Replica Mounts

[Smithvillesteve]

Catching up this morning on reading the forum pages for Table Rock and Stockton, my two favorite lakes to fish in Missouri. Sounds like 2 nice bass were caught at Stockton lately. A 9+ and a 10+. One of the writers was asking about having a big bass replica mount made. Absolutely you can do that. The pleasure in that is that you get to release a big female bass. Get all the measurements. The length, girth and weight. Maybe hold her in the water for a little while between each measurement. The pros are releasing the fish and you will have a mount that will last a lifetime. Yes, I do believe it will cost a little more than taking the fish in. But well worth it. About 20 years ago I caught a nice 8 pound bass in a farm pond. Had it mounted. It lost its colors and I had to take it back in and have redone. I'm kicking myself in the butt for not having a replica mount done. 

[Kramr]

Thanks. I was the one asking. Not that I will ever need to worry about such things. 

[Hammer time]

I wish our state had a program like Texas, if you catch a bass over 13 and give them the fish for breeding stock they give you a free replica mount. Granted that's Florida strain bass and our program should be at the 9pound level in our state with our northern strain bass.

[Walcrabass]

Hammertime,

 I too wish we had a "Lunker Program", and  a hybrid Florida/California/whatever that gets bigger strain stocking program like some of our neighboring states. However, in a state that doesn't even worry about the Kentuckies crossbreeding and their small size taking over the lakes what would be the use?

Look back to the days when lakes like Table Rock were giving up 10+ pound fish regularly........ I am very glad for the people that catch those 10 pounders today............. just wish they were not such a small number of anglers.

Where Bass fishing is concerned..... Missouri needs to grow up and put on their "big boy pants".

Walcrabass

[Smithvillesteve]

A Lunker Program would be a great idea in my opinion. I have to be very careful here in what i am saying, I dont want to cause a big stink here. It is a touchy issue. Two weeks ago i was cleaning some walleye, whites and crappie at Mutton Creek Marina. Two Ol boys came in with 6 beautiful Largemouth bass in a 5 gallon bucket. All the bass were in the 3-4 lb range. It broke my heart to see these beautiful fish being butchered with a fillet knife. Now, maybe these guys were putting meat on the table for a family that is in need. And to be sure they were not doing anything illegal. I'm just saying I hated those fish being filleted up. I believe the spotted bass are taking over a lot of our lakes. I wish we could reduce the legal length of those fish to 12 inches and let people keep some of them to eat. I have heard they are pretty good table fare. Now, we could have issues with fisherman not knowing the difference between a largemouth and a spot I guess. 

[dprice]

Love it fellows     How do we get started ?  

[dprice]

As for spots smithville that's a great idea also    On my creel observation I reported  our local spots where  hovering are nests earlier than expected   I don't see letting them  fertilize stocktons genetics 

in shorts  reduce the population of them would be one of the best  things that could happen to our fishery !

my observer looked completely shocked by this ?

if people want to catch  fun fish nothing wrong with eager young spots  you can catch 40 fairly simple 

Dprice

[Walcrabass]

To ALL REAL BASS FISHERMEN ( WOMEN AND CHILDREN TOO),

 I am in awe !!!!!  For all the times myself and Straw Hat have been trying to give SCIENTIFIC information on these fish....... and for the contributions of others that are knowledgable on the subject........ WOOHOOOOOO  !!!!!!!  We are finally getting somewhere with this "little fish called Kentucky". I am hoping that EVERY SINGLE PERSON THAT READS THIS SITE WILL CONTACT THEIR MISSOURI CONSERVATION BIOLOGIST FOR THE LAKE THEY FISH !!!! Let them know you are sick and tired of watching virtually every other "Bass State" do what is right with their bass population while watching ours go downhill. EAT THE KENTUCKIES !!!!! PUT THEM IN THEIR OWN CATEGORY !!!!! Start a "Lunker Program". Start stocking bigger strains of Bass in our lakes. Don't even try to tell me that there is not other larger Strains of Bass that can live here !!!!! Remember when "Armidillos will never be in Missouri because we are too far North????

Get it done !!!! Quit messing around !!!!!

OK, for the moment.... I am finished

Wall (Missouri Bass Promoter) crabass

 

[dprice]

I'll go on to say when I fish around camp grounds ( just about every end of lake ) I see camper families and visitors  catch these Kentuckies  but then they have to throw them back.  Drive to the lake. Pay a user fee. Pay for a liscense  but can't afford a boat  then release everything you catch ?  Doesn't seem thought out enough ... Missouri can afford to start a committee to observe and reflect a basis of contributing to  lake Stockton fishery genetics in a true lunker  fishery manner.

These fish certainly  fertilize  the better genetics and thus bring them down to a scavenger  level 

for a few people out there they will certainly change your strain of brownies in same manner

I will say   Weather on Stockton and the added habitat sure seem suitable to protecting this resource.  Very nice job on this particular lake !

bull shoals and tablerock have 12 + pound class fish in them.   I'm sure Stockton does to . Very fertile waters here 

 

i would like like to here from people that are more knowledgeable with there time on the water and ability to study the problem

im just a plow boy but I see the trouble here 

Dprice

[VJMAC]

Those Spots are pretty tasty !! Close to walleye. Since subject is about replica mounts and share a lunker programs i thought i'd share my "almost" share a lunker ! Caught this a few years ago at Lake Fork. 12.4lb. 23" long. 21" girth. 1" short of being a keeper so couldnt have kept her if i wanted to. Wouldnt have anyway. If she'd just had a 9" crappie for breakfast I'd had me a free replica mount and a plaque on the wall at the hatchery !! Replica's are the only way to go. Friend that does all my mounts does the replicas cheaper then real fish. Even though paying for the mold its alot less time. For him atleast. Not sure how others price them. Early march when i got her. Caught her on a deep channel swing. Took a polaroid pic and let her go. She immediatly  rolled over and went belly up. Knew she probably wouldnt make it so i took her in to a close buy bait shop to see if they could help. They put her in their bait tank and called the local conservation agent to come help. All i could think of was how big my fine for a short fish was going to be !! Just the opposite happened. He needled her and worked with her for a couple hours till she was upright. Thanked me over and over for doing the right thing and bringing her in. He went with me the next day to release it where i originally caught it.