are delicious, there are no two ways around it. I love to eat them, and I usually keep 3-4 (enough for me to eat) when I fish a big lake. I'll turn anything over 4lbs back, but that is only because the big ones are nasty. If I am fishing with a partner, in his boat, and he doesn't want the fish kept, I respect his wishes. But if you are in my boat, you better get ready to see some fish kept for me to eat. I really like fish, and so does my father, so we enjoy a fish fry with the fish we catch.

Just please try not to look down at people for keeping a few fish, it isn't a sin.

Amen.

[DJD]

Size limits seem to be followed by people who obey laws. These bozo's who elect to take what they want because noone is looking will continue to do so until some real enforcement takes place, which I realize is impossible due to costs. They could set the limit on CC to 30 inches which would help but not eliminate the problem.

[wkerber]

I think they use different size limits to maximize a given fishery (what's the age of the body, what's the forage, what other fish make up the fishery, etc...). I read an article where the biggest challenge on determining what to use for a size or slot limit is knowing whether people will actually harvest. With a slot, they definitely want you to take the under fish and are ok with you taking the over. So, the ineffectiveness of a slot limit on a lake could be that no one is harvesting according to the slot.

As far as a trophy fishery, I think most of that has to do with the age of the lake and fertility. Briery Creek in Virginia is relatively young. It's only been around since 1986 and they've produced multiple fish over 13 lbs. There are trees, stumps, and grass everywhere. Dale Hollow was the same for years. It had stumps, willow clumps, and grass everywhere. Now, not so much. If you read Billy Westmorland's book, a good stringer had multiple fish over 6 lbs and a big fish was 8lbs or more. Now you feel really good to get a 5 or a 6. Age does take it's toll on us all.