Here I go again...........

[Falcon215]

I think the spots are bigger in Table Rock due to the big presence of threadfin.  The gizzards in our lakes up here quickly grow to a size that makes them hard to gorge on by the spots, so they rely more on crayfish and minnow species.  Just my opinion.

[Basfis]

I guess I don’t understand what the spots hurt without regard to their length in the lakes. Rivers are a different story. 
 

TR has some tank spots, not everywhere but there for sure.  Stockton has keeper spots, catch several when I take the kids to mess with suspended fish. 
 

LM, SM and kentuckies don’t seem to overlap much at size. Little guys integrate more in my experience. 

[Walcrabass]

Archdale,

  You may be thinking of a post I made a couple (?) of years ago. A biologist told me that IF a Kentucky makes it to 15" in Table Rock that it is within the last 6 months of it's life. Yes, they live to be around 6 years old. I like the comment made by the Biologist concerning the Kentuckies in Stockton Lake, something like, the 15" length limit on Kentuckies is actually a catch and release regulation. The same is true for Table Rock. Only a teeny tiny percentage of them ever reach 15". One of the biologist I emailed has told me that they spoke to the tournament guys and they were happy with the 15" rule. One has to remember here that money is involved in their decision. The Kentuckies bite readily and if you know a spot where the ancient ones hang out it can be a way to put that 5th fish in the livewell.

Keep in mind that the "Money thing" comes into play with the guides also. Once again, the Kentuckies bite readily and make the guides prosper. They too want as many of them as possible in the lake, even if they never reach a harvestable length...............

Walcrabass

[ryan]

Would have to disagree with you about the Tablerock spots.  Tablerock has a large populations of spots over 15in.  A big difference between say Stockton and Tablerock is the forage.  The crayfish on Tablerock are a totally different than Stockton as well as Tablerock has threadfin shad as well as gizzards.  Stockton only has gizzards.   Some lakes tend to grow certain species of fish bigger than others.  In Stockton many of the spots don’t live to make it over 15in.  However, in Tablerock they catch 3+ lb K’s fairly regularly.  I’ve personally had one right at 5lbs.  Several of the guides in the Tablerock forum could give you some much better information than I can.  As a whole I think that our lakes are managed pretty well according to biologist sampling and management goals.  

[Walcrabass]

Ryan,

 All my information has come from the biologists that I have questioned on the matter. The 4% of them reaching 15 inches in the lake was a figure given to me by one of them. This information has been acquired over a period of about the last 4 years.

I agree with you entirely that our lakes are managed well. Especially the ones with the 12" rule for Kentuckies.

Walcrabass

[3DHUSKER]

I am guessing that if they though TRL needed a 12 inch limit they would have changed it along with the Stockton rule change.   Especially since they have 4 years data. 

 

[olfishead]

When it comes down to it, relatively few black bass of any species are harvested due to the catch and release mentality that is so prevalent today. That was not the case 40 years ago. So, is there still a need for any black  bass length limits?🤔