rules

[bass master]

what are the length limit and amount of bass you can keep for largemouth bass,small mouth bass, and white bass

[Sam]

what are the length limit and amount of bass you can keep for largemouth bass,small mouth bass, and white bass

Unless something's changed this year that I don't know about:

TABLEROCK, Missouri side

White Bass = limit 15, any size.

Black Bass = Largemouth, Smallmouth, and Spotted (Kentucky) Bass combined total, limit 6, minimum length 15".

On Arkansas side, Spotted (Kentucky) Bass of 12" or more may be kept - but don't bring them into Missouri.

[Bill Babler]

You might check that white bass limit. Seems to me there is a certain number over a certain size that you are able to keep. example: only 5 over 15 inches or something like that. Please check, I know there is some kind of length regulation, or there has been on tablerock.

Also if you would please don't kill largemouth or smallmouth bass. It wasn't very long ago that we were having real ploblems with water quality affecting the numbers of these fish. It has only been in the last couple of years, that we have seen a nice rebound. If the water remains like it is all that could be gone with a extremely poor spawn. there is still a mercury warning and heavy metal warning for the comsumption of bass on Table rock.

[Phil Lilley]

The warning only applies to the James River Arm if I'm correct.

White Bass in Missouri- only 3 over 18 inches.

[SKMO]

The warning only applies to the James River Arm if I'm correct.

White Bass in Missouri- only 3 over 18 inches.

I interpret the rule as "no more than 4 White, Yellow, Hybrid or Stripers" longer than 18" .. And this is a StateWide reg.

I think rule is in place to prevent overharvest of Hybrids and stripers. I imagine whoever made the rule had no clue exactly how large WB get in the rock!

So anyone with over 4 WB 18" or longer is in violation as I interpret it from page 11 of:

http://www.sos.mo.gov/adrules/csr/current/3csr/3c10-6.pdf

Seems to me on Table Rock you would be within the "spirit" of the law with over 4 large WB but definitely not within the "Letter of the law" and I'm not sure I would want to test it.

[Phil Lilley]

I was going by memory - opps! I've never had to worry with the 18-inch or more rule- just knew it was there.

Thanks for the correction!!

[Bill Babler]

I knew there was something on those sneaky white bass as last year Bryant Ward checked us up the Kings River and asked how many we had of a perticular size, we didn't have any that big and I just kind of blew it off. Great info guys. You can bet if we would have had over the limit of those big boys it would have cost us some hushpuppys.

Check out MO.Gov/NewsAndPublicNotices Go to Mo. Dept of Health and Social services 2005/2006 State Wide Fish Advisory

Table Rock Lake, Lake Wide.

Mercury Warning Women who are or wish to become pregnunt or nursing O consumption of bass from Table Rock Lake. Children 12 years of age and under O consumption of Table Rock Lake bass. Adult males no more than 4 oz. per month of Table Rock Lake bass. No Consumption of bass longer than 12 inches. For any sex or age group. This is an age factor for the fish. It has been determined that fish that are longer than 12 inches have accumulated a larger dose of mercury. I guess that pretty much takes care of us as the legal length limit for keeping Black bass is 15 inches.

Here is another question? If we as guides knowing this, actively harvest fish and the fish being consummed by our clients cause or are health risks, are we liable? Even if the clients are aware of health waring and comsume the fish at their own risk? Even though people know that smoking is harmful and a warning is published on the pack, the cigerate companies are still being sued and having huge settlements. I spoke to an attorney friend of mine and he said you bet your bippy. You are the first chain in a liability suite. Don't think it couldn't happen either. If a pregnunt client consumed fish and had problems I guarantee the guide would be first on the list. Personally for me, I have been totally catch and release on Table Rock bass for the last 10 years and will continue to do so.

[CaptainT16]

Also if you would please don't kill largemouth or smallmouth bass. It wasn't very long ago that we were having real ploblems with water quality affecting the numbers of these fish. It has only been in the last couple of years, that we have seen a nice rebound. If the water remains like it is all that could be gone with a extremely poor spawn. there is still a mercury warning and heavy metal warning for the comsumption of bass on Table rock.

Where is he Metal and Mecury coming from? Have never heard that before, sad story as many lakes and rivers are being affected by these subtances.

[catman70]

I think most of your metal and mercury levels are coming from the burning of fossil fuels. That's why I'm for nuclear power instead of a new coal-fired plant up here in Springfield, but nobody's going to ask me – and the coal is a lot less expensive.

However, this new report is news to me. The last time I looked (probably 3 yrs ago) the only bodies of water in MO with warnings on them were the 2 major rivers. Hard to believe it's getting worse, but I guess it makes sense.

[Bill Babler]

If I'm not mistaken, the first warning came out in 2001. There may have been a problem before this however that was not detected. The reason for the detection was a huge raw sewage spill into the James River in 99 and another in 2000. At this time a bass kill occured up the James river as Phil had mentioned, and this was the first area affected. for the non-consumption of bass.

This was in 99 and a lot of people thought we had largemouth bass virus. Bill Anderson our fisheries biologist at the time said the virus was never documented and the LM kill may have been the sewage. As you all remember this was the last time we also had really low water. After the spill for the next couple of years we had huge alge blooms and off color water. The kill manily affected the LM but the spots were also hit to some extent. I think when they were studying the dead or dying fish they determined the fish also were carring the heavy metals. From what I understand quite possibly from tons and tons of fertilizer run off. All our northern brothers that are moving to the lake region over the past decade, feel they need to mow grass on rocks and red clay that were never meant to have grass. Huge quanities of fertlizer will not penetrate our nonporious clay and simple runs into the lake. I know we have also changed our farming practices and have many, many poultry farms in northern Arkansas that drain into the white river basin. It is simpley an accumulation over the years, of use and miss use.

I am also sure that the fossil fuels probably have made a contribution.

People have been asking why the bass are the most affected? The 3 Black Bass species we have like crustations and are the biggest crawfish eaters. The crawfish are the first affected with the metals and it is just a progression. I have fished on the upper kings river since the early 80's and I used to able to catch 100's of crawfish in the river. Now there are some but nothing like in the past. I used to catch them by the bag full in Flat Creek. Now you have to work to find a hat full.

I guess this is the new world. I liked the good old days.