An interesting take on managing fisheries

[Tim_T]

Thought this was an interesting read and explains how a lake can go from good to bad very quickly if just one or two factors get out of whack.

http://www.theoutdoorwire.com/features/224486

[artcarney_agr]

I agree with the article 100%. Falls right in line with a recent discussion I had with a fisheries biologist. There's no need to bash people for taking bass home, they are just doing their part to help make it better as a whole.

[walkeraviator]

I do my part...If it is over the size limit and under 5 pounds, its gettin fried.

[AndyG]

A 45,000 acre is overpopulated.

They killed the grass and the fishery went to pot in a year. Im sure the rednecks in alabama eat as many bass as the rednecks here do.

Nothing wrong with keeping small ones. Its good for the fishery. I see a lot who talk like that but they put 4lbers in the skillet, and 7lbers on the wall.

I guess all the fish were stunted and overpopulated before we came along? Not enough killed at weigh ins? Dont think so, come to a weigh in june-sept. and see if you can count the floaters. Gut hooks and those who DO keep fish do enough to keep them thinned down.

Grass makes all the difference.

[Tim_T]

A 45,000 acre is overpopulated.

They killed the grass and the fishery went to pot in a year. Im sure the rednecks in alabama eat as many bass as the rednecks here do.

Nothing wrong with keeping small ones. Its good for the fishery. I see a lot who talk like that but they put 4lbers in the skillet, and 7lbers on the wall.

I guess all the fish were stunted and overpopulated before we came along? Not enough killed at weigh ins? Dont think so, come to a weigh in june-sept. and see if you can count the floaters. Gut hooks and those who DO keep fish do enough to keep them thinned down.

Grass makes all the difference.

I believe you are choosing to ignore some pretty sound science in favor of your opinion. Lack of grass is only one factor one factor (albeit a large one) and I doubt there are enough "rednecks" removing fish to be hurting the population much.

As for weigh-ins, I have been around plenty of them over the years. I have yet to see this huge die off that some people say exist.

[kygorski]

A good example is dale hollow there are 18 and 19 inchers up the wazoo, but few 22 inchers than can be expected. The slot only works if a small fish is kept. The spotted bass population is also suffering.But I.m as guilty as most folks dont like cleaning fish that much, and would rather eat blue gills.

[AndyG]

A good example is dale hollow there are 18 and 19 inchers up the wazoo, but few 22 inchers than can be expected. The slot only works if a small fish is kept. The spotted bass population is also suffering.But I.m as guilty as most folks dont like cleaning fish that much, and would rather eat blue gills.

You dont see many fish over the slot because people keep overs.

[artcarney_agr]

You dont see many fish over the slot because people keep overs.

That's bogus....

You talk of rednecks, and people keeping dinks, and so on and so forth...I think you're in a dream world. There aren't as many keeping fish like you think, because those that normally keep bass aren't the hardcore bass anglers....they are the type that take along minnows and crickets and if they happen into a bass, they'll keep him, as long as he's of legal size. I'm all for that, and could care less whether it's a 1.5 lb or an 8 lb bass. They bought and paid for their fishing license, and have every right to keep a legal fish. You may not agree with it, but doesn't give you the right to talk bad about them. Their dollars are helping to support KDFWR too.

You don't see many fish over the slot because when they reach a much larger size, they are harder to catch, wiser, and have different hangouts than the smaller fish. There's a reason that the trollers on Dale Hollow catch greater numbers of monster smallmouth than the regular chunk and wind guys.

Also, keeping a 5 lb+ bass is not a sin. A 5 lb+ bass consumes a whole lot of food and doesn't contribute as much to the spawn as your 3 to 4 lb bass. The 3 to 4 pounders are in their prime when in comes to the spawn, which is why you see those size fish being protected by the slot limit. Protecting you spawning champs results in a large population of fish, but at some point can no longer sustain itself if it's overwhelming the food source.

[Tim_T]

You dont see many fish over the slot because people keep overs.

I am not buying this Andy. I have yet to see anyone keep an over out of Dale. Eight of us spent five days in April down there and plenty of overs were caught nobody kept one and I didn't see anybody catch one. We kept a couple of unders and some spotted bass for dinner a few times but that was it. I don't get to Dale Hollow a lot, probably three or four times a year for a total of about 10 days, but I have yet to see the first over kept.

[Tim_T]

I am not buying this Andy. I have yet to see anyone keep an over out of Dale. Eight of us spent five days in April down there and plenty of overs were caught nobody kept one and I didn't see anybody catch one. We kept a couple of unders and some spotted bass for dinner a few times but that was it. I don't get to Dale Hollow a lot, probably three or four times a year for a total of about 10 days, but I have yet to see the first over kept.

Should read keep, not catch. My mistake.

[AndyG]

I believe you are choosing to ignore some pretty sound science in favor of your opinion. Lack of grass is only one factor one factor (albeit a large one) and I doubt there are enough "rednecks" removing fish to be hurting the population much.

As for weigh-ins, I have been around plenty of them over the years. I have yet to see this huge die off that some people say exist.

I have witnessed it. How do you explain how a lake like Lake Fork can be so full of fat fish when all fish 16-24 are released, people are much more c&r minded than they are here(so even the unders almost always get released), plus almost 1 million bass fingerlings per year every year are stocked (I can document if you like)?

Like I said, Im all for keeping small ones, under 15" IMO, but a guy with 4 dinks on a stringer catches a 5lber and it fills the limit. Fish get stunted in ponds and small lakes. You yourself posted a great article about genetics and inherited biting traits in some fish and not others. Why remove the biters?

[Tim_T]

I agree with the article 100%. Falls right in line with a recent discussion I had with a fisheries biologist. There's no need to bash people for taking bass home, they are just doing their part to help make it better as a whole.

I talk to fisheries biologist all the time (par of the job) and one thing they talk about is people not removing enough bass species. I understand the conservation ethic and the management behind catch and release, but it only makes sense that overpopulation can be a problem.

I often think of it like any wildlife. Look at the issues there would be with deer if it wasn't for hunting.