Check Out These Poached Bass

[brianbarker]

Me and my girlfriend were fishing the Little Sac between Fellows and McDaniels lake outside of Springfield at the E Farm Road 68 bridge Saturday, the 5th. I was catching some smaller largemouth when my girlfriend's worm and splitshot snagged a monster dead bass that had been cleaned at the bridge not long before. When I looked closer I saw 2 more, which I hooked and hauled out. If the pictures load, one has by boot beside them, its a size 11, so I don't think I'm far off in guessing the largest one at about 4 1/2 pounds, the other 2 around 3 pounds each. Am I wrong in assuming that bass season doesn't open on the little Sac untill Memorial day? I'm pretty sure that is the season opener statewide unless the impound rules state otherwise. I have caught largemouth bigger than these in the stretch and with them being dumped near blood on the bridge and were really fresh, I have no doubt they did not come from a lake, but someone caught them from the Sac and decided they did not care to release them. If the pictures load, you may feel as sick as I did to find them. If anyone fishes the area, keep an eye out for poachers. I will be from now on.

[zander]

Fishing with your girlfriend???? Hang on to that one! My wife's idea of fishing is going to Red Lobster! Sad to hear about the bass. I'm sure they were dumb kids, I used to be one of them that did stupid stuff because I COULD didn't ever think about whether I SHOULD. And then some folks never out grow that mentality.

[jdmidwest]

Bass in streams are closed till May something, usually the week before Memorial Day. Bass in impoundments have different seasons, check the local regs for the lake/area that you are fishing. An impoundment area can reach up an area of a stream above a lake and the impoundment regs supercede the stream regs on that portion in some areas.