New regs on Spotted bass for Truman Lake

[Old plug]

This whole bass fishing thing is about money. GETTING YOURS. 

[Walcrabass]

Chief Gray Bear,

  Like I said in my reply to Fishinwrench..... I don't look for this to reduce the population in the lake by any large amount....neither does the Department of Conservation I am sure as you said. HOWEVER........ when you have a fish in the lake that basically NEVER reaches a length where it can be legally removed..... and it continues to spawn.... then the percentage of this fish in the lake WILL INCREASE. THAT IS HOW THEY GOT TO THE 33% LEVEL THEY ARE AT NOW !!!!!! Remember that when Table Rock was formed they percentage of Kentuckies was around 3.( I have read this somewhere in the past... wish I could dig it up ) Multiply that times 10 or 11 and you will have the percentage of them in the lake now after 50 + years of what I consider to be "incorrect regulations" concerning this particular fish.

Just my "old school math concerning math, fish, and animals".

Walcrabass

[dtrs5kprs]

Shoot...Champ doesn't even hate stripers that much. 

 

[drew03cmc]

Walcrabass, are you an MDC plant here? It is foolish to think that spots can't grow to 12" in Truman.

 

The thought that average fishermen will keep spots if they could is assuming they are educated. My neighbor is your average Kansas angler and he doesn't know what a spotted bass is, hell, he only has cursory knowledge of smallmouth. If you think these anglers and bait dunkers can differentiate between a spot and largemouth, you're giving them FAR more credit than I, and others, will or should. 

[fishinwrench]

This∆∆ is actually very true.   The only ones that recognize a Kentucky when they catch one are those of us that are totally ate up with bass fishing.   The rest of the Missouri population looks at you like you just farted when you say "That's not a LM it's a Spotted bass".

[dtrs5kprs]

1 hour ago, drew03cmc said:

Walcrabass, are you an MDC plant here? It is foolish to think that spots can't grow to 12" in Truman.

 

The thought that average fishermen will keep spots if they could is assuming they are educated. My neighbor is your average Kansas angler and he doesn't know what a spotted bass is, hell, he only has cursory knowledge of smallmouth. If you think these anglers and bait dunkers can differentiate between a spot and largemouth, you're giving them FAR more credit than I, and others, will or should. 

Also pretty silly to think spots are going to eat blacks out of existence in a lake the size of Truman. Spot population probably has more to do with the lingering effects of LMBV and aging of the lake. 

[Haris122]

Not well versed in spotted bass and definitely know very little of Truman Lake, but why would a fish that can get bigger than 15", not be attaining that cutoff size in good numbers, even if only slowly, for harvest in a lake that large? Aren't they supposed to get at least a few inches bigger than that for their maximum size? Especially when they're not even being harvested at the rate others are?

[SpoonDog]

39 minutes ago, Haris122 said:

Not well versed in spotted bass and definitely know very little of Truman Lake, but why would a fish that can get bigger than 15", not be attaining that cutoff size in good numbers, even if only slowly, for harvest in a lake that large? Aren't they supposed to get at least a few inches bigger than that for their maximum size? Especially when they're not even being harvested at the rate others are?

Otters!

[Walcrabass]

To All,

   No I am not a MDC plant. Yes I believe a  percentage of the anglers have a learning curve to face with identification. Same for the Smallmouth. Yes I believe the spots can, and will, and will have no trouble reaching 12" in Truman. It is after that 12" point that I see as the problem. As far as them getting three or four inches longer than 15" with our gene pool of spots here in Missouri....... nope !!!!

Personally I would have liked to see the length set at 10 or 11 inches but the Department has some reserve with the average angler being able to distinguish them from other bass at this length.

I could not be happier for this regulation change and hope it continues with all the lakes in Missouri. Virtually all of my fishing buddies from Stockton and Table Rock that have good knowledge of these fish see things the same way. Maybe I just run around with a weird group of guys??????

Happy Feet,

Walcrabass

[dtrs5kprs]

11 minutes ago, Walcrabass said:

To All,

   No I am not a MDC plant. Yes I believe a  percentage of the anglers have a learning curve to face with identification. Same for the Smallmouth. Yes I believe the spots can, and will, and will have no trouble reaching 12" in Truman. It is after that 12" point that I see as the problem. As far as them getting three or four inches longer than 15" with our gene pool of spots here in Missouri....... nope !!!!

Personally I would have liked to see the length set at 10 or 11 inches but the Department has some reserve with the average angler being able to distinguish them from other bass at this length.

I could not be happier for this regulation change and hope it continues with all the lakes in Missouri. Virtually all of my fishing buddies from Stockton and Table Rock that have good knowledge of these fish see things the same way. Maybe I just run around with a weird group of guys??????

Happy Feet,

Walcrabass

You may have nailed it in that last bit.

There are plenty of K's over 15" in TR, same for Stockton. I used to fish Truman a bunch, and kind of have the idea Truman types aren't willing, or aren't very good at targeting larger spots. One of the Eakins won a CPA or a Heartland at Truman many years back, largely on spots, fishing their little jig down around the dam. If you fish big, shallow, and fast, you will catch the smaller more aggressive K's first.

All of these lakes are going to fish differently as they continue to age. TR didn't have brown fish from end to end when I first started fishing it, that happened with the LMBV. Gave the brownies room to expand. Spots too. Now with some high water years the blacks are working back into the mix. A population boom in one species shouldn't automatically trigger different management policies. Frankly, Truman could use more bass in it, not less, of any kind. 

Would have been a lot of businesses and guide services closed if not for K's at TR.