cland today.... Oh my garsh....big ole brownfish and idiots...

[phoenix]

Nice fish and I would guess hard earned. The fish is legal to keep so I would do whatever I wanted with it. I think the fish and wildlife people from both states may have it set up so you don't devastate the lake by keeping a legal smallmouth. Heck, according to them you can keep one of these a day every day of the year. You keep one and catch flak over it, give me a break.

This comment echoes my thoughts on this also. By the way, I do have a couple on the wall myself. The one in my avitar is a 8lb 2oz.

[psprowler]

What's the difference between mounting a 5 lb'er vs. a 7+ lb'er. The end result is the same if doing a skin mount. I catch and release all bass and just about every other fish, but he caught that fish out of a huge lake that is full of them. It's not like he ate it out of a stream that is 20 foot wide.

[redneckshadrap]

"What's the difference between mounting a 5 lb'er vs. a 7+ lb'er."

Git-R-Done!

Hang in ther Carol!

[Chubminnow]

[QUOTE=redneckshadrap;349647]"What's the difference between mounting a 5 lb'er vs. a 7+ lb'er."

Heck if I know...a hundred dollars maybe? Sorry man...couldn't resist!

[mhall]

This comment echoes my thoughts on this also. By the way, I do have a couple on the wall myself. The one in my avitar is a 8lb 2oz.

Phoenix, I envy you bigtime. NOW that boys is a pig, a smallmouth over 8lb blows away anybodies stories of smallmouth on this site, period. I would love to see that mount in person sometime, what an absolute fish of a lifetime.

[phoenix]

Phoenix, I envy you bigtime. NOW that boys is a pig, a smallmouth over 8lb blows away anybodies stories of smallmouth on this site, period. I would love to see that mount in person sometime, what an absolute fish of a lifetime.

I have displayed it several times at the Barren Bassmasters Swap Meet. If you can make it down for that I'll try to bring it this year.

[HunterShewmaker]

Sorry TimE. I thought you were directing your post at me. I see that you were responding to ryan_ekubass. There is noting wrong with eating a few fish that you catch. Actually bass are a member of the sunfish family. And we know how tasty sunfish are. I do not make it a habit to eat bass, but every once in a while I'll keep one to eat.

[Lowerider]

Ryan

We've all been in your shoes - I know I have. I can tell you this, when you get out of school - then get married - then have kids fishing usually slows way down (at least it did for me). When fishing slows down your chances of catching that "trophy" in turn slows down. I dream about 50 lb stripers and have had a spot on my wall reserved for a number of years. When I was your age I was an every weekend hunter and caught some nice ones but never hit that magic number (for me it was 50 pounds). Now I get to trophy hunt fewer times than I can count on my hand in a year. The rest of the time I get to look at photo albums of the nice fish I threw back and you know what I say? "****, I should have mounted that fish."

Nice catch.

Scott

[ryan_ekubass]

well guys this has become quite the debate...... but at least i didnt catch and release it into the grease... i preserved the legacy of that fish and will have some good stories to tell about it....

[BarkelyPup]

Ryan,
How dare you keep a fish that you went out and legally caught and spent all that money on finding. You should be ashamed of your self for abiding by the law and keeping that legal that is bigger than a lot of folks catch in a life time. The nerve of some people. The bottom line is it is a GREAT FISH. Congrats to you. I bet that thing will look great on your wall. I had a guy in a Triton 2 years ago come within about 8 feet of me on Yatesville running wide open. The guy did have better reflexes than President Bush because I hurled a full can of Mt. Dew at him that my partner had just handed me. He did rock me up on the bank. as I was about 6 foot from it. I'm glad now I didn't hit him but I was standing waving trying to get him to slow down and he just came right on like he owned the lake. It happens all the time though. That was actually the third time somthing stupid like that happend to me on the lake. Other two involved Jet Skis, Muskie lures, My mad uncle and rocks. But that's a whole nother thread in itself. Congrats again on that nice smally.

bP

[Fishin is life]

Put in at Pumpkin this mornin....fished all day....on our way back to the ramp what do we see??? youre beloved little blow up boat....movin right along through the no wake at jamestown....you were the first person we thought of....other than that the fishin was pretty slow but managed a couple good ones....and did i mention we saw somebody getting on a houseboat from their ski boat with a bathing suit on....what are some people thinkin?

[know1]

Put in at Pumpkin this mornin....fished all day....on our way back to the ramp what do we see??? youre beloved little blow up boat....movin right along through the no wake at jamestown....you were the first person we thought of....other than that the fishin was pretty slow but managed a couple good ones....and did i mention we saw somebody getting on a houseboat from their ski boat with a bathing suit on....what are some people thinkin?

You forgot to mention the dog/coyote swimming across the lake!

Thanks for letting us tag along with you. We really appreciated it.