Cleaning Bass Vs Walleye

[stock jockey]

I have a question for you regulars. I fish the rock aprox. 3 times a year. You all seem so uptight about cleaning a few bass. I was down a few weeks ago, in a little tourney. Any bass of any size died due to being caught deep.

I have never understood why it is normal to eat walleye on the rock, but a disgrace to eat bass. The bass significantly out number the walleye. I know that bass fishing has become a craze and that there is a lot of money in it. However, I feel that it is somewhat silly the attitude that many have on the lake.

We took second in the tourney (it was just 7 boats) we caught 6 keeper fish in 3 days. That is 2 guys fishing over 20 hours each, and we caught 6 fish we could clean. Two were cleaned due to dying (needed fizzing and did not know how to do it).

Please explain to me why this logic prevails.

Thanks,

[redbud]

"somewhat silly" may have been a poor choice of words.you can certainly look back through the archives and read plenty of responses on either side of the debate.It is my hope that this topic ends here.

[Dutch]

It is perpetuated by the people who make money from the sport. If there were as many people fishing walleye tournaments as bass tournaments then you'd be turning the eyes back so you wouldn't feel bad. If you want um, eat um.

People used to keep the bass at the end of a tournament and eat them like the guys in other species tournaments.

[Sam]

A subculture has grown up around bass fishermen and bass tournaments because of all the publicity and money involved. Catch and release is part of it, as are $30,000 glitter boats that'll run 70 mph and fishing vests full of product patches. It's kinda like auto racing, and there's nothing wrong with that. More power to 'em.

Bass fishermen want to preserve their fishery through catch and release and that's a good thing. Also, they realize that bass tournaments might get outlawed if they were keeping the fish. There are so many tournaments and some of them are so big, they'd be taking an awful lot of big bass out of the lakes otherwise - wholesale slaughter. As far as a weekend bass fisherman keeping his catch, that's up to him and I don't see a problem with it.

I don't fish bass tournaments, but I'll drive two states away to fish a crappie tournament. In those, if a guy wants to fish from a 12 foot car-topper with a 7-horse outboard, that's fine. Also, the weigh-in is followed by a big fish fry complete with fried 'taters and hush puppies. It's all in what you enjoy most - and it's all good.

[Champ188]

I think Sam is right on. I'm both a tournament and recreational fisherman who spends 100-plus days a year on the water. For the most part, all of my fish are released. However, a couple of times a year, Donna and I will keep a mess of spots (Kentucky) bass to eat, usually from Beaver Lake, where they are more than plentiful and there is a 12-inch minimum length limit.

I've brought this up before but will say again, we pay the MDC and AGFC biologists darn good money to formulate management plans for bass and other species in Missouri and Arkansas. Without fail, those plans are centered around length and creel limits. If EVERYONE releases every bass they catch, then those limits are meaningless and the management plans may as well have never been formulated.

Personally, and I'm no biologist, I believe all trophy bass should be released in the interest of advancing the gene pool. Otherwise, I believe there has to be SOME harvest in order to balance the bass population with the forage base.

[rps]

Champ and Dutch (among others) speak the truth. If it's legal and you caught it, no one should criticize you if you wish to eat it.

[Champ188]

I want to emphasize that I'm not advocating keeping fish every time out. Far from it. But with harvest-based management plans, you can't have results if there is zero harvest.

[rangerman]

Wow, I am very impressed Champ, right on . As a primary Walleye guy, I have a house on table rock but almost always go to Bull Shoals. More eyes there. However, a couple of times a year I do take people out on table rock and fish for spots because I know the fish fairly well and know where to catch them. I prolly keep maybe 12 or so spots a year out of table rock. Smallies and blacks go right back in the drink... I have definitely caught a fair share of quality smallies when out fishing walleye on table rock and I am glad to see them. They are a great fish to catch.

[KCRIVERRAT]

Wow, I am very impressed Champ, right on . As a primary Walleye guy, I have a house on table rock but almost always go to Bull Shoals. More eyes there. However, a couple of times a year I do take people out on table rock and fish for spots because I know the fish fairly well and know where to catch them. I prolly keep maybe 12 or so spots a year out of table rock. Smallies and blacks go right back in the drink... I have definitely caught a fair share of quality smallies when out fishing walleye on table rock and I am glad to see them. They are a great fish to catch.

The "black bass' species includes Largemouth, Spots i.e. Kentuckies, and Smallmouth. Love eatin' those walleye though...

[Billfo]

I asked this before, and the opinion I received was "they dont taste that good"... Naturally that was somes opinion.. I would think that most fish would taste good- with hot sauce & a few beers...

I have a question for you regulars. I fish the rock aprox. 3 times a year. You all seem so uptight about cleaning a few bass. I was down a few weeks ago, in a little tourney. Any bass of any size died due to being caught deep.

I have never understood why it is normal to eat walleye on the rock, but a disgrace to eat bass. The bass significantly out number the walleye. I know that bass fishing has become a craze and that there is a lot of money in it. However, I feel that it is somewhat silly the attitude that many have on the lake.

We took second in the tourney (it was just 7 boats) we caught 6 keeper fish in 3 days. That is 2 guys fishing over 20 hours each, and we caught 6 fish we could clean. Two were cleaned due to dying (needed fizzing and did not know how to do it).

Please explain to me why this logic prevails.

Thanks,