Quick Trip to Big M- day after thanksgiving

[willyfish]

How about there is no "keeper" size. Throw them ALL back. If you want to have a tournament do it the MLF format way. If you need to eat a fish go to the store or learn how to catch another species. There are other fish in these lakes besides Bass and they are fun to catch too! These green fish have become such a big business $$ they need to be protected.

[Flysmallie]

1 minute ago, willyfish said:

These green fish have become such a big business $$ they need to be protected.

 

And that's the problem with bass fishing right there. 

 

 

[willyfish]

37 minutes ago, Flysmallie said:

 

And that's the problem with bass fishing right there. 

 

 

Bass being big business isn't necessarily a problem. There are a lot of resources in the world that are big business, coal, electricity, water, air, etc. I know a Bass isn't anywhere near that level of importance but you get the idea. If you want these things and lord knows the demand is there, you have to protect them.

[Flysmallie]

13 minutes ago, willyfish said:

Bass being big business isn't necessarily a problem. There are a lot of resources in the world that are big business, coal, electricity, water, air, etc. I know a Bass isn't anywhere near that level of importance but you get the idea. If you want these things and lord knows the demand is there, you have to protect them.

I don’t necessarily disagree with you. But that protection should not be solely based off of what tournament anglers want because that’s where the cash comes from. When we have to answer to the stock holders about the bass population then we’ve created an issue. And actually a bass is way more important that all that other crap. It’s a living species. It’s life shouldn’t be based on profit margins. 

[willyfish]

15 minutes ago, Flysmallie said:

But that protection should not be solely based off of what tournament anglers want because that’s where the cash comes from

Bass tournaments are a very small part of the overall economic impact of these fish. I simply threw the MLF format in there to put the idea of live wells and weigh ins to rest. The poachers will keep the population in check.

[inshore]

guys hate to pour cold water on all your ideas but what you see now is about as good as it will get in the foreseeable future. think about it will the number of people fishing go up  or down?  will the lake clean itself or will it get worse. think of all the stuff now being dumped in TR (septic tanks,fertilizer, industrial waste, and from april to October 5 to 6,000 boats a day wearing  out the shoreline. this is not the glory days of the 70's and the 80's. why before the virus did it seem the # of big largemouth was much greater?  will stocking bring it back to those days I don't think so. the lake has changed greatly in the past years much of the shallow cover is gone replaced by boat houses. I would suggest learn how to work them. learn your electronics. read everything bill and other good fishermen say. there will always be good and great days and also the bad days. hang in there you can't catch a hundred every trip.

 

p.s.i'm not against stocking it could help at least it would give the bigger fish more to eat and make plugs that imitate baby bass worth a lot of money.

[Flysmallie]

10 minutes ago, inshore said:

p.s.i'm not against stocking it could help at least it would give the bigger fish more to eat and make plugs that imitate baby bass worth a lot of money.

 

I like that thinking! 

[Devan S.]

2 hours ago, willyfish said:

These green fish have become such a big business $$ they need to be protected.

This is what really cracks me up about the bass fishing industry. As far as I can tell there is really no reason for the bass to be anymore valued than any other fish.

They aren't any better food than a crappie/walleye/catfish/panfish/white bass. They don't provide any advantage when it comes to a basic need. A smallmouth might have the claim to be a good fighter but the rest I cant tell much difference pound for pound(Carp probably get the nod here anyways). They aren't really any more prolific than crappie/panfish/catfish/walleye/white bass except to some geographic limitations.

It seems like a heck of a marketing scheme to me. 

[Jerry Rapp]

this was an interesting read on Bass Fan this morning...  http://www.bassfan.com/docktalk_article/19476/balog:-industry-winds-shifting#.XAB_nYtKjIU

[fishinwrench]

1 hour ago, Devan S. said:

This is what really cracks me up about the bass fishing industry. As far as I can tell there is really no reason for the bass to be anymore valued than any other fish.

They aren't any better food than a crappie/walleye/catfish/panfish/white bass. They don't provide any advantage when it comes to a basic need. A smallmouth might have the claim to be a good fighter but the rest I cant tell much difference pound for pound(Carp probably get the nod here anyways). They aren't really any more prolific than crappie/panfish/catfish/walleye/white bass except to some geographic limitations.

It seems like a heck of a marketing scheme to me. 

Bass (especially Largemouth) are the perfect sport fish because of their adaptability.  They sustain themselves equally well in an endless variety of habitats.  On any given day, on any given lake/pond/river you can find bass catching patterns in the shallows, out deep, suspended in open water, and at several areas in between.  And in water temps ranging from near-frozen to near-boiling.   

No other fish species that I am aware of has the ability to adapt and overcome so many different habitat variations with ZERO help from man.....and IN SPITE of man.  

That's why bass are the worlds favorite sport fish.