Releasing Bass

[lundone]

I think I understand now. Apparently the status of bass among fish is much higher and they deserve more reverance than other species who taste better. Actually I think MaxDrown said it best "Because we want the bass to be big."

[Mitch f]

The question remains: Which would Paul Dallas rather eat? I think I know

[WHARFRAT]

i generally start out catching crappie late winter/early spring and keep enough that will last me thru fall. It's not a whole lot, but maybe 5 or 6 small bags. after that, almost all my fishing is catch and release, until fall when I keep a few bags of fish for the winter time. Now I will keep a nice eater size walleye/sauger now and then, only because I enjoy the taste. White bass, no matter how low my freezer gets are always catch and release. LM bass,,,, i don't normally target them, but the only time I keep any is 1. they are the correct size limit, and 2. if they get gut hooked and I know they will die. I'll also keep a nice bag of gills to cook up fresh around the beginning of summer. Rarely do I keep catfish or any other rough fish. In a nutshell, if I'm not going to eat it, I won't keep it.

[ciRe]

It does seem like everyone loves to keep trout but nothing else. I only keep crappie and blue gill now out of private lakes that get hardly any fishing pressure. I am going to start keeping bass this year (Will be giving it away to anyone who wants it) because we have too many in our 17 acre lake. We also have a few rainbows but they only stick down by the spring and come up during the winter time. I have yet to ever catch one but when MDC came to shock it they floated up. So if anyone from the St. Louis area that needs some fish just give me a heads up. I will even let you come out to help me catch them.

[Gavin]

Thinking that Dallas would rather drink his supper.. Bass eat OK...not as good as crappie or walleye, IMO...but I'll take some spots, largemouth, and some panfish from time to time. Just depends on the management strategy...If I think its OK, I'll take some from time to time...if it seems to need more harvest, I keep..Needs more releasing, I release.

[Kayser]

Crappie, bluegill, catfish, buffalo/suckers, walleye/perch, pike (when I can bum it off my friend from WI)- I fish for pleasure, but fresh fish is one of those things in life that I can't seem to turn down. Sometimes, this includes spotted bass from the Bourbeuse and largemouth from farm ponds. And contrary to popular belief, bass is delicious (grilled with lemon pepper is top notch). I personally believe that bass initially became popular game fish because of the taste.

Rob

[drath]

I keep enough trout to throw in the smoker every once in a while but only from the put and take parks. My dad has three farm ponds that we manage/harvest bass, ‘gills, and crappie from. Other than that, pretty much everything I catch goes back. I have made a promise to myself to get out on the Big River a few times this spring. In which case, I’ll be doing my best to reduce the spotted bass population on that river as much as the law allows. Mummm Kentucky Fried Sammaches.

[RogerH]

Knowing that smallmouth take so long to mature to a reasonable size and the fact that I rarely catch a legal keeper, I practice catch and release. I've foul-hooked and released some below limit size that I knew would not make it. Food for the chain is all I can claim.

[Aaron J Scott]

At Recycled Fish, the organization was started with the tenets of C&R, but more and more often, we're promoting "selective harvest." Whereas some fish in almost any situation should be released (top-level predators, for example), there are many other species in which harvesting them is just fine. I'm wrapping up layout of our "freshwater stewardship guide" and we include a grouped list and advice on how to consider whether or not to keep a fish. I've truncated it to only include species pertinent to the Ozarks:

Note: Size ranges are approximations and may vary by region or body of water. Consult your region’s state fisheries biologist for bodies of water that could benefit from the harvest of a particular species.

Eat Me

• Deeply hooked fish / bleeding fish (if legal to keep)

• Bluegill & Sunfish (under 9")

• Crappie (under 13")

• Perch (under 13")

• Carp (all species)

• Yellow Bass

• White Bass

• White Perch

• Hatchery Trout

• Bullhead

• Channel Catfish

• Freshwater Drum

• Snakehead (Do not release alive)

Limited Harvest

• Walleye (a couple of mid-size fish)

• Largemouth Bass (mid-size fish from waters with abundant bass)

• Flathead and Blue Catfish (mid-size fish)

No Harvest

• Muskies

• Smallmouth Bass

• Wiper / Hybrid Striped Bass

[lundone]

I can understand muskie and smallmouth but not wipers. Missouri has stocked them so thick in some lakes the lure can't get past them to the other fish. What is the reasoning for the wiper in this list?