It never gets old!

[abkeenan]

Certainly no limit of losers on the boards these days with too much time on their hands and receiving of too little attention at home.

[5bites]

So instead of going to bed last night I couldn't stop thinking about this awesome upper end fishing. So I grabbed my favorite grub rod and went to the courtesy dock at the eagle rock camp ground. So here's my report:

I fished from 11:30pm-6:30am between Eagle Rock and Holiday Island. I didn't take my boat so I fished off the courtesy dock all night. Most fish came on the flat but some off bluff ends, rock piles, brush piles, tire piles, manure piles and hydrilla. One did come from Uncle Roys at high tide. I think I could have done better but I'm not much on night fishing and I was by myself. I let the big small mouth go. Not because they don't taste good but because I gut hooked it and I was afraid the meat would taste rusty.

This one I just held the grub over the net and they jumped in.

I never night fish without my Tom Selleck costume.

Just another big ol table rock line stretcher.

I drew this as I fought it. It's ok for only having three colors and in the dark.

This one came right on the west roaring river point.

This is the one I let go. With the hook in its gullet and it's name being Cecil, no way was I keeping this one. Second biggest smallies Ive caught this year.

Here I'm thinking lemon and pepper? Or Cajun?

[Fly_Guy]

I was going to guess he was Cajun, but his hat says Triton, and his shirts tucked in.

[MOPanfisher]

I call BS, there is no way you could have held up a smallmouth that big. I think you made up the high tide part too, by my chart high tide was at 8:00 p.m. BEFORE you got to Eagle Rock. BUSTED! Life is too shot not to have a little fun sometimes.

[abkeenan]

Okay 5bites, that was actually funny.

[Fly_Guy]

Not trying to make this a religious conversation, but there is a bible verse that comes to mind from 1 Cor 8:13 - "Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall."

I think it would be impossible to live by the letter of this verse for the simple reason that you can find someone who has a problem with virtually everything you could possibly do, but it is possible to live by the spirit of it.

If you've read this forum much at all, you'll know that there exist a decent % of people who hold the bass above other fish when it comes to harvest. Purposely bragging about the big bass you are catching and eating gets the exact response you deserve.

C&R folks can do their part by not badgering every poster about whether the bass they were holding were released. Frankly, it's not your business.

[abkeenan]

Not trying to make this a religious conversation, but there is a bible verse that comes to mind from 1 Cor 8:13 - "Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall."

I think it would be impossible to live by the letter of this verse for the simple reason that you can find someone who has a problem with virtually everything you could possibly do, but it is possible to live by the spirit of it.

If you've read this forum much at all, you'll know that there exist a decent % of people who hold the bass above other fish when it comes to harvest. Purposely bragging about the big bass you are catching and eating gets the exact response you deserve.

C&R folks can do their part by not badgering every poster about whether the bass they were holding were released. Frankly, it's not your business.

I will agree to a certain extent but the knifers are now going out of their way to rub it in the C&R guys face and in a very childish manner. This OP as well as Rick only post with the intention of ATTENTION. The C&R guys have let it go as it has been rehashed on this forum more than Michael Jackson's nose jobs but for some reason the meat hunters are dead set on bringing it back up for whatever reason. You can have a sense of humor like 5bites post....but the original intent of the OP is mean spirited and just not funny.

[pantera2]

5bites that was epic. Lol

There is absolutely nothing wrong with cleaning bass within moderation, now am I saying to cut the sides off a 5lb black or 4 lb smallmouth. No. Or to keep a limit every trip of the year? No. But cleaning some kentuckies and a line burner male black or brownie isn't harming a dang thing, seriously there is 1000's of 15 inch KY's in the rock.

[Codywskeeter1521]

Brownies are pretty decent to eat, and the troll part nah. I've just been reading and finally catch something worthy of bragging about so I'm going to take the opportunity and use it as an excuse to join!

Sounds like to me we don't have to worry about people like this catching to many keeper fish. A blind squirrel finds a nut every once in awhile.

[5bites]

I clean plenty of bass, just not out of any of our lakes or rivers. I will flat manage a private lake or pond like nobody's business though. I totally agree with a mans right to legally keep bass (hopefully in moderation) to eat. Same with any other fish. Trolling on a forum just to poke the bear though? Come on man. Let's bury this dead horse and hang out instead.

I was blessed to be invited to a private lake by Lamar earlier this year to have a 4 hour derby. Big fish wins but they wanted all fish 14" and under kept. I kept over 40. 300+ were kept in that 4 hr period. We could have turned right around and did it again and caught another 300. It's a fantastic place and once balance is restored to the population it will be a dynamite place to fish. I'd give my left arm to have regular permission to fish there and be able to take my two boys. Even the gills were insane there. This place has good depth, boat ramp, grass, loads of craws, and just tons of fish. I brought that many home trying to catch bigger fish. Now I wish I would have nedded them suckers and forgot about the big fish part altogether. That night a family of 9 (!!!) came over from church and we had quit a feed. Not everybody gets to fish but most everyone likes fried fish so when we entertain guests we usually heat up the grease and start frying fish.