The Bass Thing

[Walcrabass]

Straw Hat, I don't know you but I really appreciate your comments and efforts on this discussion. If the Missouri Department of Conservation would truly try some Florida/Northern crosses in a power plant lake, introduce them on another couple of lakes without restrictions on the Kentuckies, and stock Florida/Northern crosses in yet another lake with different rules for the Kentuckies I would be all for it. I have to say that I may have stepped on the toes of the tournament anglers without realizing it. I suggested the nothing under 16" and only one over 22" slot. We have a lot of anglers who compete in small Bass Tournaments who full well realize that Kentuckies in the 15 to 18" range make up a good portion of their winnings. If we could get these other fish stocked then maybe for now we should just go with the nothing under 16" part. This is not what I feel would be the most beneficial but maybe more agreeable to others. As you know I personally am still in favor of the smaller length and greater creel limit where the Kentucky Bass is concerned. I was aware of the same discussions having been made in years past on this subject but as I said there is a time and a place for everything. I myself am hoping that the time is here for this idea to take hold and prosper. Please send any studies that you may come across to this site as they are hugely helpful.

[straw hat]

Straw Hat, I don't know you but I really appreciate your comments and efforts on this discussion. If the Missouri Department of Conservation would truly try some Florida/Northern crosses in a power plant lake, introduce them on another couple of lakes without restrictions on the Kentuckies, and stock Florida/Northern crosses in yet another lake with different rules for the Kentuckies I would be all for it. I have to say that I may have stepped on the toes of the tournament anglers without realizing it. I suggested the nothing under 16" and only one over 22" slot. We have a lot of anglers who compete in small Bass Tournaments who full well realize that Kentuckies in the 15 to 18" range make up a good portion of their winnings. If we could get these other fish stocked then maybe for now we should just go with the nothing under 16" part. This is not what I feel would be the most beneficial but maybe more agreeable to others. As you know I personally am still in favor of the smaller length and greater creel limit where the Kentucky Bass is concerned. I was aware of the same discussions having been made in years past on this subject but as I said there is a time and a place for everything. I myself am hoping that the time is here for this idea to take hold and prosper. Please send any studies that you may come across to this site as they are hugely helpful.

You are most welcome. The varying opinions is why the state usually apply different regulations to different areas in order to keep everyone happy. And as you know you can't make everyone happy! If I run across any more information I will gladly pass it along. Good luck

[Walcrabass]

Some light reading for you guys. HAHA Interesting stuff.

[Walcrabass]

Straw Hat, you have really outdone yourself!!! I remember very well when the number/percentage of Kentuckies in Table Rock was noticably increasing. I can remember the length limit being established at 15"(?). I think that the fact that their percentage in the lake grew from 3% to 25% (if I am relaying the information in the article correctly)of the Black Bass population AFTER THE LENGTH LIMIT WAS SET AT THIS POINT makes a very good case that this length is too long for this species. I was surprised at the number of lakes in Oklahoma that have no length limit on Kentuckies and a 15 fish creel limit. That was information I had not heard or read before. I am having difficulty downloading some of the articles you have made available to us. I will try from another computor in a day or two. If you have a good Fisheries Biologist contact who is presently working for the Missouri Department of Conservation I would appreciate it if you would ask them to view all these comments. I think that the posts and replies concerning the Kentuckies and Florida/Northern crosses would be appreciated by him or her. I am asking all Fishermen and particularly Bass Fishermen to please read this wealth of information on these sites. It is very interesting and downright eye opening. Thanks again Straw Hat, you are a true Gentleman and a Scholar!!!!!

[Walcrabass]

Walcrabass, when did the Kentuckies become a problem on Missouri lakes? I know and understand the situation on the streams on the eastern side of the state, but have never heard of anything like this on our big lakes. I've not even heard any complaints from any of the guides that the Kentuckies are taking over or causing any problems. If you have any proof of this I would like to see it. As far as I'm concerned, there is a place for them right along side largemouth and smallmouth in the lakes.

[Walcrabass]

Buzz, I have spent some time reading the sites sent in by "Straw Hat". There are many instances of the Kentucky( Spotted Bass) hugely increasing their numbers (percentage of Black Bass ) in our streams and lakes as well. The thing that really disturbs me is their willingness and success at hybridizing with SMALLMOUTH AND LARGEMOUTH. If you have the time to read what other states are doing to prevent the Kentucky Bass taking over it is very evident that they have just plain declared war on them. Information that I have read on these sites proves to me that they are definitely in direct competition with the Largemouth and the Smallmouth. I also learned that they grow slower than Smallmouth too. Missouri has definitely realized that we have a problem with them because of the implementation of seperate regulations for them on some of the streams. I hope that they expand this to our lakes. I hope that we make some headway because I don't want my grandchildren catching Bass that they cannot distinguish as a particular Bass( because of hybridization) and has a great of trouble reaching 13-15" in length.

[straw hat]

Straw Hat, you have really outdone yourself!!! I remember very well when the number/percentage of Kentuckies in Table Rock was noticably increasing. I can remember the length limit being established at 15"(?). I think that the fact that their percentage in the lake grew from 3% to 25% (if I am relaying the information in the article correctly)of the Black Bass population AFTER THE LENGTH LIMIT WAS SET AT THIS POINT makes a very good case that this length is too long for this species. I was surprised at the number of lakes in Oklahoma that have no length limit on Kentuckies and a 15 fish creel limit. That was information I had not heard or read before. I am having difficulty downloading some of the articles you have made available to us. I will try from another computor in a day or two. If you have a good Fisheries Biologist contact who is presently working for the Missouri Department of Conservation I would appreciate it if you would ask them to view all these comments. I think that the posts and replies concerning the Kentuckies and Florida/Northern crosses would be appreciated by him or her. I am asking all Fishermen and particularly Bass Fishermen to please read this wealth of information on these sites. It is very interesting and downright eye opening. Thanks again Straw Hat, you are a true Gentleman and a Scholar!!!!!

Just let me know whatever sites you can't get into and I will check it out. As far as a contact at MDC? Well I wouldn't want to give away my age but I worked for them in the late 70's!! The people I knew are probably not around anymore. If by now you are trying to guess my age I hope you have a lot of toes and fingers.

[Guest csfishinfool]

Twenty Four pounds to win the Anglers in Action at Stockton on March 14th. Three bass weighed in over seven pounds. Last year the water was four foot high all spring and summer, leading to an excelent number of fry that survived . Stockton is perfect right now, it doesn't get any better than that.

[Tblrock]

Twenty Four pounds to win the Anglers in Action at Stockton on March 14th. Three bass weighed in over seven pounds. Last year the water was four foot high all spring and summer, leading to an excelent number of fry that survived . Stockton is perfect right now, it doesn't get any better than that.

Well said cs...Having grown up in Stockton, My wish would be that MDC & COA enact efforts to restore quail habitat equal to what it was when COA "aquired" the ground back in the 60s.

[Stockton Lake Guide Service]

Buzz and Eric1978, You guys are exactly right in that there is a time and a place for the Kentucky Bass. Obviously they are a Native species and deserve a place. The way I see it Bass Fishing is at a all time high. The thrust of things today is larger fish. It only makes sense that if there was a decrease of spawning, food consumption, etc.by one species that there would be more for the Bass that were left. I think that sometimes we are resistant to change because of fond memories and just plain old enjoying the past. That ain't all bad either. Here is my point. There are better Bass out there. After reading another article today it is proven that the Florida/Northern Bass Hybrids Females are more successful at spawning as are the pure Floridas. The man who is called "Straw Hat" has put several things to read on this site and I found them fascinating, educational, and true to what I expected from their research. I believe that the Bass Fishermen of Missouri deserve a chance to take a step up with other great Bass fishing states. I found nothing but good in these articles and I encourage everyone to read them.

maybe I am reading something wrong here, but you say that the hybrid females are more successful at reproducing, they can't reproduce because, the two different species have two different numbers of chromosomes.

Species can reproduce within their own species, because each individual within the species has the same number of chromosomes.

The hybrids can't reproduce because the sex cells would never be fertilized, as their chromosomes would be wrong. The hybrids would never occur in nature, and they were created by man, I don't know how they accomplished this, but, anyway, thats why the hybrids can't reproduce.

I hope this makes sense and I didn't misread your post, but if the fish is a hybrid, then from what I have learned and read, they won't reproduce.