Borderline insanity

[Fish24/7]

Just now, mixermarkb said:

And for the record, at least on Bull Shoals, there is an awful lot of poor folk who still feed their families with bass. That isn't going to change, but it's got to be figured in. Fishing pressure is not just derby pressure. 

When you see mom dad son and daughter in law in the same boat with a limit that's a lot that lost their heads. Saw that this week. 

[mixermarkb]

3 hours ago, dblades said:

You realize the legislature has nothing to do with regattas or fishing really. Stocking would be a waste of money for a lake the size of this one I'd think. 

Really? I've caught walleye every year while bass fishing on Bull Shoals for the last 6-7 years. 20-30 years ago, pre walleye stocking program, I hadn't even heard about walleye. It works, even on big lakes. 

[Quillback]

14 minutes ago, merc1997 said:

it is not about folks fishing, but more to do with what is being done to the fish population which is limited and with no outside help to expand that resource then tournament fishing methods of hauling that resource around in livewells needs to be addressed.

bo

Yep, I agree, time to go to Catch, photograph and release at least during the spawn and hot part of the summer.  

[Champ188]

1 hour ago, mixermarkb said:

Yep, if we are going to "grow the sport", we probably need to change the sport a little first, so we have sport left to grow. 

BINGO!!!

[Champ188]

1 hour ago, mixermarkb said:

Really? I've caught walleye every year while bass fishing on Bull Shoals for the last 6-7 years. 20-30 years ago, pre walleye stocking program, I hadn't even heard about walleye. It works, even on big lakes. 

Yes it works. As you brought up earlier, go to Texas and see for yourself

[liphunter]

I don't fish bass tournaments. Doesn't interest me to do it. Probably because I wouldn't be any good at it, and I'm getting to old. lol  But I get why people do it. Looks like fun. I would never advocate banning tournaments, but there has to be some kind of limit to how many, when and where. At least that is one guy's opinion. It is really getting out of hand. You got an unlimited public desire against a limited resource.  Last time I checked, people are still having sex, so the pressure is just going to increase. Mike

[Macsimus]

13 hours ago, Champ188 said:

Sooooo many bedding fish gonna get plucked and moved around. Can’t be good for the fishery. 

The Good Lord has heard your cry and sent a mighty wind. 😀

[aarchdale@coresleep.com]

Good news for everyone, the wind made it almost impossible to see bass on beds today.  So i doubt very many got plucked and went for a boat ride.   Most people i saw today were fishing deeper.  We hammered them on Jerkbaits on in 25ft. Nothing over 3lbs, but they are full of fight right now

[fozzype]

I am not a proponent of banning tournaments or banning allowing people to est a few fish if they want to. 

One thing that is very simple that could be done during April and early May, do not allow culling.  That would mean if you keep it, you weigh it.  That would allow maybe a few more fish to remain where they are.  I also would not have a problem with a two week period where no fish could be kept.

However, I really dont know how much tournaments or keeping a few fish effects fish populations?  Everyone seems to think this is killing fishing on table rock.  I will say it makes it tougher with fishing pressure, but when you get around em there seem to be plenty of good fish.   If you think about it, if 4 weekends during the spawn if 500 boats relocate 2500 fish, for a total of 10,000 relocated.  Some fish will still spawn or are males?  So let's say 5000 are moved that truly dont get to spawn.  I truly believe this is unconsequitional compared to the overall fish population on this lake.  If you have ever dove on this lake, you will literally see schools of 1000's of bass.  It will make you wonder how you cant catch em sometimes.   Considering that there is 745 miles of shoreline that is only 6 fish per mile.  Considering I see 30 fish on beds in a single pocket, this doesn't seem like much.

That being said, I believe stocking would help.  It is a proven tool that at least our MDC should have. I am not sure why they wont spend the money we give on what sport likely gives them more revenue than any other.  Also, these are man made impoundments, so dont give me the line they want them "natural" and don't want to throw them out of balance.

Like em or hate em, tournaments and being able to keep fish have a huge impact on our economy and region.  Just drive up to Millelacs where hotels and cabins are empty and businesses gone.  This is what a no creel can do.  I believe in taking care of the sport of bass fishing and our great fisherys.  I also believe in finding a balance and not going too far in either direction.

[Quillback]

I pretty much fish the upper White so my observations are what I see there.  There are plenty of bass up there, but I'd say at least 70% (that's just an estimate) are spotted bass.  I love catching spotted bass on appropriately sized tackle, but I would like to see more largemouth.  Since most tourneys originate down lake,  the bigger largemouth are going to get hauled to the tourney weigh in sites and they aren't coming back, they're gone from that part of the lake just like they would be if someone filleted them.  I do believe that has an impact on the number of sizeable largemouth on the upper end.  

Stocking largemouth bass on the upper end may help shift the balance towards more LM's, but maybe not, however we'll never know if it is not attempted.  I'd also like to see tourney release spread out lake wide rather than concentrated on the lower end.  Maybe that means getting some kind of ferry operation going to do a better job of redistributing the fish, especially for the larger tourneys that have hundreds of participants.

Something AGFC was doing on the Arkansas river during a big bass tourney held there was giving anglers bags of bass fingerlings, I believe it was 500 per bag, to take with them and release into the river.  Anglers seemed to have no problem doing this, in fact it seemed to be very popular with anglers.  

I certainly believe something has to be done, changes need to happen, there's just too many of us out there putting tremendous pressure on these bass we all love and management techniques that worked 20-30 years ago need to be changed.