Protecting The Bass Population?

[techo]

I care!

[creek wader]

I also care. .... Never fished the Rock. But spent some time under the surface, there. Nice lake. Wish I lived closer.

[Phil Lilley]

I am sorry, but a fisherman that "preaches" catch and release and then participates in tournaments during the spawning season is a hyprocrite. Remember the quotes and underline emphasis.

Good discussion!

Very interesting statement... that hits some guides right where it hurts. But those guides aren't on this board, I don't think.

[ozarkgunner]

Stock Jocky, I never say this and people on this board can back me, but that is a "non-truth."

There has been only two agents on the Rock for the past 3 years. Briant Ward out of Shell Knob, and Quintin out of Branson, that gets up there only on a very limited basis.

I know for a fact that neither one of these gentlemen told you we need to Kill SM. Just did not happen. Smallmouth populations have no baring of any kind on either Spotted Bass or LM populations, or densities. They occupy far different ecosystems and forage in a completely different manner.

What you are saying is an MDC officer with a degree, most probably in fisheries or wildlife management, told you to kill SM because of a compitetion for forage factor with LM or K's. Did not happen, they all know there is no competition for forage, between the sub-species of Black Bass.

Table Rock bass limits are not set as a means to control their populations. They are set at levels that promote the usuage of the resource. MDC knows that 95% of sportsman that fish TR, for bass, are catch and release. If people ate the bass, you can bet your last dollar, the limits would reflect that.

Before you come with a statement that an agent told you we need to kill Smallmouth Bass, you had better have names and dates.

You go ahead and eat all you want, along with everyone else that has his or her pemit, you paid for the right, but don't come here looking for information on how to do it, or telling us MDC told you to.

Speaking of agents........... In 15 + years of fishing on Table Rock ( at times very hard) I have only been "checked" once and that was on opening day of spoonbill season. I'm interested in how often some of the guides who are on the water 200+ plus days a year get checked.

[Sam]

I'd say catch-and-release is real, real important to keeping Tablerock as a good bass fishery. You guys have got a good recycling program going there.

I target other species, but I seldom catch a Tablerock bass that doesn't have fishhook-holes in its' lips. A Tablerock bass must get up every morning and say "Aw, man - am I gonna get dragged to a boat again today?"

From what I've seen, chances are that a legal-size bass there has been caught over and over again. If everybody was keeping them, I think they'd be real rare. That's a lot different from a legal-size crappie or a white bass, more prolific fish that are only going to get caught once and then end up next to the fried 'taters.

[Whack'emGood]

I'd say catch-and-release is real, real important to keeping Tablerock as a good bass fishery. You guys have got a good recycling program going there.

I target other species, but I seldom catch a Tablerock bass that doesn't have fishhook-holes in its' lips. A Tablerock bass must get up every morning and say "Aw, man - am I gonna get dragged to a boat again today?"

From what I've seen, chances are that a legal-size bass there has been caught over and over again. If everybody was keeping them, I think they'd be real rare. That's a lot different from a legal-size crappie or a white bass, more prolific fish that are only going to get caught once and then end up next to the fried 'taters.

Exactly-- I was talking to my dad the other day about that one I caught that went almost 7lbs the other day, and I wondered aloud how many times it has been caught (AND RELEASED) up to that point in it's life.

If somebody would have caught and killed it already, I wouldn't have had the chance at catching (and releasing for someone else to possibly catch, yet) such a beautiful fish.

Yep, their lips surely get holes poked in them but, 95% of the time (at least, I hope) they live to fight another day.

Whack'em

[techo]

Exactly-- I was talking to my dad the other day about that one I caught that went almost 7lbs the other day, and I wondered aloud how many times it has been caught (AND RELEASED) up to that point in it's life.

If somebody would have caught and killed it already, I wouldn't have had the chance at catching (and releasing for someone else to possibly catch, yet) such a beautiful fish.

Yep, their lips surely get holes poked in them but, 95% of the time (at least, I hope) they live to fight another day.

Whack'em

Ummmm.....where exactly did we release that bass? Just curious.

[stock jockey]

I was in a small tourney today and I did not keep any. However, there were 3 different guys keeping fish from our tournament. I think you all are crazy to think that fish are not kept out of this lake. I spoke to the owner of where we are staying and he stated that two guide lauch out of his place and both of them said that keeping fish from 15 to 17 inches is done all the time by the GUIDES. My next question is should we not eat the crappie, walleye, or catfish either. I did not say that someone should cut a big fish but there are millions of 15 to 17 inch fish in TR. That is after many people have many meals. Lets be honest God put the fish in the lake for us to eat.

I will still be leaving the big ones but will enjoy any small ones.

Thanks,

Stock Jockey

By the way the lake was very tough today.

[Chris Tetrick]

I was in a small tourney today and I did not keep any. However, there were 3 different guys keeping fish from our tournament. I think you all are crazy to think that fish are not kept out of this lake. I spoke to the owner of where we are staying and he stated that two guide lauch out of his place and both of them said that keeping fish from 15 to 17 inches is done all the time by the GUIDES. My next question is should we not eat the crappie, walleye, or catfish either. I did not say that someone should cut a big fish but there are millions of 15 to 17 inch fish in TR. That is after many people have many meals. Lets be honest God put the fish in the lake for us to eat.

I will still be leaving the big ones but will enjoy any small ones.

Thanks,

Stock Jockey

By the way the lake was very tough today.

I'm one of the guides here and know them all and talk to most of them as friends and buddies I'll hang out with to do stuff besides fishing. I'll tell you right now hardly none of these guys I associate with kill fish or go around bragging about killing their catch to impress a resort owner. There may be millions of bass and kepper bass in Table Rock but that doesn't mean everyone should feel right about cutting their sides out.

I remember fishing here in the good ol' days then fishing here after the fish kill. I thought Table Rock would never be the same, well after the past few years and seeing this spring, I think it's came back almost to full stride. So why would anyone want to kill some of these fish and take them out along with the babies they can make.

[Bill Babler]

Again Stock Jocky. Give me the name of the resort you are staying and the names of the Federal licensed guides that are killing fish out of that resort. If you are a guide killing fish, we will see how much longer you stay in business.

If you are a guide on this lake and you kill fish, you are nothing more than a slug, and I will bet my last nickle and it's more than most, that you won't last a year. The best guides on this lake do not have to kill fish. I have not killed a bass in over 15 years, and I guide here over 200 days a year.

Also I know for a fact that by speaking to the guides in the area today that there were no multiple trips from one resort, other than Indian Hills, and they are strickly catch and release.

Absolutely no multiple trips today, outside of Indian Hills. Stock Jocky, this is not a Big Pond and we know everyone, including all the guides and all the state and federal agents.

Guides give guides business, not some "Piddle butt Resort that for the most part turn over every year." If you were truly in a derby today and some of the participants killed pregnant females, they were wrong.

Why are you bringing these untruths and BS.

You had better come up with the truth, or you are done on this forum.

Group Moderator.